CREATIVE TEAM

JAMES MacDONALD - Director

At WCT: Sleight of Mind, The Wizard of Oz, The Sound of Music, The Buddy Holly Story, Million Dollar Quartet, GLORY, The Drowning Girls, A Christmas Carol, Vimy Elsewhere: Julius Caesar (Stratford Festival); The Old Ladies, Black ‘ell (Shaw Festival); Fire, As You Like It, Much Ado about Nothing (Canadian Stage); A Few Good Men, Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Jersey Lily (RMTC). James spent 10 years as Associate Artistic Director of The Citadel Theatre, where he directed 18 productions, including Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Venus in Fur, Billy Bishop Goes to War, and God of Carnage, and acted in 14 more, including six seasons as Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. He was also the Program Director of the Citadel/Banff Centre Professional Theatre Program, and the founding Artistic Director of Edmonton’s Freewill Shakespeare Festival. He is a graduate of the University of Alberta BFA Acting Program.

STEVEN GREENFIELD - Music Director / Conductor / Piano / Johnny Casino

At WCT: Associate Music Director of Children of God; Music Director of Waiting for the Parade and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; ‘Motel’ in Fiddler on the Roof, ‘Zoltan Karpathy’ in My Fair Lady, ‘The Mayor of Whoville’ in Seussical

Elsewhere: Born and raised in Mohkínstsis (Calgary), and now proudly calling amiskwacîwâskahikan (Edmonton) home, Steven (he/him) is a Jessie and OVATION! Award-winning music director and actor. Recent credits: Jersey Boys, ‘Mr. Boddy’ in Clue, A Christmas Carol, Ring of Fire and Once (Citadel); The Wrong People Have Money and The Comedy Company (Shadow); The Dreamer’s Cantata (Edmonton Fringe/Plain Jane); ‘Jerry Lee Lewis’ in Million Dollar Quartet (Theatre Calgary and Arts Club); Tune to A (Expanse/Azimuth); Peter Pan Goes Wrong (Citadel/ArtsClub), Into the Woods (MacEwan) performed to a pandemic-era audience of teddy bearsonly; ‘Max’ in Lend Me a Tenor and Forever Plaid (Mayfield); Good Day and Good Night (Carousel); Elbow Room Café: The Musical (Zee Zee). He has been an instructor at Studio 58, Capilano University, and MacEwan University (his alma mater). Thanks to James and Allison. Special thanks to family, friends, Jessie, Edgar, and Gotham for their love and support. stevengreenfield.ca

ALLISON PLAMONDON - Choreographer

At WCT: Debut

Elsewhere: Recent credits include: White Christmas, Damn Yankees, Holiday Inn for the Shaw Festival, And I Never Stopped Dancing (writer/director); A Polite Fiction (writer/performer) for Smile Theatre. NYC Choreography: Goblin Market (59E59/Edinburgh), The Hills Are Alive! (NYMF); Someone To Belong To (NYC Fringe - Overall Excellence Award, Choreography). NYC Directing: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (14th St Y); What’s Your Problem (Ars Nova/Wild Project); Memory Home (concept/direction/choreo) and The Tchaikovsky Vignettes (dir/ choreo) both in residence at HB Studio. Off-Broadway assistant credits: Bells Are Ringing (City Center Encores); Make Mine Manhattan (Connelly); Freckleface Strawberry (New World Stages). Opera: Apprentice Director on Orphee+ for Edmonton Opera, member of first all-female team to receive Opera America’s Robert L.B. Tobin Director-Designer prize, 2021-22. Film/TV: Curfew (Oscar-winner, 2013); Before I Disappear (IFC); Believe (NBC); Steven Soderbergh’s The Knick (asst choreo). Teaching: AMDA, Broadway Dance Center, Sheridan College, Randolph Academy.

NARDA McCARROLL - Set Designer

At WCT: The Wizard of Oz (set); Glory (set/lights); Vimy (set/lights/costumes); and A Christmas Carol (lights); Mary’s Wedding (production design).

Elsewhere: Narda has been Hopelessly Devoted to Grease since she first saw the movie on her 11th birthday. Other recent favorite designs: Vigilante (Catalyst Theatre); Cinderella (Rainbow Stage); Rock of Ages (More Entertainment); Peter and the Starcatcher, The Penelopiad, Julius Caesar (Citadel Theatre); Brontë: The World Without (Stratford Festival); The Drowning Girls (National Tour); To the Light, Red, Mary’s Wedding (Alberta Theatre Projects); Cipher, Sherlock Holmes and the Raven’s Curse, Sweeney Todd (Vertigo Theatre). Narda has an MFA in theatre design from the U of A. She was the costume designer for Edmonton’s Shakespeare in the Park for 16 seasons. She also designed the costumes for the feature film Cut Bank. narda.ca

STEPHANIE KONG - Costume Designer

At WCT: The Wizard of Oz

Elsewhere: Stephanie is a Vancouver based costume designer and holds a BFA in Theatre Design and Production from UBC. Costume Design credits include: Something Rotten! (Theatre Under the Stars); How the World Began (Pacific Theatre); Cipher (Vertigo Theatre); The Great Leap (Arts Club Theatre); Go, Dog, Go! (Carousel Theatre for Young People.) Film & TV credits include: DC’S Legends of Tomorrow (Head Cutter, Seasons 6–7), The Magicians (Stitcher/Cutter, Seasons 2–5). Up Next: Beautiful (Arts Club Theatre). Other: Jessie Award winner and nominee in Costume Design. CAFTCAD Award nominee in Excellence in Costume Building. @stephanieytkong

ROBERT SONDERGAARD - Lighting Designer

At WCT: Debut

Elsewhere: Robert is excited to be doing his first design for WCT after starting his career as a production assistant with the company in the 1990/91 Season. From there he continued his training in technical theatre at the Banff Centre for the Arts and spent 10 years working for Christie Lites Vancouver. In 2002, Robert started his own company, Electric Aura Lighting Design, and has designed for all types of live entertainment. In theatre, Robert has designed for numerous companies including The Arts Club, Canadian Stage, Theatre Under the Stars, and Royal City Musical Theatre. Robert has also worked as a production designer on a variety of televised sporting events including the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2010 Paralympics, the 2017 Invictus Games, and 13 Grey Cup Halftime Shows. robert-sondergaard.com electricaura.net

BILL CHABASSOL - Sound Engineer

At WCT: Sound Engineer for The Sound of Music, A Christmas Carol; Lighting Design for The Soldier’s Tale, The Drowning Girls; Associate Lighting Design for Meet My Sister.

Elsewhere: Bill is an honours Graduate of Sheridan College’s Technical Theatre Production program, and has attended the Banff Centre’s Technical Production program. He has been working, teaching, mentoring and been found backstage all across Canada for over 20 years. Special thanks and love to Michelle for being the brightest light in my life!

SAM JEFFERY - Fight Director

At WCT: Debut

Elsewhere: Sam Jeffery (she/her) is an award-nominated fight director, actor, certified intimacy director & coordinator, and educator who has worked on (and off) stages across the country. Born and raised in amiskwaciwâskahikan (Edmonton) on Treaty 6 territory. she’s a graduate of the University of Alberta’s BFA Acting program. Sam has been co-AD of StoneMarrow Theatre, a Sterling Award juror, and most recently an instructor in the acting faculty of Vancouver Film School. A new transplant to the coast, she is delighted to make her WCT debut & meet the community. Select fight direction credits: Flowers of the Rarest (Flowers Artists’ Collective); Dooja Ghar

(The Other House) (The Monsoon Festival); Oil (University of British Columbia); Michael Mysterious (Pyretic Productions); Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play (Blarney Prod/You Are Here); The Blue Hour (Skirtsafire); Henry V, Twelfth Night, Julius Caesar (The Malachites). samjeffery.com

KARYN MOTT - Intimacy Director

At WCT: Sleight of Mind

Elsewhere: Karyn Mott is thrilled and grateful to be back at WCT working on Grease! They are a Queer, non-binary, intimacy director and coordinator, awardwinning actor, and artistic mental health practitioner. Karyn has been active in theatre, film, and television for over 15 years and holds their BFA from the University of Alberta. They are the workshop coordinator and board member of the National Society of Intimacy Professionals (NSIP), a proud team member of Principal Intimacy Professionals (PIP), and an assistant facilitator for PIPs SAGaccredited Intimacy Professional Training Program. Selected credits include: My Little Tomato (VACT & ZeeZee Theatre); In My Day (ZeeZee Theatre); Shogun (Disney/FX); Career Opportunities in Murder and Mayhem (Disney); Resident Alien S1 & S2 (Syfy); Golden Delicious (Golden Delicious Films); Upload S2 (Amazon). Much love to Dani, my parents, and friends for all their love and support.

LIZ KING - Stage Manager

At WCT: Debut

Elsewhere: Liz is a Victoria based, Saskatchewan born stage manager. She has worked across Canada with many theatres including the Belfry Theatre, Chemainus Theatre Festival, The Arts Club, Persephone Theatre, Globe Theatre, Gwaandak Theatre, and the Stratford Festival. She spent The Lost Years working as the Operations Manager for the Victoria Symphony. She is very excited to be working at WCT for the first time. Up next Liz will be the assistant stage manager for Ghost with Chemainus Theatre Festival. Liz has run one marathon and had one major mountain biking crash. She cares to repeat neither.

STACI HANLEY - Assistant Stage Manager

At WCT: Debut

Elsewhere: Select credits include Cinderella (Calgary Opera); Sound of Music (Arts Club); Halfway There, Hurry Hard (Lighthouse Festival); Hairspray, Elf: The Musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Beauty and the Beast, and more (Theatre Aquarius); Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, Ghost: The Musical and more (Drayton Entertainment). Staci is an honours graduate of the Technical Production for Theatre program at Sheridan College. Staci would like to thank her family, her friends and, her partner, Josh, for all of their love and support!

DAVIS SHEWCHUK - Apprentice Stage Manager

At WCT: Debut

Elsewhere: Davis Shewchuk (he/they) is an emerging Albertan stage manager based in Edmonton. They are passionate about creating anti-oppressive workspaces. He strives to create works accessible to both audiences and artists. Davis is excited to be working on their first production with Western Canada Theatre. Select credits include: Almost a Full Moon (The Citadel); Off the Beaten Path and Stories of Arlyrus (The Musicals of Tory Doctor); and Tune to A (Expanse/Azimuth).