Play Development
Touring
Training
Co-Artistic Directors
Geneviève was born in Venezuela and grew up in Belgium and the Netherlands before heading to Montreal for her post-secondary studies. She graduated from l'Université de Montréal in Film studies and comparative literature and completed an acting degree at L'École Supérieure de Théâtre of l'Université du Québec à Montréal. In 2011, she escaped the big city and ended up in the Yukon territory where she has lived ever since.
Geneviève is an actor, creator, playwright and producer.
Geneviève is the playwright behind Leave a Message (après le bip), Busted Up: A Yukon Story and Look Up. She co-wrote Radio Silence with Jessica Hickman.
Her performing credits include Imagination du monde with Theatre de l'Urd (Québec), Atteintes à sa vie by Martin Crimp directed by Christian Lapointe (Montréal), L'île aux esclaves by Marivaux directed by Markita Boies (Montréal), Open Pit Theatre's Leave a Message(après le bip) and the touring show Sci-Fi Double Feature with Ramshackle Theatre. On the big screen, she had the first role in Carolyne Rhéaume's short movie Jamais on ne m'a offert une rose that travelled to France (Cannes Festival), California and accross Canada, I remember the Blue by Carolyne Rhéaume and acted and co-created R.A.DA.R.
Outside of her theatre work, Geneviève works at the Yukon Archives and spends as much time as possible exploring Yukon’s mountains, lakes and rivers.
Geneviève has been involved with Open Pit Theatre since the beginning of the company. In 2011, and became a co-artistic producer of the company in 2013. She is thrilled to create new Yukon performances under the name of Open Pit Theatre.
Jessica is a multidisciplinary artist based on Vancouver Island. She works primarily as a director and choreographer but is also a teacher, performer, deviser, producer, and stage manager. She co-founded Open Pit Theatre in 2010 with Sam Bergman-Good whilst she was living and creating in Whitehorse. Currently, she travels to the north 3-4 times a year to continue the development of new works with her co-AD Geneviève.
Jessica has been involved in the development of many new plays, and is passionate about exploring and researching unique creation techniques. She currently teaches Intro to Devising at The Canadian College of Performing Arts (CCPA). For Ramshackle Theatre she co-created and directed Tombstone: A Cardboard Western as well as contributed to Sci-Fi Double Feature. She has been asked to devise and perform in two new works with FirePot Performance in Vancouver, The Circus Project and Resiliato, both of which are ensemble-based new works. For Open Pit Theatre, she co-created and/or directed Mother Mary, Busted Up: A Yukon Story, and Leave a Message (apres le bip). Jessica is now creating and performing with WONDERHEADS, a mask performance company based in Victoria, and recently co-created their wordless adaptation of A Christmas Carol.
Jessica choreographs for companies such as The Belfry Theatre (A Christmas Carol, Let Me Call You Sweetheart, Puttin’ on the Ritz, Mom’s the Word), Chemainus Theatre Festival (Elf: The Musical), CCPA (Sweet Charity, Newsies), and more. Selected directorial credits include Drowsy Chaperone (Guild Hall), Busted Up: A Yukon Story (Open Pit Theatre), Newsies (CCPA), andThe Canadian Badlands Passion Play (Canada’s largest outdoor stage).
Education Assistant
After stepping away from the Open Pit Board a few years ago, Sophia is stepping back on to this marvellous crew of people. When not sitting on Board of Directors, she can be found swimming in lakes all over the Yukon.
Marketing Strategist
Selene is a senior marketing strategist that specializes in audience engagement and experiential marketing. Digital, social, public relations, event management and design, design thinking, and graphic design. Co-Founder of SMRT POP UPS, a Northern agency that works with businesses, government, and organizations to build and engage their audiences. Experience working agency-side and client-side. Clients have included Magnetic North Theatre Festival, Pivot Theatre Festival, Manulife Canada, and Tourism Yukon. Sometimes I also create immersive and site-specific art installations and write about travel, nutrition, and health.
Residential Care Worker
Amy has lived in the Yukon for 14 years. She has spent most of these years working with youth, but has also spent significant time working in the tourism sector. Throughout her time in Dawson City and Whitehorse, she has formed a strong connection with the land, people & culture of this region. Amy feels that the thriving arts & culture sector in the Yukon is part of what makes this place so great, and is pretty stoked on being a part of Open Pit Theatre’s unique contribution to the scene!
Communication Specialist
Odile fell for Open Pit Theatre in 2018 after a performance of Busted Up: A Yukon Story at the Old Fire Hall in Whitehorse. Rich, vibrant, compelling - more of this theatre company please! She's thrilled to now be a part of the Open Pit board. When not wading through not-for-profit general ledgers, assets and liabilities, Odile is lucky enough to hang with Patrick, Loic and Inuapik. They make her world go round and round. Sometimes she also makes theatre, writes, knits, hikes.
Procurement Specialist
Kinesi grew up in the Yukon and has drifted back and forth from the North for the last ten years, spending time in Vancouver, Toronto, Dawson City, and Carcross. Most recently she has made a home in Whitehorse with her furry companions Poke and Boone. Outside of her 9-5 she is a budding textile artist, fungi-fanatic and rock collector. Her artistic expression is rooted in her love for this land and its people. She’s delighted to be a part of a company that shares those feelings and is dedicated to telling Northern stories.
Adaptation Analyst
Nelly moved to the Yukon a year and a half ago in the middle of January after a life long dream of ending up somewhere tropical. But every month that went by, the wonder of Yukon’s landscapes and the weirdness of the people warmed her heart more and more. She loves the local arts scene and thrilled about Open Pit’s contributions to the community. She paints, sings along to your songs and one day hopes to quit her day job to join the circus.
Theatre Creator
Meredith is a mullet toting theatre maker, a crocheting craft connoisseur, and a poorly written poetry writer. Of Settler and Métis ancestry, Meredith was born and raised in Moh’kins’tsis (Calgary, Alberta) on the ancestral and traditional lands of the Niitsitapi and the people of Treaty 7. She traded the foothills and prairies for the Yukon in September of 2020 and can't imagine ever going back. She is grateful and humbled to be a guest on on the traditional lands of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation and the Ta’an Kwäch’än Council.
Meredith is thrilled to be on the board of directors with Open Pit Theatre.
Open Pit Theatre is based in Whitehorse, Yukon on the traditional territories of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation, and the Ta'an Kwäch'än Council. We are honoured to devise, rehearse, and perform on these lands.
