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 Devising Theatre & Career Management at The Canadian College of Performing Arts (CCPA). For Ramshackle Theatre she co-created and directed Tombstone: A Cardboard Western, and contributed to the development of A Wonderheads’ Christmas Carol, which tours Canada each winter. For Open Pit Theatre, she co-created and/or directed Radio Silence, Busted Up: A Yukon Story, and Leave a Message (apres le bip).
Jessica is a puppeteer, puppet-maker, and prop master. She creates large-scale backpack puppets, and produces pop-up roaming puppets for local festivals. She is the Artistic Producer of the Esquimalt Lantern Festival, and takes puppet commissions through her company Mixed.Media.Monsters.
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 Anne of Green Gables (CCPA), Drowsy Chaperone (Guild Hall), andThe Canadian Badlands Passion Play (Canada’s largest outdoor stage).
Senior Economic Development Officer - Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency
I was born in New Brunswick and grew up primarily in beautiful Epekwitk (Prince Edward Island) on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq People. I came North for the first time in 2006 and am so privileged to make my home on the Traditional Territories of the Kwanlin Dun First Nation and Ta'an Kwach'an Council. Open Pit is doing such dynamic and interesting work in the North and I am truly proud to contribute what I can to this company. With a background in theatre, arts administration, and tourism development, I am passionate about contributing to and building community in all sorts of ways - but especially through the arts. I am happy to be stepping back into the world of volunteer boards after a hiatus to focus on my family. I love being active on the land, foraging, creating in the kitchen, and dreaming up my next home reno project.
Senior Project Manager
Kinesi grew up in the Yukon and has drifted back and forth from the North, spending time in Whitehorse, Dawson City, Vancouver, Toronto, and Carcross. Outside of her 9-5 she is a photographer, textile artist, and rock collector. Her artistic expression is rooted in tactile sensations and her love for this land and its people. She's delighted to be part of a company that shares those feelings and is dedicated to telling Northern stories.
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.
Dance Artist
Valérie Herdes (she/her) is a dance artist based in Whitehorse on the traditional territories of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation and the Ta’an Kwäch’än Council. Born and raised in the Yukon, she moved to Toronto after high school to complete her Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance at Toronto Metropolitan University. In 2018, Val moved home to give back to the Yukon arts community by joining the team at The Heart of Riverdale where she was Artistic Director from 2018-2023. With her multidisciplinary performance collective Borealis Soul, Val has created and performed many original works locally and nationally. Besides dancing and other art forms, Val is passionate about nature and sustainability. She experiences a deep connection to the land through gardening, foraging and exploring on her bike, skis or feet. She loves Open Pit's unique and northern work and she's happy to support the company as a board member!
Counsellor
Jane has made her home in the Yukon since 2016, after having spent many years touring back and forth between the West Kootenays and Vancouver Island. More recently she has made a journey from theatre maker to counsellor, and genuinely believes that theatre, in all its iterations, can be therapeutic; whether one is part of the creative ensemble or in the audience. As such, she is inspired by the ways theater pulls us out of isolation and into community with one another.
Artist/Researcher
NICOLE SCHAFENACKER is a writer, artist and researcher with euro-settler ancestry residing on the traditional territory of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation and Ta’an Kwäch’än Council outside of Whitehorse. Her work explores body memory, intimate geographies, and hopeful acts/relationships between humans and place. She is passionate about creating projects in the north at the intersection of arts, social justice, and environmental stewardship. When she’s not writing or creating she’s out on the trail with her retired sled dog, Aliy. Nicole is thrilled to be joining the Open Pit board.
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.
