Marya Folinsbee is a clown, actor, playwright, and teaching artist from Edmonton/Amiskwaciy Waskahikan, who now lives in the Slocan Valley/Sinixt Territory, in the West Kootenay.

Folinsbee was the 2023 recipient of the Nelson and District Arts Council shared Residency. She was fully welcomed back for a second private Residency in spring of 2024.

Marya studied theatre at the Victoria School of the Arts and McMaster University, and independently with artists including David Diamond (Theatre for Living), Jon Davison (London Clown School), Deanna Fleysher (Don’t Call it Clown), and others. Writing credits include “In Transit” (Nextfest 2001); “Be/Longing” (2018, co-written with Martina Avis); and “Domesticated Disputes (2020). Select acting credits include Peter in Peter Pan; Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Moon in The Real Inspector Hound; Le Geographe and Le Renard in Le Petit Prince; and Constance Ledbelly in Goodnight Desdemona (Goodmorning Juliet).

Marya facilitates clown and theatre workshops for all ages, and is currently writing and devising two new works - PLAY! and The Mosquitos.

Material Theatre is a collaboration between Marya Folinsbee and Martina Avis and is an emergent rural theatre company on Sinixt Territiry, the Slocan Valley, in Southern British Columbia. They create and self-produce both original and exisiting work, as well as faciliating community theatre.