Behind Closed Doors

JB is an award winning actor and playwright based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Recent writing credits include: 18 Jews Order Chinese Food (Persephone Theatre 2025) and The Colour of the Town (SUM Theatre 2026). Select acting credits: The Romeo Initiative, Treasure Island (Persephone Theatre), I and You, Bad Hats Peter Pan, and Arsenic and Old Lace (Globe Theatre). They are thrilled to join this year’s team of playwrights and can’t wait for you to see what we have in store! 

Todd’s writing adventure started in 2012 with his debut novel, Rink Burgers. He turned to playwriting after seeing his first play, The Baby Boomers, on the stage. Todd’s shows have been part of the Saskatoon Fringe and the Short Cuts Festival. In 2019, he produced and wrote, Monday Night. It tells the story of December 8th, 1980- the night John Lennon was murdered in New York City. The show was nominated for two SATAwards. Todd’s second production with Live Five, The Boat, debuted in the spring of 2026. It tells the story of two Canadian doctors who, in 1964, established a legal abortion clinic aboard a boat in international waters, 15 miles off the coast of Nova Scotia.  Todd is thrilled to be working with 25th Street Theatre for the first time and to bring his play to audiences in this unique environment.  

Élisabeth Foucault is honoured to be part of Behind Closed Doors.  She has been writing ever since she was in the second grade, and won numerous Youth Literary competitions growing up in her native Quebec.  After a hiatus while building her health care career and her family, she has rediscovered her passion for writing in recent years.  She is fascinated by humans and their interactions, and writes personal stories in a realistic style, infusing them with her Quebecor humour.  She is known to have 3 or 4 different draft stories open in her computer tabs at all times, and she delights in sharing her work in dramaturgy and reading circles. Credits: The Addies, 16 The Musical (Winner of Best of Saskatoon Fringe 2024), La Fabuleuse Histoire de Julie St-Onge, Claire la Goutte d’eau.  Thank you to 25th Street Theatre for creating fun opportunities for artists and audiences to come together in such an intimate setting.  Much love to Paul, Paulina, Antony and Jack.

Julia Kowalski (she/her) is a Métis-Settler actor and emerging theatre artist with a BFA in Acting from the University of Saskatchewan. From an early age, theatre has played a huge part in her life and has made her the person she is today. Julia currently spends a large part of her time sharing the joy of theatre through her work with the Circle of Voices program at GTNT. Her most recent acting/writing credits include: Dear Me, Sincerely You (Saskatoon Fringe) and That’s Life (Saskatoon Fringe)

Sammy Ramsay (she/her) is a Saskatoon based theatre artist. She is grateful to live, work and create on Treaty 6 Territory. She holds her BFA Honours in Acting from the University of Saskatchewan. Sammy worked as an artist in residence at the Saskatoon Forestry Farm in 2020 to write and produce Why Saskatoon, Why the Forestry Farm? Recent acting credits include Zastrozzi: Master of Discipline and Rooftops (Live Five Season 21). Sammy would like to thank her family and friends for all their support, and to the audiences for supporting local live theatre. Love to Drew and Juliette.  

Mara Teare is a multidisciplinary artist originally from Saskatoon, having recently made Edmonton their new home. They are a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada’s acting program, and Sheridan College’s Performing Arts Prep Program. Since graduating, Mara has worked across Canada as an actor, playwright, dramaturge, administrator and assistant director. Through the work they do, Mara seeks to prioritize and uplift marginalized voices, working hard to foster fun, safe and encouraging environments everywhere they go. It brings them great joy to continue to explore and confront challenging narratives that examine our current socio-political climate. 

Selected acting credits include: Richard II, A Midsummer Night’s Dream: 1985, Hamlet, Done/Undone, Cymbeline (Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan); Mustard (25th St Theatre); Final Notice, The Maids (Whirligig Theatre); The Jungle Book (Alberta Theatre Projects); Crypthand (Gale Force Theatre); bonus points if you have air conditioning, Everybody, Indecent (National Theatre School); Young Ones (SUM Theatre).

Mara has Assistant Directed at both Persephone Theatre (Native Gardens) and The Citadel Theatre (Cyrano de Bergerac), and recently directed the Q2Q Play Readings at the Edmonton Fringe Theatre. Their plays have been workshopped by SUM Theatre (First Monday Collective) and Chromatic Theatre (Emerging BIPOC Playwrights Unit). Mara currently serves on the board of Ferre Play Theatre, and is in the midst of an Artistic Leadership Residency with Jenna Rodgers, with the support of the Canada Council of the Arts.