Staff
Core Staff
Jivesh Parasram
Artistic Director
Jivesh is an award-winning multi-disciplinary artist, and facilitator of Indo-Caribbean descent. His work has toured Nationally and Internationally. Jiv is the founding Artistic Producer of Pandemic Theatre, and became the Artistic Director of Rumble Theatre following three years as the Associate Artistic Producer at Theatre Passe Muraille. He was a member of the Cultural Leader Lab with the Banff Centre and Toronto Arts Council. His public service work has included collaborations with the Ad Hoc Assembly, The Canadian Commission for UNESCO, and as an advisor to the National Arts Centre. His current cultural practice centres decolonization through aesthetics.
Maria Zarrillo
Managing Director
Maria Zarrillo (they/them) is an Arts Manager with a background in producing, stage management, advocacy, and research. Maria has worked with a variety of companies and communities in these capacities both locally and nationally. They work across Turtle Island, but are primarily based on the unceded and ancestral lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, colonially known as Vancouver, BC.
Maria is a graduate of Studio 58’s production program, the University of Winnipeg with a major in Theatre & Film and a minor in Human Rights, and holds a Master of Arts in Justice Studies from Royal Roads University. Inspired by several scholars such as José Esteban Muñoz, Jack Halberstam, and Lee Edelman, Maria’s thesis titled Queer Utopian Theory for Transformative Change in Theatre Organizations looks to the concept of queer utopia to address inequities within the theatre sector, with a focus on the role of theatre organizations. Maria is a horror enthusiast, non-fiction writer, avid reader, and art-seer.
Angie Descalzi
Artistic Producer
Angie Descalzi (She/Her) is an artist and award-winning producer and arts administrator, grateful to live and work on the unceded territories of the Coast Salish peoples. Born and raised in beautiful Ecuador from a mix of Ecuadorian and Italian families, she holds a BA in Applied Theatre from VIU, an Advanced Certificate in Arts & Entertainment Management from Capilano University, and trained with Master Clown and Theatre Professor: Philippe Gaulier. Since then, Angie has worked with a variety of theatre companies and performing arts festivals in Metro Vancouver and has been involved in the inception of initiatives such as CultureBrew.art and CALTAC, which aim to advocate, celebrate and support IBPOC artists. Angie is ecstatic to be a Rumbler and work to uplift creative voices, as well as diverse communities.
Regular Staff
Alisha Davidson
Associate Producer
Alisha (she/they) is an actor, writer and educational arts facilitator of Caribbean descent living on the unceded and ancestral lands of the Coast Salish Peoples. Alisha is a graduate of the Studio 58 acting program and completed SFU’s The Writer’s Studio. She has performed with The Frank Theatre, Caravan Stage Company, at The Cultch Historic Theatre and the Vancouver Fringe Festival.Their passion for dance and physical theatre have brought them from singing 50 feet high on tall ship stages to Pochinko inspired clown to performing with professional Vancouver dancers.
Alisha is emerging into the next stage of her practice through mentorship as an Associate Producer and is very grateful for the knowledge, support and confidence that Rumble has given her. As they develop their own creative inquiries Alisha looks forward to adding producer, director and so much more to their ‘toolbox’!
Anna Brew
Associate Producer/Community Outreach
Jack Goodison
Technical Director
Jack (He/Him) is a Sound Designer and Technical Director who originates from the UK, now living in Vancouver. He works to create an atmosphere that immerses the audience into the world of the show, letting them escape reality and lose themselves in theatre. He has worked all across the UK and now designs on the ancestral and stolen lands of the Squamish, Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh nations.
In Canada, Jack has designed for Douglas College (Orlando; Mad Forest), Vancouver Opera (The Pearl Fishers), Massey Theatre/UBC (We Deserve to Work), Jeb Beach Productions (Terminus). He has been Technical Director for Rumble Theatre, Touchstone Theatre and Neworld Theatre (Assistant to Nicole Lamb).
Current Artists in Residence
Project – Brahma Brahman Bandar: Eternal Cosmological Adventures of the Hindoooos
Jiv Parasram, Asitha Tennekoon, and Anju Singh – Co-creators
BBB is a satirical and pointed commentary in the form of a performance work. An interdisciplinary collaboration blending Theatre, Opera, and Contemporary Music.
Anju Singh (Co-Creator, Lead Composer, Performer) is an experimental multi-instrumentalist, sound artist and composer. Her work leans into boundary pushing and texture based sonic landscapes using instruments, found objects, voice, and custom built instruments. She has performed and presented her work as a touring artist in Japan, Europe, Mexico, Brazil, the US, and across Canada. She often releases work under the moniker The Nausea, a project that centres experimental violin.
Asitha Tennekoon (Co-Creator, Arrangement, Performer) is a Dora award winning, Juno nominated opera singer, composer, consultant, and arts administrator. Born and raised in Sri Lanka he has performed with many of Canada’s leading opera and concert organisations.
He is a Co-Founder of Amplified Opera, a Toronto based indie Opera company committed to placing artists at the centre of public discourse. He makes his home in the unceded traditional territories of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (TsleilWaututh) Nations.
Project – Coming Forth By Day
Cherine Amr (Massive Scar Era) and David Mesiha – Collaborators
Coming Forth By Day tells the story of an Egyptian woman as she prepares for her husband’s burial rites; an intimate passage shaped by faith, tradition, and love. Through sound, story, and movement, this immersive walking transmedia experience presents the profound cultural continuity of Egypt’s heritage surrounding death and the afterlife, which continues to echo in today’s practices.
We invite you to accompany her, feel her devotion, and experience how an ancestral tradition is still, somehow, carried by descendants in modern Egypt.
Massive Scar Era is the brainchild of the visionary artist Cherine Amr (Creator), who leads a collaborative journey with diverse artists in every creative experience, bringing her unique vision to life. Originating from Alexandria, Egypt, and currently based in Montreal, QC, Massive Scar Era defies genre boundaries, weaving together a captivating tapestry of progressive rock, post-grunge, Egyptian music, and metal, resonating deeply with audiences across the globe.
Since its inception in 2004, Massive Scar Era has been at the forefront of musical innovation, pioneering a fusion of fierce vocals, distorted guitars, and the pulsating rhythms of Egyptian percussion. Her music reflects the cosmopolitan allure of Alexandria intertwined with the raw essence of Cairo’s urban landscape. The project’s distinctive sound and cultural influences have garnered widespread recognition, leading to its inclusion in two highly influential documentaries that shed light on the vibrant music scenes across the SWANA region: “Microphone” (2012) and “Before the Spring After the Fall” (2013).
David Mesiha (Collaborator) is an award-winning composer, sound/video designer, media artist and theatre maker. His work is multidisciplinary and is often concerned with examining questions of form in performance and media arts. He is also co-artistic director of Theatre Conspiracy. His work has been presented at various national and international venues and festivals including, England, Scotland, Mexico and Argentina.
He has been nominated for and won multiple awards across multiple disciplines including Jessie Richardson Awards for Music Composition and Innovation. Notable credits include SWIM by Theatre Conspiracy & Pandemic Theatre [PuSh Festival 2025], Project (X) by Leaky Heaven, Terminus by Pi Theatre, collaborations with Spiderwebshow (You Should Have Stayed Home / VR piece), Same Difference by Theatre Conspiracy [PuSh Festival 2024] and asses.masses (a video game performance).
Project – I’m Good At This, Right?
Anna Brew, Jack Goodison, and Elsa Orme – Co-creators
“I’m Good At This, Right?” is a gig theatre performance that explores how shame, learned from a young age, can limit our potential and prevent us from pursuing what truly makes us happy.
The piece is a spoken monologue underscored by live, manipulated music featuring instruments typically associated with Eurocentric classical training—flute, bassoon, cello, double bass, with possible additions like saxophone, oboe, clarinet, mandolin, and banjo. Text and music interweave to follow the journey of someone learning a classical instrument as a child, navigating the pressures, joys, and expectations—both self-imposed and external—that eventually tarnish the joy of playing.
This project speaks to anyone who grew up learning a skill—music, sport, acting, art, or academics—and questions the value of it all. Surely, somewhere, there has to be a point.
Anna Brew (Co-creator/Performer) is a stage manager and producer currently working and living on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm, Skwxwú7mesh, and Səl̓ílwətaɬ Nations. She is forever grateful to be working with gorgeous humans in this gorgeous city. Anna’s recent stage management credits include The Perfect Bite (Netflix & Secret City), Eurydice Fragments (Re:Naissance Opera), Tremors Festival (Rumble Theatre) and Kaua (Lamondance).
She has worked with amazing companies around Vancouver and the lower Mainland including Rice&Beans, UpInTheAir, ITSAZOO, TheFrankTheatre, Vancouver Opera and Sound The Alarm. Anna began her career in the UK as an audio technician on the multiple award winning musical TImpson: The Musical! (Gigglemug Theatre) at Edinburgh Fringe.
Jack Goodison (Co-Creator) is a Sound and Lighting Designer who originates from the UK and now designs on the ancestral and stolen lands of the Squamish, Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh nations.
Design Credits: City Opera Vancouver (Hafu) Luna Creatives (Portraits of Solitude), Pulsive Party (Lip Service 3), Rumble Theatre (Brahman – Bramha – Bandar; Las Pasiones de Don Pasquale), Axis Theatre (Where Have All the Buffalo Gone), As and When It Happens (Willilish’d), Douglas College (Jane Austen Action Figure; Orlando; Mad Forest), Vancouver Opera (The Pearl Fishers), Massey Theatre/UBC (We Deserve to Work), Jeb Beach Productions (Terminus).
TD Credits: Theatre Conspiracy (Himmat), Electric Company Theatre (Fire Never Dies), Rice and Beans Theatre (Peace Country), Rumble Theatre, Touchstone Theatre (Ominous Sounds at the River Crossing) and Assistant TD for Theatre Conspiracy (Same Difference), Neworld Theatre (Clean/Espejos).
Elsa Orme (Co-creator) grew up in Victoria, BC on the lands of the Lekwungen and WSÀNEĆ peoples. She moved to Tiohtiàke/Montreal to study design and theatre at Concordia University where she quickly fell in love with stage management and theatre making.
Elsa moved to Vancouver in 2022 and works as a freelance stage manager, assistant production manager and designer. She is excited about sharing stories in a way that centres community building and is passionate about creating processes that focus on collaboration, play and empathy.
Elsa is very excited to be working with Rumble as an artist in residence!
Project – Palestineman
Mahfuz Sami Khalilieh – Creator
Palestineman is a semi-autobiographical one person show about the history of Mahfuz Sami’s family, and with that, the history of the human family; and perhaps a way forward.
My name is Mahfuz Sami Khalilieh and I immigrated to Canada in 1980. I have been working as an actor, based in Tkaronto for approximately 28 years.(Under the stage name Sam Khalilieh) I have worked in theatre, improv comedy and TV and film.
Project – Chochito Rey: Sangre, Poder, y Traición
Daniela Atiencia, Angie Descalzi, and Christine Quintana – Co-creators
What happens when Shakespeare’s King Lear is transformed into a Latin American telenovela? Three artists are reimagining this classic through a culturally Latinx lens, fusing one of the most iconic plays of all time with the high drama, passion, and spectacle of a beloved cultural form. After exploratory workshops in 2025 at Progress Lab (February) and Bard on the Beach’s Bard After Dark (September), they are now developing a full adapted script. Traditionally confined to the screen, the Telenovela—with its sweeping music, sudden twists, and heightened emotions—is being reimagined for the stage as a multimedia experience that echoes the warmth of family gatherings around the TV. By blending devised theatre, bilingualism, and Spanglish, the project seeks to make Shakespeare accessible to the Latinx community in so called Vancouver and beyond. This is Shakespeare retold with passion, flair, and a distinctly Latinx heartbeat.
Daniela Atiencia (Co-Creator/Director/Deviser) is a Latinx-Canadian theatre artist born and raised in Colombia. She works as a freelance bilingual director, dramaturg, and deviser. Daniela holds a BFA in Theatre Performance from SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts and an MFA in Theatre Directing from the University of Essex. Some of her recent directing credits include the world premiere of Zahida Rahemtulla’s The Wrong Bashir and Christine Quintana’s Clean/Espejos described by theatre critic Colin Thomas as “one of the best shows in years.” As dramaturg she is at Touchstone Theatre as their Associate Artist running the Flying Start program which helps support early career playwrights. As a deviser, Daniela is working on creating her own piece about her lived experience with dyslexia with fellow neurodiverse collaborator June Fukumura. She has also recently directed for Studio 58 and is currently a guest instructor at The National Theatre School of Canada. Daniela is based in Vancouver BC.
Christine Quintana (Co-Creator/Playwright/Deviser).
Born in Los Angeles to a Mexican-American father and a Dutch-British-Canadian mother, Christine is now a grateful visitor to the unceded lands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh people. Christine is an actor, playwright, co-Artistic Producer of Delinquent Theatre, and artistic associate of Neworld Theatre. Winner of a LA Drama Critic’s Circle Award, Dora Mavor Moore Award, Jessie Richardson Theatre Award, Tom Hendry Award, a Governor General’s Award nomination, and the Siminovitch Protégée Prize for Playwriting, Christine’s works have been translated and performed in Spanish, French, German, and ASL. As a performer, she’s acted on stages big and small, in a camper van, in neighbourhoods across East Vancouver, and on a farm. She is currently working on a commission for the Manhattan Theatre Club. She is a graduate of UBC’s BFA Acting Program.
Angie Descalzi (Co-Creator/Performer/Deviser) (She/Her) is an artist, award-winning producer and arts administrator, grateful to live and work on the unceded territories of the Coast Salish peoples. Born and raised in beautiful Ecuador from a mix of Ecuadorian and Italian families, she holds a BA in Applied Theatre from VIU, an Advanced Certificate in Arts & Entertainment Management from Capilano University, and trained with Master Clown and Theatre Professor: Philippe Gaulier. Since then, Angie has worked with a variety of theatre companies (currently loving her Artistic Producer job at Rumble Theatre) and performing arts festivals in Metro Vancouver and has been involved in the inception of initiatives such as CultureBrew.art and CALTAC, which aim to advocate, celebrate and support IBPOC artists.
Project – Ongoing Collaboration
Little Chamber Music
Last season, LCM joined forces with Rumble for a workshop showing of theatre/opera/contemporary project “Brahma, Brahman, Bandar” (Oct 2024), violin recital meets fashion show “Fantasy Vignettes” (May 2025, part of Tremor’s Festival launch party ), and multicultural summer outdoor concert “Grandview Park Playlist” (August 2025, with the Vancouver InterCultural Orchestra). Stayed tuned for future collaborations!
Founded in 1990, Little Chamber Music is a Vancouver-based concert series that creates distinctive, low cost public events that engage audiences with innovate collaborations between classical/contemporary/new music and other art forms. LCM amplifies local composers, musicians, choreographers, storytellers and other artists across lines of age, culture and gender to promote diversity in arts communities, as we believe in the importance reflecting the community we live in through the work we create and the artists we hire.
Board
Elizabeth Willoughby – President
Stephen Elgar – Vice President
Sara Smith – Treasurer
Nathan Lapper – Secretary