About SATCo & Our Team
Our Mandate
The Student Alternative Theatre Company (SATCo) is a student-driven theatre company that works to reinforce the teachings of the University of Victoria Theatre Department, as well as assist in the development of new work, and provide quality opportunities to emerging artists while upholding a strong artistic vision.
The main principle of SATCo is to provide opportunities for students to use the skills they learn throughout their degrees. Many students rely on SATCo to gain experience in areas such as directing, stage management, design & acting. Since SATCo is a learning environment, it’s a great way to get practical experience in a safe, supportive, and professional environment.
Our Season
Every fall and spring semester, we put out a call for students to submit short plays, 30-50 minutes in length. We choose three of these plays to produce in each season. Then, teams of students are put together for each play: directors, designers, stage managers, & technical teams. Auditions are then held by the directors to cast their productions. It’s a very quick process; each show has 1-4 weeks to rehearse, depending on their slot in the season, followed by three performances. The shows are performed in the Barbara MacIntyre Theatre at the Phoenix, a little black-box studio theatre that offers flexibility for student designers.
Events
Throughout the school year, SATCo also hosts some events, such as SATCo’s 24-hour play festival and the SATCo vs TCU Improv Battle.
In 2023, we debuted a 24-hour play festival where teams create a whole show from start to finish in 24 hours. This is a low-stakes event designed to get people involved and pumped for the season ahead.
Between 2023-2024, the board chose to collaborate with the Theatre Course Union (TCU) to create an improv competition for the entertainment of both the board and students.
Since 2024, we have also begun facilitating playwriting workshops where playwrights can submit their plays and have them read and receive feedback. These workshops are a great way for writers to improve their work and ready their script to submit to SATCo!
Our Staff and Board
The SATCo Staff Board
SATCo is run by a staff and board comprised entirely of students, which changes every year. There are usually 9-12 board members; the number varies as some positions can be held by two people, or someone may take on an assistant.
Staff and board members get to experience the administrative side of theatre and learn how a theatre company is run. This hands-on experience isn’t offered anywhere else to the same extent, and it can be a great stepping stone to further opportunities.
A new and important distinction is that between staff and board, where staff take on roles involved with producing shows and running the company. Year reps sit in on meetings and help with season selection, but do not administrate within SATCo or work on shows as a head of department. Both staff and board may participate in shows, and they all frequently appear in our show credits, although there are many policies in place to avoid giving out unfair opportunities from within. One exception is hiring staff positions within SATCo, which are always offered internally first. This priority does not apply to the show’s creative teams and casting.
Co-General Managers: Freya Dixon-Reusz and Savannah O’Heany
The general managers are responsible for the overall function and artistic vision of the company. This includes supporting board members and creative teams and making final decisions on issues that arise during the season. They love to brainstorm ideas in collaboration with the rest of the board on how to improve the company and keep it new and exciting for the creative teams!
Freya Dixon-Reusz (she/her) is a fourth year Applied Theatre and FOH student. She is so happy to be Co-GM this year with one of her Phirst Phoenix Phriends. She joined SATCo in her second year as assistant FOH manager and then became AGM because of her love of spread sheets. Past SATCo credits include assistant facilitating Stepping Out of the Frame, co-directing Circus Performers (Semi) Anonymous, and sound board operator for Kayden Vs. the Closet Monster and Village Idiots. Freya is so excited to take on a management role and keep SATCo a joyous learning environment!
Savannah O’Heany (she/her) is a fourth year Acting student at the Phoenix Theatre. She is beyond honoured to Co-General Manage this years beautiful SATCo board along side Freya (#Phirst Phoenix Phriends)! Throughout her second and third year she has been SATCo’s main marketer, which she misses dearly! Her SATCo credits include composing for The Greatest Riff in the World (2026), Performing as Jenny in Village Idiots (2026), and Directing for Ring Tossed (2026). Savannah looks forward to a bright and collaborative year of SATCo where all students feel supported and welcome!
Assistant General Manager: Emily Harshenin
Emily Harshenin (she/her) is a third-year Production and Management student with a love for stage management and technical theatre. She is very excited to be returning to the board after her past year as an assistant technical director. When she’s not at home (in the PO), she enjoys wandering the building with Alexis or getting a ride on Ferris’ bike. Past SATCo credits include Circus Performers (Semi) Anonymous, Ring Tossed and Stepping Out of the Frame. She is thrilled to be able to share her love for management, paperwork – and above all else, joy and whimsy – with the SATCo community.
Message from GMs: Bless you, Emily! SATCo couldn’t run without you!
Financial Manager: Emma Whitney
The Financial Manager handles the financial side of SATCo, managing donations and creating a budget for the season. Our Financial Manager ensures all the shows have the resources they need to create the best work they can!
Emma is currently studying Production and Management and English at UVic, and is so excited to be joining SATCo as Financial Manager! Emma has worked on a variety of productions, with select credits including: Stage Manager for Be Free (Belfry One Act); Stage Manager for The Greatest Riff in the World (SATCo); Assistant Stage Manager for A Sudden Violent Burst of Rain (Phoenix Theatre); and Stage Manager for Village Idiots (SATCo). When not participating in theatre, she can be found reading a mystery novel and/or drinking London Fogs.
Financial Manager Mentor: Tarn Mokara
Tarn is a fourth year theatre performance student and is thrilled to be returning to the SATCo board for a second year. As Financial Manager Mentor Tarn is excited to support Emma while fine-turning SATCo’s financial systems. Her past SATCo credits include The Lord Sees All as Pete McGavin, The Goode TV Hour as a Lighting Board Operator, and she’s looking forward to her role as Diana Lou in Ring Tossed! You can usually find Tarn in the Box Office or walking laps around the building.
Co-Marketers: Stella Mattern and Callie Derry
The marketers are primarily responsible for the overall aesthetic of the marketing materials for each season. They run our social media accounts to keep everyone updated on shows and events, create posters, and take pictures at each dress rehearsal.
Stella (She/Her) is a third year acting student at the Phoenix. It is her first year on the SATCo board and she is so happy to be a part of the team! Her SATCo Credits include Kaden vs. the Closet Monster and Ring Tossed! She is very excited to be making posters, walking around campus putting up the posters, making instagram posts, and just being an all around whimsical guy.
Callie (She/Her) is in her second year at the Phoenix Theatre. She is new to the SATCo board and could not be more happy to get to be a part of this fabulous team! Her SATCo credits include The Greatest Riff in the World. She loves getting to help do the media creative work of SATCo along with her fellow marketer creating the lovely show posters, and putting up the fun instagram posts! She loves all aspects of this wonderful program at the Phoenix and can’t wait to dive deeper into the acting stream in the coming years!
Technical Director: Ferris Smart
The technical director is responsible for all technical work done here at SATCo. They create schedules, attend production meetings and installs, and clear sound, lighting, and set pieces with higher-ups in the department.
Ferris Smart (they/them) is a third-year Production and Management BFA Theatre student. They have been with the company since the beginning of their degree and will have worked on 13 SATCo shows by the end of this season. They love scheduling, paperwork, CAD software, making scale models, cutting gobos, wearing all black and hiding in the dark. When they are not holding SATCo meetings together, they’re probably taking Emily with them somewhere on their bike. And sometimes they take SATCo’s production photos!
Assistant Technical Directors: Isaac Alexander
Isaac is a second year student at the Phoenix, interested in design and technical theatre. He is happy to be a part of the SATCo team this year, after working on many of the shows last season. SATCo credits include: Lighting Board Operator for Blackeyed Bullseye and The Jester’s Waltz, Assistant Stage Manager for The Greatest Riff in the World and Village Idiots, and Assistant Lighting Designer for Ring Tossed.
Technical Director Support/Mentor: Taya Fehr
Taya Fehr (She/Her) is a fourth year self-directed BFA theatre student. She has worked her way up from ATD to TD Mentor somehow. She prefers to be called Pizza boy and strives to ensure the crew is fed in a timely manner before they begin to eat the set. Taya spends all her free time in the McIntyre studio as she doubles as the Resident Technician and one day hopes to free her soul from its clutches. Taya hopes you enjoy a wonderful SATCo season and many pizza blessings.
Message from GMs: She is also the Mac res tech and the coolest person to work with! BACKBONE!
Liaison: Liv Rodier
The liaison serves as a link between the creative teams and the board. They convey information between the two parties, act as a support for the show teams, and ensure that rehearsals are conducted in a safe and productive way.
Co-Front of House Managers: Kaitlyn Bergeron and Mikan Munson
Our front-of-house manager is responsible for the audiences that attend each show. They deliver an informative speech before each show, ensure that the audience experience is comfortable and safe, and handle emergencies that take place during a performance.
Kaitlyn is a fourth year self-directed student and is thrilled to be one of your co-front house managers this year! She is so excited to work with Mikan and teach her the ways of the Barbra McIntyre. As the front of house manager, Kaitlyn will be the first person you see when you come to a SATco, and her job is to make sure the audience is safe and happy! Her SATco credits include the FOH speech before every show, and costume mentoring Village idiots!
Mikan (She/Her) is a 3rd year Acting student who is excited to be one of the co-front of house managers! She is so honoured to be working alongside a fabulous group of artists on the SATCo board, and thrilled to be working alongside Kaitlyn to make patrons’ experiences enjoyable and safe! Past SATCo credits include Obitus, Waymaker, Village Idiots, and Ring Tossed! Her advice for everyone: Stay Cool, Stay Swaggy, and Stay Whimsy!
Workshop Coordinator: Brionne Wilson
The Workshop Coordinator is a new position since 2025, intended to provide a writing perspective in the meetings. The WC is also responsible for facilitating SATCo’s writing workshops that work to edit scripts and provide a safe environment to experiment.
My name is Brionne Wilson and I am the Playwriting Workshop Coordinator. I’m in my 4th year of the Applied Theatre focus. I enjoy directing and supporting playwrights with new works. I love working collaboratively and finding ways to stage challenging performances. Outside of SATCo, you can probably find me in the box office chatting it up! Past SATCo show credits include directing Jester’s Waltz written by Malone Hanson and Village Idiots written by Ben Anderson.
Assistant Workshop Coordinator: Mads Steel
Year Representatives
The year representatives are a connection between the board and each year’s cohort of students. Each year rep is responsible for communicating information about SATCo to their year, answering questions, and bringing student concerns to SATCo’s attention.
First Year: Cal Critchlow
Cal (All Pronouns) is in her first year at UVic, honoured to be the SATCo representative for all first year students. He has membered a few arts boards in the past and loves learning how different organizations move through the world. Its SATCo credits include having auditioned (so far). All in all, they are excited to help facilitate the creation of theatre that represents the new Phoenix cadre.
Second Year Rep: Sophie Hoskins
Sophie is a Second Year performance/acting student and ecstatic to be on the SATCo Board this year! Sophie has been able to participate in SATCo in a variety of ways as an actor, technician and a designer and wants nothing more than to give back to this community that she’s learned so much from. Sophie has worked in theatre over the summer as an assistant stage manager for Be Free!, as a Sound Designer for Game Night and as a stagehand for Monty Python’s Spamalot and is hyped to see what comes next.
Third Year Rep: Nai’a Fellingham
Nai’a Fellingham (they/them) is a 3rd year acting student and a newcomer to the SATCo board. They are passionate about performance, props, and paperwork. You can find them in the back hall, the pit, and in the upcoming MainStage The Cherry Orchard. They are very excited to be joining the SATCo board!
Fourth Year Rep (and beyond): Alexis Dunn
Alexis is a fourth-year production and management student, and is super excited to be back on the SATCo board! Previous SATCo shenanigans include ASM for The Jester’s Waltz, set designer for Circus Performers (Semi) Anonymous, and SM for Kayden vs The Closet Monster, and Ring Tossed. She is often seen booking rooms on the scheduling board, unlocking doors for people, or walking a lap around the building with Emily. This year, she looks forward to stage managing the mainstage production, Curtains. You can find Alexis in her second home (the PO) for any SATCo related inquiries!