Jay Torrence: Playwright

Jay Torrence is a founding member of The Ruffians and has been writing/performing/directing in Chicago since 2002. His playwriting and performance credits include Ivywild, Burning Bluebeard and Roustabout: The Great Circus Train Wreck (Awarded the John W. Schmid After Dark Award for Outstanding New Work and the After Dark Award for Outstanding Production). Jay has had the privilege to perform with 500 Clown, The Hypocrites, Redmoon Theater, Theater Oobleck and The Neo-Futurists where he was an ensemble member for twelve years and the former Artistic Director.  He is a recipient of an Orgie Award for artistic direction and was named one of the Top 50 players in Chicago Theater by Newcity. He has an MFA in Creative Writing from The University of British Columbia and has studied under master clown Philippe Gaulier. 

Dave Horak: Director

Dave is Artistic Director of the newly formed Edmonton Actors Theatre that has been nominated for 8 Sterling Awards, winning three for production, directing and acting. Other recent directing work includes A Few Good Men (Keyano Theatre), Fatboy (Edmonton Actors Theatre), Measures, The Inspector General (Citadel Theatre Young Company), The Wasteland (Edmonton Actors Theatre), Sartre’s Shorts and Act Without Words (Surreal SoReal Theatre). Upcoming directing work this year includes Curtains (MacEwan University), The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe (Teatro La Quindicina), and assisting on the Citadel Theatre’s production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.  Most recently he has performed in theatre no. 6’s Proud, Passion Play for Wild Side Productions and Blarney Production’s MOTE. Dave holds BFA (Acting) and MFA (Directing) degrees from the University of Alberta.

Jenn Best: Stage Manager

Jenn is thrilled to join this collaboration of artists and return to Edmonton after six months in Southern Alberta. Her other Stage Management credits include: The Canadian Badlands Passion Play in Drumheller; Mass Appeal for the Rosebud Centre of the Arts; Flight of the Viscount, Jack Goes Boating, Fool for Love, Little Elephants and Grace, for Shadow Theatre; The Good Thief, Skirmishes and The Last Train to Nibroc for Blarney Productions; 4:48 Psychosis, Days of Wine and Roses, and The Clean House for Trunk Theatre. For several seasons she has lived out of her suitcase, travelling to Calgary for Hedwig and the Angry Inch; touring with the gay hiphopera, Bash’d; and the 90’s punk rockumentary, Hard Core Logo: Live.

Scott Peters: Set / Lighting Designer

Scott has a long history with Theatre Network and was also the original lighting designer for Edmonton Actors Theatre's Fatboy at the Fringe in 2012 and then did the set and lights for the Fatboy remount at Theatre Network in the 2014/15 Roxy Performance Series (one of the last shows at the Roxy Theatre). Recent credits include lighting design for Pig Girl, Let the Light of Day Through (Sterling Award), Closer and Closer Apart (Sterling Nomination), The Summer of My Amazing, Buddy, Marion Bridge, Public Speaking. Scott has been a theatre technician, writer, producer, designer, educator, Production Manager, and Technical Director for 25 years in Edmonton and beyond. He is also a musician who co-founded the local band Captain Tractor.

Syd Gross: Costume Designer

Sydney Gross is a theatre technician. Hailing from Regina, SK, and living in Edmonton, AB, she holds a BFA in Technical Theatre Production from the University of Alberta. She has worked a myriad of positions for many companies in Edmonton, including (but not limited to) set, costume, and sound designer, wardrobe runner, props builder, and scenic painter. Select design credits include: Sound Designer for Full Frontal Diva (Blarney Productions; February 2015); Costume Designer for Bears (Pyretic Productions; February 2015);  Production Designer for Souris Valley Theatre’s Summer 2014 Season (Estevan, SK, July 2014); Set Designer for Dirt (Punctuate! Theatre; February 2014); Costume Designer for Sartre’s Shorts (Surreal SoReal Theatre; December 2013).

Edmonton Actors Theatre engages under the terms of the INDIE 2.1, professional Artists who are members of Canadian Actors' Equity Association.