About US
Excavation Theatre gratefully acknowledges that our work takes place on the stolen, occupied, ancestral lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), ḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie), q̓ʷɑ:n̓ƛ̓ən̓ (Kwantlen), and Semiahma (Semiahmoo) Nations, who have been here since time immemorial.
Excavation Theatre strives to create high quality theatrical productions that provoke action and create new conversations surrounding issues of sexual consent and reproductive health. Excavation Theatre shares unheard voices and stories that are controversial, compelling, and provocative. From devised creations to traditional theatre, we focus on stories centered around societal injustices, that seek to dismantle sexist ideologies and practices. We explore the concept that anything at any time, in any place, can be a theatre performance — one only has to dig deep enough to discover it.
At Excavation Theatre we strive to centre justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in all our practices and policies. In casting and hiring, we strongly seek to work with artists who self-identify as members of equity-seeking groups. This includes, but is not limited to, any individuals identifying as IBPOC, LGBTQ2IA+, d/Deaf, living with disabilities, and/or facing other systemic barriers in our industry.
Members
JEssica anne nelson
Jessica Anne Nelson (she/her) is an award-winning theatre director, creator, producer, and intimacy director, living and working on the stolen, occupied, and traditional homelands and waters of the Coast Salish peoples; the Sḵwx̱ wú7mesh (Squamish), ̓Səlílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), xwməθkwəyə (Musqueam), q̓ ic̓ əy̓ (Katzie), q̓ wɑ:n̓ ƛən̓ (Kwantlen), and Semiahma (Semiahmoo) Nations. Growing up in rural Langley on a plant nursery with her grandparents, Jessica's life has always been deeply connected to nature and her family. With countless nooks and crannies to explore outdoors with her two older brothers and the rest of her family, she let the wild and pure nature outside her bedroom window nurture her imagination and help to create and turn her into the Theatre Artist she is today.
Jessica sets the bar for creating respectful, caring, and imaginative spaces for artists to play and explore in her gripping and provocative productions. Her intimacy direction centers on the principles of creating consent based and trauma informed work, and trained with the National Society of Intimacy Professionals (Canada) and Theatrical Intimacy Education (USA). With her MFA in Directing (UBC), and many years of experience in devising, creation-based techniques, and community collaborations, her work focuses on stories that shine a light on stereotypically negative or dark characters and stories, while also striving for social change. Jessica is praised as being one of the most kind- and open-hearted directors’ actors have had the pleasure to work with. Her positivity, enthusiasm and supportive nature enables her actors and artists to succeed, whatever is being asked of them.
bronwyn henderson
Bronwyn is an actor and theatre artist based on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. She holds a BFA in Acting from the University of British Columbia, where she earned the Beatrice Johnson Award for Theatre and was nominated for the Hnatyshyn Foundation’s Award for English Theatre.
Selected past theatre credits include: In Camera (Realwheels Theatre), The Russian Play (Lovecat Theatre/Vancouver Fringe Festival), Tiny Replicas (Tremors Festival/Rumble Theatre), girls!girls!girls! (Excavation Theatre), Les Belles Soeurs (UBC Theatre), and The Imaginary Invalid (United Players).
Bronwyn lives with fibular hemimelia, a congenital limb deficiency which affects her left leg. When she is not performing, she is reading a novel by Jane Austen or watching any teen drama from the 90s to 2000s you can name.
demi pedersen
Demi Pedersen is an actor, musician and educator based on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) people. Since graduating from UBC in 2015 Demi has worked primarily as an actor and musician in the Vancouver indie theatre community. She is also a youth educator, teaching film, improv and sketch with Young Moviemakers, an award winning video and production program for children and youth. Demi is represented by Kim Barsanti at Lucas Talent