Monica Dufault, Michael Chess, Sandra Merk, Jordy Yack, Natasha Pedros, Mark Clifford

Natasha Pedros

Natasha is a co-founder of Suitcase in Point Theatre Company.  She has worked on every production with the company since its inception as either an actor, writer, or designer. Her most recent work with the company includes such projects as Looking for George (by Cole Lewis), A Downtown Stupor (SIP Collaboration), Junky (SIP Collaboration), sexLass (by Dee Jones and Natasha Pedros) and Erin Shields' Groundwater. She co-designed Be Wearing Wolf (by Dee Jones and Erin Shields) which toured to Fringe Festivals and Harbourfront's HATCH Festival. She has worked with many community arts organizations in Niagara and splits the bulk of her time between Suitcase and the Niagara Artists Centre (NAC), where she has been working as a Graphic Designer and Outreach Director for four years. She has designed countless promotional and interpretive print materials, most notably, she designed and produced the Alice Crawley catalogue (a joint project of NAC, the Grimsby Public Art Gallery and the Rodman Hall Arts Centre) and the Walter Redinger catalogue for MOCCA and the St. Thomas Art Gallery. Natasha was recently an Ontario Arts Council juror in the theatre arts section.

Sandra Merk

Sandra Merk is a professor of English at Niagara College as well as a writer and contributing editor for Niagara Magazine. Sandra’s roots in Niagara run deep: although planted in Toronto, she grew and blossomed in Fonthill and was later transplanted to Port Dalhousie where she currently thrives.

Mark Clifford

Mark has been playing music most of his life and naturally gravitated toward the art of music.  He is a graduate of Fanshawe College - ( London, Ont. ) -  A Production Major in the Music Industry Arts Program, where he received composition and production awards.  Throughout his career Mark has been – THE ARTIST – THE ENGINEER – THE PRODUCER – THE MUSICIAN – THE TEACHER – THE CONTRACTOR – THE DIRECTOR AND THE COFFEE MAKER.   He has produced compilations of underground artists on both coasts - which have had significant consideration within the market at large.  One project, which is a good example, is a recording of Sarah McLachlan – her first before she moved to B.C.  (Out Of The Fog – the Halifax underground 1986)  This Vinyl charted favorably on the university radio station charts throughout Canada.  Locally, Mark has produced all of the VOX VIOLINS releases, ATTIC DADDY, PAUL LANGILLE and THE WHEELERS plus much more.  He has also contributed guitar and keyboard tracks to many other projects.  Mark is the Producer who Juried, Directed and Hosted the show called NIAGARA WEAVE - which was presented at Sean O’Sullivan Theatre once a year for four years.  It was a show that showcased Niagara Talent – from dance, poetry, music and even Niagara Nature Tours (a grass roots company promoting echo-tourism) – promoted in the lobby.

Monica Dufault

As an actress, Monica has performed with the Shaw Festival, Theatre Aquarius, the National Arts Centre, Manitoba Theatre Centre, as well as at the James Street Night of Art, Carousel Players and Lyndesfarne Theatre Projects here in St. Catharines.  As a director, she has assisted at Carousel Players, Shakespeare in the Vineyard and with Lyndesfarne; and she directed Robot From Orion for the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra.  As a dramaturge, she worked with Carousel Players on their new piece, Mouse in My House.  As a playwright, Monica is currently revising Peg and the Yeti, an adaptation of Kenneth Oppell’s children’s book, as well as working on a first draft of a new play with fellow writer, Linda Carson.  And as a teacher, Monica has worked with students from Junior Kindergarten to university level.  Monica is honored to serve as a juror for the first In the Soil Festival.

Michael Chess

Michael Chess is a good for nothin’ long-haired musician.  He has performed and recorded with a variety of original and cover bands in the Niagara Region throughout his life and currently fronts THE FIGURE FOUR who enjoy great critical and commercial success in Japan and the Netherlands. Michael currently designs all of the marketing materials for the Centre for the Arts, Brock University including the HOT TICKET professional music, dance, comedy, theatre and family entertainment season. His mulit-faceted role allows him to be involved in the arts from programming to promoting, and to be the liaison between the artists and the audience.  Michael is passionate about music, graphic design and a variety of art forms and is proud to support, and be a part of, Niagara’s growing arts landscape.

Jordy Yack

Jordy Yack loves vegetables and indie rock.
He's the editor-in-chief of Pulse Niagara and has been working with the alt-weekly since 2004. He's also a music journalist and writes for View Magazine, Echo Weekly and Pulse Niagara. Jordy studied general arts at Brock University and was a radio dj at CFBU (103.7fm) from 2001 to 2008. He's an avid cyclist, loves drawing maps and playing ultimate frisbee. In his spare time he contributes to the local music scene by promoting rock and roll shows downtown, and occasionally spinning electro, robot-rock and indie rock at dance parties.