Staff
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Rachel is a multifaceted theatre artist born and raised in various parts of the Greater Vancouver area, on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh-ulh (Squamish), səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), S’ólh (Stó:lō), Stz'uminus, Qayqayt, sc̓əwaθenaɁɬ (Tsawwassen), and Kwantlen Peoples. As a performer she has appeared in a wide range of productions from new works, to classics, to musicals. Favourite credits include Souvenirs (Green Thumb Theatre, Prairie Theatre Exchange), Brief Encounter (Vancouver Playhouse, Royal Manitoba Theatre Company), East Van Panto: Little Red Riding Hood (Theatre Replacement, The Cultch), and touring the hit show Chelsea Hotel: The Songs of Leonard Cohen with The Firehall Arts Centre for over four years. As a playwright, Rachel strives to explore complex issues with humour and curiosity. Her first play, Still/Falling has toured across North America, and received the Jessie Richardson Theatre Award for Significant Artistic Achievement. Her second play, The Code, was recognized with a Jessie Award for Outstanding Production, the Sydney J. Risk Prize for Outstanding Original Script by an Emerging Writer, and was included on Tapeworthy’s Best of Stage 2018 – selected out of almost 200 shows worldwide. Directing credits include Green Thumb’s 2017 revival of Not So Dumb, most recent tour of Celestial Being, and Studio 58's I Know What I Saw. Rachel was selected for the 2017 Playwrights Lab at the Banff Centre, the 2020 Caravan Farm Theatre National Playwrights Retreat (sadly cancelled due to Covid-19) and was one of only 15 international artists selected for the ASSITEJ Next Generation Program at the 2018 ASSITEJ Artistic Gathering in Beijing.

Born and raised in Richmond, BC, Breanne is grateful to be working on the traditional, unceded, ancestral territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam),  Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. Breanne has worked as a professional Stage Manager for close to ten years and graduated with honours from the University of British Columbia with her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Production/Design, where she was the recipient of the Norman Young Scholarship for Theatre and the Dean of Arts Scholarship; while also completing the Fine Arts Program in Visual Arts at Langara College. Breanne has had the pleasure of working for various theatre companies across Canada, including; The Shaw Festival, Arts Club, National Arts Centre, among many others. She was the Tour & Education Manager at Green Thumb from 2016-2018 before moving into her current role as General Manager, and was previously the Production Manager at Presentation House Theatre. Breanne is excited to bring her touring knowledge and experiences to Green Thumb Theatre, having completed many provincial and National tours. Breanne is the Co-Rep for the PACT TYA Caucus, is on the PACT/PGC Advisory Committee and was on the PACT/CTA Negotiations team. Breanne has also sat on many boards and committees with the Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards Society, the GVPTA's Theatre Engagement Project Steering Committee, and was a Stage Management Mentor with the Cultch’s Ignite program. She is the proud mama of two beautiful children.

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Originally from the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, Seneca and the Mississauga of the credit (aka Toronto), Leslie is a graduate of York University (2008) and Studio 58 (2012). Most recently, she was the lead instructor for Carousel Theatre for Young People's Teen Shakespeare Project this past summer. Favourite credits include "Jane" in Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, "Sam" in Thanks for Giving (Arts Club Theatre Company), and "Bap" in Baking Time (Presentation House Theatre).

*The Artistic Associate Intern position is supported by a BC Arts Council Early Career Development Grant.

Ruth(she/her) is a settler working, primarily, on the traditional, unceded, ancestral territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish),and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. She grew up with a mixture of home schooling, public schooling and theatre contracts. Ruth graduated from the Production Program at Studio 58, where she was awarded the John F. Parker scholarship for Demonstrating Exceptional Promise. Since graduation Ruth has worked as a professional stage manager in Vancouver for companies including Bard on the Beach, Neworld Theatre, Theatre Replacement, Carousel Theatre for Young People, Full Circle First Nations, Gateway Theatre and Green Thumb Theatre. In 2017 she joined the team at Green Thumb, since she has had the opportunity to design the sets for The Code, New Canadian Kid and What If. She has also toured The Code, CRANKED and Alone Together to various communities in Canada. Ruth was awarded the Mayors Art Award for Emerging Theatre Artist in 2016.

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Aliya is a director, creator, facilitator, front of house manager, and arts administrator with a keen interest in socially engaged theatre. Previously, Aliya has worked administratively for the Leaky Heaven Performance Society, as rental manager for the Russian Hall in Strathcona, and as Program Coordinator for ROARS; an arts camp run by Leave Out Violence and Little Mountain Neighbourhood House. She is the founder and Artistic Director of The Troika Collective, a multi-disciplinary performance collective that uses Eastern European history and culture as a lens to explore universally resonant stories and themes. Aliya also performs with her own vocal group Vostok, specializing in music from Eastern Europe and the Balkans. Aliya holds a BA in theatre performance and political science, and an MEd in Arts for Social Change from SFU.

Georgia is an artist and administrator, raised and currently living within the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish),səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.

She has worked in a variety of capacities for many local non-profit arts organizations.

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Anna is a multilingual arts administrator, actor, theatre maker and improviser. She graduated from the University of Glasgow with a MA in Culture and Creative Arts and MLitt in Theatre Practices. Select stage credits include Dear, Europe (National Theatre of Scotland), AN/NA, Mid/Sommar (Devised and written by Anna) and The Improv Ninjas Save the World (Edinburgh Fringe Festival). She is very excited to join the Green Thumb team to help inspire the young people who watch our shows.

Susan has been an accountant for over 15 years, and with Green Thumb since 2011. She makes her home in Richmond, BC, with her husband and two twin boys.

Patrick McDonald served as Artistic Director of Green Thumb Theatre from 1988 to 2020; prior to that he was the Artistic Director of Great Canadian Theatre Company in Ottawa. He has directed over 75 productions for Green Thumb and has overseen the commissioning and development of more than 50 new plays for children, teens and young adults. He has commissioned work from emerging writers like Dave Deveau and Michelle Riml and established writers Morris Panych, Joan MacLeod and George F. Walker. During his tenure Green Thumb productions have won numerous Jessie Richardson Awards, several Betty Mitchell Awards, and three Canada Council Awards for Outstanding Production for Young Audiences. McDonald has been nominated for many awards and has received Jessie Richardson Awards for both directing and “Continued Excellence in the Field of Theatre for Young Audiences”. In 2009 he received the Jessie Richardson Award for Career Achievement, and in 2013 he was a recipient of the Vancouver Mayor’s Arts Award. He has directed across the country at theatres including The Belfry, The Grand Theatre, Alberta Theatre Projects, National Arts Centre, Vancouver Playhouse, Gateway Theatre, Manitoba Theatre for Young People and Arts Club Theatre. He has been a two time member of the Canada Council’s Theatre Advisory Committee and has sat on many peer juries at the provincial and federal levels.