Join Salmon as they leave their home in search of a mysterious Creature in the dark...
A new mythic puppet adventure, written by Anishinaabe playwright Josh Languedoc (Rocko and Nakota: Tales From the Land). Drawing on the wisdom from many mythologies and featuring puppets designed by Edmonton Puppet Master Randall Fraser (Little Shop of Horrors, Urashima Taro). Directed by Maralyn Ryan and Mark Henderson.
Please enjoy the first 5 minutes of the show, captured during our 2021 virtual school tour!
Hear playwright Josh Languedoc talk about his process in creating The Creature in the Dark!
Meet some of the team!
Director
Maralyn Ryan is an accomplished puppeteer founding a company devoted to the art of the puppet, “Kaybridge Puppets”. Her resume of shows includes original and folk tales that have been performed for countless schools, libraries, arts and community festivals throughout Alberta spanning some 35 years.
Puppet workshops have also taken her across Alberta, working with youth from Kindergarten to high school.She was a featured puppeteer for an Access Television series of indigenous stories performed with shadow puppets. These videos were distributed to school and libraries throughout Canada. As theatres, schools, libraries, and festivals host more and more puppet work, she acknowledges there is an even greater adherence to this brilliant art form and relishes it’s enduring embrace in our lives.
Playwright
Josh Languedoc is an Anishinaabe playwright, theatre creator, and educator currently living in Amiskwaciwâskahikan (Edmonton) and is a proud member of Saugeen First Nation. For the past 2 years, Josh has been touring his acclaimed solo show Rocko and Nakota: Tales From the Land across Canada. Other projects include: The Eyes Of Spirits (Dreamspeakers), CIVIL BLOOD: A Treaty Story (Thou Art Here Theatre), Feast (University of Alberta; Tiny Bear Jaws) and IN-COR-RI-GI-BLE: The Legend of Thundervoice (Blyth Festival). Josh is currently a masters candidate at the University of Alberta’s MFA Theatre Practices program focusing on Indigenous playwriting and theatre creation methodology. Josh is also the Youth Education and Outreach Coordinator for Workshop West Playwrights Theatre. Josh is a member of the Playwrights Guild of Canada.
Puppet Designer
For the past 33 years Randall Fraser has created theatre and special events in Edmonton, Alberta, and around the world. As a founding member of the Trickster Theatre Residency program, he has directed and developed 100’s of plays and performances with students from K-12. He is also and award winning set, lighting, prop and costume designer. Randall is also a puppet designer, performer, and instructor.
Randall’s passion is to use the theatre and performing arts as a way of connecting people to their own creativity and being creative as part of a group or community.
When not making theatre Randall is the Artistic Director of the National Stiltwalkers of Canada, and can be found a festival’s and celebrations towing over the crowd sharing “high-fives”.
Designer
Ami Farrow is an Edmonton-based theatre designer originally from Saskatoon. She earned a BFA at the University of Saskatchewan and her MFA in Theatre Design at the University of Alberta. She is also a full member of the Associate Designers of Canada in costume, set and lighting design.
Ami is the resident designer for Theatre Prospero and has designed and built many aspects of Theatre Prospero's touring and in-house productions since 2005. Via Theatre Prospero’s residencies Ami has worked within various Edmonton schools creating costumes sets and props with children.
Ami has lit shows for Edmonton’s Shadow Theatre and also often works as a stage manager, lighting designer and dancer with Luna Dance Fusion. Ami's designs outside of Edmonton include many productions for Rosebud Theatre (Calgary), productions at Persephone Theatre in Saskatoon and she was a resident designer for Theatre Junction in Calgary. Ami production designed The Highest Step in the World which toured western Canada and won the Betty Mitchell Award for Outstanding Production of a Play and the Canadian Institute for Theatre Technology's Award of Technical Merit.
Ami also loves to dance, play guitar and raise her two darling children.
Director
Mark Henderson is an Edmonton Actor, Director and Producer. One of the original minds behind both the Thousand Faces Festival and Theatre Prospero, he is currently Artistic Director of both. He also conceived of the Serca Festival of Irish Theatre, which he ran from 2009 to 2015. Mark is a big fan of things mythic, epic, and poetic. Notable directing credits include Tololwa Mollel’s prototype Anthem of Life with Jennifer Spencer, Reneltta Arluk’s Pawâkan Macbeth (with Barry Bilinsky); Hamlet, Medea and other Mytho – Poetical and /or Irish shows old and new for Theatre Prospero and the Serca Festival. Acting highlights include Pat and others in Jennifer Spencer’s Maggie Now Series of Plays for Theatre Prospero/Workshop West, and Claudius in Hamlet and Alonso in The Tempest for Theatre Prospero. Puppetry highlights include playing an octopus, a manta ray and a school of fish across Canada in Iguanadon Theatre’s Fishwhiskers, and animating Otis the Owl with Wayne Jeanotte in the based television series Bee Alert Bert.
When not doing things like the above, Mark likes to parent, paddle, cycle, fish, hike, think, swim, eat, and plot his next move.
Senior Puppeteer
Gomathi Boorada is the artistic Director of Shivamanohari School of Performing arts, Edmonton, as trained Kuchipudi dancer shes worked extensively in South Asian Dance, Drama, and theatre. Over the past 11 years she worked at SSDM Alberta community theatre in Edmonton in the capacity of dancer and puppeteer presenting shows and offering dance workshops in community schools. She has worked with Indonesian Institute of Arts and University of Gadjah Mada in the capacity of Guest lecturer offering lectures, seminars and workshops. She has had the honour to be trained in the art of “Tholu Bommalata” Indian Shadow leather puppetry under Mr.Shivakumar Shinde, Dharmavaram,India and in “Wayang Kulit” Javanese shadow puppetry at University of Gadjah Mada, Yogyakartha, Indonesia under Mr. Anggara Sri Wisnu
Voice Cast
Salmon - Anthony Hunchak
Baboon and Warthog - Rico Pisco
Spider and Raccoon - Thomas Kassian
Peacock and Creature Voice - Gomathi Boorada
Cat and Goose - Meegan Sweet
Additional Voices - Mark Henderson, Brittany Hinse
October/November, 2021 Virtual School Tour
From left to right: Rico Pisco, Gomathi Boorada, Thomas Kassian, Meegan Sweet, Anthony Hunchak, Braden Guido
Puppeteers
Anthony Hunchak - Salmon
Rico Pisco - Baboon and Warthog
Thomas Kassian - Spider and Raccoon
Gomathi Boorada - Peacock
Meegan Sweet - Cat and Goose
Braden Guido - Assistant Puppeteer
Madeline Blondal - Assistant Puppeteer
Photo by Marc J Chalifoux at the Thousand Faces Festival's 2021 String of Mythic Pearls
Other Members of the Production Team
Brian Raine - Composition and Sound Design
Galen Hite - Stage Manager
Braden Guido - Assistant Stage Manager
Shreela Chakrabartty - Director of Photography
Chris Hicks - Production Manager
Adam Bucyk - Studio Technical Director
Maxime Lamache - Technician/Camera Operator
Jennifer Spencer - Vocal Coach
Aidan McBride - Thousand Faces Festival Producer
February, 2022 Virtual School Tour
From left to right: Brittany Hinse, Gomathi Boorada, Amanda Samuelson, Anthony Hunchak, Meegan Sweet, Rico Pisco
Puppeteers
Anthony Hunchak - Salmon and Assistant Puppeteer
Gomathi Boorada - Salmon and Assistant Puppeteer
Rico Pisco - Baboon and Warthog
Brittany Hinse - Spider and Raccoon
Amanda Samuelson - Peacock
Meegan Sweet - Cat and Goose
Braden Guido - Assistant Puppeteer
Other Members of the Production Team
Brian Raine - Composition and Sound Design
Galen Hite - Stage Manager
Braden Guido - Assistant Stage Manager
Shreela Chakrabartty - Director of Photography
Maxime Lamache - Studio Technician
Aidan McBride - Thousand Faces Festival Producer