Collider is the Citadel’s New Play Development Festival that celebrates and helps bring to life new stories and scripts for larger stages showcasing a mix of local artists and artists from across the country and beyond.
Since its inception in 2020, the Festival has featured readings by playwrights Charlotte Corbeil-Coleman & Hawksley Workman, Kareem Fahmy, Holly Lewis, Mieko Ouchi, the Punctuate! Playwrights Unit, Erin Shields, Kenneth T. Williams, Rosanna Deerchild, Amiel Gladstone, Arun Lakra, Lianna Makuch, Jovanni Sy, Louise Casemore, Collin Doyle, Marcia Johnson, Ursula Rani Sarma & Mick Flannery, Sue Goberdhan, Katherine Koller and James Odin Wade.
The Festival has also featured keynote speeches, panels and workshops led by Sherry Yoon, Michael Rubinoff, Erin Shields, Bob White, Yvette Nolan, Amiel Gladstone, Rachel Peake, Nina Lee Aquino, Romeo Candido, Carmen De Jesus, Séimí Campbell, Ken Cerniglia, Ursula Rani Sarma, Joe Slabe, Belinda Cornish, Steven Greenfield and Kate Ryan.
We hope you’ll join us for more exciting work and discussions around New Play Development all year round!
Donation
We are so excited to have you be a part of Collider! As this event is free to the public, we ask that you consider donating to the Citadel Theatre. Through your donation, you can ensure this new exciting festival always makes a home for new work on Edmonton stages.
2025 SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, JUNE 20, 2025
READING – CYRANO DE BERGERAC
by Edmond Rostand, adapted by Jessy Ardern
June 20, 2025 7:00pm
Zeidler Hall
Free to attend. Donations accepted at the door.
A freewheeling verse adaptation of Edmond Rostand’s classic play, set in the Paris of 1640 commissioned by the Citadel by local playwright Jessy Ardern. Intellectually brilliant and physically ugly, Cyrano de Bergerac stands alone in a city of self-indulgence, corruption, and romance. He yearns for Roxane, but lacks the courage to confess his true feelings – so instead, he helps the handsome but naive Christian woo her with heartfelt letters and speeches.
SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 2025
MUSICAL THEATRE WORKSHOP – ADAPT ANYTHING
Instructor – Amiel Gladstone
June 21, 2025 10:00am – 1:00pm
Citadel Boardroom
Ticketed Event: $45 +GST
Musicals are most often created from adaptation, and this fun interactive workshop embraces that idea fully! Join instructor Amiel Gladstone and find out more about building musicals from standard source materials like novels and more unorthodox places like Craig’s List! This three hour workshop will include lecture, discussion, time to share work and ideas and Q and A. Video material will be shown from several of Gladstone’s award winning projects. Playwrights, composers, musical theatre creators and writing teams are all welcome. Bring a laptop, sharpen your pencils and come ready to be inspired and explore!
This workshop is sponsored by Theatre Alberta as part of Workshops by Request: Hometown Series
READING – PERSUASION
by Katherine Koller, an adaptation of the novel by Jane Austen
June 21, 2025 2:00pm
Zeidler Hall
Free to attend. Donations accepted at the door.
Anne Elliot, 27, cannot forget her first attachment and ruptured engagement to Frederick Wentworth almost eight years before. Now a Captain in the English Navy, her beloved returns triumphant over the defeat of Napoleon, looking for marriage with anyone but her. The estranged former lovers find themselves in constant close company, excluded, injured, and pressured by others, or separated and disturbed until both hearts are finally opened, understood, and rejoined for all time. In Persuasion, adapted from the last novel by Jane Austen, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of her birth, anything is possible—then and now—from season to season: love, like friendship, can be lost and found again.
Playwrights Mixer
June 21, 2025 6:00pm to 7:00pm
Zeidler Hall Lobby
Free to attend.
Join us to meet and mingle with fellow playwrights, artists and theatre lovers who are passionate about new play development. This is also a chance to check out our Pop-Up Theatre Bookstore which carries plays by many local writers and many of the playwrights involved in Collider.
READING – THE RIVERSIDE SENIORS VILLAGE THEATRICAL SOCIETY PRESENTS: WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S ROMEO AND JULIET
by Collin Doyle
June 21, 2025 7:00pm
Zeidler Hall
Free to attend. Donations accepted at the door.
Julie Glover, a ‘somewhat former’ actor in her forties who currently works at the library, has had a tough couple of years and is in desperate need of a win. When Julie’s Aunt Becky asks her to direct the Seniors Village Theatrical Society’s production of Romeo and Juliet, Julie hesitantly agrees, despite some reservations. The Riverside Seniors Village Theatrical Society Presents: William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet follows Julie as she auditions, rehearses, and stages the classic play with a group of residents. This senior production of Romeo and Juliet encompasses all the familiar scenes while also delving into the behind-the-scenes drama, ego clashes, love, care, understanding, and comedy that arise when a group of seniors, with aging bodies and faulty memories, come together to tell a story of young love.
SUNDAY, JUNE 22, 2025
PLAYWRITING WORKSHOP – EQUITABLE DEVISING WITH CHOREOGRAPHY AND PLAYWRITING
Instructors Beth Graham & Ainsley Hillyard
June 22, 2025 10:00am – 1:00pm
David D. Bentley Salon
Ticketed Event: $45 +GST
In the theatre world the text traditionally takes precedence. What if this wasn’t the case?
Ainsley and Beth challenge traditional ways of writing and choreographing where the script does not need to dictate the outcome and all content is influential to the story. In this workshop, we will explore different devising techniques that centre both writing and choreography as entry points into the creation of new work. Ainsley and Beth will be drawing from their experience collaborating on Mermaid Legs, a dance theatre fantasia that premiered in 2024 at SkirtsAfire Festival. Wear comfortable clothes you can move in, indoor runners, and bring whatever tools you write with (computer, pen and paper, iPad).
This workshop is sponsored by Theatre Alberta as part of Workshops by Request: Hometown Series
READING – RUNAWAYS
by Mac Brock
Read by participants in the Citadel Young Company
Sydney Boisvert, Kate Boswell, Bree Bouzetos, Ben Healey, Lila Maxwell, Avery Nault, Cassandra Robertson, Ella Schaloske, Marina Shernouda, Lilla Solymos, Abby Witte
June 22, 2025 2:00pm
Zeidler Hall
Free to attend. Donations accepted at the door.
Rosie is sending her last transmission. On a summer night in small-town Alberta, she’ll unpack generations of her family’s mysteries to understand once and for all why — ever since her mother’s bizarre disappearance — the people around her just can’t seem to stop leaving. Runaways is a larger-than-life ensemble play about coming of age on the prairies. Runaways is a Citadel commission written specifically for the Young Company from local playwright Mac Brock and was supported by the Edmonton Arts Council Connections & Exchanges Initiatives Program.
Playwrights Mixer
June 22, 2025 6:00pm to 7:00pm
Zeidler Hall Lobby
Join us to meet and mingle with fellow playwrights, artists and theatre lovers who are passionate about new play development. This is also a chance to check out our Pop-Up Theatre Bookstore which carries plays by many local writers and many of the playwrights involved in Collider.
READING – NOWHERE WITH YOU: AN EAST COAST MUSICAL
by James Odin Wade, based on the music of Joel Plaskett
June 22, 2025 7:00pm
Zeidler Hall
Free to attend. Donations accepted at the door.
Nowhere With You is a funny and heartfelt story about the reasons we leave home—and the reasons we can’t—woven through the many-layered songbook of Joel Plaskett, one of Canada’s most celebrated singer/songwriters. When musician Jay is forced to come up with new music or lose his record deal, he returns to his hometown of Halifax during the holidays to find inspiration in his parents’ garage, where he first fell in love with music. As he sorts through the remnants of the band he left behind years ago, hoping to hear the music again, relatives, friends and an ex-lover find their way into the former jam space. As the modest garage space comes alive in the retelling of the band’s rise and fall, Jay must confront his greatest regrets and decide what, and who, his music is for.
Tonight’s reading is co-presented with Script Salon
CITADEL TEAM
Mieko Ouchi, Associate Artistic Director
Wayne Paquette, Artistic Coordinator
Lora Brovold, Collider Festival Artist Ambassador
Autumn Russell, Assistant Technical Director
Jacy Grummett, Assistant Technical Director
COLLIDER CREATIVE TEAM
Jessy Ardern,
Playwright – Cyrano de Bergerac
Jessy Ardern,
Playwright – Cyrano de Bergerac
Citadel: Debut
Other Theatre: As an actor: Romeo & Juliet; 12th Night; The Tempest (FreeWill Shakespeare); Brontë (Studio Theatre). As a playwright and actor: Queen Lear is Dead (The Fox Den Collective); Prophecy (Theatre Projects Manitoba). Playwright only: The Fall of the House of Atreus: A Cowboy Love Song; Kit & Joe.
Other: Thanks to Daryl, Mieko, Wayne, and the rest of the Citadel team!
Mel Bahniuk,
Young Company Instructor – Runaways
Mel Bahniuk,
Young Company Instructor – Runaways
Citadel: String (Young Company Assistant Director), Is My Microphone On? (Young Company Assistant Director), Bad Hats Peter Pan (Young Company Assistant Director).
Other Theatre: Mermaid Legs (SkirtsAFire); Grease (WCT); Romeo & Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (ShakesBow/Theatre Calgary).
Film & TV: They Who Surround Us, OMA (TELUS Storyhive Producer), Zoo Street Pilot (Choreographer), Manson: His Final Words.
Other: Mel is the Citadel’s Young Company Program Assistant, and the Executive Director of the Alberta Youth Theatre Collective
Gabby Bernard,
Anne – Persuasion
Gabby Bernard,
Anne – Persuasion
Citadel: Collider Festival (2024).
Other Theatre: Stars on Her Shoulders, Subscribe or Like, Tell Us What. Happened (Workshop West); Stone and Soil (Nextfest); A Christmas Carol (Carter-Ryan Productions); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare by the Bow/Theatre Calgary).
Other: Gabby (she/her) is an actor, amateur gardener and experimental lemonade enthusiast living and working in amiskwaciwâskahikan, colonially known as Edmonton. She has loved Jane Austen since her youth and is delighted to be reading for this new adaptation!
Mac Brock,
Young Company Playwright – Runaways
Mac Brock,
Young Company Playwright – Runaways
Citadel: Horizon Lab, Playwrights’ Lab
Other Theatre: Boy Trouble, Tracks (Playwright – Amoris Projects); I Don’t Even Miss You National Tour, Smoke (Associate Producer – Tiny Bear Jaws)
Other: Mac is the Managing Producer of Common Ground Arts. He received the 2024 Legacy Sterling for Outstanding Contribution to Theatre in Edmonton. He gives his whole heart to his beloved Even and the Young Company artists whose voices and perspectives have forever shaped Runaways.
Lora Brovold,
Julie Glover – The Riverside Seniors Village Theatrical Society Presents: William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Lora Brovold,
Julie Glover – The Riverside Seniors Village Theatrical Society Presents: William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Citadel: The Fiancée; Sweat, A Few Good Men, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Other Theatre: The Ugly Duchess, Heroines, Mo and Jess Kill Susie (Northern Light Theatre); Bust, Let the Light of Day Through (Theatre Network); Circle, Mirror Transformation, The Liars, Three Days of Rain (Shadow Theatre); Workshop West Theatre (The Invention of Romance).
Other: Lora is a graduate of the University of Alberta’s BFA Acting Program and a Sterling nominated actor and voiceover artist who is thankful to make her work and home here in Edmonton, on Treaty Six Territory.
Chris W. Cook,
Petey – Nowhere With You
Chris W. Cook,
Petey – Nowhere With You
Citadel: Romeo & Juliet, Sweat, A Christmas Carol, The Three Musketeers.
Other Theatre: Fiji (Shatter Glass); Wish You Were Here & Drat! The Cat! (Plain Jane Theatre); Featuring Loretta & Risk Everything (Punctuate! Theatre); The Conversion (Kill Your Television Theatre); Betrayal (Broken Toys Theatre).
Film & TV: Dark Match (Dept. 9 Studios); Damnation (Netflix); Winter in Vale (Hallmark); Hell on Wheels (AMC); and Cold Pursuit (StudioCanal).
Patricia Darbasie,
Marie, Pickpocket, Cadet 4 – Cyrano de Bergerac; Becky – The Riverside Seniors Village Theatrical Society Presents: William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Patricia Darbasie,
Marie, Pickpocket, Cadet 4 – Cyrano de Bergerac; Becky – The Riverside Seniors Village Theatrical Society Presents: William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Citadel: Little Women, Shakespeare Love, A Christmas Carol (Actor); The Mountaintop (Director), Heaven (also at NAC , Director), Color Purple (Assistant Director).
Other Theatre: Going to St. Ives (Atlas Theatre); The Finest of Strangers (Teatro la Quindicina); Until the Next Breath (Catalyst Theatre); Steel Magnolias (Theatre Calgary); Unsung: Tales from the Front Line (Workshop West Theatre); Something Unspoken, Donna Orbits the Moon (Northern Light Theatre).
Other: Pat is a graduate of the University of Alberta’s BFA Acting and MFA Directing programs and enjoys making Edmonton her home.
Alexandra Dawkins,
Henrietta, Elizabeth – Persuasion
Alexandra Dawkins,
Henrietta, Elizabeth – Persuasion
Citadel: A Midsummer Night’s Dream: The 70’s Musical.
Other Theatre: The Maids (Putrid Brat Productions); Brick Shithouse (Fenceless Theatre); Smoke (Downstage Theatre); Bloomsday (Shadow Theatre); We Are All Treaty People (Quest Theatre); The Ballad of Peachtree Rose (Workshop West Playwrights Theatre).
Film & TV: No Bedroom (Vital Only Films); EUDAIMONIA (Truthful Work Productions); Contamination (Brimstone Pictures).
Other: Alexandra is an actor, performer-creator, musician, and director from Amiskwacîwâskahikan. She is currently working on her first solo performance project, as well as a full-length LP. You can catch her next in Jen Silverman’s, The Moors, on the TIMMS stage. She is very grateful to rejoin Kaleido for another year!
Brian Deedrick,
Brendan – The Riverside Seniors Village Theatrical Society Presents: William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Brian Deedrick,
Brendan – The Riverside Seniors Village Theatrical Society Presents: William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Citadel: Previously for the Citadel, in the Pleistocene/Robin Phillips era, Brian directed the premiere production of Conni Massing’s TERMINUS.
Other Theatre: Primarily known as a director of theatre and opera, his work has taken him across Canada and the US, with occasional forays as far afield as Germany, Italy and Israel.
Other: Within hours of reading Collin’s play, Brian catches a flight to Berlin, where he works as a city tour guide. No, really.
Ivy DeGagné,
Sydney – Nowhere With You
Ivy DeGagné,
Sydney – Nowhere With You
Citadel: A Christmas Carol (six seasons) Jane Eyre, Collider Festival (2024, 2021), Slight of Mind (Theatre Yes/Citadel Theatre).
Other Theatre: Civil Blood (Thou Art Here Theatre); A Night En Noir (WinHouse Fundraiser); Still Life, The Lightning Thief, Catalyst’s Frankenstein, Matilda (Victoria School); The Tooth Fairy, Dear Wind (Nextfest). Upcoming: A Christmas Carol (Citadel Theatre).
Other: Ivy (she/they) is thrilled to be performing in her third Collider Festival. Thank you to my family, friends, and teachers. Follow me on Instagram @ivy.degagne
Cathy Derkach,
Helen – Nowhere With You
Cathy Derkach,
Helen – Nowhere With You
Citadel: Into The Woods, A Christmas Carol, Little Shop of Horrors.
Other Theatre: Jupiter, Joni Mitchell: Songs Of A Prairie Girl, Perfect Pie (Theatre Network); Bluebeard’s Castle, Candide (Edmonton Opera); A Gentleman’s Guide To Love And Murder (Grindstone); The Occulist’s Holiday, Fever-Land, The Finest Of Strangers (Teatro Live!); Crescendo, The Science Of Disconnection (Shadow Theatre); Sister Act, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, 9-5: The Musical (Mayfield Dinner Theatre).
Other: Cathy has two Sterling Awards and is also an accomplished Pianist and works as a Musical Director both professionally and at MacEwan University where she is a Sessional Instructor and Vocal Coach. accompanist.
Paul Morgan Donald,
Frank – Nowhere With You
Paul Morgan Donald,
Frank – Nowhere With You
Citadel: Einstein’s Gift, Frozen, Collider Festival (2024).
Other Theatre: All Shook Up, Buddy (Mayfield Theatre); Working, My New Brain, Cafe Wanderlust (Plain Jane Theatre); As You Like It, Twelfth Night (FreeWill Shakespeare Festival); Urinetown (Grindstone Theatre); Assassins (Studio Theatre).
Other: Paul Morgan Donald is an Edmonton-based actor, musician, composer and sound designer. Paul is part of Edmonton’s vibrant improv scene as musician with Die-Nasty! (Varscona Theatre), and TheatreSports (Rapid Fire Theatre) among many others.
Collin Doyle,
Playwright – The Riverside Seniors Village Theatrical Society Presents: William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Collin Doyle,
Playwright – The Riverside Seniors Village Theatrical Society Presents: William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Citadel: Collider Festival (2024).
Other Theatre: The Mighty Carlins (Workshop West Theatre); Routes (Concrete Theatre); Let the Light of Day Through (Theatre Network); Slumberland Motel (Shadow Theatre); and Terry and the Dog (Edmonton Actors Theatre).
Other: Collin Doyle is an Edmonton based writer. He is a four-time winner of the Alberta Playwriting Competition. In 2018, Newest Press published a collection of his plays, The Mighty Carlins and Other Plays. Collin is a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada.
Monica Gate,
Mary, Mrs. Smith – Persuasion
Monica Gate,
Mary, Mrs. Smith – Persuasion
Citadel: Debut
Other Theatre: The Two Battles of Francis Pegahmagabow (Shadow Theatre); After The Trojan Women (Alma Theatre); Wanda and Wendy and the What If Walrus (Concrete Theatre); Little Crow and Magpie (Concrete Theatre); The Immaculate Perfection (Bodycube Arts Collective)
Other: Monica is very grateful to be working at the Citadel with such a wonderful group of artists!! Kisu ‘lk wela ‘liek wjit wia Na ‘kwek kisi Iknmuiek
Amiel Gladstone,
Instructor – Adapt Anything
Amiel Gladstone,
Instructor – Adapt Anything
Amiel is a playwright and director who has worked across Canada for companies of all sizes, working on everything from classics to contemporary, with a passion for new work. He is published by Samuel French, Playwrights Canada Press, and Coachhouse. Since 2023 he has been the Director of Theatre Arts at Banff Centre.
Amanda Goldberg,
Director – Cyrano de Bergerac
Amanda Goldberg,
Director – Cyrano de Bergerac
Citadel: Network, The Fiancée
Other Theatre: Dance Nation (SkirtsAfire Festival); Bea (Shadow Theatre); Twelfth Night (Freewill Shakespeare); Brontë, Phaedra’s Love and Belleville (University of Alberta). Selected assistant directing credits: Segal Centre’s Indecent.
Other: Amanda Goldberg is a director, dramaturg and the Artistic Producer of SkirtsAfire Festival. Originally from Tiohtià:ke/Montreal, she is an honors graduate from Dawson College’s Professional Theatre program, Concordia University’s Theatre and Development program, and University of Alberta’s MFA Directing program.
Beth Graham,
Instructor – Equitable Devising with Choreography and Playwriting; Ragueneau, Theatre Manager, Cadet 5, Medic – Cyrano de Bergerac
Beth Graham,
Instructor – Equitable Devising with Choreography and Playwriting; Ragueneau, Theatre Manager, Cadet 5, Medic – Cyrano de Bergerac
Citadel: Pride and Prejudice, Alice Through the Looking Glass, The Penolopiad, A Christmas Carol, The Drowning Girls, Death of a Salesman, Penelope vs. The Aliens.
Other Theatre: The Oculist’s Holiday, The Woman in Black (Teatro Live); Nevermore (Catalyst Theatre); E-Day (Serial Collective); The Wizard of Oz (Globe Theatre).
Other: Beth is also a playwright. Her most recent play, Mermaid Legs, will be published this September by Playwrights Canada Press.
Ainsley Hillyard,
Instructor – Equitable Devising with Choreography and Playwriting
Ainsley Hillyard,
Instructor – Equitable Devising with Choreography and Playwriting
Citadel: Disney’s Frozen, The Sound of Music, Jane Eyre adapted by Erin Shields, Deafy by Chris Dodd, Hadestown, Peter Pan Goes Wrong
Other Theatre: Mermaid Legs by Beth Graham (SkirtsAFire); (Citadel Theatre); Mr. Burns: A post electric play (You are Here Theatre / Blarney Productions); Cardiac Shadow (Northern Light Theatre/Good Women Dance Collective).
Other: Ainsley Hillyard (she/her) is an Amiskwacîwâskahikan (Edmonton)-based artist of settler descent. She is a choreographer, performer and educator who works in contemporary dance and theatre. Her work is immersed in the curiosities and connections between these two forms. As an independent artist, Ainsley has worked with many theatre companies and received numerous Sterling nominations and awards for her performances and choreographies.
Richard Lee Hsi,
Christian, Citizen, Cadet 3 – Cyrano de Bergerac
Richard Lee Hsi,
Christian, Citizen, Cadet 3 – Cyrano de Bergerac
Citadel: Disney’s Frozen, Peter and The Starcatcher, Alice Through the Looking Glass.
Other Theatre: Cowgirl Up, Games (Alberta Theatre Projects); Everybody Loves Robbie, Victoria Martin Math Team Queen (Northern Light Theatre); The Particulars (Punctuate Theatre); Shocker’s Delight (Teatro La Quindicina); Cowboy vs. Samurai (Chromatic Theatre).
Other: Richard is a graduate of the M.F.A Movement Direction and Teaching program at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and the B.F.A. Acting program at the University of Alberta.
Mathew Hulshof,
Lignière, Montfleury, Carbon – Cyrano de Bergerac
Mathew Hulshof,
Lignière, Montfleury, Carbon – Cyrano de Bergerac
Citadel: Miss Bennet: Christmas At Pemberley, A Christmas Carol.
Other Theatre: On the Banks of the Nut, The Oculist’s Holiday, Margin of the Sky (Teatro Live!); Three Sisters (Alchemy Theatre Paris); Bed & Breakfast (Theatre Network); Happy Birthday Baby J (Shadow Theatre); Deathtrap (Mayfield); Our Man in Havana (Bright Young Things).
Film & TV: Once Upon A Christmas Crown, AGLC Cannabis Sense Commercial
Other: Mathew will appear next season in Casey & Diana at Western Canada Theatre. Love to Jonathan.
Heather Inglis,
Director – Persuasion
Heather Inglis,
Director – Persuasion
Citadel: Director, Slight of Mind (Icarus Air) – A co-production with Theatre Yes.
Other Theatre: HORSEPLAY, Stars on Her Shoulders, Dead Letter, Mob, Unsung: Tales from the Front Line, Metronome, Here There Be Night at Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre.
Other: Heather is the Artistic Producer of Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre. Specializing in New Play Development Heather led the Citadel Theatre Young Playwrights Company until 2019, and directed readings of works by Amy Lee Lavoie and Trevor Schmidt as part of the Citadel Theatre Playwrights’ Forum.
Katherine Koller,
Playwright – Persuasion
Katherine Koller,
Playwright – Persuasion
Other Theatre: Katherine Koller’s first plays, Cowboy Boots and a Corsage and Magpie, aired on CBC radio. Stage plays include the Alberta Land Works Trilogy: Coal Valley: The Making of a Miner (Royal Tyrrell Museum), The Seed Savers (Workshop West/Station Arts Theatre), and Alberta Playwriting Competition winner, Last Chance Leduc (Theatre Rising/Backstage Theatre). Riverkeeper was a finalist in the Alberta Playwriting Competition. Recent audio plays are Hope Soup (Edmonton Fringe) and The Percussionist (Script Salon), with music by her brother George Koller. Katherine has also written ballet and opera libretti. Her chamber opera, The Handless Maiden, is in development.
Other: Katherine is a founding producer of Edmonton Script Salon, a monthly new play reading series in its twelfth year. Katherine’s books include Voices of the Land: The Seed Savers and Other Plays; a novel, Art Lessons, finalist for the Edmonton Book Prize and the Alberta Readers’ Choice Award; and short story collection, Winning Chance, which won a High Plains Book Award and the Exporting Alberta Award. Her second collection of short stories, Earthen, is upcoming in Spring 2026.
Moses Kouyaté,
Mr. Elliott, Captain Benwick – Persuasion
Moses Kouyaté,
Mr. Elliott, Captain Benwick – Persuasion
Citadel: Bat Boy: The Musical (2017/2018 YMC)
Other Theatre: Brick Shithouse (Fenceless Theatre); Freewill Shakespeare Festival; She Kills Monsters (Studio Theatre); God of Carnage (Studio Theatre); Tracks (Amoris Projects); Cruising at 30 Kilometers a Second and Attempting Not To Crash (Mile Zero Dance).
Other: Moses Kouyaté is a queer Afrikan performer raised in amiskwaciy-wâskahikan. They hope to create art that may inspire the masses, and to allow audiences to discover things they’ve never seen before. As a great lover of theatre, music and dance, Moses is ever grateful to share the wonders of storytelling and collaboration with the vibrant Edmonton theatre community.
David Ley,
De Guiche – Cyrano de Bergerac
David Ley,
De Guiche – Cyrano de Bergerac
Citadel: Dracula.
Other Theatre: 638 Ways to Kill Castro (Edmonton Fringe); The Hooves Belonged to the Deer (In Arms Theatre Collective); Happy Birthday Baby J (Shadow Theatre).
Film & TV: Passchendaele, Blackstone, Tribal.
Other: David has been a working actor for over 40 years and is a Professor in the Drama Department at the University of Alberta. Catch him in Beckett’s short First Love and in Sebastian Ley’s new play Cadaver Synod at the Fringe this summer.
Abigail McDougall,
Louisa, Mrs. Clay – Persuasion
Abigail McDougall,
Louisa, Mrs. Clay – Persuasion
Citadel: Collider Festival (2024).
Other Theatre: Robot Girls (Shadow Theatre); A Christmas Carol (Carter-Ryan Productions); The Radical Re-Education of Generation Z, Internet Hygiene, Being AFK (Play The Fool Festival 2023, SkirtsAfire Festival 2023); The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Grindstone Theatre); The Merry Wives of Windsor (Theatre Calgary).
Film & TV: People and Stuff (Rabbit in the Yard Productions), Soul’s Road (Dept. 9 Studios).
Other: Sterling Award Nominee – Outstanding Performance Supporting Role (Robot Girls, 2024).
Andrés F. Moreno,
Le Bret, Usher – Cyrano de Bergerac
Andrés F. Moreno,
Le Bret, Usher – Cyrano de Bergerac
Citadel: A Streetcar Named Desire. Vinyl Cafe (Upcoming)
Other Theatre: Ecos (Upcoming); El Funeral (Diaspora Diaries); Hamlet in Isolation (Thou Art Here); 333 (Theatre Outré); Like Orpheus (Theatre Outré); Fibonacci Sequence (Azimuth Theatre)
Other: Andrés is a Colombian-born artist, passionate about puppetry, acting, directing, and design. They strive to create from a place of joy and safety, and make space for other artists in our community. Andrés is thankful to work and laugh in Treaty 6 and Treaty 7 territory.
Graham Mothersill,
Charles, Captain Harville – Persuasion
Graham Mothersill,
Charles, Captain Harville – Persuasion
Citadel: A Christmas Carol, Collider Festival (2024).
Other Theatre: MOB (WWPT); Twelfth Night, Romeo & Juliet (Freewill Shakespeare); Strange Familiar, The Curing Room, How to Leave (Theatre Outré); Tune to A (Expanse Festival); A Christmas Carol, The Crucible, The Tempest (Theatre Calgary); Fortune Falls (Catalyst Theatre/ATP); CTRL – ALT – DEL, The Antyssey (Concrete Theatre).
Film & TV: Wynona Earp, Like Right Now, Dive, King Crow.
Other: BFA in Acting (University of Alberta). His work has been nominated for 2 Sterling Awards.
Glenn Nelson,
Pete – The Riverside Seniors Village Theatrical Society Presents: William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet; Sir Walter / Admiral Croft – Persuasion
Glenn Nelson,
Pete – The Riverside Seniors Village Theatrical Society Presents: William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet; Sir Walter / Admiral Croft – Persuasion
Citadel: Trouble in Mind, Network, The Candidate, The Party, A Christmas Carol, Peter and the Starcatcher, Death of a Salesman, One Man, Two Guvnors, and Beauty and the Beast.
Other Theatre: The Drawer Boy, Outside Mullingar, Mistakes Were Made, The Odd Couple, Sexy Laundry and Flyfisher’s Companion (Shadow Theatre).
Other: Glenn is delighted to be part of Citadel’s Collider Festival (2025).
Christina Nguyen,
Delia – Nowhere With You
Christina Nguyen,
Delia – Nowhere With You
Citadel: Little Women, A Midsummer Night’s Dream: The 70’s Musical, A Christmas Carol, The Sound of Music, Jersey Boys, Clue, Jane Eyre (Mainstage); Going Solo (House Series).
Other Theatre: Civil Blood: A Treaty Story (Thou Art Here Theatre), Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night, Much Ado About Nothing, Winter’s Tale (Freewill Shakespeare); Alina, Michael Mysterious (Pyretic Productions); Here There Be Night (Workshop West).
Other: University of Alberta BFA Acting Alumni.
Mieko Ouchi,
Director – Nowhere With You & The Riverside Seniors Village Theatrical Society Presents: William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Mieko Ouchi,
Director – Nowhere With You & The Riverside Seniors Village Theatrical Society Presents: William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Citadel: Directing Burning Mom (Upcoming), Pride and Prejudice, A Brimful of Asha; Assistant Directing Disney’s Frozen, A Christmas Carol, Dramaturgy The Fiancée; Playwriting Burning Mom (Upcoming), The Silver Arrow. Associate Artistic Director.
Other Theatre: Directing/Playwriting: Burning Mom (RMTC, Arcola Theatre – London UK, Arts Club) (Belfry, Arts Club Lower Mainland Tour, Citadel Upcoming); Directing: Little Red Riding Hood (Calgary Opera Upcoming); Songs My Mother Never Sung Me (Concrete/Sound Off/Arden/Persephone/Inside Out); Alberta Kitchen Party (ATP); Parts and Labour (Fieldwork); She Kills Monsters (Studio Theatre) Consent (Concrete). Readings: The Nest (Nightswimming); The New Canadians.
Other: 2025 Finalist for The Gina Wilkinson Prize, 2023 Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Distinguished Artist Award.
Kristen Padayas,
Kate, Orange Seller, Cadet 2 – Cyrano de Bergerac; Char – Nowhere With You
Kristen Padayas,
Kate, Orange Seller, Cadet 2 – Cyrano de Bergerac; Char – Nowhere With You
Citadel: Collider Festival ’24, Vinyl Café Workshop. (Upcoming) Life of Pi.
Other Theatre: Dance Nation (SkirtsAFire); A Grand Time in the Rapids, On the Banks of the Nut (Teatro la Quindicina); Murder in the Studio, Sherlock Holmes and the Raven’s Curse (Vertigo Theatre); Under Cover (Concrete Theatre, Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Nomination).
Other: She is also an Associate Producer with Chromatic Theatre. Love to D + A.
Ryan Parker,
Jay – Nowhere With You
Ryan Parker,
Jay – Nowhere With You
Citadel: Million Dollar Quartet, Peter and the Starcatcher, One Man, Two Guvnors.
Other Theatre: Nevermore (Catalyst Theatre); Infinity (Theatre Network); Spelling Bee (Mayfield); Barefoot In The Park (Teatro La Quindicina); It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s Superman (Plain Jane); As You Like It (Freewill Players).
Other: Ryan is a graduate of both the University of Alberta’s BFA in Acting program and MacEwan University’s Theatre Arts. He is now a full-time commercial/editorial portrait photographer, operating a studio in Edmonton, Alberta.
Gabriel Richardson,
Wentworth – Persuasion
Gabriel Richardson,
Wentworth – Persuasion
Citadel: Little Women.
Other Theatre: Smoke (Tiny Bear Jaws), Brick Shithouse (Fenceless Theatre), Jupiter (Theatre Network).
Film & TV: Heartland, Montana Mavericks.
Other: I would like to thank my family for putting up with me, my community for always looking out for me, and most importantly my partner, Sarah for always supporting and loving me.
Maralyn Ryan,
Georgie – The Riverside Seniors Village Theatrical Society Presents: William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Maralyn Ryan,
Georgie – The Riverside Seniors Village Theatrical Society Presents: William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Citadel: The Humans, A Christmas Carol, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Hamlet, Romeo & Juliet, Lend Me A Tenor.
Other Theatre: Vivian Bearing in Wit (Globe Theatre); A Guide to Mourning (ATP); Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Theatre Calgary); Homeward Bound (the Grand Theatre/National Arts Centre); Master Class (Sudbury Theatre Centre); Joy, Shop at Sly Corner (Shaw Festival); Crackpot (Prairie Theatre Exchange/Belfry Theatre);Thirteen Hands (Canadian Stage/National Arts Centre); Hamlet (Freewill Players); True West (Theatre Network); Private Lives (Northern Light Theatre); Seed Savers (Workshop West); Terry and the Dog (Edmonton Actor’s Theatre); The Last Romance (Mayfield Theatre); Rabbit Hole (Persephone Theatre).
Other: In addition to Sterling Awards for Acting, the 2017 Sterling Haynes Award for Most Valuable Contribution to Theatre in Edmonton was presented to Maralyn acknowledging her extensive theatre career. Gushing love to my dear family, friends and you!
Scott Shpeley,
Cyrano – Cyrano de Bergerac; Mark – The Riverside Seniors Village Theatrical Society Presents: William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Scott Shpeley,
Cyrano – Cyrano de Bergerac; Mark – The Riverside Seniors Village Theatrical Society Presents: William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Citadel: One Man Two Guv’nors
Other Theatre: Nevermore (Catalyst Theatre); Twelfth Night, Romeo & Juliet (Freewill Shakespeare); You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown (ATP); Peril In Paris (Lunchbox Theatre).
Other: Scott Shpeley is an Edmonton-based actor, multi-instrumentalist, and educator with a BFA in Acting (University of Alberta) and a BEd (CUE). He spent the last 6 years teaching performing arts at J. Percy Page School, and this fall will be teaching at Eastglen School.
Davina Stewart,
Connie – The Riverside Seniors Village Theatrical Society Presents: William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet; Lady Russell, Nurse Rooke – Persuasion
Davina Stewart,
Connie – The Riverside Seniors Village Theatrical Society Presents: William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet; Lady Russell, Nurse Rooke – Persuasion
Citadel: Murder on the Orient Express, The Importance of Being Ernest, Collider Festival (2024), An Ideal Husband, Hello Dolly, Suddenly Last Summer.
Other Theatre: Where You Are, Cottagers and Indians, Vanya, Sonia, Masha and Spike (Shadow Theatre); Request Programme, Squeamish (Northern Light Theatre); MOB (WorkshopWest); Pia & Maria (Concrete Theatre); Cocktails At Pam’s, Pith, (Teatro Live); Marion Bridge, A Beautiful View (Theatre Network); Woman Caught Unaware (Uno Festival); Sexy Laundry (Mayfield Dinner Theatre).
Other: Davina is an award-winning actress, improviser, director and graduate of the U of A BFA Acting program.
Emily Thorne,
Child Supervisor – Nowhere With You
Emily Thorne,
Child Supervisor – Nowhere With You
Other Theatre: W.R.O.L. Without Rule of Law, The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes (Light in the Dark Theatre); Carmilla: A Modern Romance, 86’d, Dis-Connected, Näcken, Frankenstein: A Post-modern Prometheus (play readings, NextFest), Ride Lyke Hell (Nextfest).
Other: Emily (They/Them) is a queer and neurodivergent artist, who strives to create art that is inclusive and joyful. They are very grateful for the wonderful opportunities they have received since joining the Citadel team!
Farren Timoteo,
Gord – The Riverside Seniors Village Theatrical Society Presents: William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Farren Timoteo,
Gord – The Riverside Seniors Village Theatrical Society Presents: William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Citadel: The Three Musketeers, Jersey Boys, The Fiancée, As You Like It, Shakespeare in Love, Peter and the Starcatcher, Spamalot
Other Theatre: Die Fledermaus (Edmonton Opera); A Grand Time in the Rapids (Teatro Live!); Forever Plaid (Mayfield Dinner Theatre); The Light in the Piazza (Theatre Calgary)
Other: Farren has toured his one-person show, Made in Italy, across the country to Kamloops, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Gananoque and Toronto for more than 100,000 people.
Michelle Todd,
Rose – The Riverside Seniors Village Theatrical Society Presents: William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet; Mrs. Croft, Mrs. Harville – Persuasion
Michelle Todd,
Rose – The Riverside Seniors Village Theatrical Society Presents: William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet; Mrs. Croft, Mrs. Harville – Persuasion
Citadel: Collider Festival (2023, 2024).
Other Theatre: After the Trojan Women (Common Ground Arts Society ); Tiny Beautiful Things, Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike (Shadow Theatre); Black Widow Gun Club, Lady Porn, Destination Vegas (Whizgiggling Productions); SLUT (Northern Light Theatre).
Other: Michelle is delighted to be back at Collider with all these talented people! An Edmonton native and MacEwan grad, Michelle’s been active in the arts community for over 25 years. Much love to Bob for his support!
Holly Turner,
Lee – The Riverside Seniors Village Theatrical Society Presents: William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Holly Turner,
Lee – The Riverside Seniors Village Theatrical Society Presents: William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Citadel: Collider Festival, Christmas Carol
Other Theatre: Radiant Vermin, Origin of the Species, Testament of Mary (Northern Light Theatre); Love Letters, The Year of Magical Thinking (Blarney Productions, Fringe); La Peau D’Élisa (L’Uni Téatre); Richard III, As You Like it (Freewill Shakespeare).
Film & TV: Cutbank, Forbidden Playground, Blackstone
Other: Holly trained at the Neighborhood Playhouse and performed in New York and regional theatres before moving to Edmonton. Returning to acting after a career in law, she received a Sterling nomination for her performance in the NLT production of Testament of Mary. Thanks to Don for his unfailing support.
James Odin Wade,
Playwright – Nowhere With You
James Odin Wade,
Playwright – Nowhere With You
Citadel: Collider Festival (2024).
Other Theatre: As a writer, James has worked with organizations in Canada and the US including Lunchbox Theatre, The Citadel Theatre, The University of Lethbridge, The University of Calgary, Workshop West Playwrights Theatre, Death & Pretzels, Steel River Playhouse, and The Road Theater Company. He has garnered awards from across Canada and the United States including The Alberta Playwriting Competition (Helmut’s Big Day), The National One-Act Playwriting Competition (In Case of Fire), and the Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival One-Act Play Contest (By the Book).
Other: James Odin Wade is a playwright based in Calgary, Alberta. In 2024, he was awarded the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta’s Emerging Artist Award. He holds a BFA from the University of Lethbridge and an MFA in Playwriting from the University of Calgary. James loves his family and writing in third person.
Michael Watt,
Valvert, Cadet 1, Priest – Cyrano de Bergerac
Michael Watt,
Valvert, Cadet 1, Priest – Cyrano de Bergerac
Citadel: Debut
Other theatre: Feed (Mile Zero Dance); Pansies (Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre); Bea (Shadow Theatre); Shrek the Musical (NUOVA); Let’s Not Turn On Each Other (Walters & Watt Theatre Projects).
Film & TV: Bad Luck Badger, The Brick, ABERCROMBIE ZOMBIE.
Other: You can catch Michael next producing their new play ‘Reign Check’ at Found Festival from July 10-13! Many thanks to their amazing friends and to the Collider team!
Sydney Williams,
Roxane – Cyrano de Bergerac
Sydney Williams,
Roxane – Cyrano de Bergerac
Citadel: Debut.
Other Theatre: Dance Nation (SkirtsAfire Festival); Monstress (Northern Light Theatre); Tiny Beautiful Things, Fresh Hell (Shadow Theatre).
Other: Thank you to my friends and family for their unwavering love and support, and to the Cyrano and Collider Festival team for having me.
