in good company
Tamara McCarthy, Artistic Producer
Tamara is a professional director, producer, actor, and educator. A multiple Jessie Richardson Award nominated and winning director and actor, Tamara’s select directing credits include Red Riding Hood (Project X); Goodnight Desdemona, Good Morning Juliet (Blue Bridge); Love/Sick (Douglas College); A Hundred Words for Snow (United Players); The Double Axe Murders (Gateway/ Evergreen); Julius Caesar (Greater Victoria Shakespeare Festival); A Brief History of Human Extinction (The Cultch/ upintheair); Into the Woods (Vancouver Island University); The Out Vigil (Theatre Newfoundland Labrador); La Bohème (Opera Nanaimo); The Sea; A Doll’s House (Slamming Door); Gruesome Playground Injuries (Dark Matter); Between the Sheets; Reasons to be Pretty (Western Edge); James and the Giant Peach (Chemainus Theatre Festival). Recent appearances as an actor include world premieres, With Glowing Hearts (TheatreOne) and HELLO (Theatre Terrific/ Firehall); The Fiancee (CTF); Around the World in 80 Days (BBRT); Mom’s the Word (TNW). Tamara is known for creating opportunities that uplift the voices of IBPOC and marginalized artists. She has been producing the Nanaimo Fringe since 2020, and Messages on Doors (thefoxqueen.ca/mod) since 2021. She is the proud recipient of the 2021 John Moffat and Larry Lillo Award, and the Bill Millerd Artists Fund.
Pacific Coast Stage Company Board of Directors
Pacific Coast Stage Company ‘s volunteer Board is a group of passionate community builders who bring diverse skills, lived experience and a love of theatre and the performing arts to the organization.
Nabil Avoon Sayes,
Board Chair
Nabil has been writing since he was ten years old in Yemen. Rejecting classic European theatre that was prevalent at the time and drawing inspiration from the concept of “Poor Theatre”, Sayes wrote his first award winning play “The Circle”, which was performed in the Philadelphia Festival for University Theatre in Jordan. Both Sayes and the director were arrested and interrogated for the play’s use of symbolism. They were later released and honoured by the University of Aleppo where Sayes began to work writing and directing plays exploring themes of poverty, pride, oppression, and revolution.
Sayes wrote and directed his final play in Syria in 2012. After being arrested several times for demonstrating and filming demonstrations, he departed for Lebanon where he processed his experiences and observations into art. In 2016, Sayes and his three daughters started a new life in Nanaimo, where, with the help of his Canadian friends, he has collaborated on theatre workshops and dance training for children. He is eager to deepen his involvement in the arts and theatre community on Vancouver Island.
Dave Mott, Board Treasurer
Dave is a founding member and co-Artistic Producer of Upintheair Theatre, a BFA graduate of University of Victoria, an actor, director, and creator, specializing in new play creation and physical theatre and is the co-producer of rEvolver Theatre Festival. As the co-owner of Brandywine Bartending School he is an active member of the Canadian Professional Bartending Association, a competitive cocktail maker, head instructor, and corporate team building workshop leader. Dave continually pushes the boundaries of traditional theatre and performance by allowing audiences to experience their art in new and innovative ways. Dave’s true passions are exhibited best when he is mentoring actors through his work at The William Davis Centre at VanArts, while presenting their work, and visiting other Canadian cities to view works and artists in development. Born and raised in Vancouver, he is a proud advocate and ambassador of all that the arts and culture have to offer in the city. Selected Upintheair credits: The City and The City, Inside the Seed, Guide to Mourning, Borborygmi, Wedgie, Johnny Grant, Pyropornomania, Moxie, Men of the World, & 120bpm. Other Stage and Screen: Anywhere But Here, iZombie, Supernatural, Stupid is as Stupid Does, Rearview, Escape From Happiness, Sexual Perversity in Chicago, Glengarry Glen Ross, Hopscotch, Sea of Sand, & King Lear.
Tsatassaya White, Board Member
Tsatassaya is a proud member of the Snuneymuxw First Nation (Coast Salish) and also a member, holding the name Teniso, of the Takiishtakamlthat (Earthquake House) of the Hupacasath Nation (Nuu-chah-nulth). Tsatassaya is a hul’q’umi’num’ language learner and is a current student in Simon Fraser University’s Masters in Linguistics in an Indigenous Language. She also has a BA in Anthropology from the University of British Columbia and a Diploma in Linguistics of an Indigenous Language from SFU.
Tsatassaya worked as a senior coordinator for the Aboriginal Participation Function of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC). This work included working in collaboration with the Four Host First Nations. She also was on the BOD for the 2016 BC Summer Games and held the position of Director of Protocol. Tsatassaya is the founder of the annual Sumshathut (Sun) Festival, an Indigenous cultural festival held in Nanaimo, BC. Her directorial debut was the play “Trying to Keep Up” by Nisga’a playwright Angus Castor at the New Waves Festival 2022. She is currently working on “Stle'luqum Sxwi’em”, a shadow theatre from the Snuneymuxw people in the hul'q’umi'num’ language. Her passion for promoting traditional Indigenous knowledge and culture has led her to work among other recent projects: Artistic Lead on a reconciliation community theatre project titled “Messages on Doors” co-produced with The Fox Queen company held in Nanaimo 2021, Port Alberni 2022 and Cowichan 2023; Consultant and guest curator of “huulthapi “Dancing Airwaves” an Indigenous dance panel produced by Dance West Network; curated “Qwuyulush utl’ Swyalana” a day of Indigenous dance at InFrinGinG Dance Festival (July 2019 & 2022 & 2023 Nanaimo); Mentor and current Project Colleague, BC Youth Dance & Research Project, Dance West Network.
Marysa Williams, Board Member
Marysa grew up on the island, where she developed a great appreciation for arts, theatre and culture and still feels a strong pull and connection to her roots. As a Human Resources professional who has worked in Recruitment, Employer Branding, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for over 20 years, Marysa has a passion for engaging with people to hear their stories and guide them in their careers.
Marysa has worked across numerous industries including, Graphic Arts, Manufacturing, Agriculture, Science and Research, Engineering and Investment Management, where she has built recruitment, branding and DEI programs and processes from the ground up.
Marysa holds a BA from the University of British Columbia and a Certificate in Leadership Development from the UBC Sauder School of Business.
Marysa has also recently began her studies in American Sign Language, as this lends to her passion to engage with people through all forms of communication.