Pi Theatre

Prime Placements

Prime Placements is our emerging artists showcase. This program provides an opportunity for emerging artists to gain professional experience and mentorship. We open creative and production assistant and apprentice placements to new artists throughout our mainstage season. This program provides a much-needed bridge between training and professional status, and gives emerging artists experience in professional independent theatre.

Participants work alongside experienced professionals, developing their skills, building their personal networks, and expanding their professional profiles. Our audiences have the opportunity to discover emerging talent, and our professional artistic associates are challenged and invigorated by new energy and ways of working.

Current supporters of this program include:

Alan Brodie, Ian Forsyth, and Max Reimer; Casting Workbook, Theatre at UBC, and VancouverPlays.com

Past supporters of this program have included:

Battery Opera, Biz Books, Carrier Talent, Creative Spirit Communications, Death by Chocolate, Dockside Restaurant, Douglas College, Fabrictime Solutions, Gateway Theatre, The Granville Island Hotel, Headlines Theatre, Calla Krause, Lord Byng Theatre Company, Teresa Lubkiewicz-Urbanowicz, Rebus Creative, the School for the Contemporary Arts at SFU, Studio 58, Theatre at UBC, UBC Costume Department, United Players, Vancouver East Cultural Centre, Vancouver Plays, William Davis Centre, and Yayah Studios.

Past program participants include:
Sarah Afful, Carmen Alatorre, Spencer Atkinson, Jacqueline Breakwell, Niki Brown, Dani Bryant, Roxana Chapela, Lois Dawson, Ryan Egan, Matt Ellis, Simon Farrow, Alex Brendan Ferguson, Nick Fontaine, Tara Goertzen, Maura Halloran, Ian Harmon, Richard Heaven, Carmen Hung, Kelly Ingersoll, Annie Jang, Stephanie Jew, Sara Kerastas, Josue Laboucane, Adam Lolacher, Kathleen McFarlane, Cat Main, Billy Marchenski, Daniel Martin, Mathilde Le Nézet, Jamie Nesbitt, David Newham, Jane Noble, Ashley O’Connell, Shana Orlowsky, Jergus Oprsal, Mary Phan, Melissa Robertson, Izzy Rubin, Alyssa Satow, Liana Shannon, Chelsea Sherbut, Stacy Sherlock, Marisa Smith, Donna Soares, Brian Sutton, Andrew Tkach, Marie Weber-Seban, James Wilson, and Melanie Yeats.

Here’s some of their feedback:

“The mentorship that I gained from this production environment was essential for boosting my confidence and decreasing those butterflies about bridging the gap between emerging and professional…I felt honoured to work with some of the most accomplished and seasoned theatrical creators Vancouver has to showcase. I was allowed the freedom to apply my archive of experiences to the real world professional environment…and that felt good.”

- Stacy Sherlock, Assistant Stage Manager, 2009-2010

“This internship enlightened me about aspects of theatre production that I didn’t know as much about, and definitely made me even more interested in producing. Thank you Pi Theatre!”

- Kathleen McFarlane, Administrative Assistant, 2008-2009

“This experience totally transformed me and now I am the richest person in the world!”

- Mathilde le Nezét, Administrative Assistant, 2008-2009

“It was an excellent segué into the professional field for a beginner such as myself…I was very fortunate to have had the chance to work with some of the best and most experienced people in the field.”
- Annie Jang, Apprentice Stage Manager, Bashir Lazhar

“During my first month at Pi, I have already learned more than in 2 years of studies. I always knew that that I loved theatre, but now thanks to this enriching placement at Pi Theatre, I know that I want to make it my work environment. Working at Pi gives me hope in my future, it gives me hope in work because it is possible to enjoy going to work! Thanks to this internship, I won’t see theatre in the same way.”
- Mathilde le Nezét, Administrative Intern, 2008-2009 season

“The program gave me the opportunity to meet many of the leading professionals in the business as well as educating me in the systems used in the theatres over here. The contacts that I made will and already have created employment opportunities elsewhere in Vancouver. As a way of helping emerging artists and designers I would thoroughly recommend Pi Theatre’s Prime Placements program to anyone that wishes to make connections in Vancouver.”
- Simon Farrow, Technical Assistant, Bashir Lazhar

“It brings artists from different programs and walks of life together who would otherwise not have had such an opportunity. This fostering of cooperation serves both them and our community. For those of us who have been in the business rather longer it is always refreshing to remember where your roots are and to be able to help establish roots for up and coming artists.”
- David Kerr, Mentor, Production Manager, Vancouver International Children’s Festival

“Prime at Pi galvanized my learning experience as a freshly graduated theatre student. For the first time, I had an environment in which to cut my teeth on a professional level, and apply what my teachers had taught me to the real world, with the kid gloves off. There simply isn’t a substitute for this kind of job training. It was the perfect finish to my acting training, and an even better start to my new career as a full-fledged professional actor.”
- Sarah Afful, Actor, The 8th Land

“With my inclusion in two Pi shows as a stage manager, and assistant stage manager, the experiences I’ve had have added to my skills and knowledge. It was such an appreciated challenge and pleasure to work on interesting and creative works.”
- Jethelo E. Cabilete, Apprentice Stage Manager, John & Beatrice; Assistant Stage Manager, The 8th Land

“It was incredible. I got a real sense of what it’s really like to work for a professional company. There was no aspect of an administrator’s job that I didn’t get a chance to tackle, and now I am fully confident that I can handle anything that comes my way.”
- Heather Cant, Administrative Assistant, 2005-2006 season

I came to understand the inner workings of what it takes to stage a theatre production in Vancouver: the inter-company negotiations, the pre-planning and foresight, the gathering of and access to resources, and the necessary pre-production work grant applications, budgeting, etc. As an emerging director who seeks to start her own company someday, this kind of exposure and first-hand learning was invaluable to me.”
- Sara Kerastas, Assistant Director, Werewolves

“I feel as though I am seeing my work for the first time. I didn’t know that this is what it could be.”
- Stéphane Hogue, Playwright, Carnage

“Technically, as a video designer, I have grown in leaps and bounds. I now have a leading edge in video design because we made a huge video concept into reality. I had my first design meeting for my latest job and I came loaded with knowledge that will no doubt enhance the project.”
- Jamie Nesbitt, Video Designer, Carnage