Aryo Khakpour (he/him) is an interdisciplinary performer, director and dramaturg. Born and raised in Tehran, Aryo has been involved in multiple theatre, dance, and film productions in Vancouver, Canada, since 2006. He co-founded The Biting School in 2013 and was company-in-residence at the PuSh Festival and The Dance Centre from 2018-2019. Aryo is an infrequent sessional instructor at Simon Fraser University’s School for the Contemporary Arts.

In his practice he explores dynamics of power, implications of ideologies, repetition of mythologies, and cultural adaptation. An intersectional feminist, Aryo interrogates the patriarchy and its harmful effects on people. His practice is heavily physical and surrealistic; it moves from theatre to performance art to dance to film and back to theatre; it deals with pain and pleasure; it is sex-positive; and aims to queer the status quo. Aryo was trained in devised practices of non-hierarchical collective creation — this is his favourite way of creating work.

Aryo is the recipient of the 2024 Theatre Replacement Accelerator Lab Fellowship, which focuses on international touring within the context of experimental theatre and interdisciplinary performance, and building relations with the international arts network.

Corporeal Liberation: a Cinema Machine is a research project that combines collected moving and still images with body/motion tracking to create an interactive system for expanded cinema. Driven by active spectatorship and participatory performance, this multi-narrative installation explores and brings to light histories hidden under oppression.

happy/accidents was established in 2017 by Angelica Schwartz with the aim of fostering alternative theatre on Treaty 1 Territory (Winnipeg, MB). Shortly thereafter, Artistic Associate Erin Meagan Schwartz joined the company and together, they produced three impressive shows. In 2020, happy/accidents expanded nationally with the appointment of Stephanie Wong as Co-Artistic Director, alongside Angelica.

Under the leadership of Angelica and Stephanie, happy/accidents has produced an additional three digital works, and is presently developing its first stage production of Blood Wedding (Working Title) with the two Co-Artistic Directors. The duo is committed to reimagining the landscape of theatre leadership and creating alternative works that instill optimism amidst existential uncertainty.

happy/accidents’ vision is rooted in a determination to push boundaries, challenge norms and create new possibilities in the world of theatre. Their focus on positivity and hope, and their ability to innovate, is evident in their productions, earning them recognition in the industry.

Created by Anais West, Angelica Schwartz, and Stephanie Wong, Blood Wedding (Working Title) is a multidisciplinary drama inspired by Federico García Lorca’s ‘Blood Wedding’, and his avant-garde satire, ‘The Public.’ With surrealism and biting humour, it follows a group of queer and trans artists navigating the perils of working in institutionalized theatre. During a production of ‘Blood Wedding,’ a revolt begins in the company, forcing the trans assistant director to reckon with their ambition, their artistic integrity and their responsibility to the queer community. ‘Blood Wedding’ asks: does the old theatre need to be buried, so that a new theatre can rise? It is a meta-theatrical love letter to a queer ancestor, using Lorca’s legacy to challenge transphobia and catalyze a better future. oppression.

Monster Theatre’s mandate is to create original plays that challenge preconceptions, excite imaginations and embody the way of the Monster: strange, twisted and bizarre on the outside, but always with a noble heart. Founded in 2000, we have toured hit shows such as Til Death: The Six Wives of Henry VII, Juliet: A Revenge Comedy, & Who Killed Gertrude Crump? During PHT’s Creative Residency, Carly Pokoradi, Ryan Gladstone, and Tara Travis will be developing a brand new immersive, experiential, installation piece, likely the largest and most technically dynamic project we’ve tackled to date. The Parlour (Working Title) will explore fear and the spirit world. What engenders fear? Is it physical? Emotional? What kind of audience wants to feel afraid? Why are so many of us desperate to believe there’s a way to make contact with the other side? Loosely inspired by the Spiritualism Movement, this participatory “table play” takes place at a seance in which two actors guide an intimate audience through an evolving psychological thriller, as they all attempt to communicate beyond the veil. We are excited to collaborate with magician Travis Bernhardt, who will mentor the team to develop new illusions and technical effects that cause our audiences to doubt their very senses (whether they believe in ghosts or not). It is this razor-edged space between hard-headed skepticism and desperate faith on which we hope to balance the audience’s experience.

World Ender is a new developing musical exploring various publicly-derived answers to a question: “How would the world end for you?” From zombies to climate change to losing a loved one, the piece explores death and life, existentialism, joy, and the human condition.

Garvin creates dark comedies exploring their identities and relationship with spirituality. A subtitle workshop of their bilingual project Year of the Frog will take place with PHT’s Energy Exchange program.

Joelle is a multidisciplinary theatre artist working as a director, actor, producer, costume designer and is one of the founders of Far From the Tree Productions. Joelle loves to do work that examines the complexities of humanity in all its forms in hopes of creating a space for people to empathize with those they would never meet through innovative and imaginative storytelling.

Laura has been involved in the performing arts for over 35 years. She holds a BFA and MFA from UBC. She is also the former Artistic Director for Fugue Theatre, and is currently on the faculty at the Canadian College of Performing Arts. Laura has also recently joined the team at Stage to Page Society as its resident Artistic Director. Laura is extremely excited to be returning to PHT with Olivia Etey’s Woman Against Gravity.  https://laura-dicicco.mailchimpsites.com/

Mairy Beam, an emerging playwright, is exploring ways to create the appearance of weightlessness for a play set in outer space.  They love to explore themes of gender, and environmental justice.

Past projects include the children’s show, Cosmo’s Pop Up Circus and Dream Seeds, a Canada Council supported project. She is now creating a new clown show called The Bucket about menopause.

Olivia Etey is a playwright, producer and the creator of the Or Festival, an annual 10 minute play festival in Vancouver (www.orfestival.com). She graduated from UBC with a double major in Creative Writing and English Honours. Olivia’s play Woman Against Gravity received professional development through the Emerging Voices Program at TheatreOne (2024), the Stage One Festival of New Canadian Work at the Lunchbox Theatre in Calgary (2021) and the Arts Club LEAP Program (2019). 

As a newcomer at PHT, I am very grateful for the studio space to workshop my upcoming project on modern loneliness.

With a long-time connection to Presentation House Theatre, Virginia D is developing Echo Chamber, a dance work that blends visual storytelling and movement into transformative performances.