The Ugly Duchess

Janet Munsil

Playwright

Janet is the playwright of more than a dozen plays and the former producer/artistic director of Intrepid Theatre in Victoria from 1992–2016. Her plays have been produced internationally by theatres including ATP, Tarragon, Touchstone, The West Yorkshire Playhouse, The Citizen’s (Glasgow), The Arts Club Stanley Theatre, Persephone, and the Soho Theatre in London’s West End. Her play “That Elusive Spark” was a finalist for the 2014 Governor General’s Literary Awards. Her adaptation of “Pride and Prejudice,” commissioned and co-produced in 2012 by Theatre Calgary and the National Arts Centre, has been seen worldwide. She is currently adapting her recent play “Attaboy!” for television, and working on a new play, “Beyond Repair,” commissioned by the Belfry Theatre in Victoria. Munsil teaches playwriting at UVIC as a sessional instructor, and is the Instigator of the Canadian Play Thing (plaything.ca), which she operates from her home on Lekwungen territory/Victoria BC.

janetmunsil.com

Trevor Schmidt

Director, Set & Costumes

Trevor is the Artistic Director of Northern Light Theatre as well as a performer, designer of set and costume, a published playwright and a multiple award winner. He has been awarded twice for playwrighting (THE WATERMELON GIRLS, and CHANGE ROOM),for directing the Canadian premieres of Carol Anne Duffy’s THE WORLD’S WIFE and Sean Graney’s THE 4TH GRADERS PRESENT AN UNNAMED LOVE-SUICIDE and the outstanding production award for the Canadian premiere of Elise Forier Edie’s THE PINK UNICORN. For Guys In Disguise, where he is an Artistic Associate, he has also performed the one-man show COFFEE DAD, CHICKEN MOM, AND THE FABULOUS BUDDHA BOI, penned by Nick Green in New York as part of the FRIGID FESTIVAL for which he also received the award for Outstanding Performance, and the Outstanding New Fringe Play (co-written and created with Darrin Hagen) for FLORA & FAWNA’S FIELD TRIP (both at the Sterling Awards), and Outstanding Touring Production at the Critic’s Awards in Calgary. Also for Guys In Disguise, he received an Orlando Fringe award for his performance for Bette Davis in the much-lauded BITCHSLAP.

Lora Brovold

The Ugly Duchess

Lora is a Sterling nominated actor and voiceover artist who is thankful to make her home and practice her craft here in Amiskwaciwâskahikan (Edmonton), on Treaty Six Territory. She is particularly pleased to be returning to Northern Light Theatre, where she began her professional theatre career and performed in their productions of FAT PIG, MO AND JESS KILL SUSIE, and HEROINE.

Lora has been privileged to appear on many stages in our community, including the Citadel Theatre (SWEAT, A FEW GOOD MEN, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, THE ENCOUNTERS FESTIVAL), Theatre Network (BUST, LET THE LIGHT OF DAY THROUGH), Shadow Theatre (CIRCLE, MIRROR TRANSFORMATION, THE LIARS, THREE DAYS OF RAIN), Workshop West Playwright’s Theatre (THE INVENTION OF ROMANCE) Freewill Players, Theatre Yes, Azimuth Theatre, Concrete Theatre, and others. Lora has also enjoyed working with many of our community’s fine independent theatre companies including The Unconscious Collective, The Serial Collective, Maggie Tree, Broken Toys Theatre, Interloper Theatre, Bedlam Theatre Concern, and Peregrine Theatre, to name a few.

Lora’s most recent productions were courtesy of The Citadel Theatre’s ESC Series, wherein she produced, co-wrote, and appeared in Epic Bedlam Productions three short films (6 Feet Apart, Pandemic Dating, and For You Margaret). All three films were inspired by the spiritual, social, physical, and metaphysical Covid constraints we’ve all been weathering. You may view the films on the Facebook page for Epic Bedlam Productions. Lora is a graduate of the University of Alberta’s BFA Acting Program and the Citadel Theatre/Banff Centre Professional Theatre Program.

Roy Jackson

Lighting Design

Roy is a Sterling Award Winning Lighting Designer (A Dybbuk for Two People – NLT) and owner of Roy Jackson Design. He has been lighting up bands, churches, schools and theatres for the past four decades. Recently he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Walterdale Theatre where he was Technical Director and Lighting Designer for many years. Roy is delighted to be working with Trevor and NLT again.

Darrin Hagen

Original Composition & Sound Design

Darrin is an award-winning playwright, composer and queer historian. He is the author of THE EDMONTON QUEEN, which won a Sterling Award and was published in book form by Brindle & Glass Publishing. Darrin is the Artistic Director of Guys In Disguise, marking over 30 years of creating drag comedies that have toured across North America. He has received 7 Sterling awards and over 40 nominations for his work in Edmonton theatre. Other plays by Darrin include BITCHSLAP!: THE NEO-NANCIES: HITLER’S KICKLINE; TORNADO MAGNET: A SALUTE TO TRAILER COURT WOMEN (published by Brindle & Glass), WITCH HUNT AT THE STRAND; BUDDY; WITH BELLS ON; and THE EMPRESS & THE PRIME MINISTER (all nominated for the Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award for Outstanding New Play).

Darrin has also teamed up with Trevor Schmidt to create the award-winning FLORA & FLORA’S FIELD TRIP (WITH FLEURETTE) and FLORA & FAWNA HAVE BEAVER FEAVER (AND SO DOES FLEURETTE), the hit musical KLONDYKES, DRAGULA (now available as a radio play through Bandcamp), PSYCHOBABBLE, 2 QUEENS & A JOKER, PREPARE FOR THE WORST!, PUCK BUNNIES, DON’T FROWN AT THE GOWN and the upcoming CRACK IN THE MIRROR.

Darrin has created sound and sometimes performed for many Northern Light Theatre productions going back 31 years, including CINDERELLA (THE REAL STORY), DOG’S TEMPER, METASTASIS, SPEECH AND DEBATE, 3 DIFFERENT HEAVENS, I GOOGLE MYSELF, BIFURIOUS, MOTEL HELL, MERCY OF A STORM, THE PASSION OF NARCISSE MONDOUX, CHRISTINA/PHILIPPE, DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME, BARONESS BIANKA’S BLOODSONGS, and most recently THE LOOK.

In 2005, Darrin was named one of 100 Edmontonians of the Century. To the best of his knowledge, he’s the only Drag Queen on that list. In 2017 he was named one of the most influential Alberta artists of the past 25 years.

Ian Jackson

Cinematography & Editing

Ian is delighted to be back at Northern Light Theatre to work on THE GREAT WHOREHOUSE FIRE OF 1921 after filming each of NLT’s 2020-2021 productions for digital release last season.

Ian is also an accomplished professional photographer, videographer and Sterling Award Wining Multi-Media Designer.

Past Multi-Media Design work includes: METRONOME for Workshop West Playwright’s Theatre, INFINITY, IRMA VOTH, BUDDY, and HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH for Theatre Network, THE LOOK, SPEECH AND DEBATE, I GOOGLE MYSELF, URBAN TALES (multiple years), WATER’S DAUGHTER, and KAFKA’S AMERICA for Northern Light Theatre; PETER PAN for the Citadel Theatre.

Liz Allison-Jorde

Stage Manager

Chris Hicks

Production Manager

Christopher Hicks – But mostly known as Hicks since there is a saturation of Chris’s in the world – is a seasoned theatre and festival production creator. He has worked with magnitudes of major festivals in Edmonton and beyond, from dinosaur building and electronic music, to downhill canoe racing on snow. Graduating from the MacEwan Theatre Production program 10+ years ago, Hicks is still making art happen and enjoys it!

Like many still giving it out here, Chris has been successfully navigating the feast or famine, zero to sixty entertainment climate that has been the last 3 years. Avoiding burnout and learning all the intricacies of live streaming theatre, along with the reality of more multimedia shows in general, he has been quite proud of some of the recent achievements!

Hicks is stoked to be joining Northern Light Theatre for a return to full season action. This will be his 4th season in a row with NLT. He is once again pleased to be transforming the space into a powerful show you will be enjoying this time around.

However… Who wants to run away to the mountains with me?!