Art is a necessity.

With a voice that has been called “undeniably fantastic”, Rachel DeShon was the winner of Marvin Hamlisch’s ‘Search for a Star’ competition with the Seattle Symphony and was a guest artist on his national tour. Rachel is at home with symphonies, opera houses, theatre productions and even circus tents. Rachel has proven herself to be an extremely versatile performer and strives to use her voice in exciting and dynamic ways.

Rachel has shared the stage with acclaimed artists including Joan Baez, Ann Wilson, Thelma Houston, Martha Davis, Norman Durkee, Lilianne Montevecchi, and Frank Ferrante. She has appeared as a guest artist with the Seattle Symphony Pops, Boston Pops, Pittsburgh Symphony Pops, the 5th Avenue Theatre, Teatro ZinZanni, North Carolina Symphony Orchestra, and at Singapore’s Esplanade Concert Hall, among many others.

A dynamic and adventurous artist, Rachel continues to explore innovative performance work. She is currently reimagining Emmy Award-winning composer Tim Noah’s music for ‘Anything is Possible!’, a live, interactive musical experience designed to inspire audiences of all ages to trust their intuition and pursue their dreams.

Rachel has been awarded numerous grants and artistic residencies and is beyond thankful for the support she has received from the Canada Council of the Arts, Banff Center of the Arts and Creativity, BC Arts Council, ArtStarts, Kootenay Regional Arts Council (CKCA), Columbia Basin Trust, City of Nelson, Nelson United Church, Nelson’s Civic Theatre, and The Narrow’s Artist Retreat.

Rachel is a BFA cum laude graduate of Western Illinois University. She has also served in various capacities as teacher, arts administrator, producer, and director of non-profits and post-secondary educational institutions.

Lindsay Clague is a multi-faceted theatre artist who is equally at home as a performer and a director. Lindsay first stepped onto a stage as a young girl, and thus began a lifelong love affair with the performing arts. Creating and performing, seeking and developing community wherever she finds herself, is paramount.

Lindsay was part of the Vancouver Youth Theatre for many years, trained as a dancer in Canada and New York, and graduated from the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre in New York City. There she started a production company with a group of like-minded friends called Toolbox Productions, creating and producing several unique plays. Upon returning to Vancouver, Lindsay worked as an actor and dancer in both theatre and film/tv. Moving to Nelson, and while doing the important work of raising three daughters, Lindsay has continued to work as a performer, choreographer and director. She has also worked as a guest artist, taught performance skills and led youth theatre programs. Lindsay is a fierce advocate for her community, serving as a board member and chair for various community and arts organizations.

The desire to collaborate, share stories and bring people together drives Lindsay. Currently, Lindsay is developing two projects: The Conversation, a multidisciplinary theatre piece based on conversations on life, art and politics between Lindsay and her father, Michael Clague; Mapping Time, a collaborative dance/theatre exploration of women's complex relationships with their bodies; and co-directing "I Ain't Dead Yet" for Pat Henman.