Keri Mitchell, Executive Director
Keri re-joined the Theatre Alberta team as Executive Director in April 2010, having previously worked as TA’s Program Coordinator from 2004-2007 and Dramaworks Registrar from 2003-2004. In the interim Keri was an Artistic Associate at the Citadel Theatre, where she coordinated the annual Teens @ The Turn Festival and various audience enrichment programs, and Outreach Coordinator at the Manitoba Theatre Centre in Winnipeg, where among other duties she acted as Tour Manager for the 2010 Regional Tour of Theatre Newfoundland Labrador’s Tempting Providence (a 6,500-km journey which culminated in bringing live professional theatre to the northern community of Churchill). Keri has also worked with the iHuman Youth Society and the Cappies of Greater Edmonton. She is a graduate of the U of A’s BA Honors Drama program.
Maura Penn, Office Administrator/ Executive Assistant
Contact Maura about Theatre Alberta membership and general Theatre Alberta questions/business.
theatreab@theatrealberta.com
Maura has been involved in the performing arts in one way or another for the past two and a half decades. With opportunities to perform, produce, direct and write around the world, she has decided to take up a less gypsy-like lifestyle and settle in Edmonton, where she continues to fuel her passion for the theatre. When not administrating the Theatre Alberta office, Maura is currently enrolled in the Arts & Cultural Management program at Grant MacEwan University, continuing an education that originally started in the Theatre program at the University of Manitoba. Maura’s favourite performance, however, is definitely being a mother to two children, which continually involves all aspects of theatre arts on a daily basis, most notably in a director role.
Michelle Kennedy, Programmer
Contact Michelle about Artstrek, Dramaworks, Emerge, PlayWorks Ink and Workshops by Request.
michelle@theatrealberta.com
Michelle is a director, playwright and occassional jill-of-all trades who has, until recently, been splitting her time between Edmonton and Calgary. Michelle has spent the past 3.5 seasons at One Yellow Rabbit in Calgary acting primarily as Blake Brooker’s assistant director. Recent directing credits include: PornStar.USA (by Chris Craddock, Edmonton Fringe); The Tornado: A Prairie Musical Tragicomedy and The Flood: A Disaster Story (both of which she also wrote and premiered at the Edmonton Fringe). Other highlights include: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Theatre Calgary, Assistant to Dean Paul Gibson); Irvine Welsh’s Filth (Sage Theatre, Assistant to Kelly Reay) and Nick Green’s Coffee Dad, Chicken Mom, and the Fabulous Buddha Boi (Director, Guys Undisguised, Edmonton Fringe) which went on to win three Elizabeth Sterling Haynes awards including Best Fringe Production. Michelle holds a BA (Hon) from the University of Alberta and a diploma in Arts and Cultural Management from Grant McEwen. She is thrilled to be joining the team at Theatre Alberta and can’t wait for the adventures to begin!
Aaron Talbot, communications and marketing coordinator
Contact Aaron about the Theatre Alberta website, Theatre Buzz, The Playbill, and All Stages advertising.
aaron@theatrealberta.com
Aaron is a multi-disciplinary artist and theatre producer who just happened to have worked in communications and marketing for the Ontario government for five years (2007-11). Aaron has performed in more than 30 theatrical productions (including 6 modern dance pieces), has directed 5 new works, and twice has been nominated for Best Performance by an Albertan Actor at the Alberta Motion Picture Industry Association (AMPIA) Awards. He was a co-founder and principal performer for the Etcetera Theatre Collective (ETC) from 2002-06, has toured the Canadian Fringe Festival circuit twice, and is a trained audio describer (an initiative to help make theatre and live events accessible for blind and low-vision patrons). He’s working on a rock musical, on a novel and on raising his beautiful and brilliant baby girl.
brenda sutherland, solveig Anderson and chris profiri, librarians
Contact Brenda, Solveig, and Chris with all of your library questions and needs.
library@theatrealberta.com
Brenda has been a librarian at Theatre Alberta since 1999. She is a graduate of the University of Alberta’s Bachelor of Education program.
Solveig has been a librarian at Theatre Alberta since 2005. She is a graduate of Grant MacEwan’s Information Management and Library Technology Program.
Chris started her librarianship career with Theatre Alberta. She completed her MLIS from the University of Alberta and loves to spend her summers at TA. She has been with Theatre Alberta since 2001.
David van Belle, All Stages Editor
Contact David with all of your All Stages questions and needs.
editor@theatrealberta.com
David van Belle is a Calgary-based playwright, director, and performer with a passion for devised creation. He’s currently co-Artistic Director of Ghost River Theatre, a title he shares with his pal Eric Rose. David came to Calgary in 1999 to complete his MFA in directing at the University of Calgary, after three years as part of the creative ensemble of Kitchener’s Theatre & Company. He spent seven years as part of the ensemble of One Yellow Rabbit Performance Theatre before leaving to go freelance in 2007. Recent creations include Buzz Job! The True Story of Cal Cavendish, created with Kris Demeanor and The Highest Step in the World, created with Eric Rose, which premiered at Alberta Theatre Projects’ 2010 PlayRites Festival. He is currently working on a new musical called Reverie, for Ghost River Theatre. David is fascinated by people’s lives and the ways in which they live them.
Marie Gynane-Willis, Artstrek Director
Contact Marie about Artstrek.
artstrekdirector@theatrealberta.com
Marie has worked extensively in the Alberta arts community as a theatre administrator, programmer, educator, and actor. She was Executive Director of Theatre Alberta from 2003-2010, and an Arts Consultant for the Arts Branch of Alberta Community Development for over a decade. Marie has several teaching credits: she was a sessional instructor for the Department of Drama, University of Alberta for five years and taught for the Foote Theatre School at the Citadel, as well as Theatre Network and Phoenix Theatre. She was also Director of the Foote Theatre School at the Citadel Theatre for three years. Marie received an Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award for Arts Administration in 2004 and an Alberta Centennial Medal for Contribution to the Arts in 2006. She is a graduate of the University of Alberta and The Drama Centre, University of London, England.
Zenovia Adams, Financial Administrator
Zenovia Adams graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics and worked for many years as a dietitian at various hospitals in Saskatchewan and Alberta. She worked at the Charles Camsell Hospital in Edmonton before taking time off to raise her boys. When her youngest son started school Zenovia made a career switch into bookkeeping and has experience with both publicly and privately held companies. She has been with Theatre Alberta for 10 years.
