Lorna Batycki Director of Education
Lorna (she/her) has spent much of her career using theatre arts to develop life skills and confidence in others. Originally from Hamilton, Lorna was a music kid in bands, choirs and orchestras playing several instruments and studying voice. In high school, on a dare, she auditioned for New Star Children’s Theatre which opened an entirely new world.
Her professional journey began as a television news anchor and reporter which brought her to Saskatchewan in 1989. Since that time Lorna’s diverse training has fostered a career that includes, radio and television news, children’s television production, commercial casting, script development, adjudication, and workshop facilitation for all ages. Lorna also launched Lyrics and Laughs, a company that for more than a decade created customized entertainment for special events including improvised and scripted performances, murder mysteries and educational adventures for preschool and primary aged children with Cuddles the Clown. Her theatre credits include shows with SaskExpress, Saskatoon Summer Players, Ppl R Ppl Productions, Dancing Sky Theatre, Theatre Saskatchewan, Dance Saskatchewan, Saskatoon Gateway Players, Music for the Gut and several independent companies.
As an arts administrator she has worked with Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan, Dancing Sky Theatre and for the past 21 years at SaskExpress. As Studio Director, Lorna developed an award-winning triple threat performance program that introduced countless children and young adults to theatre, providing a safe space for everyone to be creatively confident. What I’m looking forward to…
Everyone can benefit from arts education, so I’m very excited to work with the team at Persephone to develop inclusive programs that will welcome anyone interested in theatre to this beautiful space. Future of TS
This is such an exciting time to be involved with arts education. The past two years have clearly illustrated the need for a strong cultural community. I look forward to renewing the Theatre School, building on the foundation that was in place prior to the pandemic with new ideas and partnerships designed to bring children and families into our space and provide support for emerging professionals and the diverse theatre artists in our province.
Danielle Spilchen FUNdamentals 2
Danielle (she/her) is an award winning theatre artist based on Treaty 6 Territory and is so very excited to be teaching at Persephone Theatre! Despite times of plague, she tries to be active in the Saskatoon theatre community as an actor, director, voice-actor, playwright and is a member of the new-ish sketch comedy troupe, The Sketchy Bandits. You may have seen Danielle onstage this summer in Cymbeline (Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan 2022).
Johanna Arnott One Act Wonders
Johanna (she/her) is a multidisciplinary theatre artist, based on Treaty 6 Territory, who works primarily as an actor, writer, stage manager and newbie director. A selection of her theatre credits include: wâhkôhtowin (ASM; Sum Theatre), The Last Children (SM; Curtain Razors Theatre), Shadows Among the Prairies (SM; Gordon Tootoosis Nīkānīwin Theatre), The Winter’s Tale (actor; Bridge Theatre Co.), The Wolves (actor; littleBIG Theatre & Evilstick Productions), Sad Girls Watch the Princess Bride (director; First Monday Sum Theatre) You Said We’d be Together Forever (director; We Treaty People Burnt Thicket Theatre), and Breaking the Curse (co-director; 25th Street Theatre & Ferre Play). Johanna loves sharing her passion for theatre and inspiring young people to chase their dreams and follow their hearts. She found her joy for theatre taking part in theatre camps and classes as a child and now she’s delighted to be a part of someone else’s journey! When she’s not working in theatre, Johanna enjoys knitting, saying hi to dogs, and doing crosswords with her partner.
Katie Moore Improvise & Devise / Theatre for Teens
Katie is an actor, improviser and proud dog mom. She began improvising in high school while competing in the Canadian Improv Games (CIG). After graduation, Katie became a coach and a judge of CIG. While completing her acting degree at the University of Regina, she taught improv and collective creation at the Globe Theatre School. In 2015, she moved to Vancouver and was part of Instant Theatre’s 2015 conservatory. Katie also trained with Blind Tiger Comedy taking multiple improv and sketch comedy classes. Katie has been part of many improv tropes such as Combat Improv, Hitchhikers Improv and Socks and Sandals. She is very excited to get back to teaching improv!
Kristi Friday (She/Her)
Kristi (she/her) has made a career out of Creating – through acting, singing, puppeteering, puppet building, writing, art journaling, and most recently, illustrating. She grew up in Hillmond, Saskatchewan and then moved to Saskatoon to study at the University of Saskatchewan, where she received her BFA. Shortly after her training, Kristi co-founded Saskatoon’s Wide Open Children’s Theatre with Crispi Lord and co-directed/produced the company’s seasons and school tours until 2008. She was also one of the founding members of Live Five Independent Theatre Company. From 2008-2014 Kristi lived in Stratford Ontario and had the opportunity of working on several independent theatre productions and providing drama workshops in Perth County for Foundation for Education. From 2015-2017 Kristi served as an Artist in Residence at Dancing Sky Theatre, bringing arts programming to several rural schools in the Prairie Spirit School Division. From 2017-2020 Kristi worked at Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan, as Special Projects Coordinator and worked in Marketing & Development, helping to bring the beautiful new site to fruition. In response to Covid-19, and the arts all but grinding to a halt, Kristi kicked off her own business, Girl Friday Creations. GFC services include: art journaling workshops, personalized puppet videos for those in isolation, puppet tutorials, and an illustrated book about courage. Kristi most recently performed as Lady Macbeth at Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan in the summer of 2021. Much of Kristi’s work has been to create experiences through art that uplift our communities- she is excited to have the opportunity to do so with Persephone.
Grahame Kent Dungeons & Dragons
Grahame is a professional theatre performer, writer, producer, designer, voice artist, editor, dramaturg, foley artist, director and stage manager. A Saskatoon based Dungeon Master, Grahame is a longtime lover of high fantasy and Dungeon and Dragons. Grahame has been playing tabletop RPGs for 12 years and has been a Dungeon Master for 8 years. He has experience with 4th edition, 3.5 edition, Pathfinder, Fantasy Flight, Anima, Star Wars RPG, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Game, but his heart is with 5th edition. He has performed with: Live Five, Persephone Theatre, The Globe Theatre, Wide Open, Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan and many more indie venues across Canada. Grahame is Artistic Producer of Buttered Ghost Theatre, home to Dr. Frightful Presents: A Podcast, a horror comedy anthology radio play series created, produced and curated by Grahame and created with incredible local talent. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Grahame’s motto is that RPG’s are “a game we play with our friends to have fun” and he hopes you will have as much fun playing DnD with him as he has playing it over the years.
Sammy Ramsay – FUNdamentals
Sammy is a Treaty 6 Territory based theatre artist and is thrilled to be back teaching Theatre School at Persephone! She holds a BFA Honours in Acting from the University of Saskatchewan. Recent acting credits include Breaking the Curse (25th Street Theatre/Ferre Play Theatre) and The Unforgettables (Fight or Flight Theatre) You may also catch her on stage this winter in two of Live Five’s upcoming shows, The Unforgettables (Fight of Flight Theatre/Wonder City Collective) and Measure for Measure (The Coterie)
She is also the co-founder of her theatre company, Wonder City Collective. Sammy is a former student of Persephone Theatre School herself, so it is an absolute privilege to now share the love of theatre with her students.
When she is not in the theatre, you can find her exploring various paths such as optometry and hair care, spending time with family, and spoiling her wonderful kitten, Willow.