BitchSlap!

Darrin Hagen is the Artistic Director of Guys In Disguise, which is celebrating over three decades of creating drag comedies that have toured across North America. He has received 7 Sterling awards for his work in the Edmonton theatre scene, and over 40 Sterling nominations. His writing debut in 1996 was the award-winning THE EDMONTON QUEEN (transformed into book length and published by Brindle & Glass Publishing). Other plays by Darrin include WITCH HUNT AT THE STRAND (nominated for Outstanding New Play); BUDDY (nominated for Outstanding New Play); With Bells On (nominated for Outstanding New Play); BITCHSLAP!; THE NEO-NANCIES: HITLER’S KICKLINE!; TORNADO MAGNET: A SALUTE TO TRAILER COURT WOMEN (published by Brindle & Glass); as well as TYPHOON JUDY (co-written with Christopher Peterson); and PILEDRIVER! (co-written with Wes Borg). His plays have been produced across Canada, in the U.S. and as far away as Ireland.

With his creative partner Trevor Schmidt, he has co-created the hit musical KLONDYKES (nominated for 5 Sterling awards); FLORA & FAWNA’S FIELD TRIP (Sterling Award for Outstanding New Fringe Work); PREPARE FOR THE WORST! (Sterling Nominee for Outstanding New Fringe Work); PUCK BUNNIES (Sterling Nominee for Outstanding New Fringe Work); DON’T FROWN AT THE GOWN; PSYCHOBABBLE; DRAGULA and the children’s musical MY OTHER MOTHER.

He has been inducted into the Q Hall of Fame Canada and the Edmonton Queer Hall of Fame. In 2005 he was named one of 100 Edmontonians of the Century, and last year was named one of Alberta’s 25 Most Influential Artists in the last 25 years. To the best of his knowledge, he’s the only drag queen on that list. He was one of the official Cultural Ambassadors of Canada’s 150 Celebrations, and was appointed as the Writer In Residence for Edmonton Public Libraries for 2018. Most recently, he was one of the recipients of the Edmonton Artists’ Trust Fund.

A Sterling Award winning Actress and an Artistic Associate of Teatro La Quindicina Davina spent this past August in New York performing in Stewart Lemoine’s award winning production of PITH! and directing SILLY SOUP for the Edmonton Fringe Festival. Among her other favourite roles have been Hedda in HEDDA GABLER, Agnes in DANCING AT LUGHNASA, Cecily Pigeon In THE ODD COUPLE, Pam in COCKTAIL AT PAM’S, Nina in EVELYN STRANGE, and Theresa in MARION BRIDGE. Davina is also a core company member of the improvised soap opera Die-Nasty which was recently honored with a Canadian Comedy Award. She recently finished work on Peter Wunstorf’s short film, PATIENCES. Upcoming projects include Cathleen Rootsaert’s new play HOUSE OF CATS and the remount of the Guys in Disguise production of BITCHSLAP! Davina’s love of gourmet food grew out of her first job as a clerk on Woodward’s food floor.

Trevor is the Artistic Director of Northern Light Theatre for the past 13 years, and been involved with NLT for the past 18 years as a performer, director, designer, and playwright, as well as being a multiple Sterling award winner. He has been awarded twice as a playwright (THE WATERMELON GIRLS, and CHANGE ROOM), twice for directing (the Canadian premieres of THE 4TH PRESENT AN UNNAMED LOVE-SUICIDE and Carol Anne Duffy’s THE WORLD’S WIFE). He received the Outstanding Fringe Performance award for the one-man show COFFEE DAD, CHICKEN MOM, AND THE FABULOUS BUDDHA BOI, penned by Nick Green which toured to New York as part of the FRIGID FESTIVAL. As an actor, he has been seen in ANGELS IN AMERICA Part 1: Millennium Approaches, LOVE! VALOR! COMPASSION!, WOMEN BEWARE WOMEN, THE BUSY WORLD IS HUSHED (Outstanding Male Lead Actor nomination) and created the role of Bette Davis in the international touring success BITCHSLAP!.  His plays have been produced across Canada and far away as Australia (MABEL STARK!). He has created and choreographed a one-woman dance piece entitled MARKED for the Expanse Dance Festival that was extended and nominated for a Sterling for Outstanding New Work. Most recently, he was awarded the DIALOG Award for Excellence in Artistic Direction as part of the Mayor’s Evening for the Arts. He sits on the advisory boards of the Grant MacEwan University Theatre Arts and Red Deer College Theatre Performance and Creation programme and is an Artistic Associate of GUYS IN DISGUISE Theatre company, where he was last seen in FLORA & FAWNA’S FIELD TRIP!

Ian is delighted to be back at Theatre Network. Last year he got work on the incredible IRMA VOTH where he won a Sterling award.  His past work at the Roxy was in 2009 on POSTER BOYS and BUDDY. Ian is an accomplished photographer and burgeoning videographer. Ian will always be grateful to Bradley Moss and the Network team for helping him win an unexpected Sterling Award in the early 2000s.

“It is my passion and love to create for everyone to see.”

Jaime was trained in fashion design at Lethbridge College and in costuming at Red Deer College, working on productions like South Pacific, The Seagull, Jazzcracker, Good Night Desdemona, Good Morning Juliet, and Beware of the Quickly Who. Her first costume design was for Peace River’s Peace Players in Moon Over Buffalo and The Importance of Being Earnest. Now based in Edmonton, she has designed for plays and films, including The Giraffe Who Thought He Could Fly and Sure Shot Dombrowski. She has also established J. Ireland Designs, and has designed several custom costumes, wedding dresses, evening gowns and corsets. BitchSlap! was her first time fitting a dress on a man’s body, and she enjoyed figuring out how to create a curved silhouette where there is none.

One of the founding members of Guys in Disguise, James has been entertaining and working audiences into a frenzy across Canada and the U.S. for over two decades. With too many titles to mention, James is Edmonton’s John DeSmit Citizen of the Year as well as recipient of Lifetime Achievement Awards in Calgary and Edmonton for her tireless Charity Fundraising.

James and Darrin have been friends for 25 years and is thrilled to do his part in this fabulous production of “HOSE” anna as in house make-up artist.

James has done Darrin’s make-up for several productions and photo shoots including LOUD N’ QUEER CABARET, WHO’S ON TOP?, LA DUCHESSE DE LANGEAIS and HOSANNA.

Make-up Artistry, Painting, Fundraising and Bartending at a Lesbian Bar is helping him become a better man. Oh Girl. Enjoy the show!

Recent Stage Management credits include: THE EMPRESS & THE PRIME MINISTER and THE LAST FIVE YEARS for Theatre Network; OH CHRISTMAS TREE for the Roxy Series; THE COLOR PURPLE for The Citadel Theatre; THE BAD SEED, SHOCKER’S DELIGHT and THE SALON OF THE TALKING TURK for Teatro La Quindicina; and WITCH HUNT AT THE STRAND for Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre.