Deanna Jones (she/her) is co-founder and Artistic Director of Suitcase in Point with whom she has created and performed in over 15 original plays, including Barrel Crank, the Dora award nominated Keith Richards One Woman Show and Be Wearing Wolf. Other selected acting credits include: Silly Old Men Ought Not to Fall in Love (Theatre Beyond Words), Bluenose (Carousel Players), and Trout Stanley (Essential Collective Theatre). She is part of FIXT Point’s ensemble for the Tale of a Town Canada, directed Niagara Artists Centre’s STRUTT Wearable Art Runway Show (2011-2014), and is Artistic Director of In the Soil Arts Festival. Deanna has a B.A. in Theatre from Brock University, and has trained with One Yellow Rabbit, Philippe Gaulier, Upright Citizen’s Brigade and SITI Company. Deanna is currently working on a new show about the history of smoking cigarettes, des antécédents de tabagisme.

Having founded and worked with some of Niagara’s leading destination and event brands over the past decade, Tamara (she/her) brings a wealth of hospitality, tourism, and event marketing expertise as the Director of Marketing and Development. As a practicing visual artist and board member with the Niagara Artists Centre, Tamara is passionate about creating and amplifying opportunities for artists to make a creative living in Niagara. Tamara is the recipient of the 2014 Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce Women In Business Outstanding New Business Award, and has been recognized as a Top 40 Under 40 Business Achievement Award recipient. Her fine dining restaurant, Dispatch, was named one of enRoute Magazine’s Top 10 Best New Restaurants in Canada. Tamara has a M.A. in Forensic Psychology from Carleton University and received a Professional Management certification from the Goodman School of Business at Brock University.

James McCoy (he/they) is a queer theatre artist working in the Hamilton/Niagara area. A graduate of Brock University and the National Theatre School, James specializes in all areas of theatrical tech and design. He also enjoys teaching and mentoring emerging designers and technicians, looking forward to when he can work alongside them. His recent work has included video editing and post production on a number of online theatrical performances. James has recently been diving into the relationship between performance and games through tabletop RPGs.

Born and raised in the Niagara Region, Katie MacCabe (she/her) is passionate about strengthening her community in her work and everyday life. She is currently working as Operations and Communications Lead at Wandering Spirits, an exciting new cocktail and coffee spot at 31 James St (right across the Suitcase in Point offices!) Katie juggles her love of the arts with her love of all things science and political science. In her everyday life, Katie continues to explore her interests by writing, practicing the piano, reading books about the illusion of “time” and the “Wild Woman Archetype” and occasionally making an aesthetically pleasing and trendy TikTok video in her spare time. With years of experience as a communications specialist in the region, Katie is thrilled to add her love for Niagara, arts and culture, and expertise in communications to the Suitcase in Point team.

Michelle Mohammed (she/her) is an artist with a primary interest in developing her skills as a performer and director. She is currently working as an Artistic Associate at Suitcase in Point and Teaching Assistant to Cole Alvis at Brock University. In 2021, she worked with the Shaw Festival, Why Not Theatre, Brock University, The FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, and Suitcase in Point. She also worked as a dramaturg and actor on an audio drama created by Aria Sharma entitled, The Trick to Walking Backwards. In 2020, she trained in Factory Theatre’s Mechanicals actor training program under the direction of the incomparable Nina Lee Aquino and worked as an Operations Assistant with the wonderful Amrita Kaur-Ratta for Shades of Brown Girl.

Select credits include: Olga in Orphan’s for the Czar(Crow’s Theatre), Betty in Betty’s House(Workshops) by Nikki Shaffeeullah, Villager in Chitra (Shaw Festival), Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare BASH’d), Devisor/Creator in Mahabharata (Workshops) (Why Not Theatre/Shaw Festival), The Handmaid’s Tale (Gilead 3 Prod), Apprentice Assistant Director to Peter Hinton in Oh What a Lovely War (Shaw Festival), Assistant Director to Danielle Wilson in Top Girls (Brock University).

Kaylyn Valdez-Scott (she/her) is a half Filipina, half Scottish multi-disciplinary artist from Toronto, Ontario. Kaylyn is the Artistic Director and co-founder of Tethered The Ghost, a collective that explores and celebrates the Filipinx-Canadian diaspora. Their original work, Healing Thread, has been supported by the Ontario Arts Council to continue production, and just wrapped a run at the 2021 In the Soil Arts Festival. Kaylyn’s work is rooted in her passion for devised physical creation, through song and movement. Kaylyn is excited to continue her work with Suitcase in Point as their Artistic Associate. Select credits include: Sister Warriors (Workshop, Suitcase in Point/Affair of Honor), Healing Thread (Tethered The Ghost), The Team (Essential Collective Theatre/Theatre Aquarius), Macbeth (Tottering Biped Theatre), September Songs (Twitches & Itches Theatre).