Greater Forest Lawn Playwrights Lab 2015 Featuring: Female Robbery by Jessica Del Fierro Dramaturgy by Caroline Russell-King Timmy, Tommy & the Haunted Hotel by Ali DeRegt and Kathryn Smith Dramaturgy by Alyssa Bradac Blind Pass by Hayley Feigs Dramaturgy by Zachary Moull Absurdable Universe by Kyle Hinton Dramaturgy by Neil Fleming Parched by Jennifer Roberts Dramaturgy by Jenna Rodgers Technology Trade-off by Phyllis Wheaton Dramaturgy by Trevor Rueger Featuring talented performers from across the city: Josh Bertwistle, Michelle Brandenburg, Alex Cherovsky, Filsan Dualeh, Devon Dubnyk, Chelsea Dwarika, Deborah Ferguson, Rodrigo Flores, Natalie Gauthier, Mike Griffin, Alan Johnson, Duane Jones, Alvan Le, Kelly Malcolm, Andrew Merrigan, Dan Perry, Ryan Reese, Holleay Rohm, Lara Schmitz, Makambe Simamba, Ayla Stephen, Liam Volke, Alicia Ward, Justine Westby, Sarah Wheeldon, and Greg Wilson The Greater Forest Lawn Playwrights Lab is a development opportunity supported by CADA for emerging playwrights representing the plethora of diverse communities that exist in Calgary. The Lab will be a safe creative space for writers to explore their ideas and grow their talent – in full colour. The Lab will be led by Jenna Rodgers, a local Director/Dramaturg, who will work with a group of up to five emerging playwrights, each developing their first draft of a play. “Emerging” refers to individual career status, and playwrights of any age are welcome to apply. Playwrights will not be restricted to writing about issues of diversity, but will be encouraged to use their work to explore issues that challenge them. This program will take place over the course of six months, spanning Oct 2014 – March 2015. Selected playwrights will meet twice monthly for the program’s duration. Meetings will take place in Forest Lawn, and will be tailored to support the group of artists that have been assembled. In the final month of the Lab, playwrights will be paired with a mentor in a professional director/dramaturg. You will be given 12 hours of professional development time and a cast of non-equity actors. The GFL Playwrights Lab will culminate with a public presentation to showcase the Playwrights’ work to their friends, family, and the greater Calgary arts community. Back to Past Projects Listen Now! Digital Program

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Meet Chromatic Theatre's new 2025 Playwrights Unit Cohort! Melanee Murray-Hunt, Kathleen Faith Ballangan, and Jessica Szeto. Join us for our playwrights unit staged readings! at Theatre 1308 (1308 Edmonton Tr.) Friday - June 12, 2026 at 7:30pm featuring Lucky Essentials by Yan Zhu & Caliban by Sunny Sky Faust Saturday - June 13, 2026 featuring Get Back Home by Ziga Poromon & all the colours of a rupture that shook me to life by Pam Tzeng Program Access Considerations ABOUT THE PIECES Get Back Home by Ziga Poromon A university student working as a security guard at the Canadian Global Founders Museum encounters a lost woman wandering a private West African exhibition floor after hours. They must help the woman get back home, until she tells them that she is from the exhibitions grand painting. About the playwright Ziga is an Irish-Nigerian-Canadian actor, poet, and writer who is passionate about performing and entertaining audiences. She has written for musical artists, various websites and publications, and is currently developing her first short film. Ziga was part of the 2022 RBC Emerging Playwrights Mentorship Program and received a certificate in Performing Arts from NYU Tisch School of Arts. She has more than 5 years of experience performing in theatre, piano, film, TV, and commercials. She's an undergrad student at the University of Calgary majoring in Law and Society with a minor in Sociology. ᑕᐱᒪᔩᑲᐱᑎ by Sunny Sky Faust ᑕᐱᒪᔩᑲᐱᑎ is an adaptation of The Tempest written by William Shakespeare that focuses on Caliban's character and story by rewriting the humanity back into his character. The play explores what it means to be caught between the binaries of race, gender, and sexuality. How do we find belonging? Why do we make the choices we make? How do we stay true to ourselves? About the playwright Sunny Sky Faust (They/Them) is an emerging Indigiqueer and Two-Spirit artist, writer, and actor. They come from a mixed Indigenous and European heritage with their Woodland Cree roots stemming from Driftpile Cree Nation in Treaty 8. Currently, Sunny resides in Treaty 7 territory. Their passions revolve around the performing and visual arts as they hope to apply themself to both gain new experiences and community. Thus, Sunny wishes to continue their growth as a well-rounded artist to then return the support they have received on their path. all the colours of a rupture that shook me to life by Pam Tzeng all the colours of a rupture of that shook me to life is both a performance installation and a celebration of life memorial event. is a communal gathering to honour the experience of friend breakups. is an invitation to connect to reflect to be with others and collectively hold in awe and reverence, the love and grief held in friendship breakups to witness and/or participate in offerings that acknowledge and create openings for what remains to move and transform. About the playwright Pam Tzeng 曾小桐 (they/she) is a second-generation Taiwanese-Canadian choreographer and interdisciplinary artist based in Mohkinstsis, Treaty 7 Territory. Led by their embodied curiosities, Pam take pleasure in extremes to craft honest, visceral and animated performances and immersive installations. Their work is evolving collection of intimate reflections on the politics of our individual, relational and collective bodies. At the creative heart of their practice is the question: What becomes possible in the felt space of knowing each other as different and the same? For more about what Pam cares about, does and has made or contributed to visit: pamtzeng.com Lucky Essentials by Yan Zhu Lucky Essentials follows the storeowner of a Chinatown Gift Shop on the verge of collapse as she comes up with various schemes to attract business during the booming time of Calgary Stampede. These schemes are viewed by her young employees as morally gray or even outright wrong as they try their best to do damage control. As each character navigates their own path through right and wrong, will they be able to come together to save the gift shop and their jobs About the playwright Yan (she/they) is an actor, writer, director, and filmmaker. As a Chinese settler in Mohkintsis, she aims to use storytelling to explore aspects of her identity and to dramatize and reimagine the world around her. Her process seek to humanize everyday people in her proximity. Outside of messing with different mediums of storytelling, she can be found at your local basketball court, shooting hoops and breaking ankles (maybe). Or otherwise stuffing her face with delicious food and hanging around wherever there's community and good weather. Directors Daniel Fong Get Back Home Valerie Planche ᑕᐱᒪᔩᑲᐱᑎ Gina Puntil all the colours of a rupture that shook me to life Linda Kee Lucky Essentials Actors Devyn Byfield Jocelyn Mah Shasha Shi Sebastian Saloman Arriagada Marshall Vielle in ᑕᐱᒪᔩᑲᐱᑎ Behind The Scenes Abby Monarrez Technical Direction Kodie Rollan Dramaturg Ana Mulino Dramaturg Mentee

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UNLEARNING, RELEARNING, TRANSFORMING EDUCATION An Interactive Art Exhibition I149F, near Tim Hortons on Main Street 4:00pm - 6:00pm Exhibition Schedule Getting to the Space & Parking Save the event to your calendar! Questions? Contact Us! ABOUT THE EXHIBIT: We, 36 MRU Teacher Candidates, dramaturg Kodie Rollan, assistant professor Kristen Schaffer and research assistant Daniela Quintero warmly invite you to experience Unlearning, Relearning, and Transforming—an interactive art exhibition showcasing what students have learned from EDUC2200D: Enacting Anti-Oppressive Education. What does “unlearning” mean to you? Quotes “Unlearning is hard and not always immediate.” What does “relearning” mean to you? Quotes “Questioning our biases.” What does “transforming education” mean to you? Quotes “Removing biases.” “Learning from the mistakes from the past to benefit the students of the future.” This project has been generously supported by the office of EDI opportunity fund. This is a drop-in style of event and light refreshments will be provided. THE SEVEN EXHIBITIONS Men in Education Talks A podcast where teacher candidates on navigating the profession and analyzing their privileges and challenges to reduce bias.” More Info Intersection Us “A painting representing the intersectionality between our identities - and the intersectionality between our school community and teaching philosophy.” More Info Stomp, Roar, and Be Brave “A children’s storybook about a young dinosaur with a stutter, discovering the diversity in their support system and overcoming a fear of public speaking alongside peers.” More Info Divided Perceptions: Stigma Across the City “Addressing common stereotypes/stigmas between the 4 quadrants of Calgary. Making viewers aware of their own biases and finding ways to challenge them.” More Info Interactive Classroom: Pieces of a Puzzle “An art piece to show what our future classrooms will look like.” Cancelled “An investigation game where players decide if someone deserves cancellation or redemption based on evidence.” More Info Privilege Collage “What does privilege mean to you?” Special Thanks Thank you to Chromatic Theatre for their web support and use of website! Thank you to the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, Faculty of Health, Community and Education, the Mokakiiks Centre for SoTL, and the Department of Education at Mount Royal University.

The Green Line April 3, 2030 During the Lebanese Civil War, Naseeb wants his sister to withdraw from her university studies and move to the mountains. But Mona is secretly falling in love with her classmate Yara. Forty years later, Rami, a Lebanese Canadian student, comes to Lebanon to bury his father, Naseeb. That night, he meets Zidan, a drag queen at a queer Beirut nightclub and things take an unexpected turn. Past and present braid together in The Green Line’s contemplation of how memories are inherited or erased. This is a co-production between Downstage Theatre & Chromatic Theatre. Cast and Creative Team Makram Ayache: Playwright / Rami / Naseeb Filsan Dualeh: Yara Ryan Abd’u’llah Hooper: Zidan / Fifi Sepidar Yeganeh Farid: Mona Jenna Rodgers: Director Chris Austman: Sound Design & Original Music Ajay Badoni: Lighting Design Abbie Brokenshire: Costume Design Assistant Alia Shahab: Set Design Jordan Wieben: Costume Design Aldona Barutowicz: Publicist Jesse Del Fierro: Assistant Director Adam Kostiuk: Production Manager / Technical Director Evan Medd: Dramaturg Donna Sharpe: Stage Manager Back to Past Projects

Chromatic Theatre is a theatre company that develops, supports, and creates space for racialized theatre artists in Moh'kins'tsis (Calgary). Click Here for Details News & Updates What’s Going On Meet this year's Playwrights Unit Cohort! Click here to participate! Get tickets to our current production! Link for tickets Read More Meet our Artistic Director! Click here to set up a meeting with Kodie! Read More Contact Us! First Name Last Name Email Comments SUBMIT Thanks for submitting! "To develop and support diverse voices that contribute to an artistic landscape reflecting the spectrum of diversity we see across our country"

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Maezy Reign Markerting and Communications Maezy Reign (they/she) is a biracial multidisciplinary artist, born and raised in Calgary. They work as a playwright, lighting designer and occasional actor. They are determined to create art that has the representation she never saw growing up, like mentally ill, gender diverse, queer, and racialized main characters. Both my parents are theatre artists and entrepreneurs so I've been raised in a very artsy family. Maezy is a mixed-race black artist. Maezy's paternal grandmother grew up in St. Vincent in the Caribbean and immigrated to Canada in the 70's. Performance and Creative Credits include; Gaslight (Vertigo), The F Word (Downstage and ATP) Shark Bite (Lunchbox Theatre), Hay Coloured Houses (Paprika Festival), Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Alchemy Festival), Hang In There (Chromatic PLU), This isn’t home (fear the festival), Psychotic Bitch (Ignite Festival), Revolution or Slumber (WCHS with HPR), Donut Diaries (Ignite Festival) Contact

Media An Important Message from our Artistic Director Jenna Rodgers Read More Winners and Losers Media Release Read More Artistic Director Jenna Rodgers Receives Lieutenant Governor of Alberta’s Emerging Artist Award Read More Medea Media Release Read More Cowboy Versus Samurai Media Release Read More Avenue Magazine – Interview with Mike Tan Read More

Cancelled (Interactive Game) Exhibition Info Exhibition by: Format: Interactive Game Content: This is a drop-in exhibit. Audience members will be invited to play an interactive mystery game surrounding the topic of cancel culture. Teacher candidates will be facilitating the game and assisting the audience throughout the exhibit. See also: Getting to the space See also: Parking Info for MRU

Archive Hucksterland: The Musical 2026 Co-Produced with Thumbs Up Good Work Theatre Direction by Caleigh Crow Written by Caleigh Crow Music By Sacha Crow and Gus Rendell When the city is built on lies, someone has to bring the house down. Corporate landlord Jordan Jamieson sits at the top of his empire. He is rich, ruthless and riding high alongside his whip smart executive assistant and the mayor in his back pocket. It's not long before a fearless prosecutor starts asking questions and we see cracks beginning to form and Jordan's power starting to crumble. From award-winning playwright Caleigh Crow, and composers Sacha Crow and Gus Rendell, Hucksterland is a new musical pulsing with humour, heart and rebellion. It’s loud. It’s fearless. And when the music stops, not everyone makes it out alive. Hucksterland was originally developed in our IBPOC Playwrights Unit. Recipient of 2 Betty Mitchell Awards: Outstanding New Play, and Outstanding Projection Design Static: A Party Girl's Memoir 2024 Co-Produced with Inside Out Theatre Direction by Javier Vilalta Written by Ashley King “Static: A Party Girl’s Memoir” is a coming-of-age story inspired by true events, written and performed by Mexican-Canadian artist Ashley King. It follows Ashley, a young woman whose life revolves around booze, boys, and late-night parties, while navigating a turbulent relationship with her mother, Carolina. But when she wakes up blind while on holiday, she’ll have to face her darkest depths of grieving a new life she didn’t choose or want. Not your typical inspirational story, Static offers a poignant and humorous take on the struggles and triumphs of a young woman learning to navigate the world without sight. With moments of laughter and tears, this dark comedy explores whether everything happens for a reason and if joy can really be found in unexpected places. Static was originally developed in our IBPOC Playwrights Unit. Recipient of Best Supporting Actor in A Comedy Betty Mitchell Award. Kisapmata 2024 Co-Produced with Lunchbox Theatre Direction by Gina Puntil Written by Bianca Miranda The Tagalog word “kisapmata” means “blink of an eye.” It’s also the title of a punk banger by Filipino band, Rivermaya. Inspired by this song, this new Canadian play tells the love story of two Filipino women—one living here in Canada and the other, born and raised in the Philippines. Through intimate vignettes, we see the longing, the diving in, and eventually, the letting go. Kisapmata has been in development since 2021, when it was part of our IBPOC Playwrights Unit, and it was featured in both the Stage One Festival of New Canadian Work and Stage Two at Lunchbox Theatre in 2022. Recipient of the Outstanding New Play Betty Mitchell Award. Stages of Transformation: feel ur feels (CRINGE LIBERATION) 2023 Presented at Rumble Festival Created by Kris Vanessa Teo Xin-En As we attempt survival in a white supremist and capitalistic society, it is so easy for us to cut ourselves off from how we are feeling, to deny ourselves pleasure, to move at high speeds, to ignore our needs, to bypass processing our lived experiences, to numb sensations that come up, to live through our days on autopilot, to hide who we are and to fast-forward anything that feels uncomfortable. Creating feel ur feels (CRINGE LIBERATION) is a way for me to practice the small actions and connections of listening to the deep feeling and nonrational eroticism within me, and to practice with my friendos, pals and buddy buds, through conversation, stopping to notice what’s around me, in me, and to follow the curiosities that come up along the way. Hookman 2023 Co-Produced with University of Calgary SCPA Direction by Jenna Rodgers Written by Lauren Yee First year university life gets even harder for Lexi when she’s feeling homesick, her roommate is super weird, and a hook-handed serial killer is slashing girls’ throats. When Lexi discovers what really happened to her high school best friend, she learns what it means to grow up – and it isn’t pretty. 我的名是张欣恩 (Gimme Chance Leh) Redux: A Team Together 2021 Direction by Thomas Geddes Written by Kris Vanessa Teo Xin-En Chromatic Theatre is proud to present the AUDIO PLAY version of 我的名是张欣恩 (Gimme chance leh) written and performed by Kris Vanessa Teo. Thanks to support from the CBC Digital Originals program, this project is now streaming live and 100% FREE from the CBC website. Grab a snack, strap on a pair of your favourite headphones, click here and give it a listen! The Green Line 2022 Co-Produced with Downstage Theatre Direction by Jenna Rodgers Written by Makram Ayache During the Lebanese Civil War, Naseeb wants his sister to withdraw from her university studies and move to the mountains. But Mona is secretly falling in love with her classmate Yara. Forty years later, Rami, a Lebanese Canadian student, comes to Lebanon to bury his father, Naseeb. That night, he meets Zidan, a drag queen at a queer Beirut nightclub and things take an unexpected turn. Past and present braid together in The Green Line’s contemplation of how memories are inherited or erased. Recipient of 2 Betty Mitchell Awards: Outstanding New Play, and Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Drama. Cowboy Versus Samurai Direction by Jenna Rodgers Written by Michael Golamco Cowboy Versus Samurai is a modern-day comedic take on the Edmond Rostad classic, Cyrano de Bergerac. Our protagonist Travis Park is the only Korean American in the dusty cowboy town of Breakneck, Wyoming. When the beautiful and clever Veronica Lee moves to town to fill the post of science teacher, he’s immediately smitten – until she reveals that she only dates white men. Travis must choose whether to ally with the “cowboy”: the handsome gym teacher, Del; or the “samurai”: best friend, and militant Asian of unknown origin, Chester. He must choose between the Asian and the American within himself in the pursuit for love that may only be as real as the love letters he writes on behalf of someone else. Winners and Losers 2018 Presented at Summerworks Festival Written by James Long and Marcus Youssef Adapted by Valerie Planche, Makambe K. Simamba and Jenna Rodgers Winners and Losers is one part game, one part conversation that leans into our universally flawed human logic, and the desire to win at all costs. Valerie Planche and Makambe K. Simamba, two powerhouse performers at different stages of life and careers, debate whether people, places or things – Robin Williams, camping, Meghan Markle, private schools – are winners or losers. This exploration of female friendships leads us down a spiralling path of staunch sisterhood and deep-seated difference. As the discussion gets personal, how far is too far when confronting deep-seated beliefs? Based on the Governor General Award-nominated text by Marcus Youssef and James Long, this homegrown adaptation – re-written and re-cast with an all-female team – premiered to rave reviews at Toronto’s SummerWorks Performance Festival! Medea Direction by Alyssa Bradac Written by Euripides, Translated by Robin Robertson Chromatic Theatre is producing a highly contemporary and anti-colonial production of Euripides’ classic tragedy, Medea. After Jason captures the Golden Fleece, in large part because of Medea, her magic, and her betrayal against her family, Jason takes Medea as a wife. A few years pass, their sons grow and prosper, when Jason decides to take another bride from his Grecian homeland for political reasons, offering to keep Medea as a mistress, illegitimating their children in the process. To keep her agency, self-respect, and cultural identity, she pays the ultimate price and kills her children.