Directors

Meet THE TEAM

We are so grateful to have eight directors in the Or Festival 6, each dedicated to one new play and bringing that script to life. We are ecstatic to have this inspiring team of humans onboard.

To Our Directors: Thank you for inculcating this festival with your beautiful humanity and artistic prowess. We love you. – Or Festival Team

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Jonathan Wilde

JONATHAN WILDE
 Director – Audition 1939 

Jonathan is from Hinton Alberta. He trained in New York at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre, Upright Citizens Brigade, T. Schreiber Studios and Larry Moss Studios where he was imbedded assisting Larry’s New York theatre intensives for over a decade. As a film actor he has worked alongside Liev Shreiber, Joaquin Phoenix, and Kali Reis, and is proud to have been directed by Joe Wladyka and Lynn Ramsey. As a Theatre actor, with his ensemble, he won a New York Innovative Theatre Award for “Balm in Gilead” at T. Schrieber Studios and he has performed at some of the most iconic venues in New York’s Village, including La Mama and The Living Theatre, and at legendary theatre development home “Torn Page” in Hell’s Kitchen. Jonathan is also grateful to have assisted at the prominent casting houses of Chrystie Street, and Billy Hopkins in New York where he learned firsthand about the casting process from some of the very best in the business. Theatre Director credits include JP Shanley’s The Dreamer Examines His Pillow at the Cloud City Theatre in Brooklyn New York, and JP Shanley’s Outside Mullingar at the Jericho Arts Centre in Vancouver.

 

Ashley Mann

ASHLEY MANN

Director: Deaf-Led Program – Nurse…HELP!

Ashley Mann, she/her, identifies as a culture facilitator, creator, director, and performer. Currently working with OR festival for the third time this year, she envisions building a bridge between the hearing and deaf and hard of hearing community in the theatre world. Ashley’s goals aim to foster inclusivity and connection within diverse communities. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/fTppfG4R8ao?feature=share 

 

Jade Fox

JADE FOX
Director: Deaf-Led Program – Milkman 

Born and raised in Vancouver, Jade Fox is a artist who is bilingual in American Sign Language and English. She is passionate about storytelling, creativity, animals, and books. As an actor, Jade enjoys pursuing challenges, characters, and experiences that bring new perspectives to the acting world. In 2025, Jade starred in the short film called “No Barrier” directed by Anh Plam which was premiered in Reel Asian Film Festival in Toronto. 

Julian Legere

JULIAN LEGERE
Director – BITCH SAVE YOURSELF

Born and currently living on occupied Coast Salish territories, Julian is a bisexual/genderqueer artist, community organizer, and cultural worker of European and Acadian settler ancestry. As a creator, writer, and performer he works across disciplines including theatre, poetry, drag, burlesque, kink, dance, and contemporary performance. His work involves using queerness to interrupt colonial artistic hegemony, as well as enacting a bespoke queer spiritual practice through performance. He most recently Assistant Directed Casey and Diana at the Arts Club, and will be producing and directing Lara Rae’s Dragonfly in the 2026 Vancouver Fringe. He is also writing a play about the AIDS Memorial Cherry Grove.

erika babins

ERIKA BABINS
Director – Raise Your Hand (If You Think Her Skin Is Dry) 
Erika is a CTC winning, Ovation nominated director, choreographer, performer, and educator working on unceded Coast Salish ancestral territory in Vancouver, BC. As an Artistic Associate for Awkward Stage Productions, she directed a queer revamp of Jasper in Deadland, and choreographed the Pick-of-the-Fringe winning TITUS: The Light and Delightful Musical Comedy of Titus Andronicus, and Cry-Baby: The Musical. They have been working with Arts Umbrella’s Pre-Professional Theatre Troupe as a director and choreographer since 2012 as well as with several other Youth Theatre organizations including the Gateway Theatre Academy, Places des Arts, and The Chilliwack School for Performing Arts. As a freelance choreographer and director, Erika has worked with many companies in the Lower Mainland including Play on Words Productions, First Impressions Theatre, Theatre Under the Stars, and Uncle Randy Productions

ANNAHIS BASMADJIAN

ANNAHIS BASMADJIAN
Director – Fine Dining, Finer Judgements 
A graduate of UBC’s Creative Writing Program, and the University of Edinburgh’s Master’s of Science of Creative Writing Program, Annahis’ work has been featured all over Vancouver; in the Brave New Playrites Festival (Bookmarkers, 2014, Fog Lights, 2015), UBC’s Commerce Community Program (Psychopomp & Circumstance, 2016), the Cold Reading Series’ 4×3 Festival (Kidnappees, 2017), The Vancouver Fringe Festival (Rockefeller Evening, 2017), and Festival Dionysia (Hot Pursuit, 2018). Annahis was able to produce and mount her work independently after founding Rushed Productions LTD in 2018, breakthrough pieces being Albireo (2018) and Sigma Acapella (2024), both original, two act musicals. This past fall, she assisted with the Musical Theater course at RCTC, and prior to that, acted as the head Drama/Music teacher at Alcuin College, spearheading school concerts, public performances and the school play.

BRANDEN SUGDEN

BRANDEN SUGDEN
Director – On The Way Home
 
Branden Sugden is a director, actor, and producer originally from Treaty 7 territory (Calgary, AB). Now based in Vancouver, he is the Operations Manager for Pi Theatre. Branden holds a BFA with Distinction from the University of Victoria’s Theatre Department with a minor in Business. He is passionate about integrating technology into theatrical experiences to tell more immersive stories that dare the audience to lean-in to the material. Branden is proud serve on the board of directors for Calgary Young People’s Theatre and to be Co-founder of the Periluna Collective. Select credits: Hey There, Mr. Moon (Director & Producer, Periluna Collective, 9 episode audio-drama series), The Audition (Director, Theatre Inconnu), You Are Here: Pop-up Docs (Video Designer, Theatre SKAM), Problem Child (Livestream Director, UVic Phoenix Theatre), Survivors (Actor & Tour Manager, Victoria Holocaust Theatre Productions), ARCA-45672 (Actor, Claire Scherzinger Productions, 6 episodes in audio-drama series), Huck Finn (Actor, Storybook Theatre) 

 

MADELAINE WALKER

MADELAINE WALKER
Director – The Donor
Madelaine (she/her) is a theatre creator based on the stolen land of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tseil-Waututh First Nations. She is an emerging director, as well as a producer and production manager. Selected Director credits include: IRIS (Asst. Director, Wunderdog Theatre), Plane and Simple (Brave New Play Rites), The New Margo (Seeing Things Festival), Wayne Gretzky Never Takes it Black (The Cascadia Project), Saturdays for the Boys (Brave New Play Rites). In her spare time, she is an avid reader and tabletop game player. She currently works as the Assistant Production Manager at the Cultch, her favourite theatre in Vancouver.