THIS IS AN ARCHIVE OF AN EVENT THAT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED.
WORLD PREMIERE Produced by Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre
Subscribe or Like
By Liam Salmon
Location: The Gateway Theatre (8529 Gateway Blvd NW)
Dates: May 24 - June 11, 2023
Times: Tuesday - Saturday at 7:30pm; Sunday at 1:30pm
Self portrait becomes commodity in this searing multimedia drama
Rachel and Miles are struggling. They work long hours at low-paying jobs and struggle to find their place in the world. When will their lives ever really take off? With fewer options available daily, they turn to the frontier of the Internet and launch their own video channel. How far will they go for digital fame and fortune? Are the videos they create reflections of their ambition, or are there darker forces at work?
(SCROLL DOWN TO VIEW the creative team and bios)
‘Salmon loves to get people’s brains working’ Preview Edify
‘The performances will have you leaning forward, and they fling you back in your seat too.’ Review 12thnight.ca
‘Subscribe of Like is a tense production that will drag you in so much that you’ll be gripping the sides of your seat by the end’ - Review Edmonton Journal
‘On Theatre: Liam Salmon shares “Subscribe or Like”’ CKUA, Tony King
“ SUBSCRIBE OR LIKE’s two outstanding performers Geoffrey Simon Brown and Gabby Bernard” Global Morning
The Playwright
Liam Salmon (they/them) is an award-winning queer playwright, dramaturge, producer, and educator based out of Amiskwakahegan, colonially known as Edmonton, Alberta. They are a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada’s Playwriting program and their work has been produced across the country.
Their work focuses on queer experiences, deconstructing gender, concepts of family, science fiction, horror, and exploring and exploding forms of theatre including classical greek, interdisciplinary and intermedial forms.
Liam was a co-producer of the Alberta Queer Calendar Project during an earlier phase of the ongoing pandemic. They were Playwright in Residence at Workshop West from 2020 - 2021 where they worked and developed Subscribe or Like alongside long-time artistic collaborator and colleague, Heather Inglis.
They continue to work as a regular playwriting instructor, mentor, and teacher in various capacities including with Alberta Playwright’s Network and occasionally with the Citadel Young Playwriting Company.
Most recently, their play Fags In Space played at the Edmonton International Fringe Festival to sold out houses and rave reviews.
They are currently working a sci-fi dystopic play What Made You Think of the Grass? in which the last living woman on Earth only has her artificially intelligent toaster for company and play about abuse in arts and theatre called This Is A Safe Space.
Find out more at: salmliam.com
The Creative Team
Gabby Bernard (she/her) is an actor residing and creating in amiskwaciwâskahikan, colonially known as Edmonton. She was most recently seen on Workshop West's stage as Piper in Tell Us What Happened. Other select credits include Stone and Soil (Nextfest 2022), Camping (MAA and PAA Theatre), A Christmas Carol (Carter-Ryan Productions) and A Midsummer Night's Dream (Shakespeare by the Bow/Theatre Calgary). These days, she is very enthusiastic about her backyard tomatoes, learning the tenor banjo, and improving her skills in crisis intervention. She is thrilled to be part of this beautiful team presenting this exciting new work!
Gabby Bernard
”RAchel”
Roy Jackson is a Sterling Award Winning Lighting Designer (A Dybbuk for Two People, Northern Light Theatre) and the owner of Roy Jackson Design. Roy was last at Workshop West on their 2023 production of Unsung. He is pleased to be back and working on this show. Other select lighting credits include: Springboards (Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre), Enough, Two-Headed Half-Hearted, We Had a Girl Before You, and The Ugly Duchess (Northern Light Theatre). Roy has been lighting up bands, churches, schools, and theatres for the past four decades. He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Walterdale Theatre, where he was Technical Director and Lighting Designer for many years.
Roy Jackson
Lighting Design
Janine Waddell is so excited to make her Workshop West debut! She is an Edmonton based Intimacy Director and a Sterling nominated Fight Director, as well as an Intimacy Coordinator and Stunt Performer. Select theatre credits include: Network; Jane Eyre; Peter Pan Goes Wrong; A Christmas Carol; The Fiancée; The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Citadel Theatre); Art; Simone el le Whole Shebang (L’uni theatre); Tosca; Mozart's Così fan tutte; La Bohème (Edmonton Opera); Film Credits Include: Dark Match (Dept 9 Studios); Under the Banner of Heaven (FXP); Billy the Kid (MGM); Black Summer (Netflix). She is the lucky mother of four.
JANINE WADDELL
ARMOURER, FIGHT DIRECTOR, INTIMACY DIRECTOR
Geoffrey Simon Brown is an award-winning Albertan playwright, actor, and theatre creator. He is a founding member of the Major Matt Mason Collective where he has produced small-scale independent theatre for the past decade. Recent Edmonton credits include the premiere productions of his plays Michael Mysterious (Pyretic Productions) and Night (Major Matt Mason Collective presented by Common Ground Arts Society) as well as performing in Deathtrap (Teatro LIVE!), Re:Construct (RISER, Edmonton Fringe) and the workshop presentation of MINE by Ashleigh Hicks (RISER). His other plays include Progress, The Circle, Still Still Still, Control, Air, Destroy, If I Could Tell You Everything (written alongside the Theatre Junction high school mentorship ensemble), and the most recent adaptation(s) of A Christmas Carol for Theatre Calgary. He is a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada’s playwriting program. More at geoffreysimonbrown.com
Geoffrey Simon Brown
”Miles”
Darrin Hagen is an award-winning playwright, composer, queer historian, and the current Dramaturg in Residence at Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre. He’s had a long association with Workshop West, hosting and curating Loud & Queer for decades, creating original music for shows (Ugly Man, Java Life, Matara, and his own play Witch Hunt at the Strand), and designing sound for Unsung: Tales from the Front Line. His music was recently heard in his collaboration with Gerry Morita and Mile Zero Dance, Shadow of a Doubt, with his latest composition Lockdown String Quartet No. 1, performed by Strathcona String Quartet. A recording of music will be released this summer. His sound designs have graced Northern Light Theatre, Citadel Theatre, and Theatre Network stages. He co-created the award-nominated Typhoon Judy with Christopher Peterson. He’s the playwright behind BitchSlap!; Tornado Magnet; Buddy; With Bells On; and The Empress & The Prime Minister. He teamed up with Trevor Schmidt to create Crack In The Mirror, Flora & Fawna’s Field Trip, Flora & Fawna Have Beaver Fever, Psychobabble, 2 Queens & A Joker, Prepare For The Worst!, Puck Bunnies, Don’t Frown at the Gown, and Dragula. He has received 7 Sterling awards and over 40 nominations for his work in Edmonton theatre.
Darrin Hagen
Original composition & Sound design
Emma Nokes (she/her) is a recent graduate from the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama Technical Production Program at the University of Alberta. She has worked in various technical positions within productions performed for the UofA Studio Theatre at the Timms Centre for the Arts and within the Bleviss Laboratory Theatre (UofA). Previous technical work includes: Technical Director and Stage Manager (Kate Stashko’s Basin - Individual dance piece), Sound Design Assistant (Freewill Shakespeare Festival - 2022 summer season), and various stagehand/operator positions for the Brian Webb Dance Company, Alberta Circus Arts Festival, and Fringe Festival. Emma hopes to continue in the industry in higher management roles such as a Production Manager, Technical Director, or a Head of Department. Welcome, and enjoy the premiere of, Subscribe or Like!
Emma nokes
Production Manager
Kate Ryan (she/her) is grateful to be living and working as a teaching artist, performer, and theatre maker here in amiskwacîwâskahikan. Kate is a graduate of the Bachelor of Fine Arts Program at the University of Alberta and her studies continues with many different intensives and workshops. Previous directing work includes: First Date, Mamma Mia, All Shook Up, Jesus Christ Superstar and I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (Mayfield Theatre); Sweeney Todd (Plain Jane Theatre); The Blank Who Stole Christmas (Rapid Fire Theatre); Cinderella (Capitol Theatre); Assassins (Citadel Theatre Young Company); Into the Woods (MacEwan University); The Enchanted Pig (University of Alberta Opera Program). She has also staged concerts for Cantillon and DaCamera Choirs and Edmonton Opera’s Valentine’s Gala and The Edmonton Sterling Theatre Awards. Next up, Kate will be directing Everyone Goes to Mitzi’s with Teatro Live!
Kate has also taught performance with Citadel Theatre’s Young Company, University of Alberta’s Opera Program, Edmonton Opera, Foote Theatre School, and MacEwan University’s Theatre Arts program.
Kate Ryan
Director
Stephanie Bahniuk (she/her) is a Ukrainian-Canadian theatre designer originally from Edmonton and now resides in Brooklyn, New York. She is a graduate of the Masters of Fine Arts in Design program at the Yale School of Drama and a recipient of the Jay Keene and Jean Griffin Keene Prize in Costume Design. Recent credits include production design of Alina, Barvinok, and Michael Mysterious (Pyretic Productions) and costume design for Pride and Prejudice (Yale Dramatic Association) and A Midsummer Night's Dream (Classical Theatre of Harlem). She also recently wrapped as the Costume Department Coordinator for And Just Like That, the Sex and the City reboot with HBO max. Up next, Stephanie will be designing costumes and scenery for the Freewill Shakespeare Festival. www.stephaniebahniuk.com
Stephanie Bahniuk
Set & Costume Design
Ben Franchuk (they/them) is a lifelong resident of the prairies and the House Technician for Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre. Leveraging a history of using technology creatively in a diverse range of contexts, from high performance computing to ‘new media’ and professional videography, they are excited to facilitate Subscribe or Like. You’ve probably seen or heard their handywork on any number of occasions including Workshop West’s Tell Us What Happened, Unsung, and Springboards, among many other credits. Outside of the theatre, Ben has built experiences for and with organizations such as Apple and Grainger, the Edmonton Valley Zoo (in collaboration with Roy Jackson), and MacEwan University. They still collect CDs (vinyl is too heavy!) and greatly enjoy working at a theatre so close to bike lane access. You can check out what they’ve been hearing lately at https://hhhpccc.ca
Ben franchuk
Technical Director, House technician, Systems Programmer
Ian Jackson is delighted to be back at Workshop West Playwright's Theatre. Past Film and Multi- Media Design work includes: The Joni Mitchell Story, Infinity, Irma Voth, Buddy, and Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Theatre Network), Tell Us What Happened, Metronome (Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre), The Ugly Duchess, The Look, Speech and Debate, I Google Myself, Urban Tales, Water’s Daughter, Kafka’s America (Northern Light Theatre), and Peter Pan (Citadel Theatre). 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
Steph Link (she/her) is a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada. This is her second show with Workshop West, the first being Matara. Recent Stage Management credits include: All The Little Animals I Have Eaten, Miss Teen, The Comedy Company, Outside Mullingar and Slumberland Motel (Shadow Theatre) The Bully Project (Concrete Theatre) and The Badlands Passion Play. Steph was the Resident Stage Manager at Keyano Theatre Company in Fort McMurray for five years. Selected KTC credits include: Footloose, The Other Side of the Pole, Cabaret, A Christmas Carol, Boeing Boeing, Les Miserables, Calendar Girls, Bedtime Stories, Chicago, and The Farnsworth Invention. Love to Justin, Maggie & Rodney.
Steph Link
Stage Management
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.
