About Us | Kindred Theatre

Mission:

To produce world-class theatre and empowering acting workshop experiences that positively impact the world.

Mandate:

Kindred Theatre is operated by the Kindred Theatre Society, a non-profit organization registered in British Columbia. We produce exciting and relevant plays that aim to connect and entertain our audience while also raising funds for causes related to the themes or subject matter of the plays we are presenting.

Our mission is to offer a unique theatrical experience that will keep audiences on the edge of their seats. Our goal is to ignite the minds of our audience members by making them think, laugh, and feel more, all while highlighting our shared humanity and raising money and awareness for charities and causes that matter.

We aim to connect with the next generation of theatregoers and theatre makers by offering Under 25's discounted tickets to our shows. We encourage discovery and enjoyment of live theatre for all socio-economic backgrounds (including seniors, students, and arts workers) by offering accessible ticket price options for all. We ensure anyone who wants to see one of our shows will be given the opportunity to do so.

In addition to our productions, we offer Acting for Empowerment, a philanthropic workshop series delivered in partnership with charities. Designed for those who identify as women, these workshops use the tools of acting to promote personal agency, connection, and confidence.

If you're a charitable organization interested in bringing Acting for Empowerment to your community, please get in touch — we’d love to collaborate.

Our society is situated on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations. A portion of all funds from ticket sales raised by the society are always donated to Indigenous organizations. We are currently supporting the Indian Residential School Survivors Society.

The Kindred Theatre Team

Loretta Walsh

Founder & Artistic Producer

Loretta is a theatre producer and award nominated actor. She has produced plays since 2014 under the company formerly known as Kindred Entertainment (now known as Kindred Theatre Society) Her previous theatre producing credits include: Lobby Hero (2010), Dinner with Friends (2012), White Hot (2014), Either We Talk or We Don't Talk (2015) and THIS (2018) Loretta has a deep love and respect for theatre and believes that sharing the collective experience of a great play with others is not only a form of entertainment but can also be an avenue for human connection and personal & social change.

Penny Ray

General Manager

Penny began acting studies as a child and first appeared on stage in her teens. Since graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, she has enjoyed an array of professional acting and producing roles in theatre and film, while simultaneously developing a successful career in small business operations. At an emergency shelter/transition house in Los Angeles, Penny developed a drama program to supplement the therapy offered to families recovering from domestic violence. The confidence and trust the women and children gained through these acting exercises were both humbling and inspiring. Penny is thrilled to be on the Kindred team helping to bring cultural innovation and transformation to the stage.

Mary-Jo Dionne

Board President

Named a Vancouver YWCA Woman of Distinction, Mary-Jo is an award-winning writer who has worked on brands ranging from Nike Canada to various Olympics-sponsorships. Her one-woman show Glowing: A Reproduction Production was hailed a “real crowd pleaser” by the CBC and her TEDx Talk, which aims to debunk the "broken home" mythology was deemed a “crowd favourite”. Her writing has appeared in the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, and the Huffington Post. She is the recipient of Canada's highest honour, a Governor General's medal in recognition of her philanthropic efforts. In 2022, she completed her Masters of Screenwriting at the University of London. She is writer and co-director of the 2022 short Never Broken which won Best Screenplay at the Venice Shorts, and Best Director at the Amsterdam Short Film Festival.

Neil Shapiro

Board Vice President

Neil relishes the communal experience of live theatre. He loves the unique feeling of going on a journey with a group of strangers and not knowing where it’s going to lead. As an internationally recognized advertising creative director he’s spent his career harnessing the power of creative to connect with people and recognizes theatre’s unique ability to not only entertain, but teach - ceding conversations and helping people grow.

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Jennifer Spence

Board Secretary and Treasurer

Jennifer Spence is a multiple award-winning actor known for her regular roles on BBC Studio’s Traces, Netflix’s Travelers and Audience Network’s You Me Her. She has also diversified into writing/producing (with her husband Ben Immanuel) with 2 half hour comedy series currently in development, and frequently mentors younger female actors of Asian descent.

Zak Santiago

Board Member at Large

Zak is an award-winning film and television actor and international radio, tour and nightclub DJ. A classically trained musician and professional dancer, Zak is also a devoted Theatre creature and began his training in 1995. Zak has recently received an MA in Theological Studies at UBC and is currently enrolled in two further Post Graduate programs.
Zak bears several years involved in Prison Ministry in the Lower Mainland. Although a consummate professional artist, service work and a holistic focus on the well-being of the Vancouver community is his priority.

Josh Blacker

Board Member at Large

Josh began his career as an actor before stepping away to practice law for four years. Ultimately drawn back to storytelling, he returned to acting and has since built a diverse and accomplished career in film and television. He is known for memorable roles in Stargate: Universe, Reacher, SEE, Virgin River, Supernatural, and Elysium, where he appeared alongside Matt Damon and Jodie Foster.

In addition to his work on screen, Josh is an award-winning producer and screenwriter. He co-wrote, produced, and starred in the independent comedy Focus, which earned him Best Actor at the Oregon Independent Film Festival. He continues to develop original work and is currently in pre-production on his company’s next feature film.

Tanya Champoux

Co-Producer

Tanya is an actor, business owner and entrepreneur based in Vancouver. She has been featured in many Hallmark movies and recently co produced and acted in Sheepish, an award winning film shot in Spain. Tanya found her love for theatre at a young age while attending plays with her mom in Montreal and Vancouver. Mixed with her love for community and entertaining , Tanya believes that theatre produces more than just a storyline, it brings light to important global injustices, needs for change and truth through the connection between the actors , the audience, and the story.

Ben Immanuel

Artistic Associate

Ben is an award winning writer, actor, producer, director and acting teacher. For theatre, Ben has appeared in many plays including This, by Melissa James Gibson, Dinner with Friends, by Donald Margulies, and Italian American Reconciliation by John Patrick Shanley. He has also directed numerous plays, including the Canadian Premieres of Tommy Smith’s White Hot and Christopher Shinn’s Dying City, as well as Either We Talk Or We Don’t Talk, created in collaboration with actors from Haven Studio. In 2020, Ben wrote and directed the one-man show Casey and the Octopus for the inspiring and dynamic 19-year-old cancer survivor Casey Wright. Having taught acting in Vancouver, Los Angeles and across Canada, Ben established Haven Studio in Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood in 2002.