“Away” Project Creative Team

The title for the project came from Executive Producer Erin DiLoreto who, when someone in her family suggests throwing something away, frequently asks “where do you think this magical ‘away’ place is, anyway?”

Designers — Even Gilchrist, Whittyn Jason, and Tessa Stamp
Co-Director — Elizabeth Hobbs
Co-Director/Dramaturg — Charlie Peters
Co-Creator/Performers — Lily Davies, Jordan Empson, Spenser Kells, Erin Pettifor, and Meegan Sweet
Folk Trail Technical Director — Mell Wolfinger

Designers

Even Gilchrist is a queer and trans scenic designer and theatre creator based on Treaty 6 territory. He was trained through the University of Alberta’s MFA Theatre Design program, focusing on set, costume, and lighting design. Previous select design credits include: I Don’t Even Miss You (Tiny Bear Jaws), Cinderella, Rapunzel (Alberta Musical Theatre Company), #34 (Globe Theatre), Boy Trouble (Amoris Projects), In My Own Little Corner (Carly Neis), The Innocence of Trees (Theatre Network), Robot Girls (Shadow Theatre), El Funeral (Diaspora Diaries), and Re:Construct (Donkey Dog Theatre). For more information, you can look at his website: evengilchrist.com

Whittyn Jason (they/them/theirs) is a queer, non-binary, mixed-race designer of South African and Ukrainian heritage. They primarily live and create in amiskwacîwâskahikan (colonially known as Edmonton, Alberta), as a scenographer and lighting designer. Their work focuses on site-specific projects and new work development, with an interest in interactive installation. They have designed for black boxes, tiny stages, big stages, indie films, live events, beer gardens, concrete cubes, empty hockey arenas, parties, debauchery, immersive website experiences, shows that have to pack up into the back of a pickup, haunted barns, impossible projects, abandoned buildings, dive bars, mischief, apartments, river valleys, warehouses, and more. Their work has been seen as close to home as St. Albert and as far from home as Prague, with stops throughout Canada. In addition to practicing scenography and lighting, they are also the Festival Director for Found Festival (Common Ground Arts Society) and a freelance arts administrator. Whittyn is a member of the ADC, and holds a BFA in Theatre Design from the University of Alberta.

Tessa Stamp is a multi-disciplinary artist born and raised in Edmonton who has made a career of making big ideas come to life. A dancer first, Tessa has made her career in technical theatre. This global industry took her out to sea for six years and allowed her to run away with the circus. The last 15 years have been spent back in Edmonton where she is an award-winning designer and builder in and out of the theatre, always making something different than the last project.

Co-Director

Elizabeth Hobbs is a theatre director, creator, actor, circus performer, festival coordinator and instructor based in Edmonton, Alberta. She holds an MFA in Directing from the University of Alberta. Liz has directed contemporary and classical plays, new works, and musicals for numerous theatre companies in Western Canada, as well as directed and co-created site specific, collective creation, dance theatre, circus theatre and physical theatre shows and performance pieces for a variety of Alberta festivals and companies. She has taught production, acting, directing and performer created theatre for the University of Alberta, where she most recently directed Everybody by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. Liz co-founded Punctuate! Theatre as Artistic Director, was the Associate Festival Director of Edmonton’s Fringe Theatre for eight years, the Associate Artistic Director with Theatre Prospero, and has managed and curated several other theatre festivals in Edmonton. She is currently the Director of Programming and Communications for the Edmonton International Street Performers Festival and the Creative Director of Pandoric Productions.

Co-Director/Dramaturg

Charlie Peters (ze/hir/hirs) is a proudly queer artist born, raised, and continuing to live on Treaty 6 Territory and the homeland of the Métis. Hir family traces its roots back to England, Poland, and the Campbell lands of Scotland. Hir artistic work has been seen on stages (and in parks, fields, school gyms, town squares, living rooms, museums, and swimming pools) across Western Canada and in Europe. Hir degrees include a B.F.A. in Acting from the University of Saskatchewan as well as an M.F.A. in Theatre Practice and an M.A. in Gender and Social Justice Studies from the University of Alberta. Ze also trained extensively at the Manitoulin Conservatory for Creation and Performance. Charlie is live theatre coordinator at the Silver Skate Festival in amiskwacîwâskahikan (Edmonton) — where hir work was nominated for a Sterling Award for Outstanding Artistic Achievement for Young Audiences — as well as founding director of Embrace Theatre, and a former artistic associate with Sum Theatre in misâskwatôminihk (Saskatoon). charliepeters.ca

Co-Creator/Performers

Lily Davies (she/her) is an emerging Edmonton actor and writer. Originally born in Oxford, England, she first got her start acting at Kaleidoscope Theatre in Victoria. In 2024 she graduated with a BFA in Acting from the University of Alberta. As an artist, Lily is drawn to the unexpected. She loves creating and acting in work that mixes genres and styles. When not performing, Lily can be found enjoying a good walk or curled up with a book. Selected credits include Woman 2 in Survivors (BEMA Productions), Everybody in Everybody (Studio Theatre), and Sasia in Rough Magic (Studio Theatre).

Jordan Empson (she/they) is an Amiskwacîwâskahikan (Edmonton) artist who recently graduated from the BFA Acting Program at the University of Alberta. She is a multi-disciplinary artist trained in acting, clown, singing, movement, and stage combat. Movement in any form is a passion of hers, and she can often be found improvising and exploring the interesting physical skills their body can do. She is also a skilled musician who plays multiple instruments, including but not limited to: guitar, violin, piano, and saxophone. Jordan hopes you enjoy the show! Select theatre credits include: Maureen in WROL (Without Rule Of Law) (Light In The Dark Theatre), Melanie in Rough Magic (Studio Theatre), Death in Everybody (Studio Theatre), Arviragen/Helen in Cymbeline (Bleviss Laboratory Theatre), and Antigone in Welcome to Thebes (ABBEDAM).

Spenser Kells is an Edmonton-based Actor, Writer, and Musician. Their recent credits include ‘Brother Rat’ (ReadyGo Theatre), ‘Witch’ (Bleviss Laboratory Theatre), ‘Troilus and Cressida’ (Studio Theatre), and writing ‘Sheep Play’ at the 2024 Edmonton Fringe Festival. When not acting, Spenser can be found playing gigs with their punk band ‘Best in Show’ or writing their next play.

Erin Pettifor is a multidisciplinary queer theatre artist based in Treaty 6 / Edmonton. In the 2023 Edmonton Fringe she premiered her show Stigma, Pistil and Style, directed by Jacqueline Russell with Wee Witches which was nominated for three Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Awards: Outstanding Fringe Production, Outstanding Direction of the Fringe Play, and awarded the third for Outstanding Solo Fringe Performance. Erin performed in Larrikin Entertainment’s new musical, WYRD, a thrilling musical with themes on patriarchy and the cycle of abuse that toured through beautiful Yukon and Victoria, BC in 2023. She has co-created and performed multiple physical theatre pieces often inspired by feminism and absurdity presented at Nextfest, Play the Fool, and Common Clown Festival. Erin has several performance credits from the Edmonton Fringe Festival, independent local productions, workshop readings, and theatre for young audiences (Evergreen Theatre). Next up she will play Beth March and Sallie Gardiner at the Citadel Theatre in Jenna Rodger’s Little Women production. She is currently working on the development of her next solo show featuring her drag king character Earl Grey. Thank you for coming and enjoy the 2025 Silver Skate Festival!

Meegan Sweet is a queer multidisciplinary artist, creator and clown based in amiskwacîwâskahikan (colonially known as Edmonton, Alberta). Meegan holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Alberta (2020) as well as a diploma in Theatre Performance and Creation from Red Deer Polytechnic (Red Deer College, 2016). On stage, Meegan uses their foundations of classical acting and singing training, electrified by Pochinko Clown training, to galvanize audiences with a unique personal and connected experience to explore emotions that may be restricted from their daily lives. Outside of theatre, Meegan focusses on our connection with nature and empathy, and can be found birdwatching, or volunteering as a certified Wildlife Rehabilitator at WILDNorth. Select credits include, Stars On Her Shoulders (Emma Ross – Workshop West Playwrights Theatre), The S.P.O.T.T. (Performer & Creator – Edmonton International Fringe Festival), The Tempest (Ariel – Freewill Shakespeare Festival).

Folk Trail Technical Director

Mell Wolfinger

The Folk Trail has also received creative support from: 

Copeland, Age 5
Favorite movie – Emperors New Groove
Favorite color – PINK
Current favorite song – Defying Gravity (DUH 😉 

Miller, Age 3
Favorite movie – Shrek
Favorite color – YELLOW
Current favorite song – Uptown funk

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