Human Theatre seeks to explore new mythologies, current issues and how performance inspires change by altering perceptions of communities and the individual’s relationship to them.
We provide performance, training and educational opportunities for emerging and established artists.
Our Board:
Stephen Atkins
(President) BFA Theatre, MFA Theatre/Film has trained at the National Voice Intensive (Canada), SITI Company Summer Intensive(Saratoga Springs, New York) and the Sanford Meisner Center (Los Angeles). He is a part-time faculty member at Capilano University, Artistic Director of Human Theatre in Vancouver and an Associate Artist with Zen Zen Zo Physical Theatre in Brisbane. He was a founding member of the Tooba Physical Theatre Centre (1994-1996) in Vancouver and has performed, taught and directed in Vancouver, Brisbane, Melbourne, Calgary and Lethbridge. Directing credits for Exit 22 include Fade to Black, The Woman,The Grace of Mary Traverse, Tornado, Nobody, Forever Yours Mary-Lou, Mad Boy Chronicle, Woyzeck, Les Belles-souers, The Skriker and Ash Girl. Other productions include Samuel Beckett: 5 Short Pieces for Human Theatre / Zen Zen Zo, Trigger and Dracula with Zen Zen Zo. Writing credits for theatre include Just Measures (1989), Four & Twenty Blackbirds (1992), Black Angels (1997), Dracula (an adaptation for physical theatre 2007), Sub-Con Warrior 2.0 (2008), Heiner Müller’s Hamletmachine (co-translator – 2009) and new adaptations of Medea and Dante’s Inferno.
Gillian Barber
(Chair) AGSM (UK) (Acting for Stage and Screen/Musical Theatre/Movement) studied acting and directing at UVic and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in England, and is a busy working actor in Vancouver. Selected feature films include: Crossword, Hot Rod, Beneath, Connie and Carla, Double Jeopardy, SuperVolcano, Kitchen Party, Needful Things, Jumanji, Cats and Dogs, Bang, Bang, You’re Dead, and Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood. TV Series include regular appearances on Stargate, Cold Squad, DaVinci’s Inquest, Outer Limits, The 4400, Millennium, X-Files, as well as countless Movies of the Week. A regular at the Arts Club Theatre, Gillian has appeared in over 30 shows there, and has performed across Canada at such theatres as Alberta Theatre Projects, Theatre Calgary, Manitoba Theatre Centre, and the National Theatre in Ottawa. She directs and choreographs professionally, and has directed and/or choreographed Jerry’s Girls, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Cinderella, Anything Goes, Into the Woods, Children of Eden and The Wiz for Capilano College, A Little Princess, Rocky Horror Show, and My Fair Lady (assisting Bill Millerd) at the Arts Club Theatre, and Rocky Horror Show, Blame it on Broadway for Downstage Right Productions and NRG-Aurum for Ophidian. Gillian is also a black belt in Taekwondo.
Tora Hylands
(Vice President) is an Actor, Director and Butoh Dancer. She began Physical Actor Training at age 16 and performed in her first Butoh production at age 17. From 2004 to 2008 Tora was a company member Zen Zen Zo Physical Theatre (Brisbane, Australia) as a performer, director and teacher. In 2006 she performed at the Roundhouse Theatre (London) supporting The Dresden Dolls for the close of their Fall Tour. Her performance credits include Features of Blown Youth and Rio Saki and Other Falling Debris (2006) for Vena Cava Theatre Company, Those With Lucifer (2005) and Zeitgeist (2008) for Zen Zen Zo Physical Theatre. Tora is a trained actor in the Suzuki Method of Actor Training, the Meisner Technique, The Viewpoints and Butoh. In August 2008 she traveled to Japan to train with some of the worlds most respected Butoh practitioners, Maro Akaji of Dairakudakan and Semimaru of Sankai Juku. March 2009 saw Tora returning to Australia after a 6 month world tour with Amanda Palmer (of The Dresden Dolls) and The Danger Ensemble. In 2009 Tora will feature as Ophelia in The Hamlet Apocalypse by The Danger Ensemble for the 2009 Melbourne Fringe Festival. Tora will be based in Vancouver BC from November 2009.
Kevin Michael Cripps
(Executive Director) Kevin studied contemporary vocal performance and composition at Grant MacEwan College in Edmonton. Kevin works as a vocal coach, adjudicator, musical director, accompanist and actor and is currently an instructor in the theatre and musical theatre programs at Capilano University Kevin is also a member of the Capilano University Senate. Recent musical direction credits include: The Threepenny Opera, Once On This Island, Merrily We Roll Along, The Wiz, Honk!, Cinderella, Marry Me A Little, Baby, Lucky Stiff, Anything Goes, Blood Brothers, Into The Woods, Children of Eden, Nine and Jane Eyre. He also worked as musical director on Applause Musicals’ workshop of Stephan Schwartz’s revised version of The Baker’s Wife attended by the composer himself. Select acting credits include: Toad in A Year With Frog and Toad (Gemini Theatre), Jud Fry in Oklahoma (Theatre Under The Stars), Cliff Bradshaw in Cabaret (Uncle Randy Productions), Albert Lenox in The Secret Garden (The Richmond Gateway), Hapgood in Anyone Can Whistle, and Oliver in On The Twentieth Century (Applause Musicals), Simon Peter in Corpus Christi (Hoarse Raven), and Mingo in Crazy For You (Theatre Under The Stars). Kevin will next be seen in The Arts Club’s production of Les Miserables.
Anthony Wade-Cooper
(Secretary) Tony just completed a 37 year career with Air Canada and has now found his new calling in the theatre. After training in technical theatre at Capilano University he has recently finished his third production at Presentation House Theatre. Stage Management and ASM credits include ‘Three Viewings’ directed by Jay Brazeau, Alan Aykbourne’s ‘Relatively Speaking’, directed by Bernard Cuffling and Patty Flather’s ‘Where the River Meets the Sea’, directed by Brenda Leadlay. Tony has also been seen… and most times not seen, as a background actor in such movies as Miracle, Night at the Museum Two, 2012, and several TV shows including Reaper, Inseparable, No Heroics, Psych to name but a few. Rounding out his theatre experiences Tony has been a super with La Scala and the Royal Ballet during Expo 86 and more recently with Vancouver Opera in their productions of Eugene Onegin and Carmen. Other work includes SM and ASM positions in United Players’ productions of ‘The Soldiers’ Fortune’ and ‘The Way of the World’ and SM on Stephen Atkins’ adaptation of Dante’s Inferno with Zen Zen Zo in Brisbane.
Managing Directors of Human Theatre include:
Tristan Bacon
Abby Creek
Glenn Crossley
Gwen Gerryts
Chelsey Reist
Brianna Wiens
