curious about
Director Lead Devisor Teacher Performer Playwright
ARTISTIC STATEMENT
As a theatre maker, director, performer and teacher my practice and performance are rooted in physical movement and as such; performer and space transform into multitude beings, emotions and times. The body - its voice, breath and imagination - IS the only tool. We shift from poetic to pedestrian moments in a breath; in a gesture; in a gaze. The rules of engagement lie in the physical connection of performer to audience. I embrace the beauty, and indifference we give human interactions and strive to find the essence of these moments and give them space in the stories I tell. I am committed to engage with youth and my own youthful spirit!
BIO
Plum and Other Colours - 2000
Susan is a Vancouver based professional theatre artist. Her directing, performance and teaching work explores poetic and pedestrian moments while her artistic leadership has been described as “engaging, encouraging and disarming”. Susan's devised work is extensively movement-based and includes many solos and was involved in an all-woman circus - CIRQUE POULE. She directs diverse and multi plat-formed shows from youth engaged theatre to professional ensemble productions; as well, works collaboratively with fellow theatre colleagues in devising new shows. Accolades: Jessie Richardson Award -Outstanding Performance and The Gordon Armstrong Theatre Artist Award. Performances: at/with the PuSh International Performance Festival, Arts Club Theatre, Western Canada Theatre, Firehall Theatre, Richmond Gateway, Pi Theatre and Boca Del Lupo. Training: BFA in Theatre Acting from UBC and advanced studies in commedia dell’arte and physical theatre from international institutions like Dell’Arte School; Ill Piccolo Teatro (Milan); One Yellow Rabbit; Frantic Assembly (UK); Jeremy James. Susan is a very proud mom to three fantastically fierce children.
PROFESSIONAL THEATRE EXPERIENCE (highlights)
2019
Isle dell'Arte (director/teacher) Collaboration with Theatre students at UBC
Bicycle Thieves (actor) at PuSh International Performance Festival; Dir/Composer: Joelyca Pankanea
Rewire (script consultant/movement direction) Some Assembly Theatre (RHYTAG); Dir: Valerie Mathot
Inside the Mask (teacher) ArtStarts initiative; Burnaby, BC: Drama Teacher: Joan McLeod
Project Memory (teacher/devisor) ArtStarts initiative; Smithers, BC; Teacher: Liliana Pesce
Powell River Festival of the Arts (adjudicator)
Langley Fine Arts School (residency instructor)
The Reluctant Diva (playwright/devisor) Work in progress; co-director James Fagan Tait
2018
Forgotten Proposal (director/teacher) Collaboration with Theatre students at UBC
Ice That Breaks The Night(director/adapt.) Hastings Elementary School, Vancouver
Oh… for the Love of Three Oranges(director/adapt. Gozzi’s Play) Van Tech Secondary School, Vancouver
Mentor: New Artists in the Classroom with ArtStarts in School
2017
Hotel Amore (director/teacher) Collaboration with Theatre students at UBC
Tales of the Grove (director/teacher)Collaboration with Youth at Shadbolt Centre, Surrey Arts Centre, PuSh Festival
Befana’ Star (director/actor) Shadbolt Centre for the Arts; Il Centro (Vancouver) 2017-14
The Subterranean Project: (director/teacher) Britannia Sec. (Vancouver). Teacher: A. Boulet – site specific
The Metamorphoses Project: (director/teacher) Van Tech Secondary, (Vancouver). Teacher: R. Orr
2016
The CT Project (Critical Thinking): (director/devisor)Riverside Secondary (Port Coquitlam) Teacher: N. Roberge
*Winner of METFEST went on to Perform at BC Provincial School Theatre Festival 2016 - DOUGLAS COLLEGE
The Physical Space Project: (teacher) Hastings Elem (Vancouver)Teacher: N. Davies- site specific
The Antigone Project: (teacher/movement) Burnaby Mnt. Secondary (Burnaby) Teacher: F. Rudolph – Ensemble/Mask
2015
East of the Sun/West of the Moon (director/adapt) Hastings Elementary School, Vancouver
Flight to Neverland (director/adapt). Van Tech Secondary School, Vancouver
2014-2000
Alice in the French Underground (director/playwright) Hastings Elementary School, Vancouver
FRESCO (written by Lucia Frangione with the BellaLuna Ensemble) The Cultch and Shadbolt Centre 2012
FUTURISTI and THE RETURN OF FUTURISTI - Frederic Wood Theatre, BellaLuna Productions with Theatre@UBC
Plum + Other Colours - SummerWorks; UBC; UNO Festival; Additional Dir. J.F. Tait - 2004-02
Suspended - Shadbolt Centre for the Arts (Culture Week) (commissioned work) 2012
Slip - Ruby Slippers (Femmes Fatales); New Shoes Festival (UBC) 2010-08
Pesciolino (w/Fiona Martinelli) - Surrey Children’s Fest; Place Des Arts; Winterruption
Best Italian Variety Show - Ever! (actor/devisor) BellaLuna Prod.; Various locations in BC- Trail, Kamloops, Burnaby
Accidental Death of an Anarchist by Fo (actor) Staged Play Reading: Dir. M. Soriano
The Queen and her Rebels by Betti (actor) Staged Play Reading Dir. M. Soriano
Absolutely![Perhaps] by Pirandello (actor) Staged Play ReadingDir. J.F. Tait
Mambo Italiano (actor) Western Canada Theatre/Firehall Theatre/ Dir: D Spencer (Maria)** Award Performance
Mom’s the Word: Re-mixed (actor) Arts Club Theatre- Granville Island (Robin)
Letters from Lithuania (actor) Stanley Park / Mortal Coil/ Dir: Peter Hall) (Ensemble)
Alice: A Wonderland (Musical) (actor) Western Canada Theatre / Dir: Janet Michael (Dee, Duchess, Dormouse)
Enchanted April (actor) Arts Club Stanley Theatre / Dir: Rachel Ditor (Costanza)
A Place Called Whisper (actor/devisor) Circus/Theatre - Pi Theatre (Obstruction Project)
BOLLINI (Brief Encounters) - Theatre/Bhangra Dance - Tomorrow Collective (Cultch Lab
CIRQUE POULE - Belfry; Paris, France; Surrey Kids Fest; Cultch - Dir: J.F. Tait 1999-2003
Isle dell'Arte (director/teacher) Collaboration with Theatre students at UBC
Bicycle Thieves (actor) at PuSh International Performance Festival; Dir/Composer: Joelyca Pankanea
Rewire (script consultant/movement direction) Some Assembly Theatre (RHYTAG); Dir: Valerie Mathot
Inside the Mask (teacher) ArtStarts initiative; Burnaby, BC: Drama Teacher: Joan McLeod
Project Memory (teacher/devisor) ArtStarts initiative; Smithers, BC; Teacher: Liliana Pesce
Powell River Festival of the Arts (adjudicator)
Langley Fine Arts School (residency instructor)
The Reluctant Diva (playwright/devisor) Work in progress; co-director James Fagan Tait
2018
Forgotten Proposal (director/teacher) Collaboration with Theatre students at UBC
Ice That Breaks The Night(director/adapt.) Hastings Elementary School, Vancouver
Oh… for the Love of Three Oranges(director/adapt. Gozzi’s Play) Van Tech Secondary School, Vancouver
Mentor: New Artists in the Classroom with ArtStarts in School
2017
Hotel Amore (director/teacher) Collaboration with Theatre students at UBC
Tales of the Grove (director/teacher)Collaboration with Youth at Shadbolt Centre, Surrey Arts Centre, PuSh Festival
Befana’ Star (director/actor) Shadbolt Centre for the Arts; Il Centro (Vancouver) 2017-14
The Subterranean Project: (director/teacher) Britannia Sec. (Vancouver). Teacher: A. Boulet – site specific
The Metamorphoses Project: (director/teacher) Van Tech Secondary, (Vancouver). Teacher: R. Orr
2016
The CT Project (Critical Thinking): (director/devisor)Riverside Secondary (Port Coquitlam) Teacher: N. Roberge
*Winner of METFEST went on to Perform at BC Provincial School Theatre Festival 2016 - DOUGLAS COLLEGE
The Physical Space Project: (teacher) Hastings Elem (Vancouver)Teacher: N. Davies- site specific
The Antigone Project: (teacher/movement) Burnaby Mnt. Secondary (Burnaby) Teacher: F. Rudolph – Ensemble/Mask
2015
East of the Sun/West of the Moon (director/adapt) Hastings Elementary School, Vancouver
Flight to Neverland (director/adapt). Van Tech Secondary School, Vancouver
2014-2000
Alice in the French Underground (director/playwright) Hastings Elementary School, Vancouver
FRESCO (written by Lucia Frangione with the BellaLuna Ensemble) The Cultch and Shadbolt Centre 2012
FUTURISTI and THE RETURN OF FUTURISTI - Frederic Wood Theatre, BellaLuna Productions with Theatre@UBC
Plum + Other Colours - SummerWorks; UBC; UNO Festival; Additional Dir. J.F. Tait - 2004-02
Suspended - Shadbolt Centre for the Arts (Culture Week) (commissioned work) 2012
Slip - Ruby Slippers (Femmes Fatales); New Shoes Festival (UBC) 2010-08
Pesciolino (w/Fiona Martinelli) - Surrey Children’s Fest; Place Des Arts; Winterruption
Best Italian Variety Show - Ever! (actor/devisor) BellaLuna Prod.; Various locations in BC- Trail, Kamloops, Burnaby
Accidental Death of an Anarchist by Fo (actor) Staged Play Reading: Dir. M. Soriano
The Queen and her Rebels by Betti (actor) Staged Play Reading Dir. M. Soriano
Absolutely![Perhaps] by Pirandello (actor) Staged Play ReadingDir. J.F. Tait
Mambo Italiano (actor) Western Canada Theatre/Firehall Theatre/ Dir: D Spencer (Maria)** Award Performance
Mom’s the Word: Re-mixed (actor) Arts Club Theatre- Granville Island (Robin)
Letters from Lithuania (actor) Stanley Park / Mortal Coil/ Dir: Peter Hall) (Ensemble)
Alice: A Wonderland (Musical) (actor) Western Canada Theatre / Dir: Janet Michael (Dee, Duchess, Dormouse)
Enchanted April (actor) Arts Club Stanley Theatre / Dir: Rachel Ditor (Costanza)
A Place Called Whisper (actor/devisor) Circus/Theatre - Pi Theatre (Obstruction Project)
BOLLINI (Brief Encounters) - Theatre/Bhangra Dance - Tomorrow Collective (Cultch Lab
CIRQUE POULE - Belfry; Paris, France; Surrey Kids Fest; Cultch - Dir: J.F. Tait 1999-2003
ACCOLADES/AWARDS
- Awarded: 15 plus ‘Artist in the Classroom’ Grants – ArtStarts in School (British Columbia) 2018-13
- Awarded: Outstanding Performance Actress -Lead Role– Jessie Richardson Award (Mambo Italiano)**
- Published: FUTURISTI paper presented at International Conference Futurist Drama + Dramaturgy
- Nominated:Outstanding Performance Actress - Supporting Role– Jessie Richardson (Over the River…)
- Awarded:Gordon Armstrong Theatre Artist Award(Jessie Richardson’s Award)
- Canadian Association for Theatre Research, Ottawa, ON. Co-Presented Paper: Multicultural Theatre – BellaLuna Productions(w/ Francesca Marini)
- International Conference Futurist Drama + Dramaturgy, University of Toronto.Presented Paper: Legacies of Futurisim and Contemporary Interpretations of Futurist Drama in the BellaLuna and UBC Theatre Production of FUTURISTI (published 2011)
- ARTISTIC PRODUCER / DIRECTOR – BellaLuna Productions (1996-present)bellaluna.ca