Staff and Board | NATIVE EARTH PERFORMING ARTS

Native Earth is run by a team of dedicated artistic administrative staff who are working theatre practitioners. We are also supported by a strong and vibrant volunteer base.

	Artistic Director Tara Beagan was a playwright-in-rez at Native Earth for the 2009/2010 season. Her debut play, Thy Neighbour’s Wife, (UnSpun Theatre) won a Dora, and she has since penned eighteen more plays as well as worked as a collaborator on several collective creations. Tara is honoured to have worked as a mentor to emerging theatre artists at NEPA, Cahoots, CIT, and Diaspora Dialogues. Beagan has also written and acted for film and radio, and is a Dora and Betty nominated theatre actor. She is Ntlaka’pamux and Irish “Canadian.” tara@nativeearth.ca
	General Manager Isaac Thomas has worked extensively as a stage manager with various companies in Toronto including Cahoots Theatre, Canadian Stage, fu-gen, LKTYP, Modern Times, Native Earth, Pleiades Theatre and Turtle Gals. He has acted, directed and taught in Canada, the US and India. He currently sits on the board of Cahoots Theatre and the Advisory Council for New Harlem Productions. He holds a BEd from OISE at the University of Toronto, and his MFA (Acting) from Ohio University. Most recently, he served as the Drama School Coordinator for Young Peoples Theatre. office@nativeearth.ca
	Artistic Producer Janet Antone (Oneida Nation of the Thames) is originally from Oneida located just outside of London, ON. She has a certificate for Media Fundamentals from Lambton College, a Diploma for Music Industry Arts from Fanshawe College and graduated from Entertainment Management at Trebas Institute. She began the foray into Stage Management this past summer with Waawaate Fobister’s Medicine Boy, for which she was also a producer. Janet is delighted to be on the NEPA team. janet@nativeearth.ca
	Artistic Associate Cole Alvis is a queer theatre artist from Duchess, Alberta. After completing the acting programs at Red Deer College and York University he added independent director & producer to his credits. Cole was a creator/performer in the Dora nominated Gorey Story (The Thistle Project), his multi-arts company won Best Experimental Film at the CFC Worldwide Short Film Festival for the dance film SLIP (Plural Productions) and NOW Magazine called his theatre company’s queer collective Still Life an, “outstanding ensemble” in the 2011 SummerWorks Festival (lemonTree creations). cole@nativeearth.ca
	Associate Artist Derek Garza is an Actor/Director (M.F.A in Acting from Penn State University, B.A. in Theatre from Adams State U.) He is the Co-founder & Artistic Director of Mortar Theater Company in Chicago. He has worked with NEPA, TimeLine Theatre, Victory Gardens, Video Cabaret, Chicago Dramatist, and Steppenwolf to name a few. Derek has recently finished performing in the World Premiere of My Kind of Town. Derek is an enrolled Wichita tribal member and is honoured to be associated with such an amazing company.
	Space Technician Debbie Courchene is an audio technician, mushed in amongst other skills like carpentry and lighting. She is the do-it-all lady. She lifts things above her head like you wouldn’t believe! She has worked across the nation as a freelance technician and is now settled in Toronto. In her spare time she mucks around on the guitar and is in the works of recording a new podcast, dubbed, Random People in My Room. Debbie is a frequent joker, and always enjoys lightening the room. Literally!