MAINSTAGE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR PROGRAM

Steven is a theatre director and actor from the Philippines. He has been involved in the arts industry for over 20 years, mainly acting in musicals and directing for various professional companies and organizations in Manila and parts of Asia. He finished his MFA in Directing from the University of Calgary where he directed productions of A Monster Calls and Shakespeare in Love. He has also recently formed the first Filipino-Canadian theatre company in Alberta called the FlipSide Theatre Collective which was launched through the original Filipino musical, Good As Gold. Prior to coming to Canada, he was assistant director to director Bobby Garcia for the Singapore and Manila productions of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street featuring Tony winner Lea Salonga and was also assistant director for Angels in America and the Southeast Asian premiere of The Band’s Visit. He also directed musicals such as Sideshow, Once Upon a Mattress, Madagascar the Musical, Rent and plays such as My Name is Asher Lev, Suicide Incorporated, Dog Sees God:Confessions of a Teenage Blockehad, and Wit. As actor, he performed in Asian premiers of musicals such as Aladdin, Kinky Boots, Waitress, Jersey Boys, The Bridges of Madison County, Matilda, The Producers, Ghost the Musical, Shrek the Musical, etc. Most recently, he directed and produced the touring production of the University of Calgary’s children’s theatre troupe Wagonstage, Arts Commons TD Amplify Series for emerging artists and Storybook Theatre’s Kensuke’s Kingdom. He has worked as assistant director for Theatre Calgary, Alberta Theatre Projects, Vertigo Theatre, Lunchbox Theatre and was recently assistant director to Tracey Flye in Stratford Festival’s Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and is part of the festival’s Langham Directors’ Program.

Luc is a Queer theatre artist and educator from Jackfish Lake, AB. He has directed Bright Lights, Legoland, and Never Swim Alone for Blarney Productions, earning Sterling Award nominations for all three. Additionally, he has assistant directed Heathers: The Musical for the Citadel Theatre Young Company and BIG SHOT for Surreal SoReal/Ghost River Theatre. Luc has over 30 local acting credits including A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Puck), Almost A Full Moon, The Candidate/The Party, Shakespeare In Love, A Christmas Carol, Arcadia, and The Sound of Music (Citadel); Juliet in Shakespeare’s R+J (Kill Your Television); The Boy in Songs My Mother Never Sung Me (Sterling Award) (Concrete Theatre); Candide (Edmonton Opera); King Lear, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Freewill); A Momentary Lapse, and the title role in The Hothouse Prince (Teatro). Luc received the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal in 2023 and the Lieutenant Governor Award for Emerging Artist in 2020. As an educator, Luc has taught across the province in programs including Artstrek, Jube School, and YouthRiot, and has proudly served as the Citadel’s Director of Education & Outreach since 2021.

Andrew is a director and theatre maker born and raised in amiskwacîwâskahikan (Edmonton). He is a co-founder and artistic director of Thou Art Here, an artist-driven immersive theatre company. Currently he works as the program coordinator with Theatre Alberta and is a freelance theatre artist. He has an MFA in Directing/Creation from York University, BA in Drama from the U of A, is a graduate of the Banff/Citadel professional theatre program and the Rozsa Arts Management program. Previous Citadel Theatre credits: directing Encounters (2015), assistant directing Romeo & Juliet (2014), and he was an instructor with the Young Companies & Foote Theatre School from 2011-2022.

Selected directing credits: The Woman in Black (Teatro Live!), MINE (Common Ground) Mr. Burns, a post-electric play (Blarney/Thou Art Here), Still Still Still (You Are Here) Everyone We Know Will Be There (Tiny Bear Jaws/Swallow-A-Bicycle), No One Showed Up For the Anarchist Rally (Theatre Network); Hamlet in Isolation, Shakespeare’s Will, Kill Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, Falstaff Project, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night (Thou Art Here). Previously he was the Sandbox Series & theatre school director at Globe Theatre (Regina), co-founder and festival director of the Found Festival (Common Ground Arts), and ensemble member with Rapid Fire Theatre. He sends his love to his partner Marlee and his children Elton & Clementine. Catch his award winning solo show Cycle Oct 15-26, 2025 & March 19-29, 2026 in Edmonton. Learn more at andrewritchie.net.

Belinda is an actor, playwright and director, most recently seen at the Citadel Theatre in Heist and Peter Pan Goes Wrong. Her acting credits also include ten seasons with the Freewill Shakespeare Festival, and many productions with Teatro Live, with whom she has been an ensemble member since 2006, and was co-Artistic Director from 2020-2023. She is also known for voicing characters in Bioware’s game series Mass Effect and Dragon Age, and Beamdog’s Siege of Dragonspear. Her plays include The Garneau Block (Citadel Theatre); Category E (The Maggie Tree, Coal Mine Theatre); and Little Elephants (Shadow Theatre). As a director, her credits include The Oculist’s Holiday, Fever Land, A Grand Time in the Rapids, and The Odd Couple for Teatro Live, as well as a critically acclaimed Edmonton/Toronto production of Sea Wall by Simon Stephens. She is the recipient of four Sterling awards, an AMPIA, and Canadian Comedy and Canadian Screen Award nominations. In her spare time, she volunteers in animal care at WILDNorth and is currently developing a documentary about women who work in wildlife rehabilitation.
www.belindacornish.com

Daniel Fong is a mixed-race actor, singer and voiceover performer born and raised in Calgary Alberta. He is proud to be a guest of the long tradition of storytelling in the Treaty 6 region of Alberta and hopes to continue lifting up and creating art with the communities he loves. Daniel was the recipient of the 2020 Stephen Hair Emerging Artist Award and his select stage credits include: The Three Musketeers (Citadel); Forgiveness (The Arts Club/Theatre Calgary); A Christmas Carol (Theatre Calgary); Romeo & Juliet (Bard on the Beach); Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, The Skin of Our Teeth (Rosebud Theatre); US (The Globe); Alberta Kitchen Party, The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe, Fortune Falls, The Circle (ATP).

Citadel: Directing – Encounters and Bust ‘Em Up Burlesque (in association with Send In the Girls Burlesque).

Other Theatre: Directing highlights include: Robot Girls (Shadow Theatre); Nightshrine (Workshop West); Jack & The Beanstalk (Alberta Musical Theatre Co); Tudor Queens: A Burlesque and A Bronte Burlesque (Send In the Girls Productions).

Lana is a theatre artist based in Edmonton and is the Associate Artistic Director at Shadow Theatre.

Citadel: Director, A Giraffe in Paris and other plays in the KidsPlay@The Citadel series.

Other Theatre: Director, The Space Between Stars at SkirtsAfire, Fresh Hell at Shadow Theatre.

Tracy (she/her) has held Artistic Associate positions at The Citadel and Alberta Playwrights’ Network and is presently the Managing Director at Catalyst Theatre where The Invisible by Jonathan Christenson just wrapped a successful Western Canadian tour.

Citadel: Director, Pride and Prejudice, A Brimful of Asha, After Juliet (Young Company), Assistant Director, A Christmas Carol.

Other Theatre: Director, Burning Mom (RMTC), Alberta Kitchen Party (ATP), Parts and Labour (Fieldwork), She Kills Monsters (Studio Theatre), Songs My Mother Never Sung Me (Concrete Theatre/SOUND OFF/Persephone/Arden/Inside Out), Consent (Concrete Theatre), The New Canadians – workshop (Roundhouse), The Nest – workshop (nightswimming) Playwright, The Silver Arrow (Citadel), Burning Mom (RMTC, Arcola Theatre London UK), The Red Priest (Guild Festival, ATP, Workshop West, Tarragon, Globe, nomination: Governor General’s Award). Upcoming directing: Burning Mom (Arts Club). Recipient: 2023 Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Distinguished Artist Award.

Elena Belyea is a queer and trans playwright, performer, producer, arts educator, and Artistic Director of Tiny Bear Jaws (@tinybearjaws). They were born and raised in amiskwaciwaskahikan (colonially known as Edmonton) on Treaty 6 territory, and have had works produced across Turtle Island and internationally (including Hungary, Austria, Berlin, New York, Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa, and Quebec City). They’ve been programmed by companies like Factory and Buddies in Bad Times Theatre (Toronto), One Yellow Rabbit (Calgary), Verb Theatre (Toronto), UpintheAir Theatre (Vancouver), the Centaur Theatre (Montreal) to name a few. Elena was the recipient of the 2023 Betty Mitchell Award for Outstanding Lead Performer in a Musical, and their company, Tiny Bear Jaws’ production of Smoke won the 2023 Sterling Award for Outstanding Indie Production. In 2024, Elena was a member of Spindle Films Inaugural Trans and Non-Binary Filmmaking Intensive, and will be filming their first short in Spring 2025. More at elenabelyea.com (@elenabelyea on Instagram).

Photo credit: Brianne Jang

Brett is a queer writer, performer, drag artist and director and they are thrilled to be assisting Jackie Maxwell this season. Selected Directing Credits: Strange/Familiar  and Pretty Ugly (Theatre Outré); Hecuba, Cock, and This Property is Condemned (UofA). Assistant Director Credits: Rochdale (Studio Theatre); Cymbeline (UofA); Men Express Their Feelings, rihannaboi95 (Downstage); and King Lear (The Shakespeare Company). Brett is about to graduate from the UofA MFA-Directing program and will be directing Troilus and Cressida later this season. Brett is the incoming Artistic Director of Theatre Outré and is a recipient of the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Emerging Artist Award.

Elena Belyea (they/she) is a queer playwright, performer, producer, arts educator, and Artistic Director of Tiny Bear Jaws. She was born and raised in amiskwaciwaskahikan (colonially known as Edmonton) on Treaty 6 territory and have had work produced across Turtle Island and internationally (including Hungary, Austria, Berlin, New York, Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa, Quebec, and Wells). Her play Smoke was recently published by Playwrights Canada Press. They’re also half of queer sketch duo Gender? I Hardly Know Them (on Tiktok + Instagram at @genderihardlyknowthem). Elena was the recipient of the 2023 Betty Mitchell Award for Outstanding Lead Performer in a Musical. Her company, Tiny Bear Jaws’ production of Smoke won the 2023 Sterling Award for Outstanding Indie Production.

Lianna Makuch is a Ukrainian Canadian playwright, director, performer, co-Artistic Director of Pyretic Productions, and a producer with Punctuate! Theatre. She has travelled several times to Ukraine to research and develop her plays Barvinok and Alina, which have garnered awards and recognition including the Shevchenko Foundation’s 2020 REACH Award, a 2022 Edmonton Artist Trust Fund Award, and was shortlisted for the 2022 Alberta Playwrighting Award. She was recently Assistant Director of Jane Eyre and A Christmas Carol (Citadel Theatre), and Director of First Métis Man of Odesa (Punctuate! Theatre), which has been on tour across Canada and for which she won a 2023 Dora Award for Outstanding Direction.