Baz has been in love with York since his university days studying the 'Film, Television, Theatre and Literature' BA (HONS) under-graduate degree at York St. John University (then known as the University College of Ripon and York St. John), and after 22 years in London now lives in York with his partner and their three rabbits.

He is passionate about the creative arts and their ability to transform lives and our understanding of our cultures and each other. He believes everyone should have access to creativity and live performance, and that access to creativity in the community is a very powerful way to promote inclusion, integration and understanding.

Baz established his production company 'SharpStick Productions' to create original writing, film-making and theatrical productions, while also promoting youth involvement in the creative arts. Baz has directed and facilitated several film and theatre projects in York and London, involving amongst others, young homeless people, young people in the Care system, and young people with additional needs.

Director of the York Walls Festival since 2021, Baz has collaborated with York-based actors and creatives, and partnered with City of York Council, York Mansion House, The Battlefields Trust, The Sheriff's Army and The Walls Museum, Nanjing, China on festival events and exhibitions.

Baz was longlisted for the 'Shakespeare Shorts' short film competition, run by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and judged by Kenneth Branagh. His film 'The Scandal of Retire', an extract from Shakespeare's 'King Henry VII Part 3' premiered at the York International Shakespeare Festival.

He is incredibly excited to be collaborating with his dear friend Kristen Sandstrom on this international co-production, which marks the beginning of an incredible trans-Atlantic adventure, promoting the exchange of culture, art and ideas, and friendship, while challenging both audiences and The Company to create theatre with the capacity to change minds and perhaps lives too. Baz can't wait to visit the U.S. for the next part of the 'Ye Wretched Strangers' journey!

Baz is co-directing the The York Mansion House special event this November alongside Kristen Sandstrom, and has written three of the original stories.

Kristen first performed as Lady Montague in a fifth grade production of "Romeo & Juliet." While she didn't necessarily catch the theatre bug until much later in life, she did discover her love for literature and specifically Shakespeare.

Kristen lives and works at a small independent bookstore, Apostle Islands Booksellers, in Bayfield, Wisconsin on Lake Superior. She is surrounded by books most days and spends what spare time she can find writing her own stories.

It was around 2011 when Kristen dove back into the world of theatre performing in a variety of productions at StageNorth Theatre in Washburn, Wisconsin. This was also when Kristen discovered the power of theatre arts and how art can educate, provoke, and heal. Some of the roles Kristen is most proud of are; Squealer in Orwell's "Animal Farm," Miep Geis in "The Diary of Anne Frank," and Helen in Neil Labute's "Fat Pig."

In recent years, Kristen has found true joy in directing. She has produced and directed "The Vagina Monologues," "Life in the Theatre," "The Cherry Orchard," and "Merchant of Venice." among others.

Kristen is co-directing The York Mansion House special event this November alongside Baz Jones, has co-written three stories, and will perform one.

Michael Laughing Fox Charette is a gifted Native American storyteller, poet, and member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (located in Northern Wisconsin). As a self-taught Native flute player he enhances his stories with hauntingly beautiful flute and drum performance. Growing up surrounded by the beauty of Lake Superior and the woods led him to dedicate his gifts as an artist to gently teaching about Native history, culture, and spirituality.

His work as both a visual and performance artist is varied and tied together by the traditional wisdom of the Anishnaabe people, which is respectfully incorporated into his work. Michael captivates audiences with his authentic, relaxed style.

Michael is co-writing and performing two stories and will will provide music at The York Mansion House special event this November.

Marissa Fish was first introduced to theater through her mother. She was first on stage when she was eleven, in a community theater production of “The Night Before Christmas” because her mother roped her into it. She proceeded to spend time in that community theater watching her mom direct plays and became intrigued. (Side note: The first boy she ever kissed was a 13 year old her mom cast in “Paint Your Wagon.”) She was in drama for a couple years in high school but never really enjoyed and gave it up because the plays were always musicals, and singing is not on the list of things that Marissa can do.

She found theater again in her thirties and has been in “Hamlet”, “Much Ado About Nothing”, “The Diary of Anne Frank”, “Love, Loss, and What I Wore”, “The Vagina Monologues”, “Vermillion”, and “Gravitational Anarchy”, a short play she co-wrote with her friend Nick Nelson.

Marissa is a Master Electrician, has degrees in Geology and Writing, and loves living on Madeline Island with her witty partner, Troy, a very old dog, a fairly old cat, three chickens, and four entertaining ducks.

Marissa is co-writing and performing one story at The York Mansion House special event this November.

Chris is an accomplished stage and television actor, who has appeared alongside Imelda Staunton, Conleth Hill, Freddie Jones, Bernard Hill and Sheridan Smith amongst other high profile British actors. Chris studied at York St. John University (then known as the University College of Ripon and York St. John) in the late 90s, and it was there he met 'Ye Wretched Strangers' founders Baz Jones and Kristen Sandstrom.

Baz and Chris were enrolled on the 'Film, Television, Theatre and Literature' BA (HONS) under-graduate degree, making several short films together during the three-year course, culminating in Baz directing Chris in a production of Caryl Churchill's 'Mad Forest'.

While at university Chris appeared at York Theatre Royal and on stage at The Edinburgh Fringe. Chris completed his training at The Poor School in London, and has performed at The Old Vic theatre alongside regular UK television appearances.

Chris currently lives with his family in West Yorkshire, and is a frequent returning visitor to York, including collaborating with Baz on a special site-specific filming project of Shakespeare's 'King Richard III' for the York Walls Festival, with Chris performing as The Bard's most famous villain.

Chris is also a writer of short stories and plays, and was shortlisted for the Liverpool Hope Playwriting Prize.

Chris will be performing two stories at The York Mansion House special event this November.

Brie Roland is an actor, woods witch & cook living in Bayfield, WI with her partner Dustin and their two very fluffy cats, Max and Sadie. Growing up in the Twin Cities, Brie began acting at a very young age. She nearly chose to study theater at NYU but decided instead to study the world and human experience and received her degree in Peace, Conflict, & Global Studies, Writing, and Gender & Women’s Studies at Northland College where she also started The Fourth Wall theater company and directed her first play, You Can’t Take it With You.

She remained involved in community theater when she moved to Bayfield, this time playing the aspiring ballet dancer, Essie, in another production of the Moss & Hart play at StageNorth. She moved back to Minneapolis and joined Theatre Coup d'Etat, playing roles such as Lady Capulet in Romeo and Juliet, Horatio in Hamlet (winner of Ivey Award for Direction) and Christine in Strindberg’s Miss Julie (winner of Lavender Magazine’s Best Classical Supporting Actress).

Brie is excited to rekindle the flame of her art with this inaugural Wretched Strangers project. She truly believes in the magically transformative, connecting, and cathartic powers of storytelling and theatre.

Brie will be performing one story at The York Mansion House special event this November.

Emma originally hails from West Yorkshire where she cut her teeth in community theatre before co-establishing a theatre company where she wrote and directed her own and others’ material.

An insatiable and talented chameleon, Emma ventured into screen projects, from acting and producing music videos to writing and directing for short films.

Emma produced the short film ‘Gene’, which won the ‘British Invasion’ category at Spooky Empire Film Festival in the US. She also played the lead character and penned the original story the film is developed from.

Independent production has always been a contender for Emma’s passion and energy. In most recent years she co-created and executive produced a period drama, also played the title role of ‘Clara’ Clarkson. Based on the true story of a woman forgotten by history who leant her fortune and status to the fight for Abolition and much more in 1850s Yorkshire.

Emma also created and directed an anthology of short films of three further women who contributed heavily to the rise in support of the Anti-Slavery movement and Universal Suffrage. ‘The Abolitionists’ tells the stories of Ann Hurst, Elizabeth Dawson and Sarah Parker Remond. The project contributed to these remarkable icons of their time achieving Blue Plaque status in Wakefield, Yorkshire.

Since moving to the York area Emma has been active in engaging with local artists, performers and organisations.

Emma and Baz work together as creative arts tutors for Movie-Makers, a film school for young people in Yorkshire, run by Baz.

In addition to acting, Emma experiments with creative writing in its many forms and is a published playwright.

She lives in a village just outside of York with her partner, and cat ‘Hoover’

Robin is a highly-talented and experienced musician, having played with many bands and groups within the UK and overseas. Robin and Baz have known each other since school days, and Robin has scored and performed the soundtrack for several of Baz's short films, including the 'Shakespeare Shorts' longlisted 'The Scandal of Retire'. Robin was bassist and co-song writer in the band 'Safehaus' who toured the UK, Italy and France.

An accomplished lead, rhythm and base guitarist, Robin also plays the violin along with several other instruments.

Julie Stryker has been involved with theater productions in the Chequamegon Bay Area on Lake Superior, for 30 years. She lives on Madeline Island, Wisconsin and has been artistic director/co founder of the Positivity Children’s Theatre since 1994. Positivity produces only original plays, many of which are written by local playwrights or the children themselves.

Julie has also been involved in many productions at StageNorth in Washburn, Wisconsin as both actor, director, teacher, puppeteer, and stage manager. Her credits include “Animal Farm” (actor and puppeteer), “Much Ado About Nothing”, “As You Like it” and “Julius Caesar” (actor), “Vagina Monologues” and “Love, Loss and What I Wore” (actor), “Vermillion” an original play by Howard Dallin (actor), “The Cherry Orchard” (stage manager), “Merchant of Venice” (stage manager), and “Tea” an original play by John Manno (Director).

Julie and Kristen Sandstrom have worked together on many shows over the years. The concept of bringing the history of the Chequamegon Bay to York excites Julie, and she believes connecting to our European neighbors and ancestors, through the Indigenous people and women of our area, is extremely important.

Julie will be serving as stage manager at The York Mansion House special event this November .