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.

Jesse Del Fiero Early Career Artist Jesse Del Fierro is a queer, non-binary, Filipinx – Canadian actor, director and theatre creator with the privilege to work in both Moh’kinstsis on Treaty 7 Territory and on the unceded territories of the Coast Salish peoples colloquially known as Calgary AB and Vancouver BC respectively. They hold a BFA in Theatre Performance from Simon Fraser University, and have collaborated on works presented at PuSh International Performance Art Festival, SummerWorks, Audain Gallery and rEvolver Festival amongst others. Their work focuses on centering the artist and valuing process over product and consent over consensus as a radical form of decolonizing their practice – acknowledging that this is a life-long process. Intersectionality is their only reality. As a recipient of BC Art’s Council Early Career Development grant 2020, Jesse is currently under the mentorship of Jenna Rodgers of Chromatic Theatre, and Jivesh Parasram of Rumble Theatre to further develop their skills as director, dramaturg, collaborator and overall badass artistic leader. As Jesse always says, “Honesty is the policy and so is screaming.” Contact

Exhibition Agenda 4:00pm - 4:10pm - Land Acknowledgement 4:10pm - 4:15pm - Introduction by Production Team 4:15pm - 4:25pm - Remarks by dramaturg-in-residence, Kodie Rollan 4:25pm - 4:30pm - Remarks by course instructor, Kristen Schaffer 4:30pm - 5:50pm - Invitation to explore the exhibition at your pace 4:50pm - 5:10pm - Presentation of Men in Education and Stomp, Roar and Be Brave (we will invite everyone to turn and listen) 5:30pm - 5:50pm - Presentation of Men in Education and Stomp, Roar and Be Brave (we will invite everyone to turn and listen) 5:50pm - 6:00pm - Final note of gratitude See also: Parking Info for MRU

Little Elves Book & Lyrics by Kodie Rollan Music & Lyrics by Alixandra Cowman A Co-Production by Chromatic Theatre & Handsome Alice Theatre Runs October 28, 2026 - November 7, 2026 The Victor Mitchell Theatre at the Pumphouse Theatre (2140 Pumphouse Ave SW, Calgary, AB T3C 3P5) About the Show: Little Elves is a new horror-holiday musical, loosely based on the folktale of St. Nicholas and the Evil Butcher. The original folktale recounts one of St. Nicholas' first miracles where he rescued three children from a butcher's house. It was said that the butcher had cut up the three children and put them in a salting tub and St. Nicholas, by the grace of God, pulled each child out whole and brought them back to their families. Little Elves reimagines this story by transforming our protagonists to three young Asian children, and asks the question, "what if they made up this entire folktale to justify killing their captor from a racist town whose laws would see their act of self-defense as heartless murder?" Within the story, knowing that we see these characters conspire to find a way to cover up their crime and escape from a town that is not so welcoming to them. A reimagining of a folk tale gone wrong, Little Elves brings the audience into a world of lies, deceit and desperation. It explores a variety of intersectional themes among which are interrogations of "justified" vengeance, BIPOC relationships to religion, our ideals of justice, abolitionist interventions within cycles of violence, and the longstanding history of anti-Asian policies and sentiments in Turtle Island (Canada). The music of this piece is deeply rooted in a variety of folk, country, and pop sounds. The overall aesthetic of the piece really leans into the folktale/ spooky stories by the campfire vibe. Overall, this piece asks, "when the odds are stacked against you, what will you do to survive Confirmed Team Members: CAST: Selina Wong as Colette Safia Comtois-Mohamad as Toni Isabella Pedersen as Abby Raeff Fontaine as the Butcher/ the Bishop/ the Constable MUSIC TEAM: Kathy Zaborsky - Production Music Director & Pianist Tobi Sinclair - Percussionist Seanne Buenafe - Copyist CREATIVE TEAM: Kodie Rollan - Book writer/ Lyricist/ Co-Director Alixandra Cowman - Composer/ Lyricist/ Sound Designer Jenna Rodgers - Co-Director/ Dramaturg Ajay Badoni - Production Manager/ Technical Director Julia Kim - Set & Costume Designer Ali DeRegt - Puppet Designer Abigail Monarrez - Puppet Assistant & Puppeteer Meg Farhall - Producer

2022 Client: Espinas Year: 2023 This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. To manage all your collections, click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. Previous Next

Check back soon!

Past Project Archive 2015 Playwrights Lab Medea Cowboy vs. Samurai Back to Past Projects

Static By Ashley King September 4-14, 2024 “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. Photos by Motif Photography CAST AND CREW Featuring: Ashley King Jaime Cesar Director • Javier Vilalta Stage Manager • Jennifer Yeung Assistant Stage Manager • Sabrena Shah Baigzada Scenic Designer • Natalia Cortes Sound Designer • Miranda Martini Lighting Designer • Anton deGroot Video/Projection Designer • Skylar Desjardins Dramaturg • Kodie Rollan Design Consultant • Lindsey Zess Cultural Consultant • Daniela Atiencia Disability Dramaturg • Jessica Watkins Engagement Coordinator • Iván Guevara García Production Manager • Col Cseke Producers • Camielle Craig & Kristen Padayas Poster Design | Marketing • Ebony R. Gooden & Maezy Reign Ashley King • Playwright ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Program Plain Text Program

Kodie Rollan Artistic Director Kodie Rollan is a Philippine-born, Scarborough-raised, Mohkinstsis (Calgary)-based playwright, dramaturg, lyricist, arts leader and producer. He is a passionate community-builder and always aims to create spaces for shared storytelling and arts equity within the nonprofit sector. As a storyteller, Kodie is drawn towards explorations of justice within racialized bodies and how we can move towards more abolitionist futures. He is proud to have worked with a variety of theatre companies in both Alberta and Ontario in a variety of capacities. Some of these companies include Downstage Theatre, Alberta Theatre Projects, Lunchbox Theatre, Swallow-A-Bicycle, Alberta Workers Health Centre, fu-Gen Theatre, Carlos Bulosan Theatre, Prime Mover Theatre and The Musical Stage Company. He has also worked on a national scale as a dramaturg in his previous role as the Associate Dramaturg at the Banff Playwrights Lab. Select Playwright credits include: G_OAT Debate featured as part of Lunchbox Theatre’s 2024 Stage One Festival of New pLAYS, The Watchdog Society featured in staged readings with Chromatic Theatre and Carlos Bulosan Theatre, Destination Wedding! Co-created with Jennifer Villaverde and Maria Aragon presented by Sheridan College and The Musical Stage Company, and Alberta Kitchen Party co-created with Alixandra Cowman, Anna Dalgleish, Daniel Fong, Jeremy Carver James, Joe Slabe, and Emiko Muraki, with contributions from Darcy Evans, Tiffany Thomas, and Tenaj Williams presented at Alberta Theatre Projects. Alberta Kitchen Party received two Betty Mitchell Award wins for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble, Outstanding Music Direction, and Outstanding Production of a Musical. Kodie is also one of the recipient of Theatre Alberta’s 2023 Michelle Dias Community Service Award. Select Dramaturgy credits include: Static: A Party Girl’s Memoir by Ashley King, Kisapmata by Bianca Miranda, which won the Oustanding New Play Award at the 2024 Betty Mitchell Awards. He received his Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and his Masters in Arts Leadership from Queen’s University. He is currently the Artistic Director of Chromatic Theatre. As an arts educator, he is currently a facilitator of the Rozsa Foundation’s arts management and education programs, and has been a sessional instructor with the University of Calgary. Contact

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"

No Auditions Currently We will update this page when Auditions open up! Come back to stay up to date on the company and auditions for future projects Subscribe for updates!

Intersection Us (Mural) Exhibition Info Exhibition by: Format: Mural Content: This is a drop in experience similar to that of an art gallery. Teacher candidates will be around to explain the portion of the mural they created. Teacher candidates will be available for questions/ comments throughout the exhibit. See also: Getting to the space See also: Parking Info for MRU