Discipline Category: Live Performing Arts

Brittany Lagassé (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist and has worked professionally in theatre, music, dance and comedy.

She began collaborating with others professionally in 2013, creating ‘Make/Shift Theatre’ with university pals Kristian Jordan and Elio Zarrillo. They wrote, produced and acted in original plays inspired by mediums outside the realm of theatre, from graphic novels to albums.

As Brittany continued to act and produce original work, her curiosity and love for music continued to grow.  BUNNY was born: a ukulele-comedy duo she performed with Heather Thomas (of Diaphanie). Their comedic shows blended theatre and music and they found themselves catapulting into the comedy scene, performing for The Winnipeg Comedy Festival and The SheDot Festival in Toronto.

Ten years after meeting backstage at a BUNNY show, Brittany and Mario Lagassé are partners in love and music, supporting each other in their respective artistic projects. Their first co-creation being the musical for kids, ‘Croakinole & Croakette.’ This pair of lively frogs sing, dance and hop their way through music of all genres, and have performed at Bike & Circuses (Green Kids 2024), The Winnipeg Fringe Festival (2025) and The Frog Follies Festival (2025).

Outside of music and creation, Brittany has performed and worked on several local theatre productions. Some of her favourite theatre credits include Love & Information (Company Link, 2021), Crazy Bone (Theatre Projects Manitoba, 2018) and Deserter (Moving Target Theatre, 2018).

Ethan Stark is a queer, neurodivergent playwright based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He also directs, acts, artist admins, stage hands, production assistants, assistant stage manages, and occasionally will direct and edit music videos and short films. Basically, he is obsessed with the creative process and loves making cool stuff with cool people no matter what his role is. He was an artist in residence with One Trunk Theatre. There, he wrote and directed the first iteration of his play "Sinking Ship."  He continued seeking out mentorship through Creative Manitoba. His playwriting debut at the 2023 Winnipeg Fringe (A Work in Progress) was awarded the Harry S. Rintoul Honourable mention award. The next year he made his fringe producing and directing debut with new original play, The Ethan in the Room, which was once again shortlisted for the Harry S. Rintoul Award and given five stars by Winnipeg Free Press’s Ben Waldman. He was also a 2024 participant in Real Wheel Theatre’s playwriting circle and most recently assistant stage managed for We Quit Theatre’s newest show Glory. His work often features casual queer representation and explores the role of vulnerability and honest conversation in healing relationships both on a personal and societal level, often through the lens of magical realism.

I am an Ojibwe-Cree actor, writer, director, music producer, and program manager dedicated to Indigenous storytelling. My journey began at the Nor’West Community Centre in Winnipeg, where early exposure to the arts ignited a lifelong passion for performance and creative expression.

On screen, I’ve appeared in short films including Don’t Look @ Me (Sean Kinsella) and Unless You Have Been There (Farrah Murdock), the feature Aberdeen (Ryan Cooper & Eva Thomas), and Season 3 of the series Acting Good (APTN/CTV Comedy).

My directorial debut, Stay Awhile, created through the Skodoodisden Project, screened internationally at the Red Nation International Film Festival (Los Angeles), Pocahontas Reframed Film Festival (Richmond, VA), and across Turtle Island.

Behind the scenes, my career has spanned cinema operations, legal work as a Trademark Paralegal, and leadership roles in film organizations. I currently serve as Program Manager for the Winnipeg Indigenous Filmmakers Collective (WIFC) and as Education & Outreach Coordinator for the Winnipeg Film Group (WFG).

In 2025, I graduated from the National Screen Institute’s CBC New Indigenous Voices program, where I worked as Assistant Director on Rezervations for Two and later joined Eagle Vision as an Office PA. That same year, I became a proud member of ACTRA.

I continue to balance acting, writing, and directing with a commitment to fostering spaces where Indigenous voices can thrive and be represented authentically on screen.