Playing With Fire: The Theo Fleury Story
A play by Kirstie McLellan Day.

Special thanks goes to Jonathan Robins, Peter Esdale and Paul Esdale for helping with the hockey training, and to Mike Porter for the personal training.
Theo FleuryBased on the life of Theo Fleury

Theo Fleury is perhaps best known for his time on the ice: NHL Stanley Cup Champion, Olympic Gold Medal in 2002, World Junior Champion, countless contests, tournaments, goals scored and games won.
In 2010 Theo wrote the best selling autobiography “Playing With Fire” in which he tells his story of a troubled home life, years of sexual abuse, coping with pain through drugs and alcohol, overcoming addiction, as well as his meteoric rise and descent in the NHL.
Telling his story enabled Theo to share his darkest moments and to ultimately offer hope and help to the 1 in 5 boys who are sexually abused in Canada. He understands the fear, the pain and the ruined lives of those who are victimized by sexual predators.
Today Theo speaks to thousands of people about his life, he appears on numerous TV programs, radio shows and interviews. His twitter followers have reached 42,500 plus and growing, his Facebook page recently experienced 14,000 views in one day, and the mail from survivors and fans alike number in the thousands every year.
From appearing on CBC’s Battle of the Blades in 2010 as a contender to a guest judge for the program, from speaking one on one to a fan who tearfully says, “Me too, Theo, me too”, to developing the Theo Fleury Society for Abused Men, Theo Fleury now defines himself as a victor over abuse and addiction, and helper to those still trying to find their way. His focus and attention is not on controversy or blame, it’s on helping, healing and leading. For more information, go to theofleury14.com
Kirstie McLellan DayKirstie McLellan Day - Playwright

When you hear the names Theo Fleury, Bob Probert and Ron MacLean, you think hockey, but these legends have something else in common – Canadian author Kirstie McLellan Day co-wrote their books. She is credited with expanding what is possible in the genre, going beyond hockey anecdotes to reveal fascinating and compelling characters. Aside from MacLean's Cornered, Fleury’s Playing with Fire, and Probert’s Tough Guy, Kirstie also wrote Diana Hart's wrestling memoir, Under the Mat, cable magnate JR Shaw's family and business history, Above and Beyond, and No Remorse, a heartbreaking true-crime story. Kirstie and her husband, Larry Day, own Calgary's Pyramid Productions, Western Canada’s largest independent film and television company. They have five children and three grandchildren. Kirstie would like to express special gratitude to her parents, Joan and Bud McLellan, for teaching her that anything is possible. Check out kirstiemclellanday.com

Sean SmythShaun Smyth - Theo Fleury

Shaun is thrilled to be back with his ATP family again to work on such an inspiring play about one of his heroes Theoren Fleury. Shaun has a long and rich history with this prestigious theatre company performing in such shows as: Mad Boy Chronicle, Crackpot, Scary Stories, A guide to Mourning, The Collected Works of Billy The Kid, Two Weeks With the Queen, and Stones in His Pockets for which he received a Betty Mitchell Nomination. Other shows in Calgary include, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Of Mice and Men (Theatre Calgary/Canadian Stage); The Chet Baker Story (One Yellow Rabbit /Crow’s Theatre - Betty Mitchell Nomination). Other selected Theatre: Rock n Roll, Trainspotting and Closer (Canadian Stage); The Glass Menagerie and Shining City (Citadel Theatre); The Pillowman, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Birdland); Hamlet (Necessary Angel); Blue Orange (Neptune); Moby Dick, The Country Wife, Amadeus and Macbeth (Stratford Festival). Shaun recently returned from a national tour of Australia with the world-renowned Baroque Orchestra Tafelmusik with a show called The Galileo Project, which will be coming to Calgary this November. Shaun would like to thank beautiful partner Jennie for letting him walk out the door all those times in the last ten months with a hockey bag and skates over his shoulder while she smiled and held their newborn baby Margaret. I owe you, ladies.

Ron JenkinsRon Jenkins - Director

Ron is thrilled to be back at ATP.  Ron is a freelance director and the former Artistic Director of Edmonton’s Workshop West Theatre. He recently directed Nisei Blue last year at ATP and is honoured to be directing Playing With Fire.  Directing credits Include: True Love Lies (Citadel); Any Night (Bridge Theater NYC); 17 Dogs, Mary’s Wedding, Apple, Mesa, and Respectable; The Tresspassers  (Belfry Theatre); Romeo and Juliet (UofA); Extinction Song and Forbidden Phoenix (Citadel); An Inspector Calls (Vertigo); BASH”D (CST); Any Night (dual Minds); RICH (MTYP); Confessions Of A Paper Boy (Ghost River Theatre); The Black Rider (November Theatre Co.); The Red Priest (Eight Ways to Say Goodbye) and The Blue Light (Alberta Theatre Projects); What the Butler Saw (Studio Theatre); Steel Kiss, Eureka, and The Horror, The Horror (Skid), The Big League (MTYP) and Burt (Shadow Theatre). Ron has won ten Sterling Awards as a director and playwright and received a Betty Mitchell Award for Direction for The Black Rider. Ron was shortlisted for the 2007 and 2010 Siminovitch Prize in theatre for Direction. Ron would like to thank Vanessa and the entire staff at ATP as always.

Joshua Dalledonne - Assistant Director

Director, actor, and writer Joshua Dalledonne recently returned to Calgary from the United Kingdom where he held the post of Playwriting Officer at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. At The REP, he worked with the resident dramaturg, playwrights, directed, and organized festivals of new work. His script, Cigarette, was commissioned by Birmingham’s SHOUT Festival (2010), and he directed Arthur Miller’s Some Kind of Love Story for the Glasshouse Arts Centre (2011). For Concrete Theatre he assistant directed Offensive Fouls (2011) and his new play Pia & Maria will be featured at their Sprouts New Play Festival for Kids this coming June, 2012. A graduate of the University of Alberta’s BFA Acting program, Joshua was last seen in How I Learned to Drive (2011). Currently the interim LEGACY and Volunteer Coordinator at Alberta Theatre Projects, Joshua would like to extend his gratitude to the entire Playing With Fire team.

Juli Elkiw - Costume Design

Juli couldn’t be more thrilled to be working on a show combining two of her favourite things in the whole world – theatre and hockey. Though she was born and raised primarily as a Canucks fan, during her youth she rarely had an opportunity to cheer them on in the playoffs and as a result she has fond memories of watching her fellow western Canadians win the cup in 1989. After making her home in Calgary and designing costumes for a number of local theatre companies over the last decade, even her family has come to accept her love of the Calgary Flames. She would like to thank Alberta Theatre Project and everyone involved in this production for such a wonderful experience. GO FLAMES GO!

Corwin Ferguson - Projection / Video Design

Corwin, Vancouver based, is thrilled to be pulling his first hat trick with ATP and designing his third show in a row here. Projection credits include such companies as: Theatre Calgary, The Vancouver Playhouse, The Arts Club, Studio 58, The Virtual Stage, Chemanius Theatre, The Electric Company. Corwin’s a co-founding director of Awkward Stage Productions, and works as a youth instructor in Theatre, Digital and Visual arts for The Arts Umbrella in Vancouver. Professional theatre experience includes acting, projection design, stage management, graphic and props design. Recent projection credits: Ash Rizin (Alberta Theatre Projects / Green Thumb); The Wizard of Oz, The Musical (Alberta Theatre Projects); Anything Goes and Bye Bye Birdie (Theatre Under the Stars); 1984 (Studio 58/Virtual Stage). Upcoming: Corwin is returning to school in May to obtain his Bachelor in Performing Arts at Capilano University. Corwin is a Studio 58 acting graduate.

David FraserDavid Fraser - Set/Props/Light

Previous designs at Alberta Theatre Projects include twenty five productions within eight seasons as the festival lighting designer for the Enbridge playRites Festival of New Canadian Plays, set and lighting for The Goat, and The Syringa Tree, and the lighting for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and Unity (1918). As a soon-to-be Calgary-based artist, David works extensively in theatre, dance and opera. His theatrical work has been seen across the country from The National Arts Centre in Ottawa to The Belfry Theatre in Victoria, and his designs in dance have been seen both nationally and internationally with Choreographer Tania Alvarado. Recent work includes set/lighting for God of Carnage, and Billy Bishop with the Citadel Theatre, and Cavalleria Rusicana / I Pagliacci with the Edmonton Opera. David has been nominated for a Betty Mitchell and a Jessie Richardson award for his lighting designs. In Edmonton, he has also been nominated for nine Sterling Hanes awards for both set and lighting, and he has been the recipient once for his lighting design with Theatre Network. David is a member of the Associated Designers of Canada and is also very excited to become ATP’s new production manager starting August 2012.

Michael Howard Michael Howard - Stage Manager

Michael is thrilled to be at Alberta Theatre Projects stage managing Playing With Fire: The Theo Fleury Story.  It is always nice to come back to the family at ATP where Michael most recently stage managed Mieko Ouchi's Nisei Blue at last years playRites Festival.  Other shows at ATP include Amadeus, Robin Hood and Oliver Twist.  While Michael is very happy to be at home in Calgary , he has been lucky enough to spend a lot of time recently exploring the rest of the country. Over the last couple of years he has stage managed shows for The Montgomery Theatre in PEI, The Capitol Theatre in Port Hope, Neptune Theatre in Nova Scotia and Prairie Theatre Exchange in Winnipeg.  Michael would like to thank Melissa for everything.  

Matthew Skopyk - Composition / Sound Design

Matthew Skopyk is a Sound Designer and Composer based out of Edmonton, Alberta. Recent Design/Composition credits include: Whisper (Studio Theatre/ Catalyst Theatre); Michelle et Ti Jean, Palace of the End (Theatre Network); Titus Andronicus, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, Richard III, Twelfth Night, Othello (Freewill Players); Fuddy Meers, Gertrude Stein Project, Cymbeline (Studio Theatre); Spreepark the Musical (Mischief and Mayhem) and Something Red (Vault). Matthew is a graduate of the UofA Technical Theatre Production program (B.F.A Graduate 2006) and currently resides as the Head of Audio for the Department of Drama at the University of Alberta.

Andy ThompsonAndy Thompson - Projection / Video Design
  
Andy is a multi-award winning theatre producer, writer, actor, director, video designer and filmmaker. He is the founding Artistic Director of The Virtual Stage, a Vancouver-based theatre company dedicated to the investigation of emerging technologies in theatre. He has been nominated for a total of seven Jessie Richardson Theatre awards in acting, writing and design categories. Film writing, directing and producing credits include Repair Man (3rd place, 2011 International 100-Hour Film Race), The Provider (winner: 2010 Bloodshots 48-Hour Horror Filmmaking Competition & Cannes 2011: Coup de Coeur distinction) and Mayor Mulligan (winner: Best Writing & Runner up: Audience Favorite awards at the 2010 24-Hour Vancouver Film Race). Andy produced, designed the video and performed in the hit production of No Exit (co-produced by The Virtual Stage and Electric Company Theatre, High Performance Rodeo 2010). For more info, visit his website at www.andythompson.ca.

Natalie WatsonNatalie Watson - Apprentice Stage Manager

Natalie is extremely delighted to have the opportunity to work on her first production with ATP. Previous stage management credits include: A Behanding in Spokane, Kung Fu Panties (Ground Zero Theatre); The Grandstand Show 2010/2011 (Avery Productions); Alice in Wonderland, Barnum, Maia, Annie (Theatre Works). Natalie is currently the Floor Director for CTV Morning Live here in Calgary, but continues to work on theatre projects whenever possible.