Kaleigh Wiens (she/her/they) is a 5th year ACTT student, honoured to be serving as Co-Chair for her second year on CAST. Her biggest passion as an artist is cultivating a sense of authenticity, openness, kindness, inclusion and growth in both her work and others’. She is a huge advocate for self care and mental health awareness in the arts industry as a whole, and will be channeling all of these beliefs into impacting real, lasting change in the department this year. 

Feel free to stop her in the halls for anything that she can help with - she can always be counted on to have emergency snacks or cute cat pictures on hand for anyone who needs them!

Lyssa (she/they) is a multidisciplinary artist whose primary medium is theatre. She specializes in directing, narrative design, and devising new works as a final-year Performance Creation student. She uses her experiences with marginalized identity to inform her works and brings a lens of multiplicity to all of the stories she tells. As Co-Chair of CAST, Lyssa aims to focus on advocacy and equity for all theatre students.

Océanie Renaud (she/her) is a third year ACTT student, and returning CAST representative. Océanie is passionate about social justice and carries that narrative with her into her work. Guided by her significant background in dance, Océanie considers theatre to be a consistent pursuit of growth. She is excited to pursue developing a stronger sense of community at Concordia, and support her fellow students in any way she can through her work with CAST. She cannot wait to continue to grow, learn and create lasting memories alongside everyone. 

Lizzie Esses (she/they) is a second year Performance Creation student, this year serving as the Secretary of CAST. She is a multidisciplinary artist from Colorado, having worked in the past primarily in direction, stage management, and vocal performance. The majority of her creative inspiration hails from femininity, flowery poetry, and interpersonal relationships. 

This is her second year as a CAST representative, and she is excited not only to make spreadsheets, but to work towards clearer lines of communication between the department and its students. You can reach her this year at the CAST library or through our email with questions, comments, or concerns!

Milo (they/il) is a third-year ACTT student, with a minor in Education. This is their second year as treasurer for CAST, which they are very excited about.

Fa (she/they) is a performance artist, born on the shores of the Saint-Lawrence River, based in Tiohtiá:ke / Montréal. Their multidisciplinary approach is seeking for meaning and opening spaces to the poetry in between us, from the guts. //DESIRE TO LIVE// Graduate in visual art from CVM in 2020, she now pursues a BFA in Performance Creation at Concordia University. For now, their head and body sometimes emerge where space and others welcome it. They seek community to bear their existentialism. With CAST this year, she wishes to focus on accessibility in its many forms, so we better understand feelings and boundaries in the spaces we share every day.  (FRANCAIS/ENGLISH)

Ian McCormack (he/they) is neurodivergent and disabled artist/playwright originally from Northern Ontario and now based in Tiohtià:ke (Montreal). They are a second year Performance Creation student at Concordia University and are excited to continue their work on CAST on as one of the EDIA Coordinators. 

As a disabled artist, they are especially passionate about making theatre and educational spaces accessible and inclusion. When they are not working and advocating for progressive change within our theatre faculty and department, they are making art focused on neurodivergency, political injustice and unconventional puppetry. 

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If you have any EDIA concerns or question feel free to message them or meet with them. They will do everything in their power to be an advocate for you (No concern is too small). Or if you just need someone to listen and vent to, they are always available.

Oliver Gullikson (he/they) is a second year Scenography student. They're excited to return to CAST as this year's Scenography Representative, and is hoping to improve communication between Scenography students and the rest of the department. With an extensive background in student advocacy, Oliver is cautiously excited to continue working to improve student life!

Born and raised in Montreal, Rae-Michelle Comodero (she) is on a journey to establish herself as a professional actor in her city’s theatre scene and beyond. 

Holding a DEC in Communications from her previous studies and now entering her 3rd year in Acting at Concordia, she is excited to contribute to CAST as Outreach Coordinator where she will be responsible for all social media related content, promotional materials and newsletters.

As a returning member of CAST, RMC is dedicated to helping students have a positive experience during their time at school and help reach the department to its fullest potential. 

Her biggest goals for this year is to sell out productions through marketing and create a healthy thread between students and faculty. Feel free to say “Hi” and chat to this 5’0 fiery superstar in the hallways!

Léa (she/her) is thrilled to be a part of CAST for her second year. She is a 3rd-year ACTT major who was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. Last year, Léa assistant directed and stage managed the fall studio production of “Mizu No Eki” (The Water Station) as well as performed in “LOAM” in the winter. Léa has always been passionate about physical wellness as well as mental health. She has trained in Taekwondo for the last 10 years and has earned her Second Dan Black Belt. She also really enjoys doing yoga and pilates. As student wellness coordinator, Léa hopes to build community around these topics including organizing workshops and events to help students, especially those entering their first year.  She hopes to be a resource for other students in the department who are seeking guidance (or a friend). Please do not hesitate to reach out to Léa or say hi in the hallway!

Lamia Abou Karam (she/her) is a 19 year old performance artist, olive enthusiast, and lover. Born and flourished in Dubai and originally Lebanese, she is now in her third year of the Acting for the Theatre specialization. She grew up as a third culture kid surrounded by a kaleidoscope of people, and finds joy in collaboration of all sorts. She practices mindfulness and preaches kindness, and finds them to be crucial foundations for creation and ensemble work. Lamia enjoys performance surrounding the themes of culture, identity, and self. Away from the studio lights, you can frequently find her in yoga studios, at sunday night improv, photographing, and working to give back in the community. Always remember: be kind and love loudly.

Elizabeth Belvedere, a vibrant third-year Acting for the Theatre student at Concordia University, is a valuable member of this year's CAST Events committee. Her lifelong enchantment with the stage fueled a genuine passion for theatre, a wellspring of her joy and satisfaction. With training in acting, voice, movement, and improvisation, she has cultivated a versatile skill set, smoothly transitioning into diverse roles and genres. Collaborative by nature, she values teamwork, recognizing its pivotal role in crafting memorable productions alongside fellow actors, directors, and creatives.

At Concordia University, she has taken part in three notable public performances. These include "Chaos," a thought-provoking devised work inspired by Laura Lomas and Jordan Tannahill, the emotionally resonant ensemble performance "Weaving Voices," which intertwines Afro-centric techniques and poems from Black poets, and the heartwarming "First Name Basis," where she collaborated with exceptionally talented actors with disabilities. Her journey embodies a dedication to her craft, embracing diversity and inclusion while celebrating and creating the art of theatre.

Gio is an actor, writer, performer, creator and eternal learner born and raised in Montreal. Going into his third year at Concordia, he’s managed to make friends with people across the disciplines of Scenography, Acting and PERC and looks forward to creating opportunities for everyone to come together and laugh, dance, eat and compete and enjoy each other’s company. He hopes this year’s events will help foster a greater sense of community within Concordia’s theatre department, one of the main reasons he decided to pursue theatrical arts in the first place.

Anika (she/her) is a second year acting student, a pink enthusiast and a swimmer! 

She is very excited to be a part of CAST to help people to listen to them and to make them feel welcome and included. She is passionate about social justice, empathy and feminism, and most of her work is inspired by these three main subjects. When she writes her plays, short films or interprets a character, she tries to give a voice to people or causes that don’t feel heard and need to be heard!  

She thinks that art — and especially theatre — is an amazing way to get people to come together and learn about listening to others. She truly believes that when we start listening, we can start feeling. And once we can feel, we are capable of being empathetic towards others. Empathy is the seed to healing and theatre is empathy!

Laura Rossiter (She/Her) is an actor, dancer, and lover of theatre born and raised on the South Shore of Montreal. After having graduated from Dawson College’s Professional Theatre Program during the height of the pandemic, she has spent the past couple of years developing her sense of self and artistic expression, striving to learn more about the people and the world around her. Returning to her studies now as a first year ACTT student, Laura is thrilled to be part of C.A.S.T. as a first year rep, helping to foster a safe, supportive, and inclusive learning experience for her fellow classmates! 

Kris (They/Them) is a first year Scenography student. They’re super excited to be living in Montreal and attending Concordia for theatre. They’ve done theatre for as long as they can remember; from plays in elementary and middle school, to finding their love for Scenography at their art highschool. Kris hopes to continue bridging more relationships and communication between Scenography and other specializations, and hopes to be a trustful point of contact for their fellow peers, and the rest of the department. Kris cannot wait to see where CAST will take them! 

Aaron (he/him) is a first-year Concordia student specializing in performance creation as a director, Beyond directing, he's an actor, pianist, and vocalist. Additionally Aaron is a cinematographer and director of his own independent short films. Aaron's impact extends beyond the arts; he's a leader, spearheading initiatives such as Movember campaigns, showcasing his commitment to creating a positive change in the world. Aaron hopes to be an influential and memorable member of Theatre Concordia and CAST.