Inspired by a true story, Burning Bluebeard tells the tale of six singed clowns who emerge from the burnt remains of a theatre to perform their spectacular Christmas Pantomime. This time they hope to finally reach the true happy ending of their second act and avoid the fateful fire destroyed Chicago’s Iroquois Theatre in 1903.
BIOGRAPHIES
Braydon Dowler-Coltman* : Henry Gilfoil / Bluebeard Braydon is an Edmonton-based theatre artist, and an Artistic Associate with Blarney Productions. He received a BFA in Acting at the University of Alberta. Select theatre credits include: To Be Moved, A Quiet Place, Subway Circus (Blarney Productions), The Salon of the Talking Turk (Teatro La Quindicina), Fortune Falls (Catalyst Theatre/ATP), Burning Bluebeard (Edmonton Actor's Theatre), That's Danger (AWHC), Tarzan (Broadway Live), Passion Play (Wild Side Productions), Bloody Poetry, Blood Wedding (Studio Theatre), A Christmas Carol, Peter Pan, Oliver!, The Pillowman (Citadel Theatre). Last season, Braydon received a Sterling Nomination for his direction of Scaramouche Jones (Blarney Productions). He can be seen next in Kill Your Television’s upcoming production of Shakespeare’s R&J for the Roxy performance series in January
Amber Lewis * : Fancy Clown Amber is delighted to be back with Burning Bluebeard to ‘make moonlight’ again with these beautiful clowns. Most recently she played ‘Beatrice’ in Much Ado About Nothing at Bard on the Beach in Vancouver. Also at Bard: Winter’s Tale, Romeo & Juliet, King John, The Merry Wives of Windsor,The Merchant of Venice, As You Like It, Othello, The Comedy of Errors, Falstaff and Henry V. Other stage appearances include: Baskerville, Don’t Dress for Dinner (Mayfield), Gideon’s Knot (SkirtsAfire), The End of Civilization, Adult Entertainment (Punctuate! Theatre), The Importance of Being Earnest, The Philanderer (Arts Club), The Ugly One (Plan B Collective) and Saint Joan (Chemainus Theatre). Film and TV: It’s Not My Fault (Mosaic Entertainment), Supernatural (CW), Shattered (Global) and Skew (Sleep Apnea Productions). Amber is a graduate of George Brown Theatre School in Toronto.
Brooke Leifso : Faerie Queen Brooke is a cultural producer, with dual focus on multi-disciplinary performance and Expressive Art informed community art. Brooke is an Associate Producer with the Edmonton-based integrated dance company, CRIPSiE and a co-Artistic Director the Robertson-Wesley’s Spirited Arts Movement. She identifies with values in anti-oppression and a cis-woman with living with a disability. All these layers of identity, experience and skill their way into her work. She has worked in various capacities with Theatre Yes, Mile Zero Dance, Common Ground Art Society, Jumblies Theatre (Toronto), Fringe Theatre Adventures, and Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre. Relevant credits include: Moon at Midnight (Brian Webb – Prairie Dance Circuit/Expanse), Anxiety, National Elevator Project Parts 1 and 2(Theatre Yes), Unraveling the Dis/abled (solo performance), Dwelling, Held, Studies of Sleep, A Wake and s/kin (Mindhive Collective).
John Ullyatt* : Robert Murray the Stage Manager John is probably best known for his work at the Citadel Theatre, where he has appeared in One Man, Two Guvs, The Pillowman, I Am My Own Wife, The Rocky Horror Show, and Death of a Salesman. Most recently, he was in Shakespeare In Love at The Citadel and Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre. His job has taken him all over the country. He has also appeared for seven seasons with Freewill Players in Coriolanus, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, As You Like It, Twelfth Night and Richard III. John is co founder of Firefly Theatre whose creations include Craniatrium, Duck Duck Bang, The 21st Century Gargoyles, and The Human Fountain.
Dave Horak * : Director Dave is a director, actor, teacher and Artistic Director of Edmonton Actors Theatre that has been nominated for 25 Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Awards, winning 14 for production, design, directing and acting. Edmonton Actors Theatre has produced Stupid Fucking Bird, A sort of adaptation of The Seagull, Burning Bluebeard, Fatboy, 70 Scenes of Halloween and is looking forward to directing Collin Doyle’s new play Too Late To Stop Now in May, 2018. Recent directing work includes Going, Going Gone, The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe (Teatro La Quindicina), A Few Good Men(Keyano Theatre), Measures, The Musical, The Inspector General, Cloud Nine (Citadel Theatre Young Company), Sartre’s Shorts, Act Without Words(Surreal SoReal Theatre), Curtains(MacEwan University), and Eurydice (U of A Studio Theatre). Recent acting work includes Wildside Production’s of 10 out of 12and Passion Play, Erin Shield’s If We Were Birds(University of Alberta), theatre no. 6’s Proud, and Blarney Production’s MOTE. Dave holds BFA (Acting) and MFA (Directing) degrees from the University of Alberta and was a participant in the 2015-16 Citadel/ Banff Professional Theatre Program.
Scott Peters: Set / Lighting Designer Scott has a long history with Theatre Network and was the original lighting and set designer for Edmonton Actors Theatre's Burning Bluebeard which garnered him two Sterling Awards. He also designed EAT’s Fatboyat the Fringe in 2012 and then did the set and lights for the Fatboy remount at Theatre Network in the 2014/15 Roxy Performance Series (one of the last shows at the Roxy Theatre). Recent credits include lighting design for Irma Voth, 10 Out of 12 (Sterling nomination), Pig Girl, Let the Light of Day Through (Sterling Award), Closer and Closer Apart (Sterling Nomination), The Summer of My Amazing Luck, Buddy, Marion Bridge, Twelfth Night, The Merchant of Venice, Romeo and Juliette, Love’s Labours Lost,Coriolanus, As You Like It, Sister Act, Footloose. Scott has been a theatre technician, writer, producer, designer, educator, Production Manager, and Technical Director for 25 years in Edmonton and beyond. He is also a musician who co-founded the local band Captain Tractor.
Jay Torrence: Playwright Jay Torrence is a founding member of The Ruffians and has been writing/performing/directing in Chicago since 2002. His playwriting and performance credits include Ivywild, Burning Bluebeardand Roustabout: The Great Circus Train Wreck (Awarded the John W. Schmid After Dark Award for Outstanding New Work and the After Dark Award for Outstanding Production). Jay has had the privilege to perform with 500 Clown, The Hypocrites, Redmoon Theater, Theater Oobleck and The Neo-Futurists where he was an ensemble member for twelve years and the former Artistic Director. He is a recipient of an Orgie Award for artistic direction and was named one of the Top 50 players in Chicago Theater by Newcity. He has an MFA in Creative Writing from The University of British Columbia and has studied under master clown Philippe Gaulier.
Vincent Forcier* : Eddie Foy /Sister Anne Vincent has built a reputation of being a jack of all trades with his unique blend of theatre and movement. His ability to vary between acting, directing, improv, dance, and more; sets him apart from the typical. Notable acting credits include: Pool (no water) (Timms Stage), The Tall Building (Sterling award nomination, Azimuth Theatre), Beckett's Shorts (Sterling award nomination), and DOG(Winner: 2 Sterling awards, Surreal SoReal Theatre), The Ambassador's Wives, Scent of Compulsion (Teatro La Quindicina) and Stickboy (Vancouver Opera). As a choreographer and dancer he has toured in collaboration with Brian Webb Dance (Edm.), Dancer’s Studio West (Cal.), New Dance Horizons (Reg.) and Winnipeg Contemporary Dancers (Win.) Vincent is a member of the ensemble for Die Nasty: The Live Improvised Soap Operaas well as a player with Rapid Fire Theatre. He also co-founded the award winning Surreal SoReal Theatre. He has been described as scarily eloquent both physically and mentally in the Edmonton Journal and was recently awarded a Jessie (Vancouver Theatre Award) for best actor in a TYA production for Le Portrait Gooble (Theatre La Seixieme). Vincent holds a B.F.A – Acting from the University of Alberta.
Stephanie Wolfe * : Nellie Reed the Fairy Aerialist Stephanie is very excited to be remounting this beautiful play. She is a founding member of Edmonton's Canadian Comedy Award winning Completely Improvised Soap Opera, Die-Nasty, now in its 27 season. Recently, Stephanie appeared with the FreeWill Players in The Merry Wives of Windsor and The Merchant of Venice. Earlier this year she performed in Peter and the Starcatcher and in the Canadian Premiere of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime for the Citadel Theatre and The Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre. A recent favourite was The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe with Teatro La Quindicina and Dave Horak, your friendly director of this show right here. A theatre veteran, favourite shows include Angels in America, Part 2 Perestroika, for the Citadel, Boeing Boeing for The Mayfield Dinner Theatre, Mad Forest for The Phoenix Theatre, Problem Child and The End of Civilization for Theatre Network, and The Rules of Irene for Teatro La Quindicina. Recent film credits include 40 Below and Falling, and A Louder Silence, both being screened at film festivals across the country. Later this year you can see her at the Mayfield Theatre in The Ladies Foursome and at the Citadel in The Silver Arrow. Stephanie is the recipient of both an AMPIA and an Elizabeth Sterling Hayes Award for her work.
Jenn Best * : Stage Manager Jenn is an Edmonton-based Stage Manager and theatre technician. Her other Stage Management credits include: The Realistic Jonesesand10 out of 12 for Wildside Productions; Wish and Sister, Sister for Northern Light Theatre; In the Next Room,The Clean House, Days of Wine and Roses, and 4:48 Psychosisfor Trunk Theatre; Flight of the Viscount, Jack Goes Boating, Fool for Love, Little Elephants and Grace, for Shadow Theatre. For several seasons she lived out of her suitcase, touring with the gay hiphopera, Bash’d; the 90’s punk rockumentary, Hard Core Logo: Live; and travelling to Calgary for Hedwig and the Angry Inch. She upgraded her suitcase to an RV for her recent work at The Canadian Badlands Passion Play; and Tent Meeting at the Rosebud Centre for the Arts.
Sydney Gross: Costume Designer Sydney Gross is a theatre technician from Regina, SK, and now calls Edmonton home. Syd holds a BFA in Technical Theatre Production from the University of Alberta, and has worked a myriad of positions for many companies in Edmonton as a set, costume, and sound designer, wardrobe runner, props builder, scenic painter, and more. Select design credits include: Costume Design for CRIPSiE Dance (2017); Costume Designer for Before the River (Mavka Theatre/Found Festival 2017); Costume Designer for Convergence (Good Women Dance Company, 2016); Production Designer for The Good Bride (Northern Light Theatre; October 2015); Set Designer for Dirt (Punctuate! Theatre; February 2014). Currently, Sydney is pursuing an MSc in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Alberta.
Richelle Thoreson: Choreography Richelle is an independent Edmonton-based dancer, choreographer, teacher, and “one of the faces in theatre to watch” (Edmonton Journal, 2016). She co-founded Toy Guns Dance Theatre, which took her across the country performing in parks, mattress galleries, parkades, and major theatrical venues across Canada. She has been dancing for over 17 years, training in ballet, contemporary, lyrical, jazz, and tap. After training in clown with Jan Henderson this year, Richelle performed and choreographedA Boy and His Goodbye by Jordan Sabo in the inaugural Edmonton Clown Festival! She has also received numerous choreography awards, as well as a Sterling nomination (2015) for this show you’re about to see where she also played the Faerie Queen for the 2015 and 2016 productions!