Bethany first found a love for acting in her high school drama classes. She assisted in creating, directing, and starring in a play called Dreams Of Home (NextFest) which taught audiences about the residential school system. She then went on to background acting in films such as “#ROXY” and finally starring in short films around the Edmonton area.

Camryn is thrilled to be a part of this year’s Young Musical Company! They graduated from Beaumont Composite Highschool in 2020. There, they participated in numerous productions including Bring It On: The Musical; Girls Like That; and Mamma Mia!. Camryn is very passionate about classical singing and loves to perform. They have missed theatre throughout the pandemic and they are so excited to bring art into a post-quarantine world. They cannot wait to work and train with such an amazing team!

Alex de Rouyan is stoked to be performing with such an amazing creative team and cast! He has just completed his second year of majoring in Drama at the University of Alberta while taking singing lessons. Alex’s most recent performances include Rochdale by David Yee (Citadel Young Co.) and Grease by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey (St. Francis Xavier). He hopes you are prepared for a show like Joe other!

Carys Jones is estatic to be apart of Working. She is a recent graduate of Victoria School Of The Arts. During her time there she was lucky enough to participate in classes such as acting, dance, and theatre performance. Carys also participated in many different theatre and dance productions including Peter And The Starcatcher, Leaps And Bounds, and A Midsummer Nights Dream. She also participated in Victoria School’s one-act play festival, where she directed Paul’s Ghost and acted in Samuel Beckett’s Play. She recently participated in Morning at Concordia University.

Victoria ‘Tori’ is excited to be a part of the Working team. She is a grade twelve student at Memorial Composite High School. They love both plays and musical theatre and plan on pursuing theatre as a career. She has a passion for fine art, her favourite mediums being gouache and pencil crayon. She feels beyond grateful to be a part of such an amazing part of Edmonton’s rich theatre community.

Abby is very excited to be a part of the Young Acting Company 2021/2022. Abby grew up in Kamloops, B.C. where her passion for acting began. She was a student of Western Canada Theatre’s Stage One Theatre School for many years and performed in multiple productions, most notably I Hate Shakespeare (Lady Macbeth) and Seussical Jr. (Horton the Elephant). In 2019, she performed in a one woman show The Shape of a Girl (Braidie) by Joan MacLeod, produced by Western Canada Theatre. Next year, she plans to start her Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Alberta. Abby looks forward to joining fellow thespians to experience the rich theatre culture that Edmonton is known for.

Mana Middleton is a 16 year-old musical theatre actress who currently attends Victoria School of the Arts. She has received her training through junior and senior high school classes and programs at the Foote Theatre School as well as through One Song Glory with The Musical Theatre Stage Company. She has also done Ukrainian dance for 11 years with Shumka and ESUD and has been awarded the Vohon Ukrainian Dance Ensemble Becky Kassian Memorial Scholarship. Mana currently teaches Performing Arts classes with Northlands 4-H Club.

Rhys is an actor with a long history at Foote Theatre School. He learned the foundations for acting and improvisation at Foote Theatre School and has been sharpening his skills among other places such as Victoria School of the Arts where he is in his 12th year. He had been in many Foote Theatre School productions and school plays. Last  summer he also acted in the Take 5 Theatre Festival, a festival completely run by students. Rhys has had a wonderful time working on Working and hopes the performance will leave you joe-vial.

Mara is enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts in Drama at the University of Alberta. Previously, she graduated from St. Joseph Catholic High School in Grande Prairie, where she was heavily involved in her school’s Drama program. She also acted at her local theatre, Grande Prairie Live Theatre. Her credits include The Taming of the Shrew (Bianca), Much Ado About Nothing (Ursula), High School Musical (Ms. Darbus), and Overtones (Maggie), which she also directed. Mara is excited to be surrounded by and learn from fellow artists, to improve her skills, and to have fun while doing it.

Stefan Sikanja is a part of the Citadel Theatre Young Acting Company. This has been his first year in theatre, and has integrated himself in the theatre community as much as possible. Recently, he was a part of the Concordia Spring Arts Festival where he took part in staged readings of student written plays as well as a production of Simon Stephens’ Morning. Outside of theatre, Stefan is a die-hard soccer fan who loves to play the beautiful game as much as possible. Stefan hopes to use the experience he gained this year to branch out into film and television, while continuing to expand his knowledge of theatre and acting in the professional world. He has had an amazing time through the process of Young Companies and Working: A Musical, and will forever remember all the Joe-kes that came with it.

Fira Street is a grade 12 student at W.P. Wagner High School. She has been participating in youth theatre since grade 9 and has loved learning more about theatre with the Citadel’s Young Musical Company. She has participated in various shows with Visionary Centre for the Performing Arts (Les Misérables, Mary Poppins, Footloose) as well as acted in her school’s Ghost Town One-Act Festival (Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons). She is grateful for the many exciting experiences Young Company has offered.

Megan Strong is absolutely ecstatic to be joining the Citadel’s Young Musical Company this year! She recently graduated from Victoria School of the Arts, having had many opportunities to work in many wonderful productions and classes, some being Mary Poppins (Mrs Corry), In The Heights (Ensemble), No Day But Today: A Musical Theatre Revue (Eponine/Ensemble);vAdvanced Acting, Concert Choir, and Directing, acting in the one-act play festival; and directing Spitting Daisies by Keri Kochanski. Through the years she’s had the privilege of working in the Edmonton arts community, some projects including Once Upon a Frost (Ensemble) at Festival Place, Cradle to Stage (Alexandria Rose) at the Walterdale Theatre, and performing in the Kiwanis Music Festival. Megan is currently taking a year off to work before going back to school to continue her studies in the performing arts this fall at The Canadian College Of Preforming Arts!

Julie Sucie is honoured to be a part of the Young Companies program again. In 2019, she performed as Underling in The Drowsy Chaperone with the Young Musical Company. Past credits include ABBEDAM’s Welcome to Thebes (Talthybia), Scona Theatre Co.’s Footloose (Vi), Bring It On (Ensemble), and 13 the Musical (Kendra). She has also performed with the Cappies Chorus and the Citadel’s Acting and Musical Theatre Intensives. Currently, Julie is in her last year of her BEd at the UofA, studying to become a drama teacher.

Jack Valentine is a member of the Citadel Theatre’s Young Acting Company. Previously, he has performed in plays at W.P. Wagner High School such as D.W. Gregory’s Radium Girls, Jack Heifner’s Boys’ Play, and Ian McWethy’s 13 Ways to Screw Up Your College Interview. He also directed a production of Sam Steiner’s Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons. Jack is an experienced improviser, and was part of the team representing Wagner at the 2020 Canadian Improv Games. When he’s not on stage, Jack channels his creative energy into his writing, and intends to publish his first novel, Zero Point, “someday; probably.” (Note the usage of semicolon.) He has had a blast working (a musical) on Working: A Musical, and thanks you for coming to support it and the incredible ensemble of young artists performing it alongside him. He hopes you en-joe the show.

Emma Yee is a Grade 12 student and actor/singer/dancer hailing from Treaty 6 Territory. She is a proud Asian woman who believes strong communities are both inclusive and diverse, and she is honoured to be a part of the Citadel Young Companies. Emma participates in Concert Choir, Jazz Choir, and theatre productions at her high school, and has a love for dance (ballet, jazz, tap and hip hop). In her free time, Emma enjoys reading books written by authors of diverse backgrounds and is always willing to give a book recommendation.

Gina (she, her, siya) is a proud Filipina-Canadian who has been the Artistic Director / Program Coordinator for the Alberta Workers’ Health Centre’s Work Plays Schools Program since 2013. She is privileged to be able to regularly collaborate with emerging and established theatre practitioners with shared values to empower young workers and new to Canada workers of their rights and responsibilities at work and workplace health and safety. This experience with the Young Company developing our localized version of Working… surprisingly and delightfully slid right into her wheelhouse and filled it with joy.

Gina’s first job like many young people was as a babysitter. Her first job that she got a proper paycheque was as a pie cutter at the Calgary International Airport. A skill she still shows off today!

Corben is a Métis director, producer and actor who works in theatre and film on Treaty 6 Territory. He is thrilled to be co-directing this one-of-a-kind show featuring the work of both local professionals and the fine artists of the Young Companies. Corben is Co-Artistic Director of Concrete Theatre and is also the Founder/ Artistic Co-Producer of local indie theatre company Impossible Mongoose (6 Sterling Awards). Some of his favourite directing credits include ARC (Concrete Theatre), The Alien Baby Play, Prophecy, The Fall of the House of Atreus, Harold and Vivian Entertain Guests, Coraline, 35MM (Impossible Mongoose) and Never, Never (Promise Productions). As an actor, he’s been fortunate to work with the Citadel, the Mayfield, Concrete Theatre, the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, the Arts Club, Persephone and more. He holds a BFA (Acting) from the University of Alberta and is a proud graduate of MacEwan’s Theatre Arts diploma program.

Corben’s first job was outdoor maintenance at a golf & country club.

Kiidra is a stage/event manager, a sound designer, and theatre technician based out of Edmonton (Amiskwacîwâskahikan). Selected theatre credits Include: Joyride (Caravan Farm Theatre), Michael Mysterious (Pyretic Productions); Heaven (Citadel Theatre’s Horizon Series); A Vendre, Suspension, & Kaldr Saga (Cardiac Theatre); Dead Center of Town (Catch the Keys); Boy Trouble (Vena Amoris Projects); Origin of the Species (Northern Light Theatre); Gemini (Defiance Theatre); Do this in Memory of me/En Mémoire de moi (L’Unithéâtre). Their very first job was scorekeeping their highschool’s basketball team games and tournaments! Go Ghosts!

Anna is thrilled to be back at the Citadel. She was recently the ASM for The Fiancee earlier this year. Previously, Anna has Stage Managed rochdale, Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Sideshow for the Citadel Theatre’s Young Company. This winter, she was the Stage Manager for Cosi Fan Tutte and an ASM for La Boheme at the Edmonton Opera. Other recent Edmonton Opera ASM credits include: Rigoletto, The Misadventures of Count Ory, Hansel & Gretel, Electra, La Cenerentola, and Turandot. She has worked as a stage manager and ASM in Edmonton since graduating from the Theatre Production Program at MacEwan in 2007. During the pandemic, she got back into acting to entertain her toddler, putting her diploma in Theatre Performance from Red Deer College to good use.

Anna’s first job was acting in the Stage Polaris production of The Velveteen Rabbit. She was a toy block and a dancing rabbit.

This is Cathy’s first time joining the fabulous Young Company team and she is absolutely thrilled. Cathy has been happily working as an actor, musician and Educator for over 3 decades and has received 2 Sterling awards both for acting and music direction. Born in Edmonton, she graduated from Grant MacEwan in 1986, cofounded and performed with the Leave it To Jane Theatre Company directed by Tim Ryan and went on to perform on many stages including The Citadel, The Mayfield,The Varscona Theatre (Teatro La Quindicina, Shadow Theatre, Plain Janes), Theatre Network, Concrete Theatre, Edmonton Opera and many others as well as a multitude of Fringe Festivals from Edmonton to Edinburgh. She has musically directed over 25 musicals and works as a Vocal Coach, accompanist and music director at MacEwan University. Enjoy the show!

Cathy’s first job was as a cashier/floor manager at Baydala Drug Store on 97st and 130ave. Shifts until midnight, white jacket required, free chocolate bars.

Born and raised in Amiskwacîwâskahikan  Edmonton, Alberta, Shrina Patel is a choreographer, actor, yoga teacher and the Artistic Director of Shaktiflow on Treaty 6 land. Her/their work is based on story-telling with a focus on socio-cultural and gender inequality. Her unique eastern fusion choreography is designed to provoke conversations that challenge the traditional social norms people face based on their gender, race, and ethnicity. For over 15 years, they have collaborated with many local artists and organizations within and surrounding Edmonton, to bring South Asian dance styles to the mainstream and establish her signature choreography.  In 2019, she produced and directed her first show Sacred Spaces, in which diverse forms of dance and music illustrated the importance of safe spaces within society. With a background in different dance styles, she explores ways to depict people’s courage as they journey unpaved paths towards freedom from social and self-inflicted constraints. Her company, Shaktiflow, uses dance, theater, and yoga to help heal and empower the individual. Her vision is to create mindfulness through movement and at the root, seed inclusivity, and build community.

Shrina’s first job was office assistant at HSP Machine Company.

Even Gilchrist (he/him) is a trans and queer theatre creator working in amiskwaciwâskahikan (colonially known as Edmonton). One day he will finish his thesis defence for his MFA in Theatre Design officially from the University of Alberta but in the meantime, is happy to keep working on productions as a designer and collaborator. Some recent credits include: Love From Afar (Set Design – A Company of Fools); Puppet Pub Crawl (Producer/Lead Artist – Found Festival); Tune to A (Lighting and Costume Design – Expanse Festival); and Bloomsday (Set and Lighting Design – Shadow Theatre). You can check out evengilchrist.com for more of his work and collaborations, if you’re feeling fancy.

Even’s first official job was working as a dishwasher for Cora’s when he was thirteen years old!

For over two decades Ms. Cornick has worked in theatre, film, television, circus, concerts, corporate events, cruise ships, dance, and opera as a designer, technician, instructor, stage manager, event planner, props builder, puppeteer, carpenter, and clown. She is an instructor with MacEwan University’s BFA Theatre Production major and most recently acted as an advisor with the University of Alberta’s Department of Drama. Born in Ontario with cultural roots in Newfoundland, she lives in Edmonton with her spouse, dog, cat and rabbit. Find more here: heathercornick.carbonmade.com

Heather’s first job was babysitting.