Typhoon Judy

Christopher is thrilled to be back at Theatre Network after not having been here since he appeared in Poor Superman in 1994. For the last 12 years Christopher has been performing his show Eyecons, a tribute to the Great Ladies of 20th Century show business, at the newly renovated Crystal Room at La Te Da in Key West Florida. In 2008, he appeared in The Waterfront Playhouse production of BitchSlap! as Bette Davis. In 2003, he was part of a tribute to Jerry Herman for the Palm Springs Museum in the role of Zsa Zsa from the musical La Cage Aux Folles co-starring with Peter Marshall. Peterson landed a role in the motion picture Rat Race directed by Jerry Zucker and distributed by Paramount. Christopher did a stint as Lucille Ball in the film, along side Cuba Gooding Jr. In 1995, Christopher was under the direction of Derek Goldby in the production Poor Superman, which opened at The Manitoba Theatre Centre and then ran 20 weeks at Canadian Stage in Toronto. Peterson received a Dora Award for Best “Male” Performance.

Nick Samoil is a composer and performer in Edmonton.  He first appeared on stage with Guys In Disguise as the pianist in the 2009 fringe hit Triple Platinum, and returned in 2010 and 2011 as the composer for Dragula and Psychobabble.  This past year he also composed music for Northern Light Theatre’s Heroine, The Ecstatics, and The Lawyer Show. Nick has also been working the club and festival circuit with The Kyler Schogen Blues Band, and Harry Wojak.  In addition to performing, Nick is currently working on his first feature album, and has returned to Grant MacEwan University to complete his Bachelor of Music Degree. In 2013 he will also be scoring his third feature length film. Nick is thrilled be a part of the Canadian premiere of Typhoon Judy.

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.

“Now is a time to storm; Why dost thou laugh? It fits not with this hour.” Recent Design credits include BED AND BREAKFAST (Theatre Network), EDAY (Serial Collective), Minerva Queen of the Handcuffs (Ghost-writer Theatre), THE EMPRESS & THE PRIME MINISTER, WHAT A YOUNG WIFE OUGHT TO KNOW, INFINITY (Theatre Network), TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA, THE WINTER’S TALE, HAMLET, A COMEDY OF ERRORS (Freewill Players), 9-5, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM (Grant MacEwan University). Scott is resident Production Manager for Theatre Network and Nextfest, and is a founding member of Edmonton band Captain Tractor. “Why, I have not another tear to shed.”