About the Instructors

Susan Bertoia

Susan Bertoia is a professional theatre artist, performer, director, devisor, writer, and passionate drama teacher. Susan’s invigorating artistic style with specialization in physical theatre and mask performance make her a well-sought teaching artist and performer throughout Canada. Her work explores poetic and pedestrian moments while her artistic leadership has been described as “engaging, encouraging and disarming.” She is adjunct professor at UBC, teaching acting and performance as well as conducting numerous creative initiatives with schools through ArtStarts, a government funded agency. Recently, Susan was awarded for Excellence in Drama Education through ABCDE, which recognized her years of dedication and innovative work with youth. www.susanbertoia.ca.

Michael Charrois

Michael Charrois is a professional actor with over 35 years experience teaching theatre arts to students aged 3 to adult. Michael performs on the stage, screen, and street. Street shows include over 10 years of juggling and clowning around with his Gonzo Variety Spectacular at the Edmonton Street Performers Festival and two summers on Vancouver’s Granville Island with John Kenneth Galbraith’s Economics 101. Since moving to Vancouver at the turn of the century, Michael regularly appeared at the Burr Theatre and the Royal Canadian Theatre, including the pre- and post-Covid Lower Mainland tour of Norm Foster’s Screwball Comedy. Michael’s most notable screen credit is Wiggens, the cowboy who says, “They went that’a way!” in Clint Eastwood’s 1992 Academy Award–winning film Unforgiven. Michael has taught for Vancouver School Board adult continuing education and currently teaches for Coquitlam’s Evergreen Cultural Centre and Burnaby’s Shadbolt Centre. www.charrois.com

Hitotose: Haruno Niiyama & Yuki Kedoin – Choreographed Fighting with Props

Hitotose is a Samurai performance group blending international expertise in performance and workshops, founded by Haruno & Yuki.

They have performed across Vancouver, Victoria, Salt Spring Island, and Los Angeles. As performers and choreographers, Hitotose promotes creative expression through swordplay, acting, and dance, offering vibrant cultural experiences to share Samurai entertainment. They are also actors, and their recent credits include Shōgun / 将軍, Pachinko Season 2, Assassin's Creed Shadows, and more.

Ming Hudson

Ming is a Vancouver based artist who pays rent on the lands stolen from the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. For 20 years, she has worked as a freelance performer, devised theatre creator, collaborative director, independent producer, and teaching artist locally, across Canada, and abroad. Her specializations are in physical theatre and the creation of new work as a collective ensemble. A graduate of the Advanced Devising Practice program at LISPA (now arthaus.berlin), Ming also holds a MA in Ensemble Theatre (Rose Bruford), and a BFA in Acting (UVic).

Ming has worked for Bard on the Beach, UBC, The Arts Club, vAct, UVic, Dell'Arte International, Two Planks and a Passion, TheatreOne, Chemainus Theatre Festival, CCPA, Gwaandak Theatre, Studio 58, Green Thumb Theatre, Theatre Replacement, Atomic Vaudeville, The Firehall, Boca del Lupo, Concrete Theatre, and Kaleidoscope Theatre. She has also created ten new productions, which have been performed in five different countries.

Peter Jorgensen

Peter Jorgensen is a freelance theatre artist with over twenty years specializing in musical theatre. Director, actor, and educator, he is the founder and program director of the Arts Club’s Musical Theatre Intensive. He’s been recognized with awards and nominations as an actor, director, producer, writer, and choreographer. He also loves chocolate.

Mike Kovac

Mike Kovac is a Certified Fight Director and Instructor with Fight Directors Canada, and works in film/television/theatre in and around Vancouver. A graduate of Capilano University’s Acting for the Stage and Screen Program (where he is also now an Instructor of Stage Combat), he has worked on Noises Off, The Shoplifters, Kim’s Convenience, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Misery, and Mustard (Arts Club), as well as Coriolanus, The Crucible, and She Kills Monsters (UBC), among others. Mike has also appeared in various film and television projects, including Arrow, Supernatural, The 100, Tin Star, Valley of the Boom, Deadly Class, and Batwoman. He regularly works as a stunt performer and stunt actor. If you see him on the screen somewhere, he’s probably about to die.

Damion LeClair – Story Weaving: Devising Theatre

Damion is an award-winning Métis, Two Spirit, European Settler artist and facilitator located on the unceded and ancestral territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and səlilwətaɬ Nations. In 2023, Damion was the recipient of the Bill Millerd Artist Fund (Arts Club) and in 2024 the recipient of Boca Del Lupo's sLaM residency. Past credits include: Our Town (Peninsula Productions); Juggle Me Not (Axis Theatre); Th’owxiya: The Hungry Feast Dish National Tour 2022/23 (Axis Theatre); They Know Not What They Do (Native Earth Performing Arts), Jeeves at Sea (Chemainus Theatre) Rougarou (SummerWorks) and The Mixolydian (Green Thumb Theatre). Damion is currently represented by Kim Barsanti at Lucas Talent. Damion is a graduate of Studio 58.

Camille Legg

Camille Legg is an actor, writer, and improviser based on the unceded lands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh nations. A couple of Camille’s favourite theatrical projects to have been a part of were The Wolves (Stones Throw Productions) and Romeo and Juliet (Studio 58). Camille has also appeared in a number of TV shows, including Riverdale, The Magicians, Charmed, and The Detour. They are a graduate of the acting program at Studio 58.

Samantha Levy (she/her) – Sneaky Learning & Making Things Up Together

Samantha fell in love with the stage at the age of five and never looked back! She is now a theatre artist and works primarily as a performer, director, deviser, and educator. Her art reflects her love of clown, improvisation, music, and classic text. Born and raised in Tiohtià:ke (Montreal), Sam is now based in K'emk'emeláy̓ (Vancouver). As an educator, she has worked with several organizations, including Bard on the Beach, Arts Club, Théâtre La Seizième, Lights Up Musical Theatre, and Presentation House Theatre (Firefly Project). As an actor, she is both a Jessie Richardson Award nominee and an OVATION! Award nominee. She is a graduate from the Acting program at Studio 58 and a former Bard Riotous Youth.

Jennifer Lynch – Tapping Into Your Confidence at Dance Calls

Jennifer Lynch (she/her) is a performer, teacher, and choreographer based on the unceded and ancestral territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. She is a graduate of Capilano University’s Musical Theatre program and has been working in and around Vancouver since graduating in 2016. Most recently, Jennifer had the privilege of performing as Betty/Marilyn Wald in The Arts Club’s production of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Other select performance credits include: Core Dancer in Al Wasl Plaza (Dubai Expo 2020), Beauty and The Beast, Mamma Mia (Arts Club Theatre Company- Ovation Award Winner), Mamma Mia (Chemainus Theatre Festival), The Music Man (Gateway Theatre), Anything Goes, Cabaret (RCMT), West Side Story (Theatre Under The Stars), The Nutcracker (Caravan Farm Theatre), Jesus Christ Superstar (URP- Ovation Award Winner) and All Shook Up (Keyano Theatre).

Julio Rod Marin

Following a burning passion, Julio has performed in several stages across Europe as well as North and South America. He acted in award-winning series, features, and short films, such as KDABRA, Noobs la Serie, Caliban (The Banished), The Rat and, most recently, Yellowjackets. Loving theatre from a young age, Julio has a special love for physicality and telling stories. He trained in different theatre schools in Colombia and Denmark and graduated from both the Acting for Film and TV program at Vancouver Film School and the Bachelor of Performing Arts program at Capilano University. Julio came to Canada to continue growing and exploring different approaches to the art of acting and to continue teaching and nurturing new actors.

Sydney Marino

Sydney Marino is a Vancouver-based playwright, director, and educator. Her plays have been produced in the Or Festival, Brave New Play Rites Festival, and by Killarney Theatre. She has taught a variety of playwriting, comedy writing, and theatre workshops to elementary and high school students through her work with Arts Umbrella and the Arts Club. Sydney has developed work in the LEAP Playwriting Intensive, PTC Block A Cohort, and Story Theatre’s Writer’s Room. Currently, Sydney has TYA work in development with Story Theatre and with Killarney Theatre, where she is also the Artist in Residence. She instructs the Arts Club's Playwriting 101 and 102 classes, and is a part of their 2023–2024 Emerging Playwrights' Unit. She holds a BFA in Creative Writing from UBC.

Lauren Martin – Desk Jokes to Survive Dark Times

Lauren Martin has written and performed sketch comedy since 2006 with some incredible people. Other types of theatre highlights include contributing to the award winning show “Hysteria” (Direct Theatre Collective) producing Erica Ritter’s “Automatic Pilot” and directing the French comedy, “God of Carnage”, written by Yasmina Reza.

Lauren’s writing has been long-listed by Room’s Annual Poetry Contest (As L. McCraw), and published online by Today’s Parent and Understorey Magazine. Lauren has a keen interest in collaborative art and performance and has contributed to countless indie and interdisciplinary projects.

Aidan Parker

Aidan Parker is a Vancouver-based actor, improvisor, writer, and educator with a BFA in screenwriting from the UBC’s Creative Writing Program. Aidan has been an active, award-winning member of the Vancouver improv community since 2012, and regularly performs in comedy and improv festivals across North America. He is also the lead instructor for the Arts Club Drama Club programs, where he directs and builds devised theatre with students from equity-seeking communities in the greater Vancouver area.

Raugi Yu

Raugi Yu has acted on stages across Canada and the US. You may recognize him from past shows at the Arts Club, such as The Men in White, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Jitters, and The Shoplifters. Raugi is a Jessie Award nominee. On screen Raugi has appeared as a series regular in shows like Mr. Young and jPod as well as iZombie, Supernatural, Arrow, and, most recently, as a recurring character on the upcoming CW show Kung Fu. Raugi directed his first feature film last year, and has been nominated for a Leo Award in direction for his episode of Some Assembly Required. Raugi has been teaching youth and emerging artists for the past 20 years and has a real passion for fostering the wave of new actors.