Theatre on the Edge is hosted on the traditional and unceded territory of the Secwépemc people.Who’s running the circus anyway?
The Volunteers
You know we couldn’t do it without our incredibly generous force of Volunteers!
Our volunteers are the lifeblood of the festival, bringing their excitement, love and support for all things theatre. Each year our family of volunteers take on a variety of roles from helping set up the Edge Club Stage, serving drinks at the bar, selling tickets, ushering, and much much more. TotE Fest works to create an inclusive and diverse environment where all feel welcome. Thank you to all our amazing volunteers who help to make TotE Fest its absolute best!
Executive Producer
Christie Watson
(he/they)Christie has been making and supporting art since they graduated from theatre school in London, England in 2001. After returning to Ottawa in 2003 Christie began producing DIY arts events. Christie moved to Vancouver in 2007 and founded Holding Space Productions and became the director of an indie art space called Dharmalab (now What Lab). In 2018 Christie took on the role of Managing Director for Rumble Theatre and Board President for Progress Lab 1422. Christie lives on Secwepemc territory in Enderby BC, with their partner and two kids and is the Executive Director for the Shuswap District Arts Council. Christie is the recipient of the 2023 John Hobday Award for Arts Management.
Artistic Producer
Elizabeth Ann Skelhorne
(she/her)A graduate of SFU’s school for the Contemporary Arts, Ann brings over 30 years of experience creating theatre to our team. Her credits include: Producer, Actor, Director, Stage Manager and Lighting Designer. She is currently the in-house Technical Director at Shuswap Theatre.
The dreamer of bigger-than-our-budget ideas, Ann is responsible for our overall artistic vision and development, artistic selection, program scheduling, and primary contact for artist communications. Ann was on the original planning committee for TotE 1.0 and has been the festival’s lighting designer from day one. She loves helping artists build their best shows for our stage while meeting the high turnover pace of the festival weekend.
Festival Technical Support
Marcus Smith (Production Humans)
(he/him)The Technical Side of Storytelling, Marcus is an electrician and sound engineer. You can find him busy busy busy working on his next gig and loving every minute of it. He puts the human in production and makes sure that artists feel heard and cared for while striving to help them put on their best show.
Venue Technician
Carter Lorenz
(he/them)Carter is a guitarist, composer, sound technician from Salmon Arm. He is a graduate of the contemporary music and technology program at Selkirk College and is currently pursuing his bachelors in film scoring at College of Music. When not working on his own music related project Carter helps out at various artistic events and concerts around the community.
Venue Technician
Hayden Clayton
(he/him)Working with his father in theatre, Hayden has been on a ladder since he could walk. Hanging lights and pushing buttons are his specialty and he strives to make sure each show and each performer feels supported in their best possible performance in our venue.
Outreach Coordinator
Gureena Saran
(she/her)Gureena holds a Bachelor of Arts in History with a minor in English from the University of the Fraser Valley (2020), and a Master’s in Public History (2023), where her work focused on identity, community, and the collaborative artistry of underrepresented voices. She is passionate about arts education, accessibility, and inclusive programming. As the Community Outreach Coordinator at the Salmon Arm Arts Centre, Gureena works to foster meaningful community engagement. She lives on Secwépemc territory with her partner and enjoys landscaping and renovating their property.
Production Assistant
Glitter Esquivias
(she/her)Glitter is a multi-disciplinary Secwépemc artist originally from Vancouver who made Salmon Arm her home in 2016. With the Mary Fowler Award for Performing Arts under her belt, she is preparing to enter her final year of studying within the Acting for Stage and Screen program at Capilano University. Alongside her theatre nerd stuff, she is proficient in many other artistic areas of study including music, graphic design and visual art. She is always interested in the perspective of other people and enjoys making folks think with her art.
Shuswap Theatre
TotE Fest was imagined by a dedicated group of theatre creators at Shuswap Theatre who longed for something beyond the ordinary fare. Knowing that there was an audience to support “riskier” theatre performances, the first Theatre on the Edge planning group met in 2014 around a table in the Shuswap Theatre lobby…
Shuswap Theatre is our Lead Partner, Parent Company, Main Performance Space, and our Home.
Salmon Arm Arts Centre
Breathing new life into our festival, the Salmon Arm Arts Centre joined us last year in producing TotE with magical results that have expanded the play into the community in multiple new venues, gathering new audiences and broadening the definition of performance art. The Arts Centre is a place to enjoy, experience, and exhibit the Arts in Salmon Arm, BC.