Two-Headed / Half-Hearted

Trevor Schmidt

Book

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.

Kaeley Jade Wiebe

Music

Kaeley is a Métis multidisciplinary artist based out of Amiskwaciwâskahikan/Edmonton, Alberta. A recent graduate of the BFA Acting Program at the University of Alberta, Kaeley is very excited to be making her NLT debut. Select theatre credits: REVOLT. SHE SAID. REVOLT AGAIN., CHYSOTHEMIS (Studio Theatre), ROMEO & JULIET (Theatre Calgary/The Shakespeare Company). Select film credits: SMILE: It’s Only the End of the World (Guerrilla Motion Pictures), NO APOLOGY (Link to the Past Productions).

Alongside her theatre and film careers, Kaeley has also been making waves as a folk-pop singer/songwriter under the name, “Kaeley Jade”. An SSIMA nominee, Kaeley has performed at events including the Taste of Edmonton, Tkaronto Music Festival and Big Valley Jamboree. An alumnus of RBCxMusic’s First Up Program and Indigenous Music’s Market Builder Residency, her music has been featured in editorial playlists across streaming platforms, in several film and television productions, and in publications from around the world including Tinnitist (500k+ Twitter followers), SAY Magazine and The Gate.

Trevor Schmidt

Director

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.

Kaeley Jade Wiebe

Venus Hollis & Original Music & Composition

Kaeley is a Métis multidisciplinary artist based out of Amiskwaciwâskahikan/Edmonton, Alberta. A recent graduate of the BFA Acting Program at the University of Alberta, Kaeley is very excited to be making her NLT debut. Select theatre credits: REVOLT. SHE SAID. REVOLT AGAIN., CHYSOTHEMIS (Studio Theatre), ROMEO & JULIET (Theatre Calgary/The Shakespeare Company). Select film credits: SMILE: It’s Only the End of the World (Guerrilla Motion Pictures), NO APOLOGY (Link to the Past Productions).

Alongside her theatre and film careers, Kaeley has also been making waves as a folk-pop singer/songwriter under the name, “Kaeley Jade”. An SSIMA nominee, Kaeley has performed at events including the Taste of Edmonton, Tkaronto Music Festival and Big Valley Jamboree. An alumnus of RBCxMusic’s First Up Program and Indigenous Music’s Market Builder Residency, her music has been featured in editorial playlists across streaming platforms, in several film and television productions, and in publications from around the world including Tinnitist (500k+ Twitter followers), SAY Magazine and The Gate.

Rebecca Sadowski

Juno Hollis

Rebecca is overjoyed to perform with Northern Light Theatre this season as Juno Hollis” in TWO HEADED/ HALF-HEARTED, a new musical by Trevor Schmidt and Kaeley Jade Wiebe. Rebecca has previously worked as an understudy on NLT and Good Women Dance Collective’s 2019 co-production of The CARDIAC SHADOW by Clay McLeod Chapman.

Rebecca is an Edmonton- based Métis performer and choreographer. She is an artistic member of the Good Women Dance Collective and curates dance programming for the Nextfest Festival. Rebecca holds a BFA in dance from Ryerson University and teaches dance with dancED Movement Projects. Upcoming this season, Rebecca will perform in BEARS by Matthew MacKenzie with Punctuate Theatre and the Citadel Theatre, a new dance work by Sasha Kleinplatz at Convergence with Good Women Dance Collective, and AYITA by Teneil Whiskeyjack at Skirtsafire Festival.

Recent credits include: UNTIL THE NEXT BREATH (Catalyst Theatre), MR BURNS: A POST APOCALYPTIC PLAY (Thou Art Here Theatre), THE PARTICULARS (Punctuate Theatre), NO GUESSES FOUND: TOGETHER (Amber Borotsik/ Edmonton Fringe), FEAST (New Works Festival/ Edmonton Fringe Festival). Rebecca has also produced several dance pieces including THE SASH MAKER, which was developed into a dance film in 2020 with cinematographer Tamarra Lessard, as well as BREAKING BAPTIST produced by Catalyst Theatre. Rebecca continues to deepen her connection to her Métis roots by learning jigging and the traditional skill of finger-weaving sashes.

She sends so much love to her family and friends for their ongoing support for her dance and theatrical pursuits!

Deanna Finnman

Costume Designer

Deanna is an Edmonton based costume designer. For the last two decades she has been the Head of Wardrobe/ Resident Costume Designer for the Edmonton Opera and continues to freelance design. Deanna’s last collaboration with Northern Light Theatre was costuming The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband.

Select costume design credits include sterling nominated productions Count Ory and Cenerentola for the Edmonton Opera, Sleeping Beauty, Hansel and Gretel, and Pinocchio for Alberta Musical Theatre.

After over three decades in theatre this is Deanna’s first attempt to create a costume for conjoined twins. She is grateful for the creative challenge.

Roy Jackson

Lighting Designer

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.

Nyssa Beairsto

Stage Manager

Nyssa is thrilled to return to Northern Light Theatre to stage manage TWO HEADED/ HALF HEARTED. Nyssa has previously stage managed for NLT with ⁠Something Unspoken and Confessions of a Reluctant Caregiver.

Nyssa is an Edmonton based stage manager and graduate of the Technical Theatre program at the University of Alberta. Some of her recent stage-management credits include: JANE EYRE (Citadel Theatre), THE MOUNTAINTOP (Shadow Theatre) HERE THERE BE NIGHT (WWPT), MR. BURNS (You are Here & Blarney Prod.) and THE INVISIBLE – Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare (Catalyst).

Huge praise to Nyssa’s friends and her partner Kia for their endless support and sanity when it was in short supply.

Rae McCallum

Production Manager

Rae (she/her) is an Edmonton-based freelance production manager, technical director, lighting designer, and technician in Edmonton. She has been part of the Edmonton backstage community for over a decade. She is also a proud board member of the Canadian Institute of Theatre Technology (CITT/ICTS) Alberta Section, promoting professional development and advancement of the theatre community.