This is an archive of an event that has already happened.
"By the end I found I’d been clutching my reading glasses so hard in one hand I’d bent them out of shape."
"This new play is impressively fearless."
Read the Review by Liz Nichols, 12night.ca
“Tell Us What Happened artfully fits in enough to keep us talking for the next 10 years.”
Read the Review by Tom Murray, Edmonton Journal.
“Everyone agrees that we need balance, complexity and nuance. We all know it in person, and we all forget about it online."
Read the preview by Liz Nicholls!
“That’s the kicker for the internet, it’s able to immortalize the past.”
Produced by Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre and Theatre Yes
May 11 - May 22, 2022
Preview: Wednesday, May 11th
Opening Night: Friday, May 12th
Location: The Gateway Theatre (8529 Gateway Blvd, NW)
The play runs for approximately 105 minutes with no intermission.
*Warning, some strobe/flashing lights used briefly at the top of the show.
A FAST-PACED DRAMA ABOUT FRIENDS, THE INTERNET, AND HOW WE CAN BOTH KNOW AND NOT KNOW THE PEOPLE WE LOVE
We are pleased to present the WORLD PREMIERE of one of the Alberta Playwriting Competition’s Novitiate Prize winning plays in 2020, by Michelle Robb. Tell Us What Happened is a fast-paced drama about friends, the internet and how we can both know and not know the people we love. Charlie and her two roommates have been running a secret online girl group: ‘Tell Us What Happened’, which boasts over 400 members. Tensions rise when members realize they have all been sexually mistreated by the same young man — and Josh happens to be Charlie’s best friend.
‘TELL US WHAT HAPPENED’ - SOMETIMES THAT’S THE HARDEST ASK
“It was early in the process of Michelle writing this play that I knew I wanted to produce and direct it. Michelle’s characters have fresh, realistic, urgent voices in a complicated scenario where perpetrator of harm is someone they love. I think one of the roles of great theatre is to ask us to consider difficult scenarios for which there are no easy answers. This lightning-fast, smart work does just that.”
Content That Provokes
At Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre, we often create theatre that deals with challenging content.We do believe that theatre should be surprising – it should be exciting, it should create discussion, and it should delve into situations and ideas that are unexpected.
While keeping you and our actors safe, our shows may contain coarse language, emotionally charged scenes, and deal with subjects that may challenge you. For these reasons, each of our shows, we have content warnings available in envelopes at our box office, and on a special page on our website, for those who would choose to read them.Warning: these content advisories may provide spoilers for what you are about to watch.
Click here for content warning details.
(MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS)
Archival Photos by: Ian Jackson / Epic Photography.
The Playwright
Michelle Robb (she/her) is an actor/dancer/playwright born and based on Treaty 6 Territory. She studied for two years in the Citadel Theatre’s Young Playwriting Company, spent a year as a regular participant in Colleen Murphy’s Playwrights’ Forum, and has twice participated in Workshop West’s Playwrights’ Bootcamp intensive.
Tell Us What Happened marks her professional writing debut and she is honoured to have her work performed and produced by such wonderful artists. Favourite acting credits include Raven in Yvette Nolan’s The Birds (dir. Reneltta Arluk) and Heidi in Mary Zimmerman’s The Secret in the Wings (dir. Liz Hobbs).
Michelle has been dancing for over twenty years and teaches drop-in contemporary classes during her spare time. Additionally, she has logged a number of summers working as a supervisor at the program that first inspired her to pursue theatre: Artstrek. She holds a BFA in Acting from the University of Alberta.
Love and thanks to her parents, mentors, and friends who have gotten her this far.
Cast & Creative Team
Gabby Bernard (she/her) is an actor and writer based in Edmonton, on Treaty 6 territory. Some previous acting credits include: Camping (MAA and PAA Theatre); A Christmas Carol (Carter-Ryan Productions); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Theatre Calgary/Shakespeare By the Bow); Fancy Free (Edmonton POPS Orchestra); The Lower Depths; The School for Scandal and Doll House (Studio Theatre). This June, Gabby will be performing her first full-length solo show, Stone and Soil, at the new Roxy Theatre as part of Nextfest.
Gabby Bernard
Piper
Matt (he/him) is a recent acting graduate of the School of Performance at Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) in Toronto, where he received the Sarmad Iskandar Memorial Award. He grew up in St. Albert and found his professional footing with the Citadel Theatre’s Young Musical and Acting Company. Matt wishes to thank the Edmonton theatre community and Workshop West for their support of young artists. His role as Josh in Tell Us What Happened is Matt's professional debut.
Matt Dejanovic
Josh
Michelle Diaz (she/they) is a Filipino-Canadian actor and performer based in Edmonton, where she graduated from MacEwan University’s Theatre Arts program in 2016. Theatre credits include: Sister Act (Mayfield Dinner Theatre); Women on The Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Plain Jane Theatre Company); The Finest of Strangers, For the Love of Cynthia (Teatro la Quindicina); Tune to A, The Snow Queen (Azimuth Theatre); SISTERS (The Fox Den Collective); Safe & Fair: Scene at Work, Working It Out, THAT’S DANGER! (Alberta Workers' Health Centre); and The Bully Project (Concrete Theatre).
Michelle Diaz
Zoey
Bonnie (she/her) is a graduate of George Brown Theatre School and Grant MacEwan University. Bonnie’s love of theatre has taken her all the way to Indonesia, Toronto and Norway. She is incredibly happy to be performing in this amazing city again. Credits include: The Blue Hour (Skirts-A-Fire Festival); Miss Julie (University of Alberta); Code Word: Time (NextFest Arts Company); Polite Boys (Mischief Managed Productions/Edmonton Fringe); Ruminations of Maude and Other Short Stories (The Other Theatre/Edmonton Fringe), and Candide (George Brown Theatre).
Bonnie Ings
Charlie
Jameela (she/her) is a Jamaican-Canadian artist from Amiskwaciwâskahikan/Edmonton. She is thrilled to return to Workshop West at its brand-new location. This is Jameela’s third production with Workshop West, following previous productions Here There Be Night and John Ware Reimagined, for which she was Sterling Award nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 2018. Other select credits include: As You Like It, The Color Purple (Citadel/Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre); until the next breath (Catalyst Theatre); and Sister Act, All Shook Up, and Soul Sistas (Mayfield Dinner Theatre). Jameela is a graduate of MacEwan University’s Theatre Arts program.
Love and thanks to my family, always.
Jameela Mcneil
Leah
Heather (she/her) is a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada and is an award-winning director, producer, and dramaturg whose career has taken her across the country. In 2019, Heather was nominated for the Playwrights’ Guild of Canada’s Bra D’Or Award, recognizing her support and promotion of Canadian women playwrights via Theatre Yes. Heather has directed and assistant directed over 40 productions, many of which have been new Canadian works. Credits include: The Shaw Festival; Citadel Theatre; Workshop West Theatre; Northern Light Theatre; Azimuth Theatre; Theatre Junction; Gordon Tootoosis Nikaniwin Theatre (SK); Live Five (SK); The Doppler Effect Productions (NS); Alberta Playwrights Network; Saskatchewan Playwrights' Centre; Playwrights Atlantic Resource Centre; The Notable Acts Festival (NB) and Universities in Edmonton, Calgary and Saskatoon. Heather has received Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts Award (2014) for her work at Theatre Yes, the Edmonton Artists’ Trust Fund (twice), the Celebration of Women in the Arts Award (twice), and the Telus Courage to Innovate Award (Edmonton). Nine of Inglis’ productions have been nominated for 17 Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Awards, including 7 nominations for Outstanding Independent Production and nominations for Outstanding Director and Outstanding Fringe Director. Heather received a special Sterling Award for Outstanding Innovation in Theatre in 2014. During her time as Artistic Producer for Workshop West, she has directed Here There Be Night (2020) and Metronome (2021).
Heather Inglis
Director & Dramaturg
Lora (she/her) is thankful to make her home and practice her craft here in Amiskwaciwâskahikan (Edmonton). Favourite theatre credits include: The Fiancée, Sweat, A Few Good Men, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Citadel Theatre); Bust and Let the Light of Day Through (Theatre Network); Circle Mirror Transformation, The Liars, and Three Days of Rain (Shadow Theatre), The Invention of Romance (Workshop West Theatre); Fat Pig, Mo and Jess Kill Susie, Heroines, and The Ugly Duchess (Northern Light Theatre); Comedy of Errors (Freewill Players); and productions with Theatre Yes, Azimuth Theatre, Concrete Theatre, and many of our community’s excellent independent companies. Lora is a graduate of the University of Alberta’s BFA Acting Program.
Lora Brovold
Assistant Director
Brian (he/him) is a multiple Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award Nominee for his set and costume designs. In 2006 he received his first for Outstanding Costume Design for Shadow Theatre’s production of 10 X 2: The Eternal Courtship.
Brian’s design work has been seen on stages all across Alberta with Shadow Theatre, Theatre Network, Alberta Opera, Players De Novo, Red Deer College, Festival Players, Grande Prairie Live Theatre, Opera Nuova, Teatro la Quindicina, MacEwan University and The Mayfield Dinner Theatre along with numerous Fringe Productions. Favorite productions he has designed include: My Name is Rachel Corrie, The List (both nominated for set design); Race; Mercy Seat; The Enchantment; Glorious; Spring Awakening; Into the Woods; Little Shop of Horrors; The Wei; Xanadu; Treasure Island; Thoroughly Modern Millie; A Little Night Music; As You Like It; White Christmas; MacBeth; 12th Night; Cinderella and The Colour of Flesh (both nominated for costume design); Beauty and the Beast; Mary Poppins; and My Fair Lady.
Brian Bast
Set Design
Ian (he/him) is delighted to be back at Workshop West Playwright's Theatre. Past Multi-Media Design work includes: The Look; Speech and Debate; I Google Myself; Urban Tales (multiple years); Water’s Daughter and Kafka’s America. The Ugly Duchess was Ian’s fourth production as Northern Light Theatre’s Cinematographer and Film Editor. Earlier in Workshop West’s season, Ian was the media designer for Metronome by Darrin Hagen.
Ian is grateful to the Edmonton theatre community for giving him three Sterling Awards for Multi-Media Design over his career. Ian is also an accomplished professional photographer and videographer.
Ian Jackson
Multimedia Design
Whittyn Jason (they/them) is a queer, non-binary, mixed-race scenographer of South African and Ukrainian descent. They currently live and create in Amiskwacîwâskahikan (colonially known as Edmonton). Previous credits include: The Fiancée; Heaven; A Brimful of Asha (Citadel Theatre); and Night (Major Matt Mason Collective). They hold a BFA in Theatre Design from the University of Alberta and are a member of Associated Designers of Canada. In addition to scenography, they're also the Festival Director for Found Festival (Common Ground Arts Society).
Whittyn Jason
Lighting & Costume Design
Kiidra Duhault (they/them) is a Sound Designer based out of Edmonton (Amiskwacîwâskahikan).
Credits include: Heaven (Citadel Theatre’s Horizon Series); A Vendre, Suspension, Kaldr Saga (Cardiac Theatre); Boy Trouble (Vena Amoris Projects); Origin of the Species (Northern Light Theatre); The Drowsy Chaperone (Citadel Theatre's Young Company); Gemini (Defiance Theatre); and A Doll's House (Walterdale Theatre).
Kiidra Duhault
Sound Design
Murray (he/him) is originally from Sonningdale, Saskatchewan. He has worked as an actor, fight choreographer, and voice talent on stage, screen, and sound booths across the prairies.
Film/Television credits include: Hell On Wheels; Wynonna Earp; A Gentleman; It's Not My Fault and I Don't Care Anyway; Delmer and Marta; and Catch A Cab.
Theatre credits include: The Melville Boys; The Shunning (Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre); Mr. Burns- A Post-Electric Musical (Blarney/You Are Here); Viscosity (Theatre Yes); In Camera (Parts & Labour); Here Lies Henry; and The Bone House (Murball Productions).
Animation and Voice credits include: Cardfight! Vanguard; FutureCard BuddyFight X; Metalions; and Supa Strikas.
Murray Farnell
Fight Coach
Betty (she/her) is pleased to be working with such an excellent company on this play. For Workshop West, she just stage-managed Springboards 2022. Betty also previously stage managed Café Daughter, which played at the National Arts Centre, The Belfry Theatre, tours of the Northwest Territories and Belgrade, Serbia, Herceg Novi and Montenegro. Most recently, Betty was the Technical Producer for SkirtsAfire, and the Alternate Stage Manager for Alberta Ballet's productions of Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. Favorite projects over the last few years: co-producer on WILDLIFE; a projection experience at the Rossdale Power Plant, co-producer of Oh! Christmas Tree! and part of The Roxy Series and Stage Manager for Movement/Architecture (a presentation at the Prague Quadrennial). Betty also worked as Company Manager for Catalyst Theatre's premiere of The Invisible-Agents of Ungentilmanly Warfare, and stage managed Disgraced at Alberta Theatre Projects before it all went surreal.
Betty Hushlak
Stage Management
Chris (he/him) continues this theatre season joining Workshop West for the second time as Production Manager, tending a fire pit for Here There Be Night, and helping out Springboards as a technician. Once again ready for whatever dynamic challenges this production will present, Hicks is stoked to be working and creating more face melting pieces like Tell Us What Happened!
Like many, Chris has been successfully navigating the feast or famine zero to sixty entertainment climate that has been the last two years, including helping make the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, Grindstone Theatre’s Events, UP + DT’s Purple City, Thousand Face’s Festival, and a couple venues for the Edmonton Fringe 2021. He is very proud of everything we’ve all accomplished to make art still happen. However, who else wants to run away from the ever increasing multitude of events getting announced this summer!
Chris Hicks
Production Management & Technical Direction
