University of Alberta Department of Drama

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University of Alberta Department of Drama Find out what's going on in the U of A Department of Drama.

Since its inception in the 1940s, the University of Alberta Department of Drama has been committed to the training and education of the future artists and visionary leaders of Canadian theatre.

It's Opening Night!! And we're thrilled to bring Hedda Gabler to the Timms Stage!Show and ticketing info here: https://w...
10/09/2026

It's Opening Night!! And we're thrilled to bring Hedda Gabler to the Timms Stage!
Show and ticketing info here: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/drama/on-stage/hedda-gabler.html

Photos: Brianne Jang
Pictured: Charley Fruitman as Hedda; Aldrick Dugarte as Tesman; Matthew Sbrissa as Berte; Christopher Armstrong as Brack; Maya Wright as Lovborg; and Alexa Rodominski as Mrs. Elvsted
Directed by: Giulia Romano
Designers: Rory Jewiss, Scenic/Props; Chelsea Payne Evason, Costumes; Rory Turner, Lighting

Audition Notice – BLT 3 & 4 at the University of Alberta BLT 3: The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee WilliamsDirected by Hea...
10/07/2026

Audition Notice – BLT 3 & 4 at the University of Alberta

BLT 3: The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams
Directed by Heath Jones, MFA Directing Candidate

BLT 4: C**k by Mike Bartlett
Directed by Jorden Charley-Whatley, MFA Directing Candidate

Auditions:
Tuesday, October 20th, 5:00-9:00pm | Fine Arts Building – University of Alberta (FAB 2-43)

Saturday, October 24th, 11:00am-3:00pm | Fine Arts Building – University of Alberta (FAB 3-125)

This is a volunteer commitment – interested CAEA members must have an affiliation/history with the University of Alberta’s Drama Department. Production photos will be provided for portfolio purposes.

Rehearsals M-F evenings (approx. 6:00-10:00pm) and Saturdays (approx. 10:00am-6:00pm)

Please thoroughly fill out and submit the form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScqt1V9lnmaCSWvsZLBgonpcITXHNGDPb950UouY_p4o2RvZw/viewform

Those selected to audition will be contacted with an audition time and further details.

BLT 3: The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams
Tennessee Williams’ celebrated autobiographical memory play – a drama of great tenderness, charm and beauty – is a moving portrait of a troubled American family led by a determined but delusional mother.

Approximate Dates:
First Rehearsal: Monday, January 4th, 2027
Performance Dates: February 11-13, 2027
*Please indicate if you have any immovable commitments during January and February in your submission.

Casting:
*Note: The pronouns listed represent those of the characters
Amanda Wingfield: 40-55. She/Her. Any Ethnicity. A voracious (but fading) Southern Belle from Blue Mountain, Mississippi, Amanda is Tom and Laura’s mother. Abandoned by her children’s father, she fights and strives for her children to have the life she once dreamed of. Amanda is perpetually torn between her ideals of the past and present duties toward her children. A “mother lion” in every sense, she is capable of fierce cruelty and deepest love.

Tom Wingfield: 20-30. He/Him. Any Ethnicity. Amanda’s son and Laura’s brother, Tom is a closested homosexual who dreams of being a poet. Sleep-deprived and overworked, the burden of supporting the family has fallen on him. However, Tom’s nightly visits to the “movies” provide the temporary escape he so desperately wants. Constantly torn between his dreams and his family, Tom ultimately abandons his mother and sister in his search for freedom.

Tom Wingfield: 40-55. He/Him. Any Ethnicity. An older, more “wisened” version of Tom. This Tom has lived a full life, open and free to be the person and poet he wanted to be. This Tom acts as the master of ceremonies, bringing his memories to life as he searches for forgiveness for the family he abandoned. His gain was their loss.

Laura Wingfield: 20-30. She/Her. Any Ethnicity. Amanda’s daughter and Tom’s sister, Laura suffered with pleurosis as a child, a condition which has left her physically weak and instilled in her a deep inferiority complex. A wallflower in every sense of the word, Laura often retreats into the world of her glass menagerie (a collection of glass animals), a world where she does not have to grow up.

Jim O’Connor: 20-30. He/Him. Any Ethnicity. The quintessential all-American male, Jim is an old school friend to Tom and potential “gentleman caller” for Laura. Charming, attractive, and hard-working, Jim is the light in every room he enters and he knows how to put people at ease. It is easy to see why Laura’s crush on him has lasted since high school.

BLT 4: C**k by Mike Bartlett
John is caught in a crisis of identity and sexuality. After a brief break from his long-term male partner (M), he falls in love with a woman (W). The play culminates in a tense dinner where M, W, and M's father (F) force John to choose.

Approximate Dates:
First Rehearsal: Monday, February 22nd, 2027
Performance Dates: April 1-3, 2027
*Please indicate if you have any immovable commitments during February, March, and April in your submission.

Casting:
John: Mid-20s - Mid-30s. Male. Any Ethnicity. He has been in a relationship with M for seven years, and has identified as a gay man for most of his life. He is indecisive and mercurial, but equally charming and electric. A tad self-centered.

M: Mid-20s - Mid-30s. Male. Any Ethnicity. He has been in a relationship with John for seven years. Has identified as gay his entire life and does not intend to change that. Grounded and witty, he can be affable or acerbic, depending on the situation. A streak of insecurity runs beneath his confidence.

W: Mid-20s - Mid-30s. Female. Any Ethnicity. The woman that John sleeps with while he’s on hiatus with M. She is confident, articulate, and assertive– and doesn’t tolerate bu****it.

F: 40s+. Male. Any Ethnicity. M’s father. A devoted and understanding father who fiercely supports M and John’s relationship as gay men, but his dated tolerance means he doesn’t really understand John’s situation.

Opening next week! Studio Theatre presents:Hedda Gablerby Henrik IbsenVersion by Patrick Marber from a literal translati...
10/01/2026

Opening next week! Studio Theatre presents:

Hedda Gabler
by Henrik Ibsen
Version by Patrick Marber from a literal translation by Karin and Ann Bamborough.

Oct. 8-17 | Timms Centre for the Arts

PURCHASE TICKETS:
https://www.showpass.com/hedda-gabler-3/

The honeymoon is over, and Hedda Gabler is already bored with her husband and the respectable life he represents. Caught between longing and constraint, Hedda is drawn into a tightening web of influence, jealousy, and control when figures from her past re-enter her orbit. As carefully constructed lives begin to unravel, Hedda’s search for agency exposes the thin line between autonomy and annihilation.

Showtimes: October 8-preview @ 7:30 | October 9-opening @ 7:30 | October 10 @ 7:30 | October 14 @ 6:30 | October 15 @ 12:30 & 7:30 | October 16 @ 7:30 | October 17 @ 1:30 & 7:30

Director | Giulia Romano
Scenic/Prop Designer | Rory Jewiss
Costume Designer | Chelsea Payne Evason
Lighting Designer | Rory Turner
Sound Designer | Sylvia Anderson
Stage Manager | Kahlan Fornara

With | Aldrick Dugarte, Charley Fruitman, Nadien Chu*, Matthew Sbrissa, Christopher Armstrong, Maya Wright, Alexa Rodominski

uab.ca/onstage
____________________

HEDDA GABLER (MARBER) is presented by arrangement with concord theatricals on behalf of dramatists play service www.concordtheatricals.com

*The participation of this Artist is arranged by permission of Canadian Actors' Equity Association under the provisions of the Dance•Opera• Theatre Policy.

Announcing the 2026 Lee Playwriting Prize for New Canadian PlaysThe jury had an extremely difficult decision this year b...
08/18/2026

Announcing the 2026 Lee Playwriting Prize for New Canadian Plays

The jury had an extremely difficult decision this year because of the quality of the submissions, and wishes to express their admiration to the playwrights for making this a tough but enjoyable process.

However, there could only be one winner, and after serious deliberation, "Ifrit" by Jean-Michel Cliche was chosen as the winner of the 2026 Lee Playwriting Prize for New Canadian Plays. In the words of the jury, “'Ifrit' will excite and confront the audience. The play comes alive on the page, and haunts you long after reading it.”

The jury wished to add that they felt that "The Sidecar Problem" by Mark Vidulin and "The Tail End of It" by Jessica Lowry were worthy of Honourable Mentions.

The jury consisted of:

• Lorne Cardinal, actor, director and producer in theatre, film and television, as well as a BFA acting graduate from the University of Alberta.

• Kathleen Weiss, director and playwright, as well as a professor in the Drama Department at the University of Alberta.

• Victoria Zimski, veteran theatre designer and sessional instructor in the Drama Department.

• T. Erin Gruber, assistant professor in the Drama Department and theatre designer.

• Ron Jenkins, veteran director and dramaturge and the outgoing 2025 Lee Playwright in Residence.

• Josh Languedoc, actor and playwright, and a graduate of the MFA in Theatre Practice from the University of Alberta.

The Lee Playwriting Prize for New Canadian Plays selection committee and University of Alberta Department of Drama would also like to thank the National Arts Centre / Centre national des Arts English Section for their $10,000 contribution toward the prize total.

uab.ca/lee2026

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TONIGHT! Take a well-deserved break from Fringing (all that theatre-seeing and -making is hard work!) and join us in the...
08/17/2026

TONIGHT! Take a well-deserved break from Fringing (all that theatre-seeing and -making is hard work!) and join us in the North B**r Tent from 5-7 today (Aug 17) for a visit!

The Department of Drama invites Alumni, Current and Incoming Students, Instructors, Staff and Friends to join us for our THIRD ANNUAL DRAMA FRINGE B**R TENT SOCIAL!

Monday, August 17, 2026 | 5-7 p.m.
North B**r Tent | Edmonton Fringe Theatre Festival
(north of the Streetcar tracks and south of 85 ave.)

Come by to say hi, and be the first to find out the winner of the 2026 Lee Playwriting Prize for New Canadian Plays!

https://www.ualberta.ca/en/drama/on-stage/2026-fringe-beer-tent-social.html

Join us for StageLab 2026, a chance to explore works-in-progress and faculty research showcasing the creative activity o...
08/12/2026

Join us for StageLab 2026, a chance to explore works-in-progress and faculty research showcasing the creative activity of Drama department faculty.

StageLab 2026
August 20, 21 & 22, 2026
7:30 p.m.
Second Playing Space, Timms Centre for the Arts

Featuring:
• Staged Reading of "Impromptu of Vegreville" | Donia Mounsef
• FAERY DUST | Kathleen Weiss
• "Snow White"* by Elfriede Jelinek | Piet Defraeye

Free to attend.

Find the complete schedule and expanded show information at:
https://www.ualberta.ca/en/drama/on-stage/stage-lab.html

*"Snow White" is possible with the additional support from the Wirth Institute for Austrian and Central European Studies

📣 Announcing the Shortlist for the 2026 Lee Playwriting Prize for New Canadian Plays 🎪 Join us next Monday, August 17 fr...
08/10/2026

📣 Announcing the Shortlist for the 2026 Lee Playwriting Prize for New Canadian Plays

🎪 Join us next Monday, August 17 from 5-7 p.m. in the North B**rtent at the Edmonton Fringe Theatre Festival, where we will announce the winner at the 2026 Fringe B**rtent Social
https://www.ualberta.ca/en/drama/on-stage/2026-fringe-beer-tent-social.html

We're delighted to announce that the following plays have been shortlisted for the 2026 Lee Playwriting Prize:

• "Azar o Azadi" by Ayda Niknami
• "Beauty" by Gary Blackwood
• "Bella Luz" by Alexandra Lainfiesta
• "Far From the Tree" by Marisa Scarbeau
• "Holes" by Jojo O'Neil
• "Ifrit" by Jean-Michel Cliche
• "Matters Arising" by Leonard Belsher
• "The Sidecar Problem" by Mark Vidulin
• "The Storm Chasers" by Charlie Ford
• "The Tail End of It" by Jessica Lowry
• "X'Imaipa" by Laura-Fani Grigorakis

We'll see you next Monday!

Find out more: uab.ca/lee2026

The Department of Drama invites Alumni, Current and Incoming Students, Instructors, Staff and Friends to join us for our...
07/28/2026

The Department of Drama invites Alumni, Current and Incoming Students, Instructors, Staff and Friends to join us for our THIRD ANNUAL DRAMA FRINGE B**R TENT SOCIAL!

Monday, August 17, 2026 | 5-7 p.m.
North B**r Tent | Edmonton Fringe Theatre Festival
(north of the Streetcar tracks and south of 85 ave.)

Come by to say hi, and be the first to find out the winner of the 2026 Lee Playwriting Prize for New Canadian Plays!

https://www.ualberta.ca/en/drama/on-stage/2026-fringe-beer-tent-social.html

We've had to change the location for Sunday's party -- Join us in the Timms Second Playing Space!!See you there!
07/14/2026

We've had to change the location for Sunday's party -- Join us in the Timms Second Playing Space!!

See you there!

**EDITED TO UPDATE THE LOCATION**
One more week!! We're only 7 days away from the party for JP . . . Join us!

1 p.m. • Sunday July 19
SECOND PLAYING SPACE, Timms Centre for the Arts

Let us know if you can come! RSVP using the form at the link:
https://forms.gle/KQ1vcrSLNTGuULZf8

**EDITED TO UPDATE THE LOCATION**One more week!! We're only 7 days away from the party for JP . . .  Join us!1 p.m. • Su...
07/12/2026

**EDITED TO UPDATE THE LOCATION**
One more week!! We're only 7 days away from the party for JP . . . Join us!

1 p.m. • Sunday July 19
SECOND PLAYING SPACE, Timms Centre for the Arts

Let us know if you can come! RSVP using the form at the link:
https://forms.gle/KQ1vcrSLNTGuULZf8

Address

3-98 Fine Arts Building, University Of
Edmonton, AB
T6G2C9

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