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C A L E I G H C R O W J A V I E R V I L A L T A

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A Note from The Verb Theatre Team

Welcome! Thank you for joining us for the final show in our 20242025 season, where we have been so lucky to co-produce, present, and bring to life three different solo shows featuring three unforgettable Canadian theatre artists: Makambe K Simamba, Elena (Eli) Belyea, and now, Calgary’s own beloved Karen Johnson-Diamond.

This play, by Duncan Macmillan with comedian Jonny Donahoe, has come through Calgary on a number of occasions. It only speaks to the universal connection this piece creates that this--a one act comedy-drama about the complicated realities of having a family member experiencing suicidal ideation, this piece would be flocked to again and again. That it might be compelling enough to want to attend throughout the years, something we often only see with a Shakespeare or a The Mousetrap.

When reading through Every Brilliant Thing for the first time, we were struck by how honest and funny the script was, but also by how joyful the story felt. Yes, the play has hard moments. And yes, it’s discussing a difficult topic. But Duncan Macmillan has found something so life affirming while exploring depression - and we wanted to present this affirmation to our Calgary community at a time when it feels we really need it.

We are incredibly thrilled to bring this new production of a beloved play to you, our audience - especially with a fully Calgarian team, in a historic theatre as spring is jumping to life right outside the doors of this building where the Bow River teems only steps away. How special it is that we can gather in this intimate space and be reminded that this type of performance is precious because we are here, now, together, watching a play.

Truly, a brilliant thing.

Artistic director - Kathryn Smith Camille Pavlenko - Artistic Associate

by duncan macmillan with jonny donahoe

PERFORMER

Karen Johnson-Diamond

CREATIVE TEAM

KathrynSmith-Director

DonnaSharpe-StageManager

AdamKostiuk-ProductionManager

JasonEckenroth-SetDesigner&Builder

MaezyReign-LightingDesigner

JolaneHoule-CostumeDesigner

VickyPablo-PropDesigner&ArtistMentee

AldonaB-Publicist

CamillePavlenko-Co-Producer

Promo photography by

Staff

Kathryn Smith - Artistic Director

Camille Pavlenko - Artistic Associate

Board of Directors

Samantha Lemna - President

Sarah Waseem - Vice-President

Philippe Begin - Treasurer

Ruvimbo Chinake - Secretary

Ishkirat Kaur - Director

Audience Advisory: Audience Advisory:

Every Brilliant Thing contains Every Brilliant Thing contains discussions of suicide discussions of suicide

About the Artists

KAREN JOHNSON-DIAMOND - Performer

For Verb Theatre: Noise, Mike, Karen-Karen, Mike and Heart. Karen co-founded Dirty Laundry, an improvised soap opera that ran for twenty seasons. Karen has an 82-year-old mother who helped her learn every brilliant line in this play (also, many jazz artists will be mentioned in this show, but have you heard of Neil Diamond? The world’s greatest singer/songwriter?). Recent acting credits: For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again - Rosebud Theatre, A Christmas Carol - Theatre Calgary, and Where You Are – Theatre Northwest. As Director: Silent Sky – Fire Exit Theatre/Ambrose University and Magic Lies: An Evening with W.O. Mitchell for Rosebud Theatre. Thank you to Kathryn and Donna for the laughs and larks. Karen loves Kevin, Griffin, Hailey, and every brilliant donut.

KATHRYN SMITH - DIRECTOR

Kathryn Smith is a queer and trans theatre director, designer, and creator who has worked across Canada for the last 10 years. Kathryn is the artistic director of Verb Theatre (the company you’re supporting right now!) and they are also a part of the Mudfoot Theatre Collective which focuses on sustainable and eco-friendly artistic practices. Select directing credits: Undressed (Alberta Theatre Projects); Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson, Murder In the Studio (Vertigo Theatre); USS Artemis (Boathaus Studios); A Chitenge Story, inVISIBLE Too (Handsome Alice Theatre); Care Takers, Countries Shaped Like Stars (Lunchbox Theatre); Bright Half Life (Persephone Theatre); We're Gonna Die (Verb Theatre). Kathryn is also an award winning singer songwriter/sound designer under the name KP Smith. So much love and thanks to Lara, and Scout the GSD.

DONNA SHARPE - STAGE MANAGER

What a treat to work with Verb Theatre, and on this production of Every Brilliant Thing. Donna is an Alberta-based multi-discipline stage manager, working in opera, dance, musical theatre, new performance creation, and indigenous and classical music programming. At Banff Centre, Donna continues to work with artists around the world as stage manager, and/or mentor. Favourite selected credits include The Seafarer, Teenage Dick (ATP), The Girl On The Train (Vertigo), Moby Dick, Otello, Die Tote Stadt, Dead Man Walking, and Silent Night (Calgary Opera), Stabat Mater (Edmonton Opera), Cinderella (Rainbow Stage), The Green Line (Downstage), and Ghost Opera (The Old Trout Puppet Workshop).

ADAM KOSTIUK - production manage

My name is Adam Kostiuk, and I work locally as a production manager, technical coordinator, and award winning lighting designer, among a myriad of other roles. I'd like to take this space to direct attention towards a few organizations worthy of your charity or time; AARCS, Calgary Humane Society, William Watson Lodge Society, Rocky Mountain Adaptive, Skipping Stone, and Calgary Food Bank.

Jason Eckenroth - Set DESIGNER & Set builder

Jason is an artist from all over, just learning what it's like to be part of Calgary, and is extremely grateful to find collaborators like Verb to both land and explore with. They're the Technical Director at Vertigo, and about and around with small projects besides, and happy to make your acquaintance.

Jolane Houle - Costume Designer

Jolane (She/Her) is a Calgary based artist of Blackfoot and Saulteaux-Ojibwe ancestry. A graduate of the University of Lethbridge, she holds a BFA in Technical Theatre and a diploma in Fashion Design from Lethbridge College. She has worked in several capacities of the costume department from Stitcher to Head of Wardrobe which include: New West Theatre (Lethbridge), Stage West Theatre (Calgary), and Alberta Theatre Projects (Calgary). With over a decade of working in theatre, Jolane is also a member of IATSE 212 for film and television. Recent design credits include: PRIMARY TRUST, FATHER TARTUFFE: AN INDIGENOUS MISADVENTURE (Arts Club, Vancouver); TWELVE DAYS, COUNTRIES SHAPED LIKE STARS (Lunchbox Theatre); MURDER ON THE LINKS, MS. HOLMES & MS. WATSON -#2B (Vertigo Theatre); ALTERNATIVES (University of Lethbridge); KAAHSINNONIKS, TIME STILL STANDS, MINISTRY OF GRACE, YIISTSIIYII (Making Treaty 7); IN A WORLD CREATED BY A DRUNKEN GOD, AN ALMOST PERFECT THING, KITCHEN WITCHES, THE ATTIC, THE PEARL AND THREE FINE GIRLS (New West Theatre Lethbridge); Film: Meeting Place (Indigenous Peoples Experience Fort Edmonton) and Things I Know To Be True, indie short.

Maezy Reign (they/them) is a biracial multidisciplinary artist, born and raised in Calgary. They work as a playwright, lighting designer and occasional actor. They are determined to create art that has the representation they never saw growing up, like mentally ill, gender diverse, queer, and racialized main characters. Select lighting credits include Two Moons (Handsome Alice), Comedy of Errors & Twelfth Night (The Shakespeare Company), The F Word (Downstage Theatre). Maezy is so excited to be making their debut with Verb Theatre, and wants to thank Sunnie, Cosmo & Heath!

COREY ARISS - BOARD OPERATOR

Corey Ariss is a Calgary-based artist, educator, and maker-of-sounds. He holds a bachelor's degree in Drama Performance from the University of Lethbridge, and he hopes to share the joys of theatre with the next generation. When not hiding in the tech booth, Corey loves to perform in theatre-for-young audience shows and teach at schools across Alberta. Relevant credits include: Heathers, Into the Woods, The Prom (Untold Stories Theatre); The Nordegg Incident (Sucker for Punishment); Safehouse (Seven Starving Artists); Sapientia (Theatre Outrè).

Maezy Reign - lighting Designer

headshot credit Emily Machan Photography

VICKY PABLO - Prop Coordinator & Artist Mentee

Vicky Pablo, an emerging artist from Trinidad & Tobago, began their theatre journey in 2018 with the role of “#46” in The Wolves by Sara DeLappe (Verb Theatre & CYPT). This CYPT alumni has participated in productions such as Love and Information and Runs in the Family. Vicky developed a passion for stage management, for CYPT: 2020, Dreamer: A New Musical, In Reality, Friends of Mine/The Tuesday Crew, as well as He Leaves No Trace (Mind the Gap Theatre). Vickly also began to explore production and design with The Memorias Collective in Memorias de Luz (Sage Theatre’s Ignite! Festival) and La Oscuridad (Springboard Performances Fluid Fest). As a BIPOC & disabled artist, Vicky aims to foster inclusive spaces and hopes to incorporate their Caribbean culture into their future work. They thank Verb Theatre for the opportunity to branch out into prop work and to learn from the incredible artists on this show, CYPT for their guidance, their family, and Natalia Cortes for believing in them.

Duncan Macmillan - Playwright

Duncan Macmillan is a former Writer-in-Residence at Paines Plough and Manchester Royal Exchange. His plays include the acclaimed adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984, co-adapted/codirected with Robert Icke; Every Brilliant Thing; 2071, co-written with Chris Rapley; and Monster. He was the recipient of two awards in the inaugural Bruntwood Playwriting Competition (2006). Other awards include Best New Play at the Off West End Awards (2013) for Lungs, the Big Ambition Award, Old Vic (2009), and the Pearson Prize (2008). His work with director Katie Mitchell has been selected for Theatertreffen and the Avignon Festival.

Jonny Donahoe - Playwright

Jonny Donahoe is the co-creator and original performer of the acclaimed worldwide smash Every Brilliant Thing, which he performed over 400 times across four continents. Donahoe’s comedy act, Jonny and the Baptists, tours regularly throughout Britain and the rest of the world. His stage plays include Thirty Christmases, which opened at The Old Fire Station in Oxford, and then transferred the following year off West End to the New Diorama. He is currently adapting this play for TV. Donahoe has made a podcast series with his real-life partner, Josie Long, called “Josie & Jonny Are Having a Baby (With You!)”, and another with Paddy Gervers called “Making Paddy Happy”.

Camille Pavlenko - Co-Producer

Camille (she/her) is an award-winning multi-disciplinary theatre and literary artist. She is passionate about contributing to the arts ecology of her home province of Alberta, and has worked across the prairies as a playwright, actor, producer, improvisor, educator, and writer. This summer, Calgary Young People Theatre will premiere her adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s The Hunting of the Snark and her adaptation of Rapunzel (with musical artist VISSIA) is currently touring elementary schools across the province with Alberta Musical Theatre Company. Camille is a Betty Mitchell Award nominee and a graduate student in the Creative Writing Program at the University of British Columbia.