This event features content that is for adults, featuring flashing lights, blood, crude language, and one act specifically features eating disorders. Please contact us at info@skirtsafire.com for more information.

Rebecca Merkley

Rebecca Merkley is a multifaceted theatre artist whose work has earned her 4 Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award Nominations for Outstanding Fringe Production, “The Unsyncables,” Best Fringe New Work, “Rivercity the Musical,” Best Fringe New Work and Outstanding Dramatic Performance by an Actor, “5 South.” She writes, composes, directs, produces and performs her own work, which is played to sold-out audiences throughout Alberta. She is the first recipient of the Gerald Osborn Playwriting Award. Recent performing credits include: “Jesus Teaches Us Things” (Edmonton Fringe/Play the Fool), “The Key of Me” (Skirtsafire), “Springboard Cabaret” and “Unsung” (Workshop West), “Romeo & Juliet 2 Show Day” (The Foxden Collective), “Thorgy and the Thorchestra” (Winspear Centre), “Klondykes” (Guys in Disguise/Theatre Network), “Slight of Mind” (Theatre Yes/Citadel Theatre), “5 South” (Dammitammy Productions) and “4Play” (Catalyst Theatre). Her compositions can be found in the sound design for “Pisces,” a new documentary by Darrin Hagen (Theatre Network). She is currently writing a new musical that will debut this summer! www.dammitammy.com

Photo by BB Collective

Emma Ryan

Meet your new life coach, ED. He is determined to get your life back on track. Though his skills are intense and may question your ethics, there is nothing ED will not do to help you get in complete control of your life.
Meet ED and get to know him. You may learn a thing or two.

Emma Ryan (she/her) is an actor, choreographer, and director currently based in Treaty 6 Territory. She is a recent graduate of the BFA Acting program at the University of Alberta. Her goal as an artist is to open conversations and destroy stigmas that have been set and have narrowed our greater understanding.

Select Theatre Credits: Rachel Corrie in My Name Is Rachel Corrie (Two Kids In A Trench Coat Collective), Shabby in Rochdale, Evil Tina in She Kills Monsters, Princess of France in Love’s Labour’s Lost in Translation (Studio Theatre), Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (University of Alberta), Freewill Shakespeare Puppet Shows ~ Hamlet and Comedy of Errors (Thou Art Here), A Christmas Carol (Citadel Theatre).

Film/TV: Please Hold (dir. Cooper & O’Hara), Markings of Murder (dir. Jarvis Greiner, in post-production)

Photography by Cortney Schroter
Design by Emma Ryan

TeddyBEAR

Lauren Brady is a multidisciplinary artist born in Calgary, Alberta, on Treaty 7 territory. Lauren began her artistic journey training in various dance styles at age 3. In 2021 she graduated from the BFA in Acting program with distinction at the University of Alberta and entered the Edmonton and Calgary arts community. Lauren is currently still training through One Yellow Rabbits, Beautiful Young Artists program with Denise Clark. Selected performance credits include: She sat down and wept (One Yellow Rabbit), The Comedy of Errors (Theatre Calgary), Imperfect Symmetry (Jupiter Theatre), The Birds, Dracula, The Secret In The Wings (Studio Theatre)

As a creator Lauren is known for her combination of clown and contemporary dance. She began her creative journey at the University of Alberta, training with Jan Henderson and Michael Kennard. Lauren has developed her process through research, online workshops, self-created work, and mentorship from Michael Kennard. Since graduating Lauren has created dance clown works in festivals across Alberta including, The Nextfest Festival, Fluid Festival, The Common Clown festival. In 2021 she received a Canada Council Grant and created “interWEBBED,” a sci-fi clown thriller that premiered at Nextfest this past June. Lauren recently came from One North Clown & Creation, where she studied with John Turner. Selected creation credits: InterWEBBED (Nextfest Festival), MediaTAKEover (Common Clown Cabaret), do NOT disturb (Play the Fool Film Festival), LOST IN CONNECTION (Fluid Fest), BREAKing up (Nextfest Online Festival).

Bat Rabbit Collective
The Radical Re-education of a Digital Generation, Internet Hygiene, and Being AFK

Follow Ily through a multi-media neo-bouffon monologue examining the hellscape of the online world, internet hygiene and her online persona. Is the internet bad for you? Maybe. Ily has a lot of questions, and not a lot of answers. Let’s uncover the truth together…

Bat Rabbit is a collective based on Treaty 6 territory created by emerging artists Dayna Lea Hoffmann and Abby McDougall: two University of Alberta BFA graduates. Together, they have been collaborating on clown-focused theatre and film for the last two years. Their focus as a collective is to explore clown, comedy, and gender.

Abby McDougall (she/her) is an Alberta-based actor/artist and recent graduate of the University of Alberta BFA Acting program. Abby is originally from Treaty 7 territory, also known as Calgary, Alberta. She currently works and lives in Amiskwaciy Waskahikan, on Treaty 6 territory, also known as Edmonton, Alberta. Abby’s focus above all else is to create honest, inclusive, relatable art that can connect people and invite them to reflect on themselves. Her recent theatre credits include: Love’s Labour’s Lost, She Kills Monsters, Rochdale (Studio Theatre), Puppet Pub Crawl (Found Festival), and The Merry Wives of Windsor (Theatre Calgary).

Dayna Lea Hoffmann is a multidisciplinary artist with a focus on directing, acting and clown. Recent acting credits include Midsummer Night’s Dream, Measure for Measure (Freewill Shakespeare), God of Carnage, She Kills Monsters, Rochdale (Studio Theatre), Hamlet in Isolation (Thou Art Here), The Man Who Fell to Pieces (Fairly Odd Productions), Jerusalem (United Players of Vancouver). Upcoming acting credits include All The Little Animals I Have Eaten (Shadow Theatre), 100 Words For Snow (Northern Lights Theatre). Dayna identifies as a mixed-race settler from the unceded territories of the Coast Sal ish people and would like to acknowledge that she is currently living and working on stolen land in Treaty 6 Territory.

Photo Credits: Abby McDougall (pictured), Photographer (Shaughnessy O’Brien), Editor (Dayna Lea Hoffmann)

Marie Carrillos Avalos

Marie is a performing artist and technician who has trained at the University of Calgary, Playhouse North (Calgary) and the Annoyance Theatre (Chicago). She has since worked in Calgary and Edmonton doing improv and theatre (Selected credits with: Grindstone Theatre, Malachite Theatre, The Kinkonauts, Fire Exit Theatre, Shakespeare by the Bow/Theatre Calgary).

Wee Witches
Allergic to Water

Melusina, the oldest daughter, of an oldest daughter, of an oldest daughter, is on trial.
Her crime? Possessing a body that cannot be believed.
A story of intergenerational bathtubs, a mysterious chronic illness, and a barista with a top-secret brew, performed with the musical accompaniment of an extremely talented albatross.

Created and performed by Jacqueline Russell
Composed and performed by Jeremy Gignoux
Directed by Christine Lesiak

Jeremy Gignoux – Musician/Composer

Jeremy Gignoux (he/him) is ever oscillating between calling himself a violinist or a fiddler. Playing within those lines, he has developed an original sound and technique, thriving as well in the chaos of improvisation as in the structure of composition. Originally from France, he studied musical writing techniques at the Université de Montréal, and is now based in Calgary (Mohkinstsis), where he leads a small ensemble. His album Cinacoustic features his compositions for the ensemble. From wondrous ballads to whirling waltz, dark pieces to humorous ones, the album takes the listener on an ever-evolving musical journey. Jeremy has enjoyed collaborating in the performing arts, including two Decidedly Jazz Danceworks productions by Kimberley Cooper, under the musical directions of William Parker and Nick Fraser, and a musical with Rosebud Theatre. In 2017, he was the composer and sole musician for Catherine Hayward’s piece in Dancer’s Studio West’s Metamorphosis. As a musical improviser Jeremy is very curious about the world of clown.

Jacqueline Russell – Performer/Creator

Jacqueline (she/her) is a director, performer, creator and clown based in Mohkínstsis/Calgary on Treaty Seven territory. She specializes in clown, mask, immersive theatre creation and theatre for young audiences. Jacqueline was the Artistic Producer of Handsome Alice (formerly Urban Curvz) Theatre from 2011-2015, the 2013-14 RBC Emerging Director at Lunchbox Theatre and the Artistic Producer for Evergreen Theatre from 2008-2013. She has directed for Evergreen Theatre, Calgary Opera, The Shakespeare Company, New West Theatre, Lunchbox Theatre, Urban Curvz, Keyano College, Calgary Young People’s Theatre, the University of Calgary and Inside Out Theatre. As a performer/creator she has contributed to many new works, including her feminist sketch comedy show Raunch (with co-creator Alice Nelson) which was held over at the Edmonton International Fringe Festival in 2009 and appeared at Fem Fest (Sarasvati Productions) in 2010 and Magnetic North in 2012. With her co-conspirator Jed Tomlinson she has created and toured two full-length clown shows, The Sama Kutra & Hushabye, to festivals across the country. She was an artist-in-residence at the Manitoulin Conservatory for Creation and Performance from 2014 -2016. Jacqueline is a graduate of the BFA program in Acting at the University of Alberta and recently completed her MFA at the University of Calgary where her thesis research examined the intersection of clown ways of knowing and feminist ways of thinking. In February 2021 she performed as part of an international lineup of female clowns for the online Red Pearl Festival in Helsinki. Jacqueline currently teaches for the School of Creative and Performing Arts at the University of Calgary, Ambrose University, and Inside Out Theatre.

Cupid’s Heart

A new queer Regina, SK duo is delivering a pleasing combination of cello and electric guitar amidst low textured female vocals. Bringing a considerable amount of energy to the table, Cupid’s Heart plays with a full feel more common to large groups, and weaves together an atmosphere which is at once both hypnotic and energizing. Loosely categorized as alternative rock, the band released their first single, Juliet, on October 7th 2022; described as “Chrissie Hynde Pretenders vibes with a pinch of Nirvana” by Scott Roos of North Sask Music Zine. Cupid’s Heart is inspired by artists such as Metric, Tegan and Sara, Santigold, and Radiohead. The band is anticipating the release of an additional single from their debut EP early 2023.

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