Downstage

Get tickets NOW to our season-themed raffle with amazing prizes from Calgary Cinematheque, MetroPolish17, Gabby’s Barbershop, Greta Bar, Peacock Boutique, Recess, Shelf Life Books, Theatre Calgary, ART by Leetia Lyons and more!

🔗 LINK IN BIO TO PURCHASE

Want to know what’s in each package? Swipe for the details!

FOUR CHANCES TO WIN! Each package is worth an average of $350 🤑

$5 for 1 Ticket
$20 for 5 Tickets
$50 for 15 Tickets

Support our small and mighty company and get a chance to take home these amazing goodies and experiences! ✨

✨ CELEBRATE the 2026-2027 SEASON WITH US! ✨

This season, we invite you to imagine, take risks and discover potential through bold visions of possible futures, immersive community experiences, and live performances shaped by the choices made in the moment.

Expect theatre that blurs the line between process and presentation, where collaboration, curiosity, and participation are key.

🎟️ TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW at DOWNSTAGE.CA

🤩 Season Art by Leetia Lyons leech • illustrator

✏️ From Scratch
All Season Long | Motel Theatre, Werklund Centre
In Collaboration with various creators and partners!

Stories in process. Ideas in motion. 

Join us throughout the season as creators imagine, test and reshape new work. With a mixture of private workshops, public readings and intimate invitations into the creative process, From Scratch offers audiences a chance to experience theatre in the making.

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER OFFERINGS
💬 September 25th, 7pm ~ An Evening with Marie Beath Badian!  Renowned playwright, Marie Beath will read excerpts from her plays, “The Making of St. Jerome”, “Prairie Nurse”, and “The Waltz”.  FREE ADMISSION, RSVP through the LINK IN BIO

🗒️ October 3rd, 7:30pm ~ Plays-in-Progress readings!  From the Alberta Playwrights’ Network / Hit & Myth Productions’ Playwright Mentorship Program, hear new works from: Wendy Froberg, TJ Jablonski, Sheldon Barenec, Brett Lemay, Natalie Meisner, and Clem Martini
No RSVP, arrive early to secure your seat - ENTRY BY DONATION to support APN’s upcoming programs

👁️ October 9th, 7:30pm ~ Kisapmata Book Launch!  Celebrate the publication of Kisapmata by Filipino-Canadian playwright, Bianca Miranda.  Snacks from Amihan Grill, scent library from Stop & Smell, and get a copy of the play for a discounted price! FREE ADMISSION, RSVP through the LINK IN BIO

🔗 MORE COMING IN 2027, stay tuned and more details at DOWNSTAGE.CA

☁️ Dreaming Climate Consciousness
October 23 & 24, 2026 | Motel Theatre, Werklund Centre
TICKETS ON SALE NOW at DOWNSTAGE.CA

A Downstage production with Immigrant Council for Arts Innovation Immigrant Council for Arts Innovation
Conceived and Facilitated by Evan Medd Evan Medd

A New World with New Rules.  Vibrant Visions

Our Season Launch is TOMORROW
Tubby's

JOIN US for an evening filled with news about our 2026-27 season, awesome prize giveaways from Eighty-Eight Brewing Company, Community Natural Foods, Routine and more!

5.00pm - arrival, connection and prizes
6.30pm - season launch with guest artists in attendance
7.00pm - mingle and move till late

PLUS! Be the FIRST to get tickets for our season-themed raffle with amazing prizes from Baggu, Calgary Cinematheque, MetroPolish17 Nail Lounge, GABBY’S BARBERSHOP • trans-owned • inclusive • in Calgary (YYC), GRETA Bar YYC, The Peacock | Boutique Consignment, Recess, Shelf Life Books, Theatre Calgary, ART by leech • illustrator and more! 

Music & Vibes all night by DJ Harvey Nichol with special guest SleepyandSmall

Harvey Nichol 🧿
🎶 Harvey brings his style to the DJ booth. From visual art to the decks, he tells his story through a blend of 
House and Afro beats, hiphop with remixed nostalgic OPM. Mixing his cultural heritage with modern tunes.

payton
🎶 sleepyandsmall is a Calgary-based selector who will be delivering a cocktail of funk-infused rhythms, UKG with jazzy undertones, and soulful, rhythm-driven house.

No RSVP NEEDED! Just show up, bring your friends and loved ones and celebrate the beginning of an exciting season ✨

🗣️ One Night Only! An Evening with Marie Beath Badian

🗓️ Friday, September 25 at 7 PM
📍Motel Theatre, Werklund Centre
🎟️ FREE ADMISSION, PLEASE RSVP through the LINK IN OUR BIO.  LIMITED SPOTS

We are delighted to welcome renowned Canadian playwright Marie Beath Badian (Marie Beath Badian) for a very special one-night-only event, presented by the Playwrights Guild of Canada and hosted by Downstage.

Marie Beath will read excerpts from three of her plays: The Making of St. Jerome, Prairie Nurse, and The Waltz. It’s such a great chance to experience glimpses of her sly, heartwarming, hilarious and political body of work. 

Following the reading, join Marie Beath for a talkback facilitated by Downstage Artistic Director Clare Preuss (Clare Preuss). This is an opportunity to learn more about Marie Beath’s inspirations and creative process. It’s also a chance to catch these two long-time friends and collaborators together in conversation with the audience.

This reading event is made possible through the support of Playwrights Guild of Canada’s PlayConnect Program. Thanks to the team at PGC for this opportunity.

🗣️ We are thrilled to announce that Bianca is now Downstage’s Artistic Producer.

Bianca has been a deeply integral part of the Downstage team since she joined us as Associate Producer in autumn of 2021. Since then, they have been a core community connector, trusted artistic plumb line, and someone who leads by example. Bianca is the real deal! In 2024, Bianca moved into the role of Producer, and now she’s taking on co-leadership of Downstage as our Artistic Producer!

Bianca’s keen knowledge of the local arts community, attention to detail, and generous authenticity make them the ideal co-leader of our small and mighty company.

In 2023, Downstage produced the world premiere of The F Word, which Bianca co-wrote and co-starred in with Keshia Cheesman. We also supported the 2025 independent touring production of The F Word, which was shared across Alberta. Bianca balanced their roles as writer, performer and producer with such grace. 

💙 Bianca is filled with passion for this community, razor-sharp creative impulses, and a true sense of dedication. We’re so excited to see all that she brings to this new role and to continue building the future of Downstage together!

Photo by Mike Tan Photo (c/o Inside Out Theatre)

🗣️ We’re excited to announce that Katherine will be stepping from her role as Artistic Producer into a new role as Associate Artist for the 26/27 Season, where she’ll focus on the development of her new play, Womb, along with other creative projects.

Since joining Downstage in 2023, Katherine has served first as our Director of Communications and Development and then as Artistic Producer. During her time with us, she led our hugely successful 20th Anniversary Party and Fundraiser, was instrumental in shaping our Board of Directors, established new operational systems and processes, initiated and fundraised for our brand new website, forged new partnerships with funders and other local organizations, and developed her script Do Us Part, which went on to become a feature film that premiered at the Calgary International Film Festival in 2025. 

💜 Katherine was an integral part of the Downstage producing team for All Good Things Must Begin, Beautiful Man, Magnetic Bodies, Gogo Battles: OMG Someone Dies!, The Strategy of War, Hot D**e Party and Are You the One?. Katherine is a fearless champion of the arts and her positive contributions at Downstage will continue to be felt for years to come. As Associate Artist, Katherine will continue to be an important part of the Downstage community. We’re eager to support Katherine in this new leg of her journey and look forward to all that she creates!

🗣️ 🗣️ 🗣️

Did someone say SEASON LAUNCH?

JOIN US on September 17th, Thursday for DOWNSTAGE’S SEASON LAUNCH at Tubby’s - 1210 8 St SW!

NO RSVP, JUST SHOW UP

💖 Bring a friend and your loved ones and celebrate the beginning of this exciting season with us!

5pm ~ arrival, connection, and prizes
6:30pm ~ season launch with guest artists and Downstage team
7pm ~ mingle and move
9pm ~ end of the night

🎶 MUSIC ALL EVENING LONG by DJ Harvey Nichol with special guest Sleepy&Small

🤑 Season-themed raffle!

🖼️ Season art launch!

🌭 GLIZZIES! GLIZZIES! GLIZZIES!

THANK YOU to the Calgary Theatre Critics’ Awards for more NOMINATIONS! We are thrilled once again to receive this recognition, celebrating the skill, courage, and sense of creative play everyone involved in “Botticelli in the Fire” offered throughout the process.

Big THANKS also to the artists, volunteers, audiences, and fierce supporters for their generosity 🥳✨

It is an absolute honour to garner the recognition that Botticelli in the Fire has received from the Betty Mitchell Awards nomination committee! We are so proud of this show and even prouder that it left an impact to those who came to see it.

Thank you, thank you, thank you and we can’t wait to celebrate with you all on June 29th at the Betty’s! Congratulations to all other nominees and everyone else whose talents and contributions go beyond these lists 🌟

Lastly, here’s another shoutout to the team behind the entire production:

❤️‍🔥 CAST ❤️‍🔥
MADRE MARIA – KRIS ALVAREZ
LORENZO – JOEL COCHRANE
SAVONAROLA – CHRISTOPHER HUNT
POGGIO – ZACHARY PARSONS-LOZINSKI
LEONARDO – ETHAN VASQUEZ TAYLOR
SANDRO – ERIC WIGSTON
CLARICE – SYDNEY WILLIAMS

❤️‍🔥 CREATIVE TEAM ❤️‍🔥
PLAYWRIGHT – JORDAN TANNAHILL
DIRECTOR – CLARE PREUSS
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR – KEITH BONIOL
FIGHT AND INTIMACY DIRECTOR – BRIANNA JOHNSTON
CO-CHOREOGRAPHERS – KEITH BONIOL & CLARE PREUSS
ORIGINAL COMPOSITION – MADDIE BAUTISTA
SOUND DESIGN & MUSIC DIRECTION – ALIXANDRA COWMAN
SET DESIGN – JULIA KIM
HEAD OF PROPS – NICOLE LOGAN
LIGHTING DESIGN – ADAM KOSTIUK
COSTUME DESIGN – REBECCA TOON
LOBBY INSTALLATION ARTIST – LEX HILDERMAN
STAGE MANAGER – NAOMI ESAU
ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER – STACI HANLEY
PRODUCTION MANAGER – MARCIA LIBER
PUBLICIST – ALDONA BARUTOWICZ
DOWNSTAGE PRODUCER – BIANCA MIRANDA
DOWNSTAGE PRODUCTION MANAGER – DYLAN BAUER

❤️‍🔥 ❤️‍🔥 ❤️‍🔥 ❤️‍🔥 ❤️‍🔥

Botticelli in the Fire
Co-Produced by Downstage and Hit & Myth Productions
Jordan Tannahill, Botticelli in the Fire, YYC Arts, YYC Theatre, Q***r, Renaissance, Betty Mitchell Awards