Alumni in the News
Recent Posts
This year's recipient of The August Schellenberg Award of Excellence is Cree actor Lorne Cardinal. The imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival presents the annual award to an actor whose work celebrates the spirit and commitment that Schellenberg showed over the course of his career.
Drama alumna Alyson Connolly authors latest in self-help series
Alyson Connolly leverages her Arts degrees to help people find their voice with Public Speaking for Dummies.
Drama's Ken Williams receives Alumni Honour Award!
Cree playwright and Drama professor Kenneth T. Williams receives Alumni Honour Award for his contributions to Canadian theatre and his mentorship of aspiring Indigenous artists. Congratulations Ken!
Former foreign correspondent and BFA Acting alum Sean Mallen pens touching memoir
"Falling for London" is the hilarious and touching memoir of how Sean Mallen and his family learned how to live in and love the world's greatest city.
Vern Thiessen (MFA Playwrighting) is a busy man. His play about Shakespeare's dead wife Shakespeare's Will just finished its run - in a graveyard! - and now the esteemed local playwright will star in his own play Lenin's Embalmers, a Studio Theatre production Oct. 11-20 at the Timms Centre for the Arts. He plays Lenin.
Media Indigena brings edgy, informative voices to the current-affairs conversation. 海角社区 playwright and Drama professor Ken Williams, a regular commentator on the Media Indigena podcast, says the show's Indigenous perspectives are under-represented in mainstream media. "These are challenging topics that we take on, but we're always willing to talk about them."
Caf茅 Daughter, a play by 海角社区 Drama professor Kenneth Williams, won the Gold Medallion and Audience Choice Awards at the 43rd annual International Festival of Monodrama and Mime in Belgrade, Serbia. Caf茅 Daughter also features 海角社区 drama grads Tiffany Ayalik (Acting) and T. Erin Gruber (Theatre Design), plus Vern Thiessen (Playwriting) as the Artistic Director. Video link.
Congratulations to BFA Acting grad (2013) Brett Dahl on being a recipient of a 2018 Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts Award! Brett was recognized for his work on exploring the LGBTQ+ voice in different theatrical forms, and on connecting that work on a national spectrum.
Zachary Polis (BA Drama) receives RBC Emerging Artist Award
Congratulations Zachary! The RBC Emerging Artist Award recognizes an artist in the early stages of a career and is working towards becoming a recognized professional artist. Also nominated, Kristen Padayas (BFA Acting).
Congratulations to Assistant Professor Kenneth T. Williams who was recently honoured by the 2017 Saskatchewan Arts Awards for his achievements in Artistic Excellence.
BFA Acting alumni Melissa Thingelstad (Class of 2005) on what it's like to be back and working with the Class of 2017 on Studio Theatre's "A Bright Room Called Day" by Tony Kushner.
The Stratford Festival reveals its casting for all 12 of next season's productions and Andrea Rankin (BFA Acting '2014) has been cast in two new plays.
Congratulations to recent BFA Acting grad Jordan Buhat for landing a series regular role on ABC's Black-ish spinoff, Grown-ish.
Someone was just down in the deep archives of the 海角社区 Department of Drama and stumbled across this gem: an old promo video from 1997, on VHS!
Department of Drama alumni spotted at festivals on both coasts! BFA Acting and BFA Stage Management grads Carmela Sison, Sereana Malani and Tanya Schwaerzle are featured at the Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival in Vancouver, while BFA Stage Management and MFA Theatre Design grads Al Gadowsky and Cory Sincennes are hard at work on the Charlottetown Festival.
Beginning November 1, 2017, BFA Acting graduate Reneltta Arluk will become Director of Indigenous Arts at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.
Congratulations to Griffin Cork (BFA Acting) and recent BFA Acting Graduate Jake Tkaczyk on their AFA Influential Young Artist awards!
Reneltta Arluk (BFA Acting alum) appointed new Director of Indigenous Arts at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity
Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity is excited to welcome Reneltta Arluk as Director of Indigenous Arts, effective November 1, 2017. Arluk's appointment meets a key pillar of Banff Centre's strategic plan, The Creative Voice, by ensuring relevant and contemporary Indigenous Arts programming year-round.
Alex Donovan (MFA Directing Candidate) interviews Stephanie Bahniuk (BFA Theatre Deisign) about designing the costumes for Studio Theatre's recent production of Twelfth Night.
Lisa Gilroy (BA Drama/BEd 2014) is a 海角社区 graduate currently living in Toronto, Ontario where she writes and produces comedy for television and stage. She is a member of The Second City Toronto's House Company and the host of both Undercover High and The Zone on YTV.
The internationally-recognized and honoured award shines a spotlight on excellence and innovation in Canadian Theatre with an annual prize worth $100,000. Congratulations Jonathan!
Drama alum becomes artistic director of Antigonish
Current Festival Antigonish artistic producer Ed Thomason's duties will be handled by two people beginning Aug. 1. Reema Fuller becomes managing director and Andrea Boyd (MFA Directing) becomes artistic director.
Stratford Festival's 2017 season to feature 8 out of 14 female directors and Reneltta Arluk to direct one production, new commission The Breathing Hole by Colleen Murphy.
The 29th Sterling Award nominations have been released and it is a good looking list. We are very proud of our Department of Drama Alumni who make a big appearance in the list of nominees.
BFA Acting Alum (2006) Nick Green's play about the influential gay magazine deals with everything from the bathhouse raids to the controversial Men Loving Boys Loving Men article.
For all of you theatre nerds out there, Mitchell is proof that you can make it in the arts -- but only if you are willing to work your butt off, be extremely creative and be open to the ups and downs of the industry. (Huffington Post)
In this heartfelt TEDxUAlberta talk, Drama's own Michele Fleiger explores the role of theatre in a time when it's difficult not to take our eyes off the bottom line: net earnings, profits, and financial constraints.
Theatre design grad brings puppet-making expertise to the Edmonton arts community.
In part two of her headshot series, Brenley Charkow sat down with Ryan Parker ('08 BFA Acting) of PK Photography to talk about the art of the headshot.
Playwright Kenneth T. Williams ('90 BA, '92 MFA Playwriting) tells the story of math.
Zach Polis (BA Drama, 2012) is trying to win a dog sled competition with Fj盲llr盲ven. If you have 3 seconds and feel inclined, consider placing a vote. Hit the vote button and your done. Simple. You can also watch his lovely video (utilizing his 海角社区 playwriting and acting skills)! It'll be the best two and half minutes of your day.
Beth's play The Gravitational Pull of Bernice Trimble is nominated for a 2015 Governor General's Award in Drama.
Catherine Banks' 2008 Governor General award-winning play, Bone Cage, presented by Edmonton's Theatre Yes from now until Oct. 4, features a host of UAlberta talent in the cast and creative team.
Congratulations to MFA Theatre Design alum, Bretta Gerecke for making the shortlist for the Siminovitch Prize!
Huge congrats to Kirsten Rasmussen ('08 BFA Acting), winner of Best Female Improvisor at the Canadian Comedy Awards on September 13th! UAlberta Drama was well-represented with Michael Kennard also taking home Best Variety Act for Mump and Smoot.
Arts alumni among many to be recognized for important contributions to the Edmonton arts scene.
Paul Gross reflects on his career as the director and writer will get his investiture into the Order of Canada at a ceremony in Ottawa.
Jane Voloboeva: The theatrics of search (Curious Arts)
Acting out: Drama alumnus Paul Welch is a busy actor and director, and the co-founder of Calgary's very first LGBTQ theatre company.
海角社区 Drama graduates work all over the world creating original work, running theatres, designing productions, serving as technicians, actors and stage managers in every size venue from Edmonton to Stratford to New York. This video features a collection of interviews and visuals about graduates working in all areas of theatre and beyond.
Congratulations to MFA directing alumna Jessica Carmichael on her appointment as artistic director at Carousel Players in St. Catharines, Ontario.
Stage management grad emerges as NextFest's new festival manager.
Our Drama folk at the Fringe!
The 2014 Fringe Festival, Fringed and Confused, is well under way! Here is the list of Drama folk past and present involved this year.
Kelsie Acton fires off questions about getting stuck as an actor and how to get un-stuck to fellow UAlberta theatre alumna, Katie McConaghy, now living and working in New York City.
Congrats to Amy Shostak for hitting The Wanderer's Top 100 Edmonton Women in Business list this week. Check it out and be inspired by these incredible people.
Watching the St. Albert Children?s Theatre?s latest smash production Shrek the Musical, it doesn?t take long before most people will lose track of how many characters there are. In fact, just about the only person who doesn?t forget is the one responsible for each costume, Melissa Cuerrier (?13 MA Drama & ?05 BFA Theatre Design).
海角社区 alumna (BA Drama Major, 2009), Brooke Leifso, is the current artist-in-residence at The Haven on Gabriola Island. This year the organization, which exists to assist people with personal development, cast its net in search of artists under the age of 30 in celebration of its 30th anniversary.
Andrew Kushnir ('02, BFA Acting) returns to his alma mater to accept the 海角社区 Alumni Horizon Award for his outstanding verbatim theatre work that often examines the lives and stories of those living in socially disadvantaged situations.
There are many of our students, faculty, and alumni involved in this year's Fringe Festival. Read Joanna Manchur's post on the Curious Arts blog to learn more.
UofA Drama at the Sterling Awards
We've got a Facebook album full of great photos from this year's Sterling Awards - come check it out!