David and Sheryl receive the 2017 Duval Lang Award from...
All about Trickster
Trickster Theatre is a not-for-profit organization based out of Calgary, Alberta. We create fun, engaging and effective learning through physical theatre.
History
Our journey began in the early 80’s when our founders, David and Sheryl Chantler, hit the road to bring a theatre show to schools and festivals across the country. Audiences adored the shows because of their fun, improvisational nature and audience interaction!
Since that time, we have developed our unique Artist-in-Schools Residency Program. Over the years, we gathered artists to our ranks with different backgrounds and training in a variety of performance styles such as clowning, physical theatre, improv, and dance. As a result of our combined experiences, the company has gained strength and vibrancy. The name Trickster Theatre reflects our clown roots and the fun and innovative process that we have formed over the years. We continue to add new theatre styles and techniques every year.
The company currently has 2 companies touring the province. In the past 34 years we have done more than 1300 week-long residencies. We have done them in more than 75% of all the communities in Alberta, including over 120 residencies in 25 different Indigenous communities. More than 350,000 Albertans of all ages have spent a week creating theatre with Trickster. The company is the largest provider of Artist in School Residencies in Alberta.
The company is also focused on the creation of theatre based tools for learning, especially in the areas of Science, Storytelling, and Global Issues and we have been involved in Educational Research with the U of C and the Rozsa Foundation. We are proud to have played a significant role in the development of the Arts in Education sector in Alberta.
Our Team
Office
DAVID CHANTLER
Producing Director
David founded Trickster in 1980. He trained in clowning, mime, improv and devised theatre in Canada, Mexico, San Francisco and Denmark. He has directed and produced hundreds of shows for Trickster Theatre. David is the recipient of the 2017 Rozsa Award for Excellence in Arts Management, as well as co-recipient of the 2017 Betty Mitchell Award for Outstanding Contribution to Theatre for Young Audiences, and in 2022 was awarded the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee award for Outstanding Service to the province of Alberta.
Sheryl Chantler
FOUNDER IN RESIDENCE
Sheryl has been with the company since 1982 and has a dance degree from Scripps College in California. She has trained with Alvin Ailey and Martha Graham in New York, with Richard Fowler at the Odin Theatre in Denmark, and with Whoopi Goldberg in San Francisco. Sheryl is the originator of our version of many of the big physical theatre styles that are so popular with schools – like Black Light and Shadow Theatre. Sheryl is the co-recipient of the 2017 Betty Mitchell Award for Outstanding Contribution to Theatre for Young Audiences.
Michelle Kaufmann
SALES & MARKETING MANAGER
Michelle spent over 25 years in many different business sectors honing her customer service expertise and systems management experience. While running her own award-winning film production company, she moved from the systems side of things to working with customers on their marketing plans and helping tell their story. These skills have transitioned to a solid understanding of a customer’s needs and how to make them a reality. Michelle also has experience as a writer, director, camera operator and editor.
DAunia DEl Ben
RESIDENCY PROGRAM MANAGER
Daunia has her MFA in Drama from University of Alberta. She specialized in Physical Theatre and especially Commedia Dell’Arte and Clowning.
After her MFA, Daunia worked in Cochrane as an Arts and Culture Manager Consultant where she organized theatre seasons, theatre summer camps and arts events/cultural festivals.
Daunia worked in France and Italy for 10 years in Corporate Theatre acting, directing and producing customized plays. She won several awards as best Director and best Actor.
Advisory Board
FRAN MUNOZ
VIVIA DIGITAL FILMS
Having over 40 years of technical, management and executive experience in the information technology industry prior to becoming a filmmaker, Fran brings an interesting perspective on storytelling in the field of digital imaging and video production. Fran is a co-founder of Vivia Digital Films, a video production company serving Southern Alberta producing corporate promotional films, documentaries, and short narrative films. With over 10 years as a filmmaker on hundreds of projects, Fran is experienced in all aspects of production; from script development and production planning, to directing and principal photography, through to post-production editing, audio processing, colour grading, VFX compositing, final finishing and delivery. He has conducted workshops and presented to professional associations, sharing his in-depth understanding and experience in every facet of film production.
SHALOME HOPE
INDIGENOUS CONSULTANT
Shalome Hope, Cree, Thunderchild FN, uses she/her pronouns, is an artist, Metis cultural dancer/performer, a mother, de-colonizationist, Indigenous language advocate, mobilizer for Indigenous Midwifery, and anti-racism activist. Alongside educational and consulting work, Shalome’s work in film began in 2009, locally, and currently works internationally to tell and retell stories through the arts. 2018 marks Shalome’s theatre debut and inception into Trickster Theatre Company. Other work includes modelling at Otahpiaaki; Indigenous Fashion Week, Metis Jigging workshops/performances, and curriculum design at Mount Royal University. Things to look forward to include co-instructing an Indigenization/right-relations course at MRU and most importantly, raising her children to be happy, healthy, strong and conquering.
Artists
APRIL CRUZ
Montreal born and proudly Canadian, April is an experienced improviser, dancer, singer, radio broadcaster and Mother of two. She’s always up for the opportunity of creating anything from scratch. Having played many characters in musical theatre, dinner theatre and on television, her favorite role is on stage collaborating. Being a Trickster is a playful dream come true! She is full of gratitude for the trust and opportunity to create with the Trickster Theatre family.
AUTUMN STROM
Autumn Strom (they/them) is a queer theatre artist based in amiskwaciwâskahikan. They are a recent graduate of the University of Alberta’s BFA in Acting program, and work around Alberta as both an actor and sound designer. Autumn is particularly interested in new and developing plays, and any work that centers queerness.
Select performance credits include: The Games of Love and Chance (Primestock Theatre), The Comedy of Errors (Theatre Calgary), The Lobbyists (Azimuth Theatre), Play That One Again (Lunchbox Theatre), and Mary’s Wedding (Shattered Glass Theatre).
Select sound design credits include: Creature of Habit (Expanse 2023), MINE (RISER 2023), @interWEBBED (HEYwire Theatre), New Mythic Works (Thousand Faces Festival), and The Parade (Honest Bandits Theatre).
BRENNAN CAMPBELL
Brennan is a theatre and dance artist from Edmonton. He is a graduate of the Grant MacEwan Theatre Arts program and Zen Zen Zo Physical Theatre’s internship program (Brisbane, Australia). He has been involved in more than eighty productions on four different continents. Previous work includes writing and directing all ofSmartyPantz Entertainment’s live Escape Room experiences (Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary), assistant directing Pericles for Bard On The Beach (Vancouver), performing with the legendary Butoh dance groupDairakudakan (Tokyo), touring his original plays to nearly every Fringe Festival in Canada, pretending to be a giant moth at Chester Zoo (UK), and playing the corpse of Toby in Lucifer Season 2, Episode 16.
BRIDGETTE BOYKO
Bridgette Boyko is an actress, singer, dancer, and teacher dedicated to the art of storytelling. She graduated from Vancouver Film School’s Acting for Film & Television program as Valedictorian in 2021. Not only does Bridgette’s education aid in her performances, but so does her drive for fun and imagination which allows her inner-child to shine through and creates positive experiences for all. Bridgette has experience working with Puddle of Mud Productions, The Edmonton International Fringe Festival, and Glass Slipper Entertainment (just to name a few!). Her heart keeps her onstage but she continues to expand her range. Bridgette is known for her vibrant personality, dedication, and her ability to spread a little magic wherever she goes.
ERIC REGIMBALD
Eric is skilled in many areas and has had success as an Actor, Producer, Director and Writer in many plays and shows throughout his career. Eric has starred in countless stage shows such as: Uncle Vanya, Cyrano de Bergerac, Frankenstein, Noises off, and Adam Rapp’s Blackbird which he also produced.
Eric has garnered success as an actor and voice over artist in countless: TV/ Web commercials, radio dramas, film and theatre for over 22 Years, with no signs of slowing down. Academy of Dramatic Arts (VADA). He is most honoured, privileged and passionate about lending his Experience and Knowledge of the craft to Trickster Theatre, and empowering youth in Alberta schools to tell stories via the magic of the theatre!
JENOVA CALIXTO
Jenova is a jack-of-all-trades currently risiding in Calgary, Alberta. Jenova spends his time traditional hoop dancing, acting, writing, and volunteering with at-risk youth and indigenous services across Calgary. Currently he is working on content creation online and planning a hoop dance class for indigenious youth in Calgary. Jenova has a history of motivational/public speaking for a variety of non-profit events. With experience as the community & family liason for Piitoayis Family School, a CBE school which teaches the Alberta Education Program through diversity of First Nations, Métis and Inuit perspectives and experiences. Credits include: Family (2015), Indian Giver (2016)
LARISSAH LASHLEY
Larissah Lashley is a singer, actor, dancer, and musician based on Treaty 6 Territory in
Amiskwaciwâskahikan (Edmonton, Alberta). Larissah is a graduate from the Bachelor of Fine
Arts in Acting program at the University of Alberta. Presence, relationship, and breathing with
people are major values in her artistic practice. Larissah was also the recipient of the Dr. Dasha
Goody Memorial Foundation Scholarship for her work in musical theatre. You can see Larissah
next in Robot Girls in Shadow Theatre’s 2023/2024 season. Selected credits include Leonard
Bernstein’s New York (Opera NUOVA), What Was Is All (Edmonton Intl. Fringe Festival), What
Was Is All (Nextfest Arts Festival), Host Town (Nextfest Arts Festival), Macbeth (University of
Alberta), and Our Town (University of Alberta).
MACKENZIE MCDONALD
Mackenzie McDonald is a Mohkinstsis (Calgary) based performer with a love of acting, writing, and making a fool of himself. During his time at the University of Calgary, Mackenzie had acted in such shows as Crave, Circle Mirror Transformation, Metamorphoses, Machinal & Rhinoceros. Other shows during and after graduating with a BFA in 2021 include The Merchant of Venice (The Shakespeare Company), Brotherhood for Wolves & Anonymous (IGNITE! Festival), and Bill C773 (Seniors Acting Lab). Though acting remains his bread & butter, Mackenzie enjoys writing poetry, D&D adventures, and several hilariously incomplete scripts that he’ll surely get to one of these days. It’s through the collaborative process of theatre that Mackenzie hopes to learn more about himself and this wonderful world we live in, so Mackenzie is supremely excited to share in that exploration with Trickster Theatre.
MACKENZIE SUTTON
Mackenzie Sutton (she/her) is an actor who lives and works on Treaty 7 territory, Mohkinstsis (Calgary). Mackenzie is a graduate of the BFA Acting conservatory at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. Mackenzie grew up in Okotoks, AB and is passionate about creating and telling stories that entertain, engage and challenge her audiences. Mackenzie is thrilled to be in her first year with Trickster Theatre and is excited to share her love of storytelling with students! Some of her most recent theater credits include; The Devils (Studio Theatre) Way to Go Neil; A New Musical (Edmonton International Fringe Festival), Rhinoceros (Studio Theatre), and Like Yesterday (University of Alberta), Macbeth (University of Alberta), and Weasel (Studio Theatre).
MARIE-JOANNE FOGUE MAKOU
Marie Joanne Fogue Makou is a Franco-Albertan originally from Cameroon. She found her passion for the fine arts in Canada. She is a versatile artist; actress, comedienne, dancer and singer. If she’s not on stage, you’ll find her backstage as a stage manager, director, sound and light technician. She’s also been a theater animator for the past 3 years. Because of her well-diversified knowledge of theater, she won the Director of the Year award in 2019. She took the Theatre IB program in high school, and this experience proved how much she wanted theater to be part of her life. Marie-Joanne has been part of an advanced training and intensive pre-professional theater program in “Young Acting Company” a Citadel Theatre for the 2020/2021 season. Some of her credits include the role of Goneril, in an adaptation of King Lear, Vladimir, in Waiting for Godot and Terisias in Antigone.’
MATT DALE
Matt Dale is a creative writer and performer who has worked and adventured all around Canada. As a
graduate of both the Red Deer College Theatre Performance and Humber College’s Comedy Writing
and Performance programs, he has had the pleasure of developing a fun and fruitful creative
practice that only continues to grow. Matt is thrilled to be working with Trickster Theatre and
looks forward to creating stories that can spark a lifelong passion for the arts.
OLIVER DELGADILLO
Oliver Delgadillo is a Mexican actor and singer who studied
performing arts for theatrical expression. He has performed
multiple musical theater works, is a film actor and also a
television actor. He has experience teaching expression and
musical theater workshops for children of all ages.
ROGAN COFFEY
Rogan Coffey (He/Him) is an Edmonton based actor from rural Alberta. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Alberta. As an actor, his interested lie in both theatre and film. He especially enjoys creating and performing new work – as well as incorporating his strengths in improv and stage combat. Past Acting credits include: The Legacy (IA Studios), Macbeth, and The Devils (University of Alberta)
TRUUS VERKLEY
Truus Verkley is an artist and educator who has been working with children for more than 17 years. She has had the pleasure of working with students of all ages! Truus has created and implemented arts education programs in schools in both Calgary and Edmonton and often works as an artist in residence with students.
Truus is a graduate of the Canadian College of Performing Arts and the Decidedly Jazz Danceworks Professional training program and she has also performed all over Canada and abroad with shows such as Planet of the Senses (Bahrain, UAE) many seasons with the Edmonton based company Vinok Worldance, 9 seasons of work performing, choreographing and artistic directing with the Fort Steele Follies, and large scale productions such as The Wizard of Oz with Kimberley Summer Theatre.
Awards
Trickster founder, David Chantler, is the recipient of the 2017...