Lunchbox Theatre

Finally, the cherry on top of the 2026-27 Season: The Stage One Festival of New Canadian Work!

In June 2027, we will present our 40th annual Stage One, with several new plays in development at Lunchbox Theatre. Lunchbox Theatre has been dedicated to the creation, development and production of new Canadian one-act plays, many of which have gone on to great acclaim after their premiere on our stage. As usual, you'll be treated to a month of free readings, so be sure to mark your calendars and check back for more details.

https://www.lunchboxtheatre.com/stage-one27

To close out our 2026-27 Season of main stage plays, we have the world premiere of Marv & Ev, a hilarious and introspective comedy by local playwright Jason Long!

The story follows two septuagenarian friends on a fishing expedition off Canada's west coast. Their trip soon turns surreal as unspoken truths are aired and a mysterious stranger appears on the waves, leading the two friends to wonder if they will ever see the shore again.

https://www.lunchboxtheatre.com/marv-and-ev

Cast & Company

Robert Klein | MARV
Javelin Lawrence | EINAR
Laura Parken | EV

Cassie Holmes | SET & LIGHTING DESIGN
Kate Pallesen | STAGE MANAGER
Jamie Konchak | DIRECTOR
Jason Long | PLAYWRIGHT
Allison Lynch | SOUND DESIGNER, COMPOSER
Jolane Houle | COSTUME DESIGN
Niamh McCallion | APPRENTICE STAGE MANAGER

In March, Rebbekah Ogden’s Oh Mother! will take the Lunchbox stage for a weeklong engagement. Named a “Best Bet” by the Calgary Herald when it debuted at the 2025 Calgary Fringe, the show features Ogden showing her multidisciplinary skills by painting a portrait of an audience member while performing the complex and hilarious one-woman show.

Oh Mother! is an outlandish comedy that follows the (mostly) true story of multidisciplinary artist Rebbekah Ogden from Lethbridge to Saskatchewan and finally to Lunchbox.

Cast & Company

Rebbekah Ogden | CREATOR & PERFORMER
Joel Braun | DIRECTOR
Anna Dalgiesh | SET DESIGN AND PROP MASTER

To jump-start 2027, we have the long-awaited return of Inner Elder, Michelle Thrush's explosive, surprising, hilarious one-person show. The show premiered at Lunchbox as part of 2018's High Performance Rodeo, and has since toured throughout Canada to rave reviews.

"Inner Elder is a wonderful addition to the canon of Canadian one-woman plays and I hope it enjoys a long-performance tradition by Indigenous actors for diverse audiences." - Mooney on Theatre

https://www.lunchboxtheatre.com/inner-elder

Cast & Company

Michelle Thrush | Creator & Performer
Neil Fleming | Co-Producer & Technical Director
Dianne Goodman | Co-Producer & Company Manager
Karen Hines | Director
JP Lord | Sound Design
Sandy Scofield | Composer
Sandi Somers | Original Lighting and Set Design

The second show of our 2026-27 Season is a reimagined classic: A Christmas Carol Radio Play Live! This new adaptation from our Artistic Director, Bronwyn Steinberg, is sure to get you in the holiday spirit.

The show is set in the 1940s, in a Calgary radio station where 3 local talents are about to perform A Christmas Carol live on the radio.

https://www.lunchboxtheatre.com/christmas-carol-radio-play

Cast & Company

Brieanna Blizzard | VARIOUS
N. Girgis | VARIOUS
Brian Jensen | VARIOUS

Ajay Badoni | LIGHTING DESIGN
Laurel Oneil | STAGE MANAGER
Deneane Osmond | SET DESIGN
Bronwyn Steinberg | DIRECTOR & PLAYWRIGHT
Greg Wilson | SOUND DESIGNER, COMPOSER & ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Rebecca Toon | COSTUME DESIGN
Allison Weninger | APPRENTICE STAGE MANAGER

“The brilliance of Hunt’s performance is it truly does seem he is just recalling these memories at the moment. This makes the audience feel special, as if they are friends who just dropped in for a visit and are the first to hear these stories.”
- Louis B Hobson, Calgary Herald

Back by popular demand, Christopher Hunt's RIBSTONE returns to Lunchbox Theatre this October! The show sold out its run last January a full week before it premiered, so be sure to get your tickets: https://www.lunchboxtheatre.com/ribstone26

Cast & Company

Christopher Hunt | Writer / Performer
Jamie Dunsdon | Director / Lighting Designer
Hanne Loosen | Set Designer / Crankie Images
Ralamy Kneeshaw | Costume Designer
Tim Williams | Music Consultant / "Ribstone Waltz" Composer
Telly James | Indigenous Consultant
Leo Wieser | Crankie Designer / Builder
Keri Halfacre | Set Builder

Congratulations to Meg Farhall and Trevor Schmidt, who won Calgary Theatre Critic's Awards for their work on the Lunchbox Theatre stage!

Congratulations to all the other winners, and to everyone who was nominated!

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE IN A COMEDY - LEADING ROLE
Meg Farhall, Beyond the Sea, Lunchbox Theatre

OUTSTANDING NEW PLAY SCRIPT
How Patty and Joanne Won High Gold at the Grand Christmas Cup Winter Dance Competition, Trevor Schmidt, Lunchbox Theatre

More photos from our shoot with Hugh Short celebrating our upcoming move to cSPACE Marda Loop!

Thanks to our intrepid Executive Director Patti Neice and our Artistic Director Bronwyn Steinberg for being such excellent move models.