photo: Paul Sharman

MANDATE

Horseshoes & Hand Grenades exists to develop and produce potent and provocative theatre, populating our stages with Canadian works as well as pieces from the international repertoire.

We challenge the boundaries of our humanity by creating a theatre of vitality and immediacy. We embrace boldness and practice simplicity.

Horseshoes & Hand Grenades fosters the ongoing development of its artists by supporting and promoting exploration into new endeavors of our theatre practice.

CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTORS

Alexa Devine (formerly Dubreuil)
Founding member and Co-Artistic Director. For Horseshoes & Hand Grenades Alexa performed in Palace of the End (co-produced with Touchtstone Theatre), 4.48 Psychosis, The Darling Family, You Are Here and will appear in the upcoming Father Daughter Reunion. Other Vancouver theatre credits include: The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Pound of Flesh/Pacific Theatre), Nanay (Urban Crawl/ PuSh Festival), Grace (Pacific Theatre), The Big League (Carousel Theatre), The Remittance Man (Sunshine Theatre), Melody, Mon Amour (Brownbike), Henry VIII and Cymbeline (Bardathon), and The Oresteia (Oresteia Project). Recent film/TV: Love Happens, Aliens in America, Helix and Traveler. Alexa is the recipient of three Jessie nominations and one award, and holds degrees from McGill University and Atlantic Theatre School in NYC. She is also a bouffon clown and a voice-over artist.

Sean Devine
Founding member and Co-Artistic Director. For Horseshoes & Hand Grenades Sean wrote Reunion, acted in 4.48 Psychosis and You Are Here, and directed The Darling Family. Other Vancouver theatre credits include Black Comedy and Diary of Anne Frank (Arts Club), The Blue Light (Firehall), The Tempest and Henry IV, Part I (Bard on the Beach) and a Jessie nomination for Recovery (Rumble). Sean has worked extensively in Montreal, as well as with companies in Winnipeg and New York City. Upcoming work includes a playwriting residency at Pi Theatre developing his newest work Report from Iron Mountain. Sean has appeared in dozens of films and television series, including a lead role in the Canada-France co-production Territories.

Mindy Parfitt
Founding member and Co-Artistic Director. For Horseshoes & Hand Grenades Mindy directed Judith Thompson’s Palace of the End, Sarah Kane’s 4.48 Psychosis and Daniel MacIvor’s You Are Here. In Montreal, she founded SoulfishingTheatre for whom she directed and acted in several award winning productions. Mindy has worked across Canada with companies including, Centaur Theatre, Imago Theatre, Theatre Columbus, Studio 58, Bard on the Beach, Playwrights Theatre Centre, Arts Club and The PuSh Festival. She is presently completing her MFA in directing at the University of British Columbia, where she directed her thesis production of Arms and the Man by Bernard Shaw in March 2010. She is the mother of two incredible boys.

ASSOCIATE ARTISTS

Colleen Wheeler
Robin Richardson

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

David Bloom
Clea Parfitt
Tara Arnett
Marcus Youssef
David Lawson
Rudy Bootsma