Shadow Theatre charts an all-Canadian season

A message from Shadow Theatre:

Every play in Shadow Theatre's first season with Lana Michelle Hughes at the helm is written by a Canadian.

When that decision was made almost two years ago, Hughes could not have known we would find ourselves in an "Elbows Up" moment vis-à-vis the United States, nor that we would be facing questions about whether Alberta should remain in Canada. But here we are. And she had rich material to draw from.

"I tried to build a season that spoke to different facets of what it means to be Canadian to me ... and I think we have some really exciting programming coming up," she said. "I do feel like we have something for everyone this year."

The season opens with Yaga by Kat Sandler, an eerie, fast-paced murder mystery reimagining the mythical Baba Yaga. "It's a wild ride," Hughes said. In another show of prescience, she programmed Sandler's piece before the buzz over a Crave television adaptation of the same story.

Next is The Waltz by Marie Beath Badian and guest-directed by Gina Puntil. Set to a 1990s soundtrack on the Saskatchewan prairie, it follows two young Filipino-Canadians falling in love. "It's just a really beautiful, charming thing," Hughes said.

Undressed comes from Edmonton's own Louise Casemore, a recent Sterling Award winner. The immersive piece invites the audience to an eco-auction of donated wedding dresses, each carrying its own story about love and life beyond happily ever after.

Closing the season is The Golden Anniversaries by Mark Crawford. Shadow favourites Coralie Cairns and Glenn Nelson play a cottage-owning couple remembering the good, the bad, and the ugly of 50 years of marriage, with Shadow Theatre founder John Hudson returning to direct.

Hudson ran the company for its first 30 years, and Hughes approaches her first season in that role with a mix of gratitude and nerves. "It's a real honour," she said. "I feel very grateful and humbled and also … a little bit terrified, as one would."

Hudson built a strong organization. Now she gets to build on Shadow's strengths, including its close relationship with its audience.

"I think the thing that makes Shadow special is that it feels like it's one of the more people-powered companies," she said. "We don't get a lot of funding … so it's really our enthusiastic community of audience members and volunteers who help keep us going."

Shadow Theatre, which performs at the Varscona in the heart of Old Strathcona, offers one of the best subscription deals in the city: $135 for all four shows plus a guest pass, or a three-play option for $100. Single tickets top out at $40, and the company offers pay-what-you-can nights, two-for-one Tuesdays, and free student previews.