Shadow Theatre

06/17/2026

Congrats to the Edmonton theatre community on another tremendous season! 🥳
It's no easy task producing professional theatre and we are so happy to join in celebrating our incredible community of artists, producers, and champions!

Shadow is pleased to have received six Sterling Award nominations, including a special one for founding Artistic Director, John Hudson - Outstanding Contribution to Edmonton Theatre!

06/16/2026

Thanks to 12thnight and Liz Nicholls for this profile on our new Artistic Director, Lana Michelle Hughes, and a great intro to our upcoming season! 🎉

06/15/2026

Flash Sale! 🚨

To celebrate Filipino Heritage Month we're offering discounted ticket prices on select performances of The Waltz by Marie Beath Badian! 🇵🇭

Use code DANCEWITHYOU to access $25 tickets for the following performances:
✅ Wednesday January 20th at 7:30PM
✅ Friday January 22 at 7:30PM
✅ Wednesday Matinee - January 27th at 12:30PM
✅ Thursday January 28th at 12:30PM
✅ Friday January 29th at 12:30PM

Act now - this deal is only available until June 20th‼️

https://tickets.shadowtheatre.org/purchase/tickets/show/The-Waltz

06/14/2026

📢 Auditions! 📢

We're casting for two roles in Kat Sandler's, Yaga.

Auditions will be held at the Varscona Theatre on:
June 26th, 27th, and 30th

More info:
https://www.shadowtheatre.org/news?post=blog-8

06/12/2026

We want to hear from you! Please help us provide another season of excellent theatrical experiences that you love!
Take a few moments to fill out our annual survey.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSftd-_xeNshKvnAz2q9uGScyhD-BGhdzXY2LNZyO8dqe9bwWg/viewform

06/01/2026

🚨 Oh, Canada! Welcome to our 2026/27 season – Our Stories, Our Stage. Homegrown theatre, capturing the essence of what it means to be Canadian, as vast and as unique as the country we love.

Funny, fearless, live, and local – Shadow Theatre brings Canadian stories to the stage.

YAGA 🧙
by Kat Sandler
Directed by Lana Michelle Hughes
October 14 to November 1, 2026

“Sandler has triumphantly reclaimed the evil-woman myth. Move over, Wicked and Maleficent, and welcome Yaga to the sisterhood.”
- Martin Morrow, The Globe and Mail

Seductive, eerie, and razor-sharp, this modern twist on a classic myth will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last moment.

THE WALTZ 🇵🇭 📻
by Marie Beath Badian
Directed by Gina Puntil
January 20th to February 7th, 2027

“Badian’s rom-com oozes nostalgia and charm, a ‘90s tale of boy-meets-girl with substance and bite.”
– Aisling Murphy, Intermission Magazine

Two Filipino Canadian teenagers, whose histories are serendipitously interweaved, spend one evening with a boombox under the magnificent Saskatchewan sky. A charming, 90’s inspired, new Canadian love story.

UNDRESSED 👰🏼
By Louise Casemore
Directed by Lana Michelle Hughes
March 17th to April 4th, 2027

“spontaneous as it is lively.”
-Calgary Herald

A play about milestones, memories, and the most expensive piece of clothing you wear for one day. This hilarious and heartfelt solo show explores a simple but confounding question: What do you do with a used wedding dress?

THE GOLDEN ANNIVERSARIES ☀️ 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨
By Mark Crawford
Directed by John Hudson
April 28 to May 16, 2027
Featuring Glenn Nelson and Coralie Cairns.

“A fast-paced, laugh-out-loud funny story about love, memory, and the beautiful messiness of a long life together.”
-Stir Vancouver

Set over the course of one evening, as well as the past fifty years, The Goldens remember the good, the bad, and the ugly of spending half a century together--and grapple with what comes next. The Golden Anniversaries is a comedy-drama about marriage, memory, and long-term love.

✨Subscriptions are on sale now. Don’t wait!
🔗https://www.shadowtheatre.org/tickets_subscriptions

📢 PSST: Did you know our Premium Subscription is only $135? That’s right, that’s one ticket for all 4 productions, any performance, PLUS an additional guest pass to bring a friend to one performance. Five tickets – only $135! Plus we have Matinee Passes and 3 Packs available!

05/31/2026

Congrats to playwright Neil Grahn! His script, The Two Battles of Francis Pegahmagabow is now available through Playwrights Guild of Canada!

9 new titles were added to the CPO this month! 🤩

Check them out now: https://www.canadianplayoutlet.com/collections/new-plays-may-2026

05/26/2026

On May 13 the staff, board, friends, family, and colleagues celebrated the incredible career of Shadow Theatre’s founder, John Hudson. ✨

John's official last day was May 1!

John’s career is wildly impressive not only due to his many accomplishments, but also because he built an incredible community around him, creating a profoundly impactful legacy.

In his three decades at Shadow Theatre John hired 479 artists, directed 137 shows, produced 41 world premieres, and won 25 Sterling Awards. Countless artist have John to thank for launching their careers, and every single person who walks through the doors of the new Varscona Theatre has John to thank – as he did the lion’s share of the fundraising for the new building. Without him, there would be no new Varscona. Without him, many of us wouldn’t have careers in the arts.
John will be staying on at Shadow as an Artist Emeritus, including directing our final production of the 2026/27 season.

Nevertheless, it’s going to be strange without John’s big tall friendly presence around the theatre every day. We are so grateful for all he has done to set Shadow up for another 30 successful years.

To quote past Shadow board president, Donal O’Beirne: “You were right to push us. You were right to dream bigger than our bank account… You are leaving us with a stronger board, a gorgeous theatre, and a community that knows how to dream a little louder because of you.”

His Shadow family is wishing John all the best for his new phase – and we hope you will join us in toasting his incredible career. 🥂

Featured are photos from the event, a couple of John in action, and a beautiful tribute video created by Marc J Chalifoux Photography & Video.

05/25/2026

Aspiring producers and creators - check this out! Our friends at Common Ground Arts Society have a special event as part of Riser where you can get help/advice from some of our theatre communities best creators, producers, and artists - including our new Artistic Director, Lana Michelle Hughes, and the Varscona Theatre's Executive Director, Kendra Connor!