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2025-26 SEASON
Find out a little more about the laugh-out-loud romp, Liars at a Funeral!
Find out more about Rajiv Joseph’s hit play about a friendship forged through fandom: King James
Find out a little more about the 2024-25 Family Holiday Show, E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web:
Find out a little more about the first play of the 2024-25 Season, Conor McPherson’s The Seafarer:
Arts champion, Riaz Mamdani, on the importance of theatre and art in our community
Thursday, December 8 was That $20 Ticket Thing for The Jungle Book! Following every $20 Ticket Thing performance, cast and/or creative team members from the production participate in a Q&A with the audience!
We are thrilled to announce that Calgary Director and Dramaturg Jenna Rodgers will be directing Mike Lew’s Teenage Dick next Spring!
By Hannah Caparino
Every idea presents itself with an opportunity to create a new world that is significant. Significant in the sense that the stories we create are unique and become a reflection of our own experiences as creators and artists.
Can you really call yourself Canadian if you’re not familiar with the hit TV Show Kim’s Convenience? The sitcom is about a Korean Canadian shopkeeper Mr. Kim /“Appa,” his wife, Mrs. Kim/“Umma” – Korean for dad and mom – along with their daughter Janet, and estranged son Jung. It won hearts as it became a runaway hit on national television. It rose to international acclaim, aided by pickup by streaming company Netflix.
A couple of short years back, kitchen parties could be found in homes across the country. As friends gather, inevitably, they end up in the kitchen – casual and joyous gatherings, surrounded by food, drink, and music. Alberta Theatre Projects’ new show, Alberta Kitchen Party (produced in association with Forte Musical Theatre Guild), calls upon these familiar and longed-for days and celebrates those feelings of community, belonging, and searching for a place to call home.
What DID ATP do with those donated used wedding dresses?
In November, Alberta Theatre Projects asked the community for their help in the search for used wedding dresses to bring our show, Undressed, to life. Posted on social media and followed by an interview with CBC featuring writer and performer Louise Casemore, the request was for white and off-white gowns to be repurposed through theatre magic for the onstage set design.
It’s been the longest intermission ever, with the pandemic preventing Alberta Theatre Projects from welcoming full audiences into our playhouse at the Martha Cohen Theatre since March 2020. On Sunday, November 21st, 2021, our company was delighted to open our doors, and welcome over 300 guests to watch the dress rehearsal of In Wonderland by Anna Cummer!
You loved it. You wore it. You looked ravishing in it! And it’s been sitting in your closet ever since. Maybe it’s been months or even years since you wore your wedding dress – have you ever wondered: what do I do with it now? Perhaps you’d consider donating it for art!
On April 22, Canadian theatre lost an absolute titan. Sharon Pollock was a renowned playwright, actor and director; a groundbreaker, mentor, and teacher – her life touched countless others, and shaped the very landscape of Canadian theatre.
Alberta Theatre Projects’ Founding Artistic Director Douglas Riske reflected on meeting and working with Sharon Pollock before and during his time at ATP:
By Elizabeth Chorney-Booth
The Show Must Go On. It’s the theatre world’s most famous saying because it so encapsulates the passion and tenacity of theatre artists who rise to the occasion even in the most trying of times. The last 12 months have been a challenge for just about everyone in the arts sector and Alberta Theatre Projects had a particularly heartbreaking 2020, but the company is moving onward and upward with the announcement of Haysam Kadri as its new Interim Artistic Director.
By Camille Pavlenko
My students are really into “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” by Eiffel 65.
Today, we’ve made the difficult decision to put our upcoming production of Stealing Sam on hold until further notice.
By Kyle Russell, Interim Executive Director
As the world celebrates theatre today, it’s a natural moment to share why I feel so proud to be a part of the magic of our art form at Alberta Theatre Projects.
Attending Alberta Theatre Projects’ family-friendly holiday shows has become a tradition for many Calgarians, but with COVID-19, producing a spectacular in-person live show is just not possible. Instead, the company will be beaming the Martha Cohen into theatre fans’ living rooms with this livestreamed workshop reading.
By Elizabeth Chorney-Booth
By Lauren Marshall
Playwrights Projects is the heart of Alberta Theatre Projects’ new play development initiatives. At the beginning of the summer each year, we run a series of workshops for new plays in development at Alberta Theatre Projects. The workshopped plays for this year were Undressed by Louise Casemore, Boom Baby by Natalie Meisner, and Peter Pan by Andrew Scanlon.
By Lauren Marshall
As part of Playwrights Projects 2020, Peter Pan was the last of three plays to be workshopped and read in front of an audience online. The play is currently in the development phase and is set to receive its World Premiere at Alberta Theatre Projects in 2021.
By Lauren Marshall
As part of Playwrights Projects 2020, Boom Baby by Natalie Meisner, was the second of three plays to be workshopped and read in front of an audience online.
By Lauren Marshall
As part of the 2020 Playwrights Projects, Undressed was the first of three plays to be workshopped and read in front of an audience online. The play is currently in the development phase and is set to receive its World Premiere at Alberta Theatre Projects in March 2021.
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What if you won our Extraordinary Experiences Raffle? Which trip would you choose? Napa Valley, New Orleans or Nashville? Who would you take with you? Which sites would you be sure to take in? A few of us at Alberta Theatre Projects have been pondering those very questions. And as the raffle draw date fast approaches – you might want to start dreaming too!
A Message from Darcy
Today is World Theatre Day, an annual celebration of the inspiration and magic of theatre.
Dear Friends of Alberta Theatre Projects,
I wanted to share my profound gratitude and appreciation to the many of you who have reached out with messages of kindness and support over the past week. Your generosity has meant the world to all of us. I sincerely hope that you and your loved ones are close together, and healthy.
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By Carson Schmidt
At the heart of two very outwardly confident characters lie deep-rooted insecurities – in themselves and the systems around them.
by Aaron Chatha
Not just Canada, not just North America, but all over the world critics have fallen in love with Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story.
Some praise the humour, some feel deeply for brave, astonishing story, and other simply can’t stop singing the songs, most of which were composed by Ben Caplan specifically for the play.
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By Aaron Chatha
Aslan is the kind of larger-than-life puppet that puts every other larger-than-life puppet to shame.
Operated by two very talented actors and puppeteers, Bruce Horak and Jarod Blake, the lion sits on both their shoulders and is operated by a series of interlocked pulleys and levers. Created by the Stratford Festival, it’s graciously been rented to Alberta Theatre Projects for the current production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
By Aaron Chatha
To get into character as Fenris Ulf, actor David Sklar spent a day living among actual wolves at the wolf sanctuary outside of Calgary.
“As I drove up I thought about what could go wrong – because they take us into the middle of them,” laughed Sklar.
Fenris Ulf is the captain of the White Witch’s Secret Police, and an enemy to the peaceful creatures of Narnia. Together, David Sklar and Brianna Johnston, who plays the Witch, are the root of evil in Narnia – and some of the most dastardly characters to ever visit the Alberta Theatre Projects stage.
Designer relishes opportunity to tackle iconic The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
By Jamie Zachary
The stage is a second home of sorts for Hanne Loosen.
Trained in costume design in her native Belgium and later scenic design in Berlin, she has spent a lifetime embracing “the magic that theatre can bring.”
“I’m fascinated by how the curtain can go up and it can be dream-like – and how everything you see visually that helps support the story,” said Loosen, who moved to Canada nearly six years ago and now calls Calgary home.
Her most recent vision will come to life later this month when Alberta Theatre Projects lifts the curtain on The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.
Interview by Aliyah Mohamed
Entering its final week in the Martha Cohen Theatre this month is the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Disgraced, a “taut, engrossing and powerful” dinner party debate about race, privilege, politics and identity.
The second play of the 2019-20 season for Alberta Theatre Projects follows Amir Kapoor (Shawn Lall), a successful Pakistani-American lawyer living on the Upper East side of Manhattan. He has also turned his back on his Muslim heritage.
Amir Kapoor is an emotional, challenging role, with a boiling anger that explodes on stage. Luckily, actor Shawn Lall was more than up for the task.
By Jamie Zachary
New to the Martha Cohen Theatre this month is the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Disgraced, a “taut, engrossing and powerful” dinner party debate about race, privilege, politics and identity.
The second play of the 2019-20 season for Alberta Theatre Projects follows Amir Kapoor (Shawn Lall), a successful Pakistani-American lawyer living on the Upper East side of Manhattan. He has also turned his back on his Muslim heritage.
An immediate focus on identity and racial politics has skyrocketed Ayad Akhtar’s Disgraced to becoming one of the most produced plays in North America. Cultures clash during an ill-fated dinner party, during which the character of Amir sees his fear, resentment and hostility to his Muslim upbringing come spilling out.
Writer Aliyah Mohamed had the chance to explore the themes of the play deeper during an interview with Disgraced director Nigel Shawn Williams.
By Elizabeth Chorney-Booth
Alberta Theatre Projects’ new production of Ayad Akhtar’s 2013 play Disgraced is a thought-provoking and bitingly funny study of modern-day characters, with the entire show taking place within an apartment on Manhattan’s posh Upper East Side, primarily over the course of an emotionally-charged dinner party.
By Tanisha Cherry
Regardless of how much planning goes in, weddings are the most unpredictable occasion one can attend!
The calling off of the wedding, a fight, or party crashers can all occur on someone’s big day. And because of FOMO, you just can’t turn down an invitation! So, if you like an entertaining evening of funny moments and drama, then you have to see Alberta Theatre Projects’ The Wedding Party.
The cabaret-style seated show encourages attendees to dress up as wedding guests.
Below are my suggestions on what to wear as a family member of either the bride or groom, an outrageous wedding guest or a regular attendee.
By Elizabeth Chorney-Booth
We’ve all been at weddings where high drama has ensued, thanks to the antics of colourful guests and family members. When two families that barely know each other are thrown together for an emotionally charged (and perhaps alcohol-fueled) shindig, the results can feel positively theatre-worthy.
Alberta Theatre Projects celebrates a season of firsts
2019-20 lineup features directorial debuts, world premieres and more
From Pulitzer Prize-winning dramas to classic children’s fantasies, Alberta Theatre Projects is bringing it all to the table for its 2019-20 season of world-class contemporary theatre.
Thank you for your honest feedback regarding changes to our 2018-19 Season.
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This week Alberta Theatre Projects was recognized as one of 62 recipients of the 2018 International Centre for Women Playwrights (ICWP) 50/50 Applause Award honouring theatres around the world that produce plays written in equal measure by women and men!
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The eagerly anticipated sequel to The Last Wife opens our 2018/19 season, and it’s proven to be even better than its predecessor. In The Virgin Trial, “Kate Hennig continues her Tudor Queens Trilogy by cleverly exploring victim shaming, sexual consent, and the extraordinary ability of girls becoming women.”
You may recognize the lovely and tenacious Carol Dann from ATP’s raffle table in the Martha Cohen Lobby. But selling a staggering number of raffle tickets is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this super-volunteer.
Attending a theatre performance is about enjoying yourself and taking a break from your daily concerns. Ergo, we’ve come up with five crucial hacks to make your next visit to the Martha Cohen Theatre your best one yet. Read more about our five hacks for a more pleasant theatre-going experience.
A new Executive and Artistic Director is taking the reins at Alberta Theatre Projects.
ATP is working with partners in our community with the aim of making theatre accessible to all Calgarians. Everyone should be able to experience the magic and joy of live performance.
We get it. Theatre and performing arts can seem intimidating. But too often, “I don’t like theatre” means “I’ve never attended live theatre.” Read on for some of the biggest misconceptions about live theatre and what we have to say!
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We’ve compiled a list of the top five most distracting theatre-going no no’s, and how to avoid these surprisingly common faux pas!
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Sending a great big ‘Happy Mother’s Day’ to our moms, your moms, and to all the women out there who may not technically be moms, but certainly share their love like one! Our heroes, our healers; our beacons of strength & love… moms deserve to be celebrated.
Still looking for the perfect gift? We’ve got a few ideas to make this Mother’s Day one to remember!
Single tickets for all shows in our 2018-19 season are now on sale. And that’s awesome. If you’ve been itching to hit ‘go’ on those tickets to The Virgin Trial since April – well, go for it; we love that.
But if you’re interested in not only seeing a few shows this year, but also in saving some coin – we’ve listed a few options here that just might fit the bill.
On Saturday, April 21st in the Martha Cohen Theatre, we announced Calgary Actor Christopher Hunt as the recipient of the 2018 Harry & Martha Cohen Award. Since 1984, The Harry and Martha Cohen Award has recognised significant and sustained contribution to theatre in Calgary.
“What’s a Jane’s Walk? And who is this Jane person anyway?” If you live in Calgary you’ve probably heard of the annual event that takes place the first week of May, but like a lot of people have probably wondered what it is, who it’s for, or why you should check it out. Here’s a bit of history about Jane’s Walk and why we think it’s worth strapping on your walking shoes this weekend.
Do you have a budding theatre buff in your family? We’ve compiled some helpful information on how you can introduce the younger members of your family to the excitement and joy of live theatre!
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On April 3rd, we announced our 47th season line-up of Defining Moments, and asked a few members of the ATP family to tell us about their favourite seats in our home of the Martha Cohen Theatre. Read on to learn about Manisha, Kara, and Sharon’s recommendations!
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Like so many others, on Friday, April 6th Alberta Theatre Projects was rocked by the news of the tragedy involving the Humboldt Broncos hockey team.
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With only three days left to bid online on more than 100 items for our ‘Extraordinary Experiences Auction’, we have a number of incredible deals on art, entertainment, dining, and more!
Curious what culinary creations you can expect to try at the 25th Annual ‘Celebrity Hors d’Oeuvres’? Here’s a sneak peek at some of the delectable bites being prepared by 13 participating restaurants for next Saturday’s famous food frenzy. Can you guess which restaurant belongs to which?
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You can join us at ATP all season long for fun and friendly events where audiences and artists meet and mingle to explore the themes of the plays and celebrate the art of live theatre. Plus: all Exchange events are included with the purchase of your ticket! Read on to find out what we have planned for this week’s Exchange events.
ATP’s upcoming world premiere play, GLORY by Tracey Power, is based on the little-known story of four Canadian hockey legends.
You can join us at ATP all season long for fun and friendly events where audiences and artists meet and mingle to explore the themes of the plays and celebrate the art of live theatre. Read on to find out what we have planned for this week’s Exchange events and special performances.
Empire of the Son is Tetsuro Shigematsu’s west coast hit show that has Canadians charmed, and now it’s in the Martha Cohen Theatre for the second half of the 32nd Annual High Performance Rodeo! What’s Empire of the Son all about, and why was it created? Here are five things to know about this fan favourite production by Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre (VACT):
You can join us at ATP all season long for fun and friendly events where audiences and artists meet and mingle to explore the themes of the plays and celebrate the art of live theatre. Plus: all Exchange events are included with the purchase of your ticket! Read on to find out what we have planned for this week’s Empire of the Son Exchange events.
Between Arts Commons, the Telus Convention Centre and Olympic Plaza, there is a lot going on – some of which might affect your usual route to the theatre. We’ve outlined a couple of events coming up that affect +15 access and the roads around Arts Commons – so please be sure to have a look before your performance date arrives.
Do you still have a few names to cross off your holiday shopping list? Not to fret, there are plenty one-of-a-kind, local gifts, many of which can be purchased online. We’ve picked our top five choices:
We sat down with Alberta Theatre Projects Subscribers and Donors Brian and Susan to learn more about their serial theatre-going, as well as the many other ways they soak up the arts, culture, and food scene in Calgary!
The wildly talented Calgary-based Actor Nadien Chu is currently performing in The Martha Cohen Theatre, cast in ATP’s 2017 Holiday Show Charlotte’s Web in three roles: Edith Zuckerman, the Goose of the Zuckerman Farm, and a County Fair Spectator. For her role as an elderly fair spectator alongside Actor Sarah Wheeldon, Chu drew special inspiration from both her childhood connection to the story of Charlotte’s Web and a very dear family member:
1. Actor Phil Fulton, playing both the Gander and John Arable in Charlotte’s Web, is no stranger to animals. Phil is the Community Outreach Manager for the Calgary Humane Society!
During Alberta Theatre Projects’ Annual Tweet Night on Tuesday, November 21 wherein both audience members and artists tweeted live from the Martha Cohen Theatre during the first preview performance of Charlotte’s Web, a fresh new face took over the ATP Twitter and Instagram feed: ATPig! In case you missed it, here’s what ATPig shared on Tweet Night:
Don’t yet have tickets to ATP’s Family Holiday Show, Charlotte’s Web? On Black Friday, you can purchase tickets for the following performances of Charlotte’s Web at 20% off:
You can join us at ATP all season long for fun and friendly events where audiences and artists meet and mingle to explore the themes of the plays and celebrate the art of live theatre. Plus: all Exchange events are included with the purchase of your ticket! Read on to find out what we have planned for this week’s Exchange events.
Featuring dazzling acrobatics and a live, original music score, Alberta Theatre Projects’ modern-day adaptation of Charlotte’s Web brings with it a brand new take to its encore production of this timeless story, filled with the everlasting magic fans have always loved.
Everyone’s read Charlotte’s Web: E.B. White’s classic children’s book about the unlikely friendship between a pig named Wilbur and a spider called Charlotte. A story that follows Wilbur from his beginnings as a scrawny piglet who’s spared from becoming pork chops by a young girl named Fern. Originally written in 1952, this year has become that of a renaissance for the treasured children’s tale for a few key reasons.
As we approach Calgary’s second annual #LoveYYC Day on Saturday, November 4, 2017, Tourism Calgary has been asking the community what it is that makes our city so lovable! Alberta Theatre Projects took this opportunity to ask Head of Wardrobe Melissa Mitchell what she loves most about being a Calgarian:
1. It is the perfect family night out. This holiday season is your opportunity to share the beloved children’s story of your favourite piglet and spider with a new generation. Every child should experience the everlasting magic of Charlotte’s Web. Back by popular demand, it’s Calgary’s #1 holiday show!
The second annual, fast-approaching, and much celebrated #LoveYYC Day is on Saturday, November 4! Social media is buzzing about many of the ways Calgarians #LoveYYC. But, how should you spend #LoveYYC Day? Luckily, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best ways you and your favourite people can celebrate all our wonderful city has to offer.
You can join us at ATP all season long for fun and friendly events where audiences and artists meet and mingle to explore the themes of the plays and celebrate the art of live theatre. Plus: all Exchange events are included with the purchase of your ticket! Read on to find out what we have planned for this week’s To the Light Exchange events.
For two cast/crew members of Alberta Theatre Projects‘ play To the Light, the story has held special meaning to them well before its being part of ATP’s 2017-18 season.
Talented Calgary actress Julie Orton has been a devotee of Virginia Woolf’s writing years prior to being cast as Lily in ATP’s current play To the Light, a script by playwright Evelyne de la Chenelière and inspired by Virginia Woolf’s novel To the Lighthouse:
An incredible date night of arts and culture is well within reach.
You’re looking for a sexy and sophisticated night out, but you haven’t been to the theatre in awhile. It’s okay. We get it. It can be intimidating. But a night at the theatre in Calgary is not only a memorable experience, but a super easy and economical one too. We’ve developed a guide to enjoying a perfect night of local entertainment — and getting the best value for your dollar.
With this month’s big announcement of the 2017 Governor General Literary Awards nominees came the exciting news of Michael Healey’s political comedy 1979, a script developed and premiered at Alberta Theatre Projects, having been nominated in the drama category!
What better way to amp-up your theatre-going experience than by grabbing some delicious pre-show eats? Calgary boasts an embarrassment of riches when it comes to fantastic downtown restaurants in the theatre district, so which one do you choose? Well, we’ve got a few recommends to narrow your choice a little. Plus, hit any of these places up, and not only will you be treated to some incredible culinary creations, you’ll also be supporting restaurants who support ATP and share in our passion for bringing as much awesome as possible to Calgarians!
As one of the most iconic female authors of the 20th century, Virginia Woolf has been a fixture on reading lists for English literature courses for decades. But lately she’s been spotted somewhere new: in popular entertainment.
