Kelli Paddon
Interim Executive Director
Kelli Paddon is the Interim Executive Director of the Chilliwack School of Performing Arts and a longtime community leader with a deep commitment to creating opportunities for children and youth. Her work has focused on strengthening inclusive organizations, supporting families, and helping people build confidence, connection, and belonging. Kelli believes the performing arts play an important role in helping young people discover their voice, develop leadership skills, and feel part of their community.
Hayley Bamford
Artistic Director
Hayley—better known around the CSOPA building as “Bam”—is a theatre technician with a love for set design, stage management, and all things backstage magic. A proud CSOPA alum, she’s thrilled to be back on the other side of the curtain, helping a new generation discover the joy of theatre. Fueled by her own favorite memories as a student, Hayley is passionate about sparking creativity and sharing the fun of the arts with today’s youth. When she’s not at CSOPA, you can usually spot her dashing between productions, hanging lights, designing sets, and collecting new splashes of paint on her shoes. Hayley can’t wait to welcome every student and help them feel at home here at CSOPA.
Andrea Miester
Administrative Assistant
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Instructors & Stage-Managers!
Natasha Pernell
Intermediate Devised, Senior Devised, Off Broadway, and Jumpstart Instructor
Natasha has been involved in performance work for 28 years and loves the challenge each year presents as a CSOPA instructor. She believes that one of the most important skills we can learn in life is how to present ourselves. Our body is one of our most incredible tools of communication and acting teaches us those skills that benefit us on stage and off.
Alexandra Baird
JR Musical Theatre A/B Director, MainStage Vocal Director
Alexandra is a recent graduate of Opera Performance from the University of British Columbia, where she studied with Kristina Szabo. At UBC Alexandra has been privileged to play the role of Dorabella in Cosi Fan Tutte and Cendrillon in Cendrillon.
Most recently, she performed in the Vancouver Opera Pub, hosted by City Opera Vancouver. Within the past four years, she has been a proud member of the UBC
University Singers and the Vancouver Youth Choir. She is so excited to be back with CSOPA for a second year of teaching the most amazing tiny performers!
Phay Moores
JR Devised Director
Phay (she/they) is an intimacy director/coordinator, theatre director, public speaker, and professional actor. We are so happy she has graced CSOPA with her amazing skills as a theatre instructor as well. After starting their training in 2016 with Intimacy Directors International, Phay has trained with organisations and mentors across Canada and North America, and helped in the creation of the National Society of Intimacy Professionals, sitting as co-chair from 2021-2023. They earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and English with honours from University of the Fraser Valley.Phay has supported productions all over the Lower Mainland as an intimacy professional in film, television, and theatre.
Shawna Lawson
Intermediate Stage Director
Shawna discovered a love for Theatre while attending the University of the Fraser Valley. On a whim, she decided to take an acting course as a fun elective and ended up switching one of her Majors to Theatre. She now has a double Major in Theatre and English, a Theatre diploma, a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Education. When not at CSOPA, Shawna is an Elementary School Teacher at Leary Integrated Arts and Technology, where she gets to use her Theatre degree every day! Shawna directed CSOPA’s MainStage productions of Cinderella and Descendants, but this year is switching gears and directing the Intermediate Stage program.
Ray McNeil
Senior Musical Theatre Director, Intermediate/Senior Devised Stage Manager, MainStage ASM
Every year we get to have Ray Mcneil teaching here at CSOPA is a joy! A former CSOPA student of over 12 years, Ray just can’t seem to escape us here. From keeping the studio afloat with odd jobs, crewing shows, building sets, and now directing. Ray has so much love for their second home here, and all the wonderful young artists in it.
Cameron McKerchar
Senior Stage Performance Director
Cameron is a theatre instructor at Imagine High Integrated Arts and Technology, as well as the school’s Indigenous Education Grad Coach. Happily wearing many hats, Cameron loves theatre and has been involved in theatre since his time at A.S.I.A. high school in Abbotsford and for over 10 years since. Cameron also performs frequently in the valley’s local theatres within Abbotsford, Kilby and Chilliwack. He has previously worked as an actor, stage manager, designer, operator and stage hand in over 30 productions! Cameron graduated from TRU with a bachelor of Education, and from UFV with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and History. Cameron hopes to bring his work ethic and sense of humor to CSOPA!
August Catalfamo
Intermediate Musical A - Instructor
August is only 16, but she has lived a million lives in her 11 years at CSOPA. From rehearsals after primary school, to joining Mainstage, to meeting her best friends… One thing is clear: She wouldn’t be who she is today without the music and dance that surrounds her.
Olyviah Doherty
Junior Stage - Instructor
Olyviah has been doing theatre for almost 14 years. This will be their seventh year with CSOPA as a student, and second year as a Stage Manager. Olyviah has been on stage basically their whole life, and they don’t plan on getting off it anytime soon.Type your paragraph here
Amelia Reimer
The First Act (Day Class) - Stage Manager
Amelia is 16 years old and has been involved with CSOPA for 9 years. She loves the environment, everyone at CSOPA, the fun everyone has, and even the hard work. In non-work/rehearsal time, she spends her time drawing, reading, and being a total goofball.
Jocelyn Dyck
Intermediate Musical A - Stage Manager
This is Jocelyn’s 11th year in CSOPA, fourth year in MainStage, and FIRST year stage managing! She hopes that everyone will enjoy her goofy energy. Jocelyn has always appreciated how she is able to express herself to the fullest onstage! When not at CSOPA, there’s a good chance Jocelyn is doing MORE theatre with her school!
Maya Ferris
Intermediate Stage - Stage - Manager
This is Maya’s second year as a stage manager, but she has been with CSOPA for 9 years now! When Maya is not preforming you can find her at home drinking coffee, watching movies, or yelling at her cat to get off her clean clothes. If she had one piece of advice to give it would be to try new things because you may find something you enjoy as much as Maya enjoys theatre.
Rei Celaj
Mainstage Assistant Choreographer
As a former student now staff of CSOPA my love started with dance. So as I continue to grow as a person I’m also so grateful to watch my students grow. I love music, dance, and of course theatre. I love being party of the CSOPA family.
Mason Scott
Mainstage / Senior Stage - Stage - Manager
Mason is a CSOPA alumni who cannot seem to escape this place. When not in the building, he can be found 100% completing several video games, listening to musicals, or having a nap with his incredibly temperamental ragdoll cat, Charlie. When IN the CSOPA building, he can be found stage managing, hiding rubber ducks around the studio, and helping Adi carry things that are too heavy.
Daphne taylor
Senior Musical - Stage-Manager
Daphne's been in csopa for 4 years and she loves it! She's been involved in music her whole life and couldn't imagine a world without it. Her recent productions include Something Rotten, Mean girls (highschool edition), Percy jackson the musical the wizard of Oz and Suessical. Daphne loves all aspects of theatre in CSOPA and is super excited to start working as the stage manager for the senior musical class. Although this is her first time stage managing she's already had the opportunity of being the assistant stage manager in Flat Stanley Jr and Somerhing Rotten Jr.
Quinn Olsen
Off-Broadway/The First Act - Stage-Manager
Quinn is so excited to be on the CSOPA team! She is a playful and passionate theater-lover. Besides theater, Quinn enjoys learning history and math, singing in chior and going on outdoor walks. She is a proud member of the Chilliwack community and shows that through volunteering throughout the city.
Jamie Davis
Intermediate Devised- Instructor
Jamie has been part of CSOPA for the past three years, gaining experience both on stage and behind the scenes through numerous backstage roles. He loves acting and is passionate about helping young performers build confidence while developing their acting skills. Known for being outgoing and funny, Jamie enjoys creating a positive, encouraging environment where everyone feels welcome. When he's not involved in theatre, he can usually be found going for drives with his best friend, blasting "white girl music," or listening to his favourite songs.
Zeplyhn Jarvis
Junior Stage - Stage-Manager
This is Zeplyhn’s first time stage managing, she has been in CSOPA for 3 years preforming in multiple shows, she’s very excited to be helping and working with kids! Zeplyhn is in grade 12 and loves doing theatre in school and can’t wait to show Zeplyhn’s skills this year.
Siena Magner
MainStage Choreographer
Siena Magner is a dance and circus instructor in the Fraser Valley, who is thrilled to be choreographing this year’s production of Suessical! Siena grew up with a love for all things involving acting, singing and dancing, and played Mr. Mayor in a production of Suessical Jr. in 2013. Through stage management and assistant teaching roles they fulfilled through their youth, Siena learned they loved to be behind the curtain even more than being on the stage, and is now proud to get to choreograph for a team of such hard-working, talented students as the Mainstage program teaches.
Board of Directors
katie Sallenbach
Board Chair
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Stacey Janzen
Vice Chair
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Sonja Dyck
Secretary
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Matt Ferris
treasurer
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Ron Plowright
Board Member
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Kerri Ardell
Board Member
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Kim Reimer
Board Member
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Evan Brubaker
Board Member
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Willow
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