mixed(er)
when a biracial woman struggling with her racial identity discovers a surprise birthday party featuring all of her White friends and her only Black friend, she fights to keep everyone in the boxes she spent a lifetime defining.
Live Performance
mixed(er) is a comedic coming-of-adulthood story about Sam, a biracial woman who returns to her parents’ home in Kitchener-Waterloo after completing her undergrad. What she thought was going to be a low-key homecoming quickly spirals into chaos when she learns they are throwing her a surprise birthday party, including her White friends and only Black friend. Family wounds surface, cultural tensions flare, and a jerk chicken casserole is the final straw of her fractured identity’s back.
Between bedroom fights, hair tangles, a secret unconscious boyfriend, and a Mennonite bakery heist, Sam confronts what it means to belong — to her Black Caribbean heritage, her White mother, her friends, her city, and herself.
“I loved it. I too am mixed race and even with the generational differences there was so much that was relatable” – audience member (2023)
CREATED BY SAM MERCURY & ALTEN WILMOT
PRODUCED BY UNWRAP THEATRE, SAM MERCURY
PRESENTED BY MT SPACE
Production Details
Date: October 1 – 3, 2026
Venue: Centre in the Square – Studio Theatre
(101 Queen St N, Kitchener)
Start Time: 7:30pm, 2:00pm
Ticket Price: Tickets are offered on a sliding scale.
Sam Mercury
Playwright, “Sam”, Producer
Sam Mercury is a writer and actor based in Kitchener. Her previous credits include “we could be” (Green Light Arts, 2021), Midtown Radio Drama Series (2023), “It’s the End of the World as We Know It” (Potato Potato for Toronto Sketchfest, 2023), and “You Can Do It, Put Your MASK Into It” (Potato Potato for Toronto Fringe, 2021). “mixed(er),” which she co-wrote and produced with Alten Wilmot, is her first full-length play.
Instagram: samplanett
*Alten Wilmot
Playwright, Producer
Alten Wilmot is an actor, writer, singer, and multidisciplinary artist based in the Waterloo Region and Toronto. Their work centers stories and themes that bring wonder, joy, and release to complex experiences. Their work invites us to feel softer, lighter, and more like ourselves.
Alten’s work has been seen on screens and stages across Canada, including CBC, Harbourfront Centre, NBCUniversal, Guelph Dance, and Theatre Passe Muraille. They founded Unwrap Theatre, leading over 25 original works bringing performances to underserved communities. Their work has been recognized with a Buddies in Bad Times Queer Emerging Artist Award, ArtworxTO Emerging Artist Award, and Waterloo Region Arts Award. They’ve held residencies with The National Ballet of Canada, Project Humanity, MT Space, Obsidian Theatre, and Diasporic Dialogues.
Alten wrote and recorded his first album in 2026, Losing; Love, bringing R&B and neo-soul influences with layered vocals and intimate songwriting to create a world where strength melts into ease and hearts live freely on our sleeves. Stay tuned @altenwilmot for song releases over the coming season.
Instagram: @altenwilmot
Vanessa Spence
Director
Vanessa Spence is a classically trained theatre actor, producer, emerging playwright and director, and professional human being. She is the Associate Producer & Company Manager at Grand Theatre, former Producer at Obsidian Theatre and Artistic Director of Virtu Arts Theatre which supports Black artists in regions outside of Toronto. Vanessa’s personal artistic practice is rooted in building empathy and understanding of the stories of Black femme-identifying bodies. Selected Credits: Playwriting: Catchin’ Tail (in-development); Stretch Marks (Virtu Arts Theatre). Directing: Primary Trust (Assistant Director, Grand Theatre, Crow’s Theatre); (A)Mending (Virtu Arts, Art Gallery of Ontario; Stretch Marks (Virtu Arts Theatre), Post-Democracy (Auditing Assistant Director, Tarragon Theatre).
Instagram: @vanessacspence
*Charlotte Peters
Stage Manager
Charlotte Peters (she/her) – MT Space debut! Elsewhere: Early Genius (Here For Now Theatre); Snow White & The Seven Tenors: The Panto, Back Home for the Holidays, Elf: The Musical, Jack and the Beanstalk: The Panto (Drayton Entertainment); Wedding Band (Stratford Festival); This is How We Got Here (Green Light Arts); Sweeney Todd (TIFT); A Belly Full (Theatre Aquarius) and numerous workshops for new Canadian plays. Charlotte holds a BA in Drama and Creative Writing from Bishop’s University and an MA in Folklore from Memorial University. She had the privilege of stage managing mixed(er)’s first workshop in 2022, and is so thrilled to be back for its premier with this once in a lifetime team!
Instagram: @industrialstrengthmoon
Noah Snow
Technical Director/Production Manager
Based in Waterloo, Noah Snow works across Southwestern Ontario as a Technical Director and technician. He is excited to help bring this production to the stage. Recent credits include Technical Director for The Neighbours, & Touring Technical Director for Let Me Explain (Port Hope) with Green Light Arts, Lighting Designer for Idomeneo with Grand River Opera, and Venue Lead for IMPACT25 with MT Space. He also leads as Technical Director for Emmanuel Concerts. Additional credits include Jersey Boys (2024), Rock of Ages(2024), and Grease (2025) with Drayton Entertainment. He is grateful for the continued trust and opportunities to grow within the theatre community.
Chin Palipane
Lighting Designer
Chin Palipane (he/him) is a Toronto-based Theatre Artist, Technician, and Lighting Designer. He is a proud member of Coyote Collective, the TD of The Assembly Theatre, and a recent addition to the HT team at NEJPC. He enjoys breakfast (at non-breakfast times) and a good cup of coffee or tea! He is thrilled to be working with Unwrap Theatre and the talented artists they’ve assembled for this project. As a second-generation immigrant, he is proud to assist in telling this story and hopes you enjoy what we put together. Cheers!
Photographer: John Gundy
Waleed Ansari
Set Designer
Nathan Rossi
“Cameron”
Nathan Rossi is a Niagara based artist & puppeteer. Having graduated from Brock University’s theatre studies in 2022, he primarily focuses on Theatre for Young Audiences, fostering spaces that encourage play, empathy and silliness. Having been a part of Carousel Players in St. Catharines, he has discovered a love of puppeteering, most recently being a part of Teaching Awareness Through Puppetry’s season of programs in 2025. He has done performances with the Elmira Theatre Company in 2023 but is excited to be back on stage and in his first official production with MT space. Having been a part of Mixed(er) since its original workshop, he is beyond ecstatic to revisit the production this fall.
*Kaleigh Murphy
“Alexis”
Kaleigh is a triple-threat performer, choreographer, writer, and creative from Waterloo, ON. A graduate of Sheridan College’s Music Theatre Performance program, some of her recent credits include Tina and Dance Captain in Sister Act, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (Stage West Calgary), Pinkalicious in Pinkalicious: The Musical (Toronto Youth Theatre), and performing her original show, I’m A Crier, to sold-out audiences in Waterloo and Toronto this past fall. Kaleigh is a huge proponent of collaborative creation, and she aims to bring vulnerability, curiosity, and joy to all of her work. She is so excited to be back with the mixed(er) team, and to finally see this beautiful and important show brought to life with the world premiere!
Joseph Njoku
“Kevin”
Chantaine Green-Leach
“Amanda”
* The participation of these Artists are arranged by permission of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association under the provisions of the Dance•Opera•Theatre Policy.
Acknowledgements:
Photos by Parker Ruby Photography.
mixed(er) will additionally be presented in partnership with local community organizations as part of our 2026 Neighbourhood Series.
Many thanks to those who make our work possible.
Be a part of the future of the arts in the Waterloo Region and