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 Roundtables and a 24-hour play festival.
SATCo Roundtables is a networking event to meet other artists in the department. We group people based on shared interests and give out some free snacks in the MacIntyre during a lunch period.
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.
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 show creative teams and casting.
Co-General Managers: Ella Macdonald and Megan Farrell
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!
Ella Macdonald (any pronouns) is an interdisciplinary theatre artist honoured to be living and learning on unceded territory of the Lək̓ʷəŋən speaking people, now known as the Songhees and Esquimalt nations. They are a fourth year student at UVic’s Phoenix Theatre with interests in Stage Management, costume design, and performance. They are also a founding board member and media director of timetheft theatre, having performed in their productions of Scruples by Molly Jamin (2024), Carpet! by Nadia Myroon (2023), and Horse Girl by El Newell (2023), the last of which Ella also costume designed. They are honoured to general manage SATCo along with Megan!
Megan Farrell (she/her) is in her fifth and final year at the University of Victoria’s Phoenix Theatre. She is thrilled to be working as one half of the SATCo Co-General Manager team alongside the wonderful Ella Macdonald, as well as the rest of this year’s capable board of staff. Outside of SATCo, Megan is a theatre practitioner specializing in stage management. She also has a love for sound design, and professional photography.
Assistant General Manager: Holly Layman
Holly is a third year stage management student who has been on the SATCo board since her first year. She is so excited to be on the management team where she gets to do some of her favourite things like scheduling and updating paperwork. She loves working with so many great people on the SATCo board.
Financial Manager: Annalyn Kind
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!
Annalyn is the financial manager of SATCo, and a soon to be graduate of the Phoenix theatre. Come support this fabulous company!
Assistant Financial Manager: Azura
Azura (she/her) is a third year performance focus student, with an interest in both performance and stage management. This is the first year she has worked with Satco, and is super excited to join the team.
Co-Marketers: Spencer McCairns and Savannah O’Heany
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.
Spencer (he/they) is a fourth-year self-directed student at the Phoenix Theatre, with a passion for scenic design, playwriting, and directing. He’s excited to be one half of the marketing team along with Savannah, and work to bring a wonderful season to life before graduating in the spring.
Savannah (she/her) is a second year performance student. She joined SATCo to get experience in design, marketing and being a part of a theatre organization. She’s excited to collaborate with Spencer and learn all she can!
Technical Director: Sasha Li
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.
Sasha (any pronouns) is a third year self-directed student interested in a little bit of everything. If they aren’t at the theatre, they are probably out hunting for the best London Fog.
Assistant Technical Director: Taya Fehr
Taya Fehr (She/Her) is a second-year performance student! She is the assistant Technical Director for the 2024/25 season! Taya loves taking long walks up on the mac catwalks and following Sasha the TD around.
Liaison: Connor Gleeson
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.
Connor (they/he) is a fifth year focusing on stage managment at the Phoenix. This is their 2nd year with SATCo but first as Liaison. They love the work SATCo does and the opportunities it creates within the department.
Front of House Manager: Wynter Clermont
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.
Wynter Clermont (She/Her) is a 3rd year Performance Student at the Phoenix. She is a part of the ensemble cast for The Killing Game in February, and some of her previous acting work includes, The Lord Sees All, and The Goode TV Hour. Wynter is excited to be a part of the SATCo Board and work as a Front Of House Manager for the 2024/25 Season.
Assistant Front of House Manager: Freya Dixon-Reusz
Freya Dixon-Reusz (she/Her) is a second-year student focused in Applied theatre. She was the Assistant facilitator for Stepping Out of the Frame and is the Assistant Front of House manager for the 2024/25 season. She is happy to be part of the SATCo team!
Year Representatives
The year representatives are a connection between the board and each year 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: Marcus Delaney
Marcus (He/Him/His) is a first-year theatre student and is an understudy for the Spelling Bee – his first Phoenix production! Other productions include the Wizard of Oz, the Gravitational Pull of Bernice Trimble, and the Secret Garden. He is super stoked to be the first-year representative for SATCo!
Second Year Rep: Liv Skidmore
Liv is a second-year performance student who enjoys getting to know all aspects of theatre! This year she is enjoying her performance classes and working on The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee as an assistant stage manager. Liv is always happy to talk to anybody about anything SATCo related.
Third Year Rep: Emma Beadman
Emma (she/they) is a third year student studying stage management. Some of her previous SATCo credits include My Own Sol, The Lord Sees All, and Weightless. She is excited to be back on the SATCo board as the 3rd year rep!
Fourth Year Rep (and beyond): Dani Snyders-Blok
Dani Snyders-Blok (she/her), is a fourth year theatre and writing double major specializing in fiction, playwrighting and stage management. She hopes you come to see the shows this season!