Team
Meet the team behind Hey Thanks!
Co-Founder & Artistic Director
Kate Stamoulis
Kate is an Edinburgh-based Director and Theatre Maker, interested in creating new and inventive work and fostering a sense of collective collaboration. She is interested in devised, ensemble-driven theatre, new writing, and reinventing classics for modern audiences. Kate is currently pursuing her MFA in Theatre Directing at Edinburgh Napier University and is due to complete her degree in August 2024. She is one half of Hey Thanks! Theatre Collective.
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See more of Kate's work on her site!
Co-Founder & Artistic Director
Maria Goikhberg
Maria is a London-based freelance writer and creative producer who loves working with themes of queer identity, folklore, and home. She’s interested in ensemble-driven work and new writing. She is the other half of Hey Thanks! Theatre Collective.
ARTISTS WE WORK WITH
Here at Hey Thanks! we're all about collaborating with other artists to produce new and exfiting work. Check out these super talented creatives and their work below!
Playwright
Emery Schaffer
Emery Schaffer is a playwright and screenwriter based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Her work explores topics of womanhood, childhood, religion/spirituality, and dysfunctional families. She also has an affinity for creating works of historical fiction through a feminist lens. Credits include A My Name Is Allison (The Tank, NYC), Becky Knows What Sex Is (Brunch Theatre, NYC), I Hope It All Burns (The Byre Theatre, St Andrews), Rachel (Page2Stage, Edinburgh), and We Used To Be Girl Scouts (2024 Edinburgh Fringe Festival). Her short play 80 Percent was a 2019 Long Island City One Act Festival semifinalist as well as the 2022 Theatre, Lime, and Salt Audience Choice award and Critics Choice runner-up. Emery was top 35 for the 2024 Bitter Pill New Writing Award (UK) and longlisted for the 2024 David MacLennan Award with A Play, A Pie, and A Pint (Scotland, UK). She also runs The Weekly Write, a workshop dedicated to empowering writers throughout their creative processes. BFA: NYU Tisch School of the Arts Experimental Theatre Wing. MFA: University of St Andrews.
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Check out her website here
Actor
Hannah-Mae Engstrom
Hannah-Mae (She/Her) is an American actor, singer, dancer currently based in Edinburgh, Scotland. She is working on her master's degree in Acting for the Stage and Screen at Edinburgh Napier University. Hannah-Mae’s training includes a bachelor's degree in Music Theatre Performance from Carthage College in Wisconsin, USA. Hannah-Mae’s most recent credits include Fiancé (The Christmas Carol), Martha (Heather’s), The Robber Girl (The Snow Queen), Featured Dancer (Elf the Musical), and more. Hannah-Mae is the merchandise designer for Hey Thanks! Theatre Collective as well as the PR contact!
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Check out her website here
Director
Rebecca Donley
Becca (she/her) has been a friend of Hey Thanks for almost a year now! She directed the second installment of Kitchen Underwear at Brighton Fringe and London and was also the light and sound technician. Becca wears a lot of hats and enjoys in every aspect of theatre including as a director, actor, designer, stage manager, set carpenter, and seamstress. She is originally from Saint Paul, Minnesota but is now based in Edinburgh, Scotland to pursue a master's degree in Directing at Edinburgh Napier University. Becca's very excited to keep assisting the creative genius that is Hey Thanks!
Actor/Playwright
Trystan Youngjohn
Trystan (she/they) is an actor, writer, and dancer currently based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Originally from the Arizona desert, Trystan is a HUGE fan of the Scottish weather. Possibly the most eclectic member of our team, Trystan completed their undergrad in Psychology at Arizona State University, their masters in Global Health and Public Policy at the University of Edinburgh, and eventually went on to work as a teacher in Thailand, Virginia, and Arizona. She is currently a postgraduate student at Edinburgh Napier University, where she is thrilled to be working on their MFA in Acting for Stage and Screen.
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Check out their website here
Actor
Samuela Noumtchuet
Samuela Noumtchuet is an Actor and Creative with a passion for inclusive storytelling. Her creative pursuits have taken her on stage and behind the scenes, working in theatre, animation, and television. A graduate of Boston College with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre, Samuela is currently a postgraduate at Edinburgh Napier University, completing an MFA in Acting for Stage & Screen.
Acting credits include The Cherry Orchard, Stop Kiss, Big Love, and The Tempest. Writing credits include Two Face, produced by Speakeasy Stage Company for the 2017 Boston Theater Marathon.
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Check out her website here