Cole Breckell - This is his first Fringe show, and he hopes it will be the first of many. He has been active in the community theatre scene ever since moving here from Ontario roughly a decade ago. Audience members may see him strolling through Gastown leading the Lost Souls of Gastown tour. In fact, there is another cat on stage tonight who also leads that tour. His favourite Granville Island treat is the macarons from Bon Macarons, and he will always browse the Hat Shop for an inordinate amount of time. He thanks you all for joining the audience and hopes everyone enjoys the purrrrformance.

Joseph Balint is very excited to be joining the cast of The Lucky Life of a Black Cat, his first FRINGE production. Joseph has been involved in theatre and television all the way back to the 4th grade, when he played the “third tree from the left” in King of the Ice Cream Mountain. More recent roles include Gloucester in King Lear, Tony Wendice in Dial M for Murder, and Leo in Chapter Two. Performing has always been a big part of Joseph's life, and he hopes to be part of this wonderful craft for many years in the future.

Elaine Thrash (she/ her) is the mastermind, playwright, creator, co-director, and artistic director of this production. A Brazilian-Canadian artist with over 15 years of experience as an actress, singer, dancer, writer, and model, her select theatre credits include Cleopatra - Queen of Exile, The Last Resort, and Waiting for Garbo, as well as her film credits Pebbles (which she also wrote and produced), Know My Words Forever, and Lucid. Elaine is incredibly proud to produce this project and thanks everyone for helping her bring it to life. This beautiful story is lovingly dedicated to her late cat, Lucky, who remains her eternal inspiration.

www.instagram.comelainethrash

Christopher Salt (He/ Him) is a graduate of the University of Victoria's theatre program and is excited to be part of his first FRINGE production as the nervous kitten Bobby! Other credits include: As You Like It (Shakespeare All Year
Society), Vinegar Tom, Shakespeare’s Women, Love and Information (Phoenix Theatre), and The Incredible Glowing Woman (Hapax Theatre).

Deb Sears (she/her) is a Vancouver based actor, voice artist and improviser. She can be seen on network TV, in films, web series and on stage. She regularly performs with Very Very Improv, Tightrope Impro Theatre and Blind Tiger Comedy. Past Fringe shows include DYCK SPACEE: A Spy-Fi Improvised Radio Play and THOSE WHO CAN'T. You can also catch Deb at this year's Fringe in three (Sept. 13, 15 & 18) performances of ARE YOU AN IMPROVISOR OR IMPOSTOR?

@debsearsactor

Amanda Smith-Weston (she/her): This is Amanda's first Fringe performance, and she is proud to be part of this Lobo-Guará production. Her entire plan was to roll around on stage and slow blink at the audience, but that idea was nixed once the directors saw her try to get back up off the floor. Amanda hopes you connect with the story and characters as they navigate loss and hope, and kitten zoomies.  Remember, with the right cattitude,  anything is pawsible!

Kelly Zhou (she/they) is a Chinese-Canadian actor, theatre maker, and teaching artist. They are a 2022 graduate of the Theatre Performance program at Douglas College, a 2023 graduate of the Riotous Youth Internship at Bard on the Beach, and was a 2024/25 playwright with The Arts Club LEAP Program. Theatre credits include: An Ideal Husband (United Players), The Flame: Anniversary Edition (Gateway Theatre), Come Away: A Shakesperiment (Bard on the Beach), and One of a Kind (VICF). In addition to performing, Kelly works as an acting instructor for the city of Surrey. 

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Grandfather, teacher, gardener.

Megan (she/they) is a 2D animator from Vancouver, BC. Having grown up a theatre kid, she is thrilled to get back to her roots and have this opportunity to join this talented group of cool cats for this special run of The Lucky Life of a Black Cat. Megan's most recent achievement is having worked on Tangles, an adult animated feature about a young queer woman losing her mom to early onset Alzheimers. Outside of her work as an artist, you can find Megan in the wild watching cartoons, finding vegetarian treats around the city, working at their local theatre or library, and chasing her cat Beef around the house. 

YouTube: @sideofmeggs

@sideofmeggs

Elaine Thrash (she/ her) is the mastermind, playwright, co-director, artistic director, and producer guiding this show. An award-winning Brazilian-Canadian artist based in Vancouver, Elaine holds distinctions from Langara College’s Film Arts and Creative Writing programs. Her 15+ year career ranges from fronting underground heavy metal bands to winning Best Actress at film festivals. Now leading Lobo-Guará Productions, she brings her original play, The Lucky Life of a Black Cat, to life, beautifully exploring themes of grief and identity. This project is proudly brought to life in loving memory of her eternal muse, her late cat Lucky.

www.instagram.comloboguara_productions

Jilian is a multidisciplinary creative specializing in interactive storytelling who is thrilled to be making her Fringe and feature length play directorial debut. Selected Credits: Apprentice Director - YAGA (Gateway/Touchstone Theatre); Keyboard 2 - Charlie & The Chocolate Factory (TUTS); Director - Festival Dionysia (UBC Players Club); Performer/Creator - Museum After Dark: A Victorian Parlour Seance (Roedde House Museum) & Confessions of a Mystic; Ensemble - Dissected (The OR Festival)

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Alé is a Chilean-Canadian visual artist based in Vancouver, BC, working across painting, illustration, and design. Her work blends nature, personal narrative, and dreamlike imagery, which felt like a natural fit for the magical realism of The Lucky Life of a Black Cat. When Alé met Elaine and heard the story behind her beloved cat, Lucky, it struck a personal chord. Her own 14-year-old dog, Brownie, has taught her a lot about the bond we share with our furry babies, and that connection is what drove her to translate the play's beauty and magic into a single image. She loves collaborating with fellow artists, and hopes this poster touches as many hearts as the story itself.

@alesilva.art

Bellamy Pelletier is a recent alumnus of Capilano University's Costuming for Stage and Screen program, and he is pursuing a career as a costume designer. He has provided costumes for a wide variety of film projects, including the upcoming horror feature film She Went Into The Woods. He also loves stitching, pattern drafting, and millinery and hopes to gain as much knowledge as possible in the costume arts as he pursues his dream. This is his first theatre production as costume designer.

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Gui Queiroz is a filmmaker from Brasília, Brazil, whose passion for storytelling began at a young age through creating stories and exploring artistic expression, eventually finding his voice as a storyteller, in Directing and Production Design. In an ever-evolving film industry, Gui is dedicated to stories rooted in humanity and believes that art was, is and always will be about longing and human connection. Through his work, he strives to invite audiences to see the world through a different lens, opening their eyes to voices and stories that deserve to be heard.

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Hanns Corvalan, originally from Chile, is a Vancouver-based documentary event photographer specializing in capturing the candid emotion of special occasions and the narrative storytelling of live and staged performances. He works closely with creative teams and productions to document authentic and compelling moments.

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