PLEASE NOTE: THE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR STAGE IT 2023-24 WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN SEPTEMBER.
IN 2023-24 WE WILL WORK WITH EMERGING ARTISTS WHO ARE FOCUSED ON DEVELOPING THEIR DIRECTING, DESIGN AND PRODUCTION SKILLS.
STAGE IT 22-23 is a program focused on emerging theatre artists who want to develop themselves as creator-producers. We define a creator-producer as someone who would like to produce work that they also perform, direct, design or write/devise. STAGE IT offers mentorship, peer to peer learning and guest artist master classes to a small group of participants. It also offers participants the opportunity to stage their piece at Downstage’s STAGE IT Festival!
APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR STAGE IT 2022-23. PLEASE CHECK OUT THOUGHTS FROM THE CURRENT COHORT BELOW!
left to right ~ Stephanie Alexandre, Keith Boniol, Islay McKechnie and Ciarán Volke
Stephanie Alexandre & Keith Boniol
What is it that drew you to apply?
We were ecstatic about this opportunity, as the program will allow us to foster not only our creative goals as artists, but our professional development as well. We are so grateful to Downstage for offering their mentorship in this way to emerging artists, and we can’t wait to work with their amazing team on this journey. We also loved that we could apply as a team, as we wanted to share in this experience together!
What is it about Downstage and the type of stories that they tell that really resonates with your work?
Downstage’s mandate to produce theatre that creates meaningful conversation aligns with our desire to be community-oriented artists. We want our work to inspire togetherness, and be an invitation to gather, learn, and benefit from each other as a community. As we both come from immigrant families and are passionate about sharing both the joys and the difficulties of our stories, we are honoured to have spaces like Downstage that encourage this kind of work.
How does your project bring together social change and humour?
We were interested in exploring the concept of grieving as a community. In many forms, the last two years have greatly brought this to our attention. While we cannot ignore the resulting pain, what we can do is highlight joy, and encourage the seeking of it. What we hope our work inspires is that social change does not need to be sought out individually, but can be pursued and fostered in community.
Bios:
Stephanie Alexandre is a hockey player-turned-theatre-nerd. As a recent graduate from the University of Calgary with a degree in English in Drama, she is passionate about storytelling in all of its forms— whether through music, on the page, stage, or over cup of tea and some good conversation.
Keith is a queer Filipinx artist who is studying theatre at the University of Calgary! He loves to mix movement and dance with his passion for theatre. Keith is also passionate about exploring stories from marginalized communities.
Islay McKechnie & Ciarán Volke
What is it that drew you to apply?
We were looking for a safe and encouraging space to gain mentorship and camaraderie within the Calgary theatre community and abroad, and a way to learn about self-produced work. The Stage It Program was the perfect place for our particular stories to thrive and blossom.
What is it about Downstage and the type of stories that they tell that really resonates with your work?
Our project works with people where they are at. We interview them as part of the performance and create meaningful stories from it. Downstage encourages the exploration of heart and soul onstage and off, and so it was a perfect match for us.
How does your project bring together social change and humour?
Our project is about building a community of queer artists together and celebrating their lives through improv, music, and humour. We want to bring their stories to the spotlight and confront the hardest thing of all: love.
Bios:
Ciarán Volke (he/they) is an actor/writer/filmmaker/alien based in unceded lək̓ʷəŋən Territory. He is interested in the surreal and the heartfelt, often tackling truths that are otherwise kept unknown. His mission in life is to make people feel good about being silly. He has a BFA in acting from the University of Victoria, and has recently collaborated with Intrepid Theatre, Paper Street Theatre, the Greater Victoria Shakespeare Festival, and Theatre SKAM.
Islay McKechnie (she/they) is a theatre artist/improviser/cowboy/music man. She was raised on the unceded territory of the Semá:th First Nation and the Mathxwí First Nation. Islay is greatly interested in collaborating with other artists to skill-share, blend mediums, and create original, hybrid works. She is fueled by a love of mischief, whimsy, music, and dark humour. Islay trained at Rosebud School of the Arts, specializing in acting. Past theatrical adventures have included collaborations with Paper Street Theatre and Downstage.
TESTIMONIALS FROM PAST STAGE IT PARTICIPANTS
“Downstage's Stage It program is a fantastic chance for emerging artists to further their craft. The Downstage team is such a lovely group of inspiring people to work with. The opportunities as well as the relationships that I was able to build throughout the season are invaluable. There is so much space and generosity in this program, I've had so much support to grow, learn, and try new things. This program is a hidden gem that is shaping the future of Calgary's theatre scene." ~ Maezy Reign Dennie
“I am so grateful for my time in the Stage It program. The Downstage team is incredibly supportive and encouraging. They played a crucial part in helping Dana and I take Good Grief! from dreams all the way to a podplay and beyond. Not only is the program a great place for emerging artists to find their voice and explore their creative practice, it’s also an opportunity to really understand what it takes to produce a show. It’s a great way to learn by doing. I hold so much appreciation for all of the incredible artists I got the chance to learn from and work with throughout the program, and for the many lasting relationships that came out of it. Downstage Theatre knows that emerging artists have something to say, and by giving us the space and resources to say it, we are heard in a new way.” ~ Rosemary Morrison
"The Stage It program is exactly what emerging artists need. As an artist with acting training, I had previously felt like I didn’t have the resources or knowledge to diversify my practice, and this program gave me the tools I needed to succeed. As a playwright and producer, Downstage embraced my changing desires through the pandemic that led to a large-scale project that evolved within the context of COVID-19. With hiring over 14 artists, managing multiple grants and writing my first one act play, the Downstage staff ensured quantitative and qualitative success through their resource sharing, cross-country connections and honest way of working. Downstage showed me that some of the most rewarding work can happen when companies allow for change and flexibility and take the time to build trust with artists. My time in the Stage It program was some of the most rewarding times of my artistic career so far and I hope that artists can dare to explore - this is the place for it!" ~ Kiana Wu
