The Lucky Life of a Black Cat |
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- Vancouver FRINGE - |
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Elaine Thrash |
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Christopher Salt Kelly Zhou |
Deb Sears Amanda Smith-Weston |
Megan MacLeod |
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The Lucky Life of a Black Cat - Vancouver Fringe Festival
Lobo‑Guará Productions proudly announces the premiere of The Lucky Life of a Black Cat, a heartfelt magical‑realist play written by Brazilian‑Canadian artist Elaine Thrash. Blending humour, grief, and wonder, the story invites audiences into a magical Sanctuary where cats prepare for their mission with humans - and where one black cat must face the story he’s not ready to tell.
At the center of the play is Lucky, a senior black cat caught between worlds after completing his mission on Earth. Expected to share the wisdom of his life with a group of eager kittens, Lucky instead finds himself overwhelmed by memories of the humans he loved. As he revisits moments of illness, devotion, and the quiet ways animals care for us, Lucky must decide what it means to let go… and what it means to stay.
The Lucky Life of a Black Cat is a heartfelt experience that celebrates the fierce bond between humans and the animals who choose us. With its blend of magical realism, emotional truth, and playful cat‑like physicality, the show offers a unique perspective on grief, healing, and the love that lingers long after goodbye.
Poems & Lyrics
By Elaine Thrash
(Lucky’s Mom)
Loneliness
I was alone.
I felt alone.
Lost in fading fears,
clinging to convictions
long outgrown.
Sensing my unrest,
my cat approached me,
as if to murmur,
It’s all right.
A thread of warmth—
I felt less alone.
I guided my gaze
to where he sat,
watching the world framed by glass.
Alone, yet calm,
alone, yet present.
And here I am,
observing this whirlwind of thoughts:
Who am I?
Why am I?
What am I for?
And now? Where do I go?
Do I return to the past,
to my roots,
to echoes of joy?
My cat looked at me and blinked slowly.
His little eyes told me wisely:
Today grows from Yesterday.
Forgive Yesterday to welcome
Tomorrow in peace.
Purr-fection
Having a cat makes me feel
so good and protected.
He is pure love.
He is my talisman.
His name is Lucky,
but I am lucky to have him in my life!
I love my fur baby!!!
Our Fur Baby
(Song by Elaine Thrash & Gustavo Matoso)
You were just a tiny ball of fur
When we first met
I was surprised to notice
How you grew up so fast!
But you were always our baby
Our fur baby
And you will always be our baby
Our fur baby
Thank you for licking all my tears
When I was sad
You were the purrfect birthday
Gift I ever had
You were always our baby
Our fur baby
You will always be our baby
Our fur baby
Thank you for always greeting us
After long-stressful days
Thank you for making us laugh/smile
In so many ways!
You were always our baby
Our fur baby
And you will always be our baby
Our fur baby!
You were always our baby
Our fur baby
Lucky, you will always be our baby
Our fur baby!
The Cats
Creative Team
Elaine Thrash
Jilian Tolzmann
Meghan Trevor
Alejandra (Alé) Silva
Bellamy Pelletier
Gui Queiroz
Hanns
Gustavo Matoso
Thierry Durieux
Meet the Company
Cole Breckell
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
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
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.
Christopher Salt
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
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?
Amanda Smith-Weston
This is Amanda's (she/her) 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
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.
Dennis Scott
There once was a small-town boy who is now a big city denizen. There once was one looking for love and now has an amazing daughter and two lovely grandchildren. There once was a first-born son of teachers who swore he would never be a teacher and then taught for thirty-five years. A boy whose first memories are of his mother showing him that there were potatoes buried under those plants in the garden who, as a man, grew 200 dwarf apple trees and farmed his own land. There once was a future chemist with a lab in his basement as a boy who then majored in theatre and is now acting as Pickles with a group of phenomenal colleagues in an amazing play. Oh, these lives!
Megan MacLeod
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.
Elaine Thrash
Elaine Thrash (she/her) is the mastermind, playwright, co‑director, artistic director, and producer of The Lucky Life of a Black Cat. A Brazilian‑Canadian multidisciplinary artist, she has published two books, From Depression to Creation and How to Be a Good Husband, and earned writing awards at Langara College for her pieces Who’s Watching and Band Aid. Her acclaimed 10‑minute play Fine Dining, Finer Judgements was produced at the Or Festival, and she has written and starred in several short films and video poems, including Pebbles. As the founder of Lobo‑Guará Productions, Elaine creates work that explores grief, identity, and the strange magic of memory. This play is dedicated to her eternal muse, her late cat Lucky.
Jilian Tolzmann
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)
Meghan Trevor
Meghan Trevor (she/her) is excited and honoured to be part of putting together this production of The Lucky Life of a Black Cat. This is her first Fringe production and her debut role as a stage manager. Her theatre background includes directing The Odd Couple (Female Version) by Neil Simon and A Seussified Christmas Carol by Peter Bloedel through Gate House Theatre in Port McNeill. Meghan also comes from a background in live events, having worked for Playland’s Fright Nights. She is grateful for the opportunity to bring all her skills together for this production.
Alejandra (Alé) Silva
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.
Bellamy Pelletier
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.
Gui Queiroz
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.
Hanns
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.
Gustavo Matoso
Gustavo lives at the intersection of architecture and art, balancing his role as an architectural project manager with a life filled with music, paint, and sketches. His world is also shaped by his two cats — Preta, his elegant black muse, and Fubá, his spirited orange troublemaker — both of whom he lovingly co-tutors with his wife. His connection to cats runs deep, making his collaboration with Elaine on the song Our Fur Baby for The Lucky Life of a Black Cat especially meaningful. He is sincerely thankful for the chance to bring his love of art and cats into this beautiful piece.
Thierry Durieux
Thierry Durieux (he/him) is a Senior Environment and CG Generalist whose procedural expertise has supported major productions such as Freaky (2020), The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021), Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. (2023), and series including One Piece and The Walking Dead. With early roots as a cinematographer in Brazil on shorts like Vermibus (2012) and Disappearing (2020), Thierry brings both technical precision and emotional intention to his work. For The Lucky Life of a Black Cat, he created the 3D cat‑shaped clock that gently but firmly reminds us that time is running out for Lucky to speak and for the kittens to be adopted. As Lucky’s dad, this project holds a special meaning for him, adding tenderness, tension, and a touch of magic to the Sanctuary.
Photos
By Hanns Corvalan
By Hanns Corvalan
By Hanns Corvalan
By Hanns Corvalan
By Hanns Corvalan
By Hanns Corvalan
By Hanns Corvalan
By Hanns Corvalan
Creator's Note
Grieving has been part of my life more intensely for the past 7 years. Recently, losing my cat has been the most difficult loss to deal with after my father’s. The best way to cope with all the suffering, for me, is to create something artistic out of it. I wanted to honour my cat because he was an important part of my existence for almost 14 years. Lucky’s arrival and departure had a spiritual poetry that anyone who has lost a beloved pet will understand.
Writing has always been a powerful way to heal. Many years ago, I published a collection of poems and short stories called “From Depression to Creation” – in Portuguese: Da Depressão à Criação. It was a cathartic experience in my life, especially after dealing with major depression since the age of 13. My second book, “How to Be a Good Husband” – in Portuguese: Como Ser Um Bom Marido, was published when I was dealing with severe health issues; however, I was thriving because my wonderful gentleman and our fur baby were taking such good care of me, and my books were selling like hot cakes!
Now, writing about Lucky and how I feel about losing him, projected in his character, is helping me tremendously. Of course, the purpose of writing this play is to create a beautiful memorial, a tribute to my cat, but I also want to touch people’s hearts when it comes to grieving and respecting others' process of dealing with loss and pain.
The comical elements inserted into the kittens' scenes give a sense of hope and relief, helping to balance the play’s energy.
I hope my play will help someone feel less alone in their grief and perhaps, a little more seen. It really destabilizes whoever is going through this kind of loss.
It’s the same, sometimes bigger than losing a person, and therefore, there’s no shame in admitting it. There’s no right or wrong, or no deadlines for grieving.
"The Lucky Life of a Black Cat" is the highlight of my writing journey and will always have a special place in my heart. It is not just a whimsical play: it is my love letter to Lucky, my healing journey, and a tribute to the mysterious bond between cats and humans. It symbolizes a way for me to remain forever connected to those I have lost, and to always keep their memories alive in my heart.
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