Julia Eckert

Julia Eckert

(She/Her)
BFA Acting

Julia’s affinity for theatre began with a lifelong love for music, and she continues to be interested in how theatre and film can intersect with the universal language of melodic sound. Julia views theatre as an essential escape from the prison of her self-consciousness, and hopes that her work can provide others with an opportunity to flee their own, if only for a thrilling, fleeting moment.

What was one of the highlights of your UBC experience?

The highlight of my BFA was the experience of transitioning from playing Bobbie James in Concord Floral to Charlie in TomorrowLove. The characters were so different in so many ways. From age, to status, to objective, and everything in between, they seemed polar opposities. However, finding a way into each and discovering their fundamentally human similarities helped me trust my range as an actor.

What kind of creative work do you see yourself doing in the next few years?

I am looking forward to re-entering the world of musical theatre in some form. It’s where my love for theatre emerged in the first place, and I would like the chance to tackle the behemoth that is the musical with all of the knowledge I’ve gained in my time here. I’m also interested in further developing my skills as a writer and storyteller.

What is your dream role?

I would absolutely love the opportunity to play Cathy Hiatt in Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years. I love character and relationship driven narratives, and the daring and challenging form of the piece has always intrigued me.

Who is your favourite playwright?

I’ve been transfixed by the work of Canadian playwright Kat Sandler as of late. I love the way she plays with humour, absolute absurdity, and yet the highest of dramatic stakes. I find it results in risquĂ© and exhilarating theatre.

What are some of your special skills?

I sing both mezzo-soprano and soprano, speak fluent French, have a background in musical theatre dance, and a ton of weight training experience. I can also do a right split (don’t ask for a left, I’m begging you.)

Who would you most like to have dinner with?

Greta Gerwig. I find she has this incredible ability to pick my feelings right out of my brain, and yet articulate them better than I ever could. I’m fascinated in her ability to acknowledge her audience.

Or Steph Curry. Just because I love him.

Check out Julia’s work here:

Simon Auclair

(He/Him)
BFA Acting

Simon is a Vancouver-based actor born and raised in B.C. Recent credits include: John in Concord Floral (UBC), Luke in The Lightning Thief (CTORA), Buddy in We Will Rock You (TUTS), Kirk in Goldfish (Naked Cinema X), and Lucas in Neuroplasticity (UBC Neurosciences OED Resource).

What was one of the highlights of your UBC experience?

Being able to frame acting as sculpting in my final year. I would come into Binnings studio space with goals of authentic transformation both in and out of class times. Teasing out new characters became obsession for me this year, and that’s huge when I think about everything I’ve learned here — I am so thankful to have had these performative explorations with my friends and teachers.

What kind of creative work do you see yourself doing in the next few years?

I am ready to plug away at film acting! I want to stretch as a person and actor in as many filmic opportunities/genres as possible.

What is your dream role?

I AM PUTTING 2:
– Batman Beyond/Terry McGinnis
– Roy Orbison

A cyberpunk-y superhero and a 50s-60s Rock n’ Roller 🙂

Who is your favourite playwright?

Tracy Letts.

What are some of your special skills?

Rock/pop vocals, guitar, bouldering/rock climbing, mask work / Commedia Dell’arte training, basic kickboxing, basic stage combat, general NY accent, basic French speaking, full driver’s license, roof maintenance, truck driving, improvisation.

Who would you most like to have dinner with?

The cast of my go to ‘watch-while-eating-dinner’ YouTube channel (since childhood), “Smosh Pit.”

Check out Simon’s work here:

Rachel Angco

(She/Her)
BFA Acting

Rachel Angco is a Filipina-Canadian artist based in “Vancouver”. She is interested in theatre as an investigation of cross-cultural identity building, with credits ranging from musical theatre, and devised experimental theatre to film, commercial and voice-over work. Currently, in a Master of Management at UBC, Rachel thrives in collaborative processes, leading by upholding empathy and integrity.

What was one of the highlights of your UBC experience?

Having had the opportunity to create meaningful working and personal relationships has been the most rewarding experience of my time here. I am grateful to say I will be graduating from this program with life-long cherished friends, inspirations, and collaborators.

What kind of creative work do you see yourself doing in the next few years?

In the next few years, amongst many auditions and personal projects, I will be taking the stage with my friends as we establish our theatre company, Bleed Through Theatre! I am excited to be devising work as a performer and creator and hope to integrate my passion for music and dive into writing as well!

What are some of your special skills?

I love all things music! When I’m not working monologues, you can find me singing, and playing piano, guitar, and ukulele. Music brings people together through self-expression and, for that reason, has always played a special role in my life.

Check out Rachel’s work here:

Jasmine White

(she/her)
BFA Acting

Jasmine is a fourth year BFA Acting student from Calgary, AB. Her UBC credits include The Wolves (2023, Leora Morris), The Parliament of the Birds (2022, Camyar Chaichian), Coriolanus (2022, Tanya Mathivanan), directing the musical Mamma Mia! and co-writing/acting in the film Barstool.

What was one of the highlights of your UBC experience?

Learning how to play soccer for the production of The Wolves was an amazing experience. I have never been on a sports team before, so this felt like I was a part of one. I think it’s neat when we can integrate our character’s lives into our own.

What kind of creative work do you see yourself doing in the next few years?

I can see myself producing, preforming and directing art that moves me. Creating a production that brings joy to myself and others around me. I want to build art that is impactful and yet isn’t hard for every individual to relate to.

What is your dream role?

I think every role is a dream, as each character we get to embody brings a different kind of life.

Who is your favourite playwright?

My favourite playwrights are Daniel MacIvor, Hannah Moscovitch and Jackie Sibblies Drury. I couldn’t pick my favourite out of the three.

What are some of your special skills?

I’ve been singing since I was young in choirs and musical theatre. I also have this special ability to eat a whole bunch of sugar and not get sick from it.

Who would you most like to have dinner with?

My future self. Possibly on my death bed, which sounds dark, but I feel like we could joke around and talk about life.

Check out Jasmine’s work here:

Caylee Watrin

(she/her)
BFA Acting

Caylee is an actor and filmmaker from Abbotsford, BC. She is curious about blindspots in society and how storytelling can help illuminate them. Caylee is interested in acting, producing, and directing work that challenge form, engages with community, and prioritizes the quality of the process just as much as the product. She hopes her work can stir healthy discomfort and cultivate greater empathy and understanding between people.

What was one of the highlights of your UBC experience?

Being in a community with artists every day. Afternoons spent enveloped in the question “What is a voice?” as beams of light pour into the room.

What kind of creative work do you see yourself doing in the next few years?

I see myself growing with the city and learning from the incredibly diverse film and theatre artists already active in Canada. I want to produce and support works that centre marginalized voices and artists with neurological atypicality. As so little can be controlled in an acting career, I want to follow the intention to never stop growing as an actor, and to create opportunities for myself and other artists in my community.

What is your dream role?

I don’t have a dream role. Roles that impact me come up unexpectedly.

Who is your favourite playwright?

Sarah Ruhl

What are some of your special skills?

I can play the keyboard and sing. I can write and take pictures.

Who would you most like to have dinner with?

Sarah Bareilles

Check out Caylee’s work here:

Peihwen J. Tai

(she/her)
BFA Acting

Peihwen J. Tai is a Taiwanese-Canadian actor. A UBC alumni with a Japanese double-major, she’s acted in Taiwan and in Vancouver with SFU, UBC, Vancouver Fringe, and other independent artists. She was part of the residency at What Lab and performed/co-wrote/co-directed in a piece on Asian identities.

What was one of the highlights of your UBC experience?

Finding my own voice. If I hadn’t joined the acting program here at UBC, I would never have been able to find the courage in myself to create my own work and to put myself out their while (semi) confidently proclaiming to the world: I’m an actor.

What kind of creative work do you see yourself doing in the next few years?

I’ve started writing again after a six-year hiatus and will continue writing while working as an actor in theatre and film. I love projects with unique premises so that’s where I’m headed. An Asian-Willem-Dafoe indie darling of sorts, that’d be cool.

What is your dream role?

Anything as long as I can be in a scene with Steven Yeun or Tony Leung. That, or being in a slasher B-movie. (I actually have an idea for one that is set on the prairies. It’s sub-textually about the Asian model minority myth.)

Who is your favourite playwright?

I don’t have one but I watched The Humans by Stephen Karam with my partner recently and it completely destroyed me. It is such a minute depiction of life that hit home for me, especially how it made me think about my own up-bringing.

What are some of your special skills?

I’m terrifyingly good at making bird sounds now. Oh, and I cry. It’s very easy for me to cry—whether in a scene or not.

Who would you most like to have dinner with?

David Bowie. But that isn’t possible anymore (R.I.P. David). So, David Bowie’s hologram.

Check out Peihwen’s work here!

Nicole Smith

(she/her)
BFA Acting

Nicole is excited to explore performance creation in Vancouver and her home city of Toronto. Other training: VAS; AADA (NYC). For UBC: The Wolves (#11), The Parliament of the Birds (Duck), Coriolanus (Cominius), Naked Cinema: Barstool (Lindsay), Commedia: What’s Wrong With Frank? (Il Dottore).

What was one of the highlights of your UBC experience?

The Wolves was one of the most inspiring artistic experiences I have ever had. I learned an entirely new skill (soccer), helped build such a strong team with the cast and crew, and had immense amounts of fun doing it all.

What kind of creative work do you see yourself doing in the next few years?

I am interested in representing strong, feminist voices and narratives on both the stage and screen. I see myself continuing to learn and develop leadership skills within the industry, including a focus on directing and writing.

What is your dream role?

I’d love to play something fantastical—like a witch, vampire, superhero (or villain)… I think it would be creatively fulfilling to help build a world of more nuanced possibilities than our own.

Who is your favourite playwright?

I’m not sure I have a favourite, but lately I have been enjoying the works of Canadian artists Erin Shields and Karen Hines. I’ve also always been a huge Shakespeare nerd.

What are some of your special skills?

I like sailing, swimming, playing volleyball, and baking for other people because I’m good at it but I don’t like sugar.

Who would you most like to have dinner with?

Sarah Polley. She’s such an incredible multidisciplinary creator, spanning documentary, film, novel… I’m also interested in how her directing is challenging production standards & structures that have historically made the industry less accessible for women.

Check out Nicole’s work here:

Lauren Ordeman

she/her
BFA Acting

Lauren was born and raised in Vancouver, BC. A graduate of the UBC BFA Acting program she is grateful to have so many incredible credits. These include Coriolanus as Titus Lartius (UBC ’22), The Parliament of the Birds as Falcon (UBC ’22), The Wolves as #13 (UBC ’23), and Bar Stool as Frances (UBC ’23).

What was one of the highlights of your UBC experience?

The Wolves was a really special experience for me. It was the first time I had ever played a character that I felt was true to who I am as a person and it was amazing to have that ease and trust in my work.

What kind of creative work do you see yourself doing in the next few years?

I want to do more film acting. There is a certain energy with a film that I resonate with and want to explore more as my career continues forward.

What is your dream role?

My dream role is a young female character that speaks the truth and has strength. I have struggled to find young female characters who I find authentic and I know they are out there so when I come across that character, I want to honour the female story.

Who is your favourite playwright?

My favourite playwright is Daniel MacIvor. His words create such tragic, funny and compelling stories.

What are some of your special skills?

My special skills are all genres of dance, art, cooking (especially pasta dishes) and having good taste in music (at least I think so:)).

Who would you most like to have dinner with?

My Grandpa who passed away before I was born. My mom speaks about him with such emotion and I would do anything to meet him and hear the stories of his days as an English teacher/rugby player/newspaper columnist and actor.

Check out Lauren’s work here:

Kristi McQuade

she/her
BFA Actor

Kristi is a Calgary-born actor who found her love for acting at 12 years old. For UBC: The Parliament of the Birds (Hoopoe), The Birds (Eagle), Coriolanus (Various Roles). Select credits: Dirty Laundry: The Next Generation Improv (Lunchbox Theatre), Into the Woods (StoryBook Theatre), Family Law (CW).

What was one of the highlights of your UBC experience?

My highlight was simply being surrounded by my classmates and collaborating. I found so much of what I learned throughout the last 4 years was through watching my peers, their processes and learning from them so I am entirely grateful for their art.

What kind of creative work do you see yourself doing in the next few years?

I have gotten the opportunity to dip my toes into motion capture work so I would love to continue exploring that. I will also be getting my diploma in fashion design and styling for film/TV here in Vancouver! Thrilled to explore work on camera and off!

What is your dream role?

My dream role would be a character in The White Lotus or American Horror Story. I love series where every season is completely different with complex and unique characters.

Who is your favourite playwright?

At this very moment, Alice Birch. I cannot stop reading her plays right now as her writing style is so captivating, open-ended, and creative.

What are some of your special skills?

My special skill is being able to do a great rendition of the White Lotus theme song with my voice…sounds exactly the same.

Who would you most like to have dinner with?

My Grandma! She absolutely loved seeing shows I was involved in growing up, even if they were terribly bad. It would be cool to show her what I have achieved since.

Check out Kristi’s work here:

Social/link to other work:

Adriana McKinnon

she/her
BFA Acting

Adriana is a UBC BFA student double-majoring in Acting and Film Studies. Adriana has been a published author since 2015. With UBC, Adriana performed in Coriolanus (Virgilia), The Parliament of the Birds (Sparrow), The Wolves (#46), The Festivities(Merchutkina), and Barstool (Brielle).

What was one of the highlights of your UBC experience?

Performing as Virgilia in Shakespeare’s Coriolanus was an absolutely magical experience. Getting to play one of Shakespeare’s strong female characters was not only the highlight of my UBC experience, but also the highlight of my life.

What kind of creative work do you see yourself doing in the next few years?

I see myself stepping into the worlds of a variety of characters. Living in the world of a character is one of my favourite things about acting, and it’s something I look forward to with each role I play.

What is your dream role?

My dream role is to play Elphaba in the musical Wicked. As the Wicked Witch of the West, she is an often-misunderstood character, and I would enjoy telling the story of Oz from her perspective. Plus, I would love to get to sing Defying Gravity!

Your favourite playwright?

I can’t name just one favourite! Every playwright tells their stories in their own unique way, and I think that is incredibly special.

Your special skills?

I have several years of professional singing training. I also have fourteen years of dance training in the styles of ballet (including pointe work), musical theatre, variety stage, jazz, tap, lyrical, contemporary, and hip hop.

Who would you most like to have dinner with?

My mother when she was my age

Check out Adriana’s work here: