The Passion of Mary

Annette is a graduate of the University of Alberta’s BFA acting program and has been performing, teaching, directing, producing and more recently writing for theatre for the past 23 years. Annette is an Artistic Associate and founder of the Free Will Shakespeare Festival in Edmonton, having performed in 18 and helping to produce 23 seasons of Shakespeare in the Park. Her favorite roles are Kate in The Taming of the Shrew, Beatrice (Sterling Award Nomination) in Much Ado About Nothing, Olivia in Twelfth Night, Portia in The Merchant of Venice, Hermione in The Winters Tale, Queen Elizabeth in Richard III, Rosalind in As You Like It and Emelia in Othello. She is the Director of Youth Programming for the Festival bringing Camp Shakespeare to the park each summer and Will Power Residencies into the schools. Annette’s other favorite performances include playing in A Christmas Carol and Julius Caesar at the Citadel, Becca in Rabbit Hole for Alberta Theatre Projects in Calgary, Bloody Poetry, Northern Light Theatre (Sterling Award Nomination), The Last Train, Shadow Theatre, Homesick and My One and Only for Workshop West Theatre. Annette is also one of the founders of the new Women’s Arts Festival, SkirtsAfire!, which will make it’s debut in March 2013.

Glenda Stirling is a director, playwright and choreographer who has worked across the country (Ships Company, Shaw Festival, The Globe, Alberta Theatre Projects). Glenda is the Associate Artistic Director at Lunchbox Theatre, and a Certified Movement Analyst.  She teaches in the acting programs at Mount Royal University and The University of Calgary.

Bretta grew up in Winnipeg and has resided in Edmonton for the past eighteen years. She graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Interior Design in 1992, and from the University of Alberta with a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Design in 1996. Bretta is the resident designer at Catalyst Theatre, where she has designed world premieres, which have toured internationally to Great Britain, Australia, and the U.S. and across Canada. Bretta also works at The Citadel Theatre, Canadian Stage, Workshop West Theatre, Edmonton Opera, Calgary Opera,, Theatre Calgary and The Globe Theatre.  She is the recipient of over twenty Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Awards, Jessie Richardson Awards, Betty Mitchell Awards and SATAwards  for Outstanding Achievement in Set, Lighting and Costume Design; The Enbridge Award for Best Emerging Artist; The Global Women of Vision Award; Edmonton’s Top 40 Under 40 and was short-listed twice for the Siminovitch Prize.  Bretta designed a summer home on Devil’s Lake, Alberta, and continues her work as an archaeological illustrator.

This is Gina’s second season back out in the freelance world of stage management. She is delighted to be on familiar territory for her first official apprenticing gig – a full circle moment. Gina was Theatre Network’s production manager from 2000 to 2004 giving her some of her favorite productions under her belt (A SKULL IN CONNEMARA, HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, VINCENT AND BRIXTON, FOR THE PLEASURE OF SEEING HER AGAIN, LAWRENCE AND HOLLOMAN, …). She has also been the production manager for NEXTFEST for the past five years – a festival that takes place in June right where you are sitting. Other Select credits include BITCHSLAP! and the Tranny Trilogy, TRANNY GET YOUR GUN, L’IL ORPHAN TRANNY and TRANNE OF GREEN GABLES (Guys in Disguise) THE BLACK RIDER: THE CASTING OF THE MAGIC BULLETS (November Theatre), THE INCREDIBLE ADVENTURES OF MARY JANE MOSQUITO (Concrete Theatre) and looks forward to THE ANGER OF ERNEST AND ERNESTINE with George and Sharla and DRUNKEN F*CKER (Ground Zero, April 2006).