The board & staff of Trickster Theatre are very proud to announce that Trickster founders, David & Sheryl Chantler, are the 2017 recipients of the Duval Lang Theatre for Young Audiences Award honouring Outstanding Achievement in Theatre for Young Audiences. This is a juried distinction given by the Betty Mitchell Awards committee honouring outstanding achievement in Calgary’s professional theatre community.
David Chantler founded Trickster Theatre in 1979; Sheryl joined the company in 1982. Focusing on David and Sheryl’s shared passion for clowning, physical theatre, improv, and dance, Trickster Theatre began its life as a Theatre for Young Audiences touring company: bringing thrilling and innovative theatre performances to grade school students across Canada and performing in Children’s Festivals around the world. From this touring company, David and Sheryl evolved Trickster into the Artists-in-Residency program it is now. Throughout the 26 years of offering their Residency program, Trickster Theatre has taken part in over 650 in school residencies, providing an Arts Education experience for over 200, 000 Alberta students.
Devon Dubnyk, 2017 Betty Mitchell Nominee for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble says of David and Sheryl: “… their tenacity and resolve has resulted in Alberta’s most widespread artist-in-residency company, inspiring the imaginations of young and old alike with their unique brand of physical theatre. And now, at a time when they could be expected to slow down, the projects only get more and more ambitious.”
We look forward to the next 40 years of empowering youth through storytelling, theatre & performance.