Unwrap Theatre is a registered charity that supports professional artists in building independently sustainable careers and connects their work with the public.

President: Everton Wilmot
Directors: Amanda Brunk, Derek Kast, Cherylynne McKee, Alten Wilmot

Alten Wilmot (they/he) is an artist and producer working in theatre, film, and dance, and the founder of Unwrap Theatre.

Through their work as an actor, choreographer, writer, director, and producer, Alten has worked on projects across Canada including with institutions such as CBC, Global TV, The Harbourfront Centre, Arts Club, Theatre Passé Muraille, and Guelph Dance, as well as for companies overseas such as NBCUniversal and the Lebanon Film Festival.

Alten’s work has been recognized with awards including the Buddies in Bad Times’ Queer Emerging Artist Award, an ArtworxTO Emerging Artist Award, a Denny Award, as well as other nominations and shortlists. They have worked in residency with companies including The National Ballet of Canada, Obsidian Theatre, MT Space, Project Humanity, and Guelph Dance.

Alten most often works with stories and performances which show humanity at its extreme limits, where they believe the core of our human experience is revealed.

As a producer, Alten studied Arts Management under acclaimed Executive Director Michael Kaiser through the University of Maryland and has worked as a Marketing Director for two IT businesses.  They’ve been producing for seven years, initially mentored by Ray Hogg; Artistic Director at Musical Stage Company and Prime Mover Theatre Company.  The latter they serve on the advisory committee for.  Additional mentors include Pam Patel of MT Space, Laura McLeod of the Harbourfront Centre, and Lisa-Marie DiLiberto of Theatre Direct.  They’ve produced for the Guild Festival Theatre for their summer 2020 season, where they completed a Digital Marketing for Theatre research project, and for Theatre Direct, including being Festival Coordinator for the Forward March Festival – an outdoor theatre festival that includes performances from five companies and one artist in residence.  Alten is the founder of Unwrap Theatre, where they have produced 21 premiere productions to date.

Michele Wilmot (she/her) (BSc.hon, A.R.C.T, L.B.C.M.hon) Michele has dedicated more than 25 years to teaching piano to students. She is currently the President of the local Kitchener Waterloo branch of the Ontario Registered Music Teacher’s Association (ORMTA). She has earned a Certificate of Recognition for Professional Achievement from the Canadian Federation of Music Teacher’s Association (CFMTA) 2016-2018 and 2018-2020. She currently works for the Royal Conservatory of Toronto as the Cambridge Centre Representative. Michele also works with her husband as the Controller of Wilmot Technologies Inc. of 27 years. She oversees the accounting and assists in the management of employees and office.

Aveleigh Keller (she/they) has been with the company since the 2019 production of her play, Dancing Under a Blanket. She has continued to work alongside the team, diving into the film world with her digital short – Blue Light Glasses. Aveleigh enjoys high stakes, non-linear storytelling from a female perspective. She likes to write morally ambiguous characters that you can fall in love with and cheer on. She approaches storytelling from the belief that everyone is always trying their best – even if their best isn’t enough.

Alten Wilmot is a Waterloo Region and Toronto based artist working in theatre, film, and dance, and the founder of Unwrap Theatre.  Through their work as an actor, choreographer, director, writer, and producer, they seek to create experiences and opportunities where people can dive into their emotional life in order to find understanding, validation, knowledge, coping and healing. Their work has taken them across the country, where they have had the opportunity to meet artists that inspire him, people that enrich his life, and companies that welcome him into communities of all forms. Their art is heavily informed by his Black, Biracial, Queer, and Disabled identities. It is through the intersections of these experiences that they are able to find the unique insights and expressions that make up their work and serve as a vessel for them to bring something curious, compelling, and exciting to their own life and other people’s lives.

Haley Dimeck is a contemporary dancer, choreographer and teacher, as well as visual artist, skilled in fluid art and abstract painting. She is currently interested in further exploring the intersection of dance and visual art. Much of her work is inspired by movement patterns in nature. As a dance movement researcher, she strives to embrace curiosity, along with following innate impulses.

Kaleigh Murphy is a multidisciplinary artist from Waterloo, Ontario based in Toronto, ON. Her artistic practices include acting, singing, dancing, choreographing, and directing. Some of her past credits include Berthe in Pippin, Clementine in Almost a Full Moon (Theatre Sheridan), and creating and performing in her first dance film, Collide. She is deeply passionate about collaborative creation leading to inventive storytelling in theatre and film. She believes that the most personal art is the most universal, and aims to bring vulnerability and curiosity to all of her work.

Rhiannon Hoover (they/she) is a multidisciplinary artist and storyteller raised on Treaty 18 territory. They have spent an extensive amount of time studying musical theatre and makeup artistry post-secondary, but have also explored drag performance, dance, fashion design, writing, film and creative direction. They take pride in the many intersections of their identity, including being Black, non-binary, and queer which heavily informs their artistry and activism. They believe their creative purpose is to offer healing and inspiration to others through their own authentic existence. (Photo by Em Schuster)

Michele Wilmot was born in St. Bruno, Quebec. Michele has dedicated more than 14 years to piano performance, performing across North America in British Columbia, Ontario and New York City. Although an old Classical soul, she enjoys all forms of art and all kinds of projects. Alongside her solo and collaborative concert work she enjoys curating concerts, giving to the community, supporting many organizations, and accompanying upcoming solo artists. Michele currently lives in the Kitchener Waterloo Region with her husband, with their three boys, their partners and two puppies!

Aveleigh Keller is a writer/director/actor/singer, and has been with the company since the 2019 production of her play, Dancing Under a Blanket. She has continued to work alongside the team, diving into the film world with her digital short – Blue Light Glasses. Aveleigh enjoys high stakes, non-linear storytelling from a female perspective. She likes to write morally ambiguous characters that you can fall in love with and cheer on. She approaches storytelling from the belief that everyone is always trying their best – even if their best isn’t enough.

Unwrap Theatre is a registered charity that supports professional artists in building independently sustainable careers and connects their work with the public.

Founded in 2019, Unwrap Theatre is groundbreaking for its progressive focus on investing in artists early in their career and building their capacity towards lifelong employment in the arts. 

We provide innovative opportunities for artists to develop new work, present it to a diverse selection of communities, and provide mentorship to support the artist in promoting the work for future opportunities.  

To date, we have created over 140 opportunities for artists with promotion to other organizations and audiences that lead to future opportunities.  We have presented artists’ work to over 5000 community members across the country.  We have collaborated with organizations local, like Waterloo Region Hospice, and national, like CBC.  We have been nominated for local awards and voted Best Live Theatre Company by our local news’ Readers’ Choice Awards.

Our vision is to support professional artists in building independently sustainable careers and connecting their work with diverse audiences to facilitate their growth and help make our communities better.

Programming

The Digital Works Series
Commissions for digital work that strategically supports artists in advancing their career, including online and live presentations.

The Producer Program
Employment positions that provide work-integrated learning opportunities to artists and arts administrators interested in producing.

The Neighbourhood Series
Commissions to develop new work and present it at community organizations whose members face barriers which make them unable to engage with the arts.

Small Curiosities
Micro-Commissions to develop a short work made specifically for social media.

Development
Commissioning and/or developing full-length large scale works with long-term production potential that push the boundaries of artists and the sector.

Performance
Live performances that foster collaboration, engage presentation partnerships, and connect artists with new audiences. This includes realizing projects from Development programming.