PACT Members Elect Board Committee Chairs

May 23, 2025

Toronto, Ontario. (May 23, 2025) – The Professional Association of Canadian Theatres (PACT) is pleased to announce the election of Breanne Harmon, Rahul Gandhi, Danny Everson, Kevin Matthew Wong, and Pat Rundell, and the re-election of Alex Currie, Laura Caswell, Pragna Desai, Lisa Li, and Marnie Hamagami to PACT’s Board of Directors.

The board of directors would like to thank outgoing Advocacy Chair Nick Tracey, Young People’s Theatre Senior Director of Administration for all her hard work and dedication to advocating on behalf of the membership and our sector. 

The Board of Director Committee Chairs election took place at the PACT Annual General Meeting during PACTcon in Nova Scotia from May 22-23, 2025.

Advocacy Co-Chair Breanne Harmon, Persephone Theatre, Executive Director (Regina, SK)

Breanne Harmon is the Executive Director of Persephone Theatre (Saskatoon), and was previously the General Manager of Green Thumb Theatre (Vancouver). Through her work with PACT, she has sat on numerous labour relations committees (CTA, PGC), was TYA Co-Rep (2020-2023) and Region 3 Co-Rep (2023-2025), and has been a member of the Advocacy Committee since 2023, as well as the Saskatchewan Arts Alliance’s Arts Crisis Working Group. She is a founding and Advisory Circle member of Rising Tides/Open Door and a Co-coordinator for the National Arts Leadership Training Program. Breanne is looking forward to serving the PACT membership in this capacity, alongside co-chair Rahul Gandhi and PAA, while filling some very big shoes.

Advocacy Co-Chair Rahul Gandhi, Quebec Drama Federation, Operations Manager (Montreal, QC)

Rahul Gandhi is an award-winning trilingual actor, director, and producer based in Tiohtià:ke/ Montreal. He is the children of immigrants, humbled by the privilege to make art, and to contribute to the tapestry of Canadian culture and identity.

He has been a part of the leadership of the Quebec Drama Federation since 2021, has sat on the PACT Advocacy Committee since 2022, and holds a BFA and a Graduates Diploma from Concordia University. He won the first ever Innovation Award at the 2024 Montreal English Theatre Awards, in association with A Broke Theatre, and Teesri Duniya Theatre for his work in developing Shruti Vol. I - IV. He is excited to have the opportunity to further engage with PACT, and advocate for a more equitable theatre sector in Canada.

Caucus Advisor Alex Currie, Theatre Calgary, Director of Artistic Operations (Calgary, AB)

Director of Artistic Operations at Theatre Calgary, Alex Currie is a passionate arts leader and non-profit theatre producer with over 20 years of experience in Canadian Theatre managing and overseeing a breadth of budgets, programming, and contracts/agreements. He started in the industry as an actor, transitioned to stage management and production management and finally into producing and arts management. Leadership experience includes fostering positive and cooperative partnerships with artistic counterparts; responsible managing of multi-million-dollar budgets; handling and resolving HR matters; overseeing medium to large scale performance facilities; negotiating Collective Bargaining Agreements; and successfully coordinating large scale-capital projects. Producing experience includes medium to large-scale theatrical productions, new works, musicals, concerts, Family/TYA, touring, site specific work, and digital creations

Environmental Stewardship Chair Laura Caswell, Stephenville Theatre, Festival Artistic Director (Stephenville, NL)

Laura Caswell (she/her) has worked in all areas of live theatre performance for over 25 years. She recently completed eight years as the Director of Education at Neptune Theatre in Kjipuktuk/Halifax. She is now the Artistic Director of the Stephenville Theatre Festival in Nujio'qonik in Newfoundland and Labrador. Caswell is a creative administrator who enjoys thinking outside the box; areas of focus have recently been in Climate Action and the Arts, Accessibility and Inclusion as well as the development and creation of new musical theatre in Canada. Laura has been the chair of the Environmental Stewardship Committee for the past three years.

Health & Safety Chair Pragna Desai, Shaw Festival Director, Community Engagement and Outreach (Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON)

Pragna Desai is the Director of Community Engagement and Outreach at the Shaw Festival. Tasked with deepening and creating new community connections for the Festival, and expanding engagement offerings, Pragna also oversees the Shaw's Education Department. Prior to assuming her position at The Shaw, Pragna was Director of The Creation Warehouse with Theatre Direct Canada where she where she focused on large scale, interactive and community based performing arts projects, education initiatives, and contributed to Theatre Direct’s other programming and development of Balancing Act. Pragna previously served as Artistic Director of Crescendo Early Music Education and Performing Arts; and of Théâtre Buissonnier, a company that focused on children, putting them at the center of the creative process. She was also a guest professor at international institutions including the Academie Royale du Maroc where she had the honour of instructing His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Hassan III. Additionally, she sits on the Boards of PACT (Professional Association of Canadian Theatres), chairing the Health and Safety Committee, as well as serving on the Shaw Festival’s IDEA Committee

Human Resources Chair Danny Everson, Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia, Executive Director (Windsor, NS)

Danny Everson is the Executive Director of Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia, Creative Producer of MermaidTV, and programmer for the company’s 400-seat venue in Windsor. He has led Mermaid’s continued international success in live and digital programming while advancing opportunities for Nova Scotian artists. With a background in film, music, theatre, and media, Danny holds an MFA in Producing from CalArts, a BA in Music from the University of Tampa, and a Professional Certificate in Conflict Resolution from Cornell University. He serves on the board of PACT (current Chair of the HR Committee), is Vice President of the Atlantic Presenters Association, and a member of the Creative Nova Scotia Leadership Council.

International Relations Chair Kevin Matthew Wong, Why Not Theatre, Director of Producing & Creative Associate (Toronto, ON)

Kevin Matthew Wong (he/him) is a Hakka Chinese-Canadian theatre artist who works as creator, producer, and video artist. Kevin is the Director of Producing at Toronto's Why Not Theatre and is the creator of the Dora Award-winning multidisciplinary "Benevolence" series about Hakka history in Canada, which includes a museum installation, documentary, and solo theatre show. Kevin is interested creating work about guesthood, cultural preservation, and human connection. Kevin has collaborated with companies across Canada, the UK, Spain, Germany, Australia, Korea, and the United States and is the current Chair of the International Relations Committee at PACT.

Labour Relations Chair Lisa Li, Tarragon Theatre, Executive Director (Toronto, ON)

Lisa Li (she/her) is a theatre producer and non-profit theatre executive, who was born in China, and raised in Toronto. She is the current Executive Director of Tarragon Theatre and a faculty member of Sheridan college. She was previously the managing Director of Prairie Theatre Exchange from 2021 to 2024, and a Producer at Soulpepper Theatre from 2016 to 2020. Lisa Li has project-managed for the Shaw Festival, juried for the Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, and Manitoba arts Council, and freelanced-produced for various indie theatre companies in Toronto. She is an active board member: from 2019-2023 Lisa Li was the chair of Actors’ Repertory Theatre, and also sits on the board of the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts.

Membership & Engagement Chair Pat Rundell, Kaleidoscope Theatre for Young People, Executive & Artistic Director (Victoria, BC)

Pat Rundell (he/him) is the Artistic and Executive Director of Victoria’s Kaleidoscope Theatre for Young People. His diverse career has spanned private and not-for-profit sectors in local arts leadership, communications, and, briefly, captaining speedboats on the ocean. Pat currently serves on the executive of the Professional Arts Alliance of Greater Victoria and has held board positions with the Victoria Pride Society and the Victoria Operatic Society. Within PACT, he has served as Co-Chair of the TYA Caucus (2020-2024), a member of the Advocacy Committee, and is a current member of the Strategic Plan Steering Committee. He believes great theatre, like great governance, benefits from imagination, collaboration, and fabulous shoes.

Regional Advisor Marnie Hamagami, Theatre NorthWest, Artistic Producer (Prince George, BC)

Marnie Hamagami has been part of Theatre NorthWest for the past nine years, wearing many hats along the way. She currently serves as the Artistic Producer, helping to bring compelling theatre to the stage. A proud resident of Prince George for the past 13 years, Marnie loves spending time with her family, paddling the region’s many beautiful lakes, and—like most Northerners—spends a fair bit of time and energy trying to stay warm through those long winters.

About PACT 

PACT is the collective voice of professional Canadian theatres, a leader in the performing arts community, and a devoted advocate of the value of live performance. PACT represents over 170 professional English-speaking theatre companies operating in communities across the country, ranging from the largest performing arts organizations in Canada, to smaller theatre companies that serve their audiences in a wide variety of communities; from rural to urban, commercial to independent, theatre for young audiences, culturally specific companies, and everything else in between.

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Media Contact:

Ainslee Jessiman 

Membership & Communications Manager, PACT

ainsleej@pact.ca

416-595-6455 ext. 1519

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