James Long

Assistant Professor | Theater & Performance, School for the Contemporary Arts Simon Fraser University

E: james_long@sfu.ca

James Long is a director, actor, writer and teacher whose practice spans performance, community-engaged work, public art and collaborative creation. A founding Artistic Director and now Artistic Associate of Theatre Replacement, his research explores how ways of knowing, making and being shift when artists work across disciplines, abilities and forms. His work has been presented internationally across North America, Europe and Asia, and his collaborative practice is grounded in exploring new approaches to performance-making both inside and outside traditional creative spaces.

Mei Lan Fang

Assistant Professor | Urban Studies and Gerontology Simon Fraser University

E: mei_fang@sfu.ca

Dr. Fang specializes in community-based participatory research, focusing on creating inclusive, healthy environments that support aging in place. Her expertise lies in developing theoretical and methodological frameworks that inform the creation of climate-resilient, age-friendly cities and communities. By integrating the needs and concerns of aging populations with community-driven solutions, Dr. Fang fosters environments that enhance the well-being, resilience, and independence of older adults. Her work is pivotal in ensuring that older adults are central to climate resilience efforts, contributing their valuable perspectives and experiences to build sustainable and supportive communities.

Niall McNeil

Artistic Associate | Neworld Theater, Collaborating Artist | Making Macbeth

W: www.niallmcneil.com

Niall McNeil is an actor, playwright, lyricist and filmmaker with a long history of collaborative theatre-making. His work spans performance, playwriting, musical theatre and film, with credits including Caravan Farm Theatre, Leaky Heaven Theatre and the National Arts Centre. He has co-written Peter Panties and King Arthur’s Night with Marcus Youssef and continues to develop new theatrical and musical works with a range of collaborators. Niall’s creative practice is driven by curiosity, collaboration and a love of researching new ideas, writing lyrics and creating original performance.

Marcus Youssef 

Writer, Director, Theatre-Maker
Collaborating Artist & Dramaturge | Making Macbeth 
 
W: www.marcusyoussef.com

Marcus Youssef is an award-winning playwright, theatre artist and educator whose work spans drama, satire, experimental performance and collaborative creation. A recipient of the Siminovitch Prize for Theatre and former Artistic Director of Neworld Theatre, his plays have been produced internationally across North America, Europe and Asia. His work frequently explores questions of identity, difference and belonging, including collaborations with neurodiverse artists. As a collaborating artist and dramaturge on Making Macbeth, Marcus brings his extensive experience in devised theatre and inclusive performance-making to support the ensemble’s creative exploration and development.

Debbie Patterson

Founder | Sick + Twisted Theatre
Collaborator & Access Activator | Making Macbeth

E: debbie.patterson@live.com

Debbie Patterson is an award-winning theatre artist, playwright, director and disability arts advocate whose practice explores accessibility, inclusion and the lived experience of disability. Based in Winnipeg, she is a founding member of Sick + Twisted Theatre, a company dedicated to creating work by and for disabled artists. Her creative practice challenges conventional approaches to performance and explores how accessibility can become an integral part of artistic expression. As a collaborator and access activator on Making Macbeth, Debbie brings her expertise in disability-led theatre and inclusive creative practices to support meaningful participation and artistic agency within the ensemble.

Kirsty Johnston

Professor & Department Head | Theatre Studies, University of British Columbia

E: kirsty.johnston@ubc.ca

Dr. Kirsty Johnston is a Professor of Theatre Studies and Head of the Department of Theatre and Film at the University of British Columbia. Her research explores the intersections of theatre, disability, health and performance, with a particular focus on how disability artists challenge conventional theatrical practices and approaches to inclusion. She is the author of Stage Turns: Canadian Disability Theatre and Disability Theatre and Modern Drama: Recasting Modernism. As a collaborator on Making Macbeth, Kirsty brings her expertise in disability theatre and accessible performance practices to support research, knowledge sharing and dialogue around inclusive creative collaboration.

Jaeden Walton

Researcher | Making Macbeth
MFA Candidate | School for the Contemporary Arts, Simon Fraser University

E: hello@jaedenwalton.com, W:www.jaedenwalton.com

Jaeden Walton is a performing arts designer and academic scenographer based in Vancouver. Jaeden's main artistic disciplines lie within scenography, primarily scenic and sound design. Drawing heavy inspiration for their work in questioning the nature of how things operate, and how they can mould that into something new, Jaeden strives to lure the spectator into a piece that seems ‘normal’ at first, to then expose them to something more radical and abstracted. Rooted in Canadian scenographic traditions, their work also spans international contexts, with design credits in the Czech Republic and New York City.

Kaumadi (Kaum) Kulatilake

Researcher | Making Macbeth

E: kaumadi_kulatilake@sfu.ca

Kaumadi (Kaum) Kulatilake is joining the project as a Research Assistant. She is pursuing a Masters of Urban Studies at SFU. Her professional experience is in front-line food security work, low-barrier employment programs, urban farming, harm reduction, and other community capacity building work in Vancouver. As a graduate student researcher working on Making Macbeth, she brings community-engaged research skills and her operations/logistics experience working with local organizations. Kaum is looking forward to contributing her skills and learning from the team of interdisciplinary collaborators through this project.

Nolan McCartan

Assistant Stage Manager | Simon Fraser University

E: nma108@sfu.ca

Nolan McCartan is an emerging theatre artist and production practitioner affiliated with Simon Fraser University's School for the Contemporary Arts. His experience spans technical direction, stage management, lighting design, projection design, and production, contributing to a range of interdisciplinary performances and creative projects. His recent credits include technical direction and lighting design for SFU's Live Acts Festival, stage management for the 2025 festival, and producing the experimental performance Cringe. Through his work, Nolan brings a collaborative and multidisciplinary approach to theatre production, supporting the creative and technical elements that bring performances to life.