Amanda haggett

she/her

Amanda is a queer theatre artist, storyteller, and coffee enthusiast who holds a BFA in Acting from TWU (2015–2020). She didn’t come out until after leaving Trinity, but this project has given her the gift of building a quirky little queer community with people she adores, and telling their stories the way they were meant to be told. It’s been a labour of love, a space for healing, and a chance to share part of her own story with her amazing fiancée, Tiff. When it comes to faith, she’s still figuring things out. Deconstruction was terrifying, but in the uncertainty, she found clarity about how she wants to show up in the world: with love. And if Cher, Steve Winwood, and The Beatles are to be believed, that’s really all you need. A lifelong fan of baseball hats and playground swings, Amanda is also an amateur plant parent, a multifaceted creative, and someone who somehow failed to get Taylor Swift tickets despite 34 attempts. Her drag name is Brewella DeThrill.

ben buckingham

he/him

Ben is a gay man, a storyteller, a lawyer, and a dad to three precocious and adorable girls who keep him on his toes every minute of every day - just the way he likes it. He earned his BA in Theatre from TWU (2009-2013), graduating on the cusp of the creation of One TWU. Like many Queer people, Ben came out later in life, and Gay on God’s Campus has given him the space to explore and reconcile all the fractured pieces that make up who he is. He is in awe of the brave folks who paved the ground this show was built upon, allowing him to become his true self in his own time. Ben will be forever grateful for this cast for helping him to continue to grow and learn about himself with vulnerability. When not in dad mode or lawyer mode, you'll find Ben playing nerdy games and following women's basketball and women's tennis (according to Ben, women's sports are objectively better). His faith? It’s complicated. His drag name? Dida Cryme.

braedon grover sunnes

he/him

Braedon is a theatre artist living in Vancouver, BC. He identifies as queer and as a Nontheist Quaker. Braedon attended TWU from 2018 to 2022 and received a BFA in Acting through the SAMC Theatre program, which no longer exists. Gay On God's Campus sits at the heart of his experience through TWU and the church as it comes to his relationships with others. In his third year of university, Braedon wrote The Den-Aisle, inspired by the relationship between a queer person and a non-affirming friend, while currently he is working on a script exploring the masks one has to wear when unsure of their sexuality in the settings of organized and non-affirming religion, toxic masculinity, and online echo chambers. Gay on God's Campus, as you might guess, falls into Braedon's topics of interest. Not only are the experiences and stories those of dear friends, but they are deeply important as he seeks out peace and equality in a time of hate and fear. Braedon’s drag name is Daddy Long Legs.

Carter sawatzky

they/them

Carter is (probably) the tallest queer nonbinary person you know. An agnostic and aspiring mystic, they hold a BA Honours in English Literature with a minor in Gender Studies from TWU, where they attended from 2018–2023. They were a co-leader and communications director of One TWU while at the university, and they continue to care deeply about the wellbeing of LGBTQ+ students in religious spaces. As a student journalist, their reporting on queer issues, censorship, and the theatre department’s closure, won awards and gained national media attention when TWU banned One TWU’s Stories Night. Now in East Vancouver, they’re finishing an MA at UBC, blending their eyeshadow, and staying on top of reality TV—a full-time job in itself. Gay on God's Campus has been everything: a space to process, create, laugh, and witness the art and community that can be created by semi-outsiders of an institution they once called home. Support Christian-ish-adjacent gay art! Their drag name is Coco Swarovski.

emm hanly

she/her

Emm is a queer trans woman who studied theatre at TWU (2015-2020), graduating with a BFA in Acting. While never publicly out at Trinity Western, since leaving the university (and Christianity) she's had the space to comfortably begin exploring her sexuality and gender. At the time of production, she's been taking HRT for 9 months, and working with this group of queer friends to create something out of their shared experiences has been wonderful. An artist in many forms, she is a vocalist and guitarist for Vancouver-based post-punk queercore band Rougaroux, as well as a Storyteller and Operations Manager for Forbidden Vancouver, leading the Lost Souls of Gastown and Sinners & Sweets historical walking tours. While she doesn't necessarily have a drag name at this point in her transition, she's currently testing out a potential full name change to "Marina". For now, this name can be used interchangeably with Emm.

liz squires

she/her

Liz is a queer marketing and operations queen who studied Theatre and Communications at TWU (2010-2014) and is ecstatic to be back in the theatre. A wearer of many hats, she is the Managing Director of One TWU, where she has a front-row seat to the next generation of queer change-makers—a role that feels especially meaningful as the mother of Gen Z teens figuring out their own identities and voices. She loves Jesus, she loves people, and anything more complicated than that is just a distraction from the point. This project has been deeply healing, giving space and voice to the parts of her that were once scared to speak, and the little community that has formed around it feels like family. When she’s not working a million different jobs, you’ll find her reading spicy books, cozy gaming, making spreadsheets for fun, and watching trash reality TV with her partner-in-queer-chaos, Matt. Her drag name is Scarlett Blo-Hansson.

matthew wigmore

he/him

Matthew is a gay strategist, advocate, creative and new uncle. He holds a BA in Theatre with a minor in Gender Studies from TWU (2012–2016), where he came out during the school’s infamous fight to open a law school. He is a survivor of Exodus International’s conversion therapy program and the co-founder of One TWU, continuing to shape its development a decade later. His faith? “Tell me what your definition of Christianity is, and I’ll tell you whether I am one or not.” He later earned a Master’s degree in Gender and Social Policy from the London School of Economics, working across government, non-profits, and strategic communications. A first and long-awaited toe-dip back into theatre, this project is both deeply personal and a collective story—one of pain, love, and a community that remains family, even after the theatre program was malevolently shut down. The process has been therapeutic and healing, and he couldn't imagine a better way to return to theatre. His drag name is Jean Bidet Ramsey.

tiffany kanda

she/her

Tiffany is a queer theatre artist, sun-seeker, and storyteller who holds a BA in Theatre with a minor in Business from TWU (2012–2016). She didn’t come out until after leaving TWU, but when Angela first shared the concept of a show about faith and sexuality, she secretly hoped she’d one day be part of it—once she had things figured out. Turns out, she did just in time. This project has pushed her in many ways, from returning to writing and acting after years away, to deepening her connection with the incredible queer alumni community she’s found. The theatre program gave her four years of collaboration with Angela, and it’s been a joy to create together again. And, of course, she’ll always say yes to a project that lets her work with the love of her life, Amanda. Her relationship with faith is an ongoing journey she now meets with curiosity rather than certainty, though one belief remains unchanged: love is the greatest thing we can do for ourselves and others. Her drag name is Expressa Kicks.

angela konrad

she/her

Angela Konrad is a theatre geek, cycle tour enthusiast, and aspiring pacifist who started teaching theatre at Trinity Western University before most of the cast was born. Working at TWU had its ups and downs, but the best part was walking alongside beautiful young people as they figured out who they are and who they are meant to be. Many of those former students were queer (whether they were out or not) and many of them remain among her closest friends. After more than three decades at TWU, the closure of the Theatre Department felt like the cruelest of cuts and the death of an intimate friend, and the grieving process is ongoing. The opportunity to hang out and create with the incredible humans of Gay on God’s Campus, people she only knows because of TWU, has made it all seem worthwhile. With respect to faith, she finds the core teachings of Jesus deeply compelling and those who most vehemently claim to be Christian deeply offensive. Her drag name would be Angelina Evangelista.

dimitri shields

he/him

Dimitri is an asexual gay agender man and a professional theatre technician and stage manager working in Vancouver and the broader Lower Mainland. He studied Theatre at TWU from 2016 to 2019, earning his degree before he was even out to himself. He later returned to teach as a closeted professor, and now, fully out, he sees this project as a capstone to his entire Trinity experience. Campus life may have changed, but queer students still exist, and the impact of the institution remains. Preserving queer voices is essential, and he’s grateful to be part of that work. Outside of theatre, he’s built his own small printing press to make patches for his five jean jackets, and he believes dull kitchen knives are a crime. His drag name is KD Langley.