A Brief History
35 Years of Exceptional Adventures
Quest Theatre was co-founded by Duval Lang and Rick McNair in the summer of 1984. These two extraordinary imaginative friends emerged from the touring branch of Theatre Calgary’s Stage Coach Players. Duve and Rick were commissioned to produce a children’s play at Calaway Park (Calgary’s local theme park) and Quest Theatre was born. Rick wrote a play called Doll Wars (inspired by the then popular Cabbage Patch Dolls and the newly released Star Wars franchise), Duval directed the play and Rick’s daughter, 17-year-old Susan (McNair-Reid) stage managed.
Prairie Dragons - 1988 Prairie Dragons by Sharon Pollock Starring Marianne Moroney, Andy Curtis, Jan Derbyshire, Chris Youngren Directed by Duval Lang Designed by Linda Leon
Wagonstage - 1989 WAGONSTAGE 1989: Summerplay by Alberta school children Starring Nikki Lundmark, Susie Lauer, Bill Metathopolis, Jeremy Laurence Stage Manager Susan McNair Directed by Duval Lang
Alligator Pie - 1989 Alligator Pie by Dennis Lee Starring Wes Borg, Neil Grahn, Duval Lang, Barbra Gates Wilson Directed by Rick McNair Set and Costume Design Robin Ayles Stage Manager Dianne Goodman
Bedtimes and Bullies - 1990 Bedtimes and Bullies by Volker Ludwig, adapted by Dennis Foon Starring Duval Lang, Jacqueline Dandeneau, Heather Lea MacCallum, Greg Lawson, Jim Leyden Directed by Susan Ferley Costumes and Lights Robyn Ayles Set Design Stancil Campbell Music by Cathy Nosaty Stage Manager: E. Jane Mawby
Gullivers Travels - 1994 Gulliver’s Travels by Rick McNair Starring Monica Gemmer Susan McNair Reid, Kevin Rothery, Barbara Gates Wilson Director Duval Lang Set and Costume Designer Scott Reid Puppet and Props designer Scott Reid Sound Designer Michael Becker Puppet Builder Wendy Passmore
A Promise is a Promise - 1997 A Promise is a Promise by Robert Munsch adapted by Barbara Poggemiller Starring Yoshiko Shimizu , Anne-Marie Herberts, Lenard Stanga , Aaron Franks Stage Manager Donna Sharpe Director Duval Lang Assistant Directors: Nikki Loach (nee Lundmark) and Elinor Holt Assistant Stage Manager Carmen Day Set and Costume Designer Scott Reid Mask and Puppets Werner Karsten
Lig and Bittle - 2003 Lig and Bittle by Elyne Quan and Jared Matsunaga-Turnbull Cast Peter Strand Rumpel, Cheryl Olson, Cam Ascroft Director Duval Lang Set/Costume Design Scott Reid Composer Jared Matsunga-Turnbul Sound consultant Peter Moller Stage Manager Rikki Scholosser
The Secret Life of the Octopus - 2005 The Secret Life of the Octopus by Clem Martini Directed by Duval Lang Set by Scott Reid* Betty Winner for Best Set Design Starring Braden Griffiths, Mark Holmes, Rachel Johnson
Penelope Versus the Aliens - 2008 Penelope Versus the Aliens by Chris Bullough and Jared Matsunaga-Turnbull Directed by Nikki Loach Designed by Linda Leon Stage Manager Cheryl Olson (Andrews) Sound Design Mike Gesy Staring Marcy Lannan, Phil Fulton, Cheryl Hutton Shoes of Sand - 2011
Shoes of Sand - 2011 Shoes of Sand by Suzanne Lebeau, translated by John Van Burek Directed by Nikki Loach Starring: Vanessa Holmes, Darren Paul and Marcy Lannan Set and Costume and Puppet Design by Loïc Laquoix Hoy Music and Sound Composition Jonathan Lewis Stage Manager Sara Trachsel
Snow Angel - 2014 Quest Theatre’s Snow Angel Created by Nikki Loach with artistic contributions from Peter Balkwill, with support from Young People’s Theatre in Toronto Directed by Nikki Loach and Peter Balkwill Set and costume by Loïc Lacroix Hoy
Quest Theatre’s first logo was a ship, reminiscent of early exploration of new worlds and indeed, theatre for young audience in Alberta at that time was a pioneering venture. Quest immediately began touring to Alberta schools. Early in the company’s history Rick wrote the plays and Duve directed. Early work included Sinbad, The Fantabulous Zoo, Goalie Pads Magic Music and Mom, and Merlin and Arthur all by Rick McNair. Quest quickly gained a reputation for original works and developed and produced work from many Canadian writers, mostly local. Zina Barnieh, Dennis Foon, JoAnne James, Sharon Pollock and even Canadian school children wrote for Quest Theatre during its first five years.
The Logo changed to a set of building blocks with stars quickly after gaining a reputation in the schools. This marked a conscious shift towards alignment with the education system and its goals. Plays reflected topics that were of importance to young people. Quest continued to produce work from Canadian playwrights including Clem Martini, Vern Theissen, Jan Derbyshire, Dan Libman, Linda A. Carson, Robert Morgan and many more. In 1992, Alberta schools removed many arts specialists in schools. Quest Theatre took advantage of a new initiative from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, and Quest’s Artists in Schools Residency Program was born.
Touring all over Alberta with productions and residencies, Quest Theatre was accessing young people, particularly in rural communities, in a unique way. Our audiences didn’t have to come to a building to experience theatre. Our logo changed to a touring van with magic stars to reflect our mobility and easy access for schools. Productions at this time included plays by Bruce Horak, Elyne Quan and Jared Matsunaga-Turnbull, Chris Bullough, James Durham, Glenda Stirling, Jason Long.
In 2009, after 25 years as Artistic Director, Duval Lang decided to step down and pursue other adventures in theatre. An award, The Duval Lang Theatre for Young Audience Award, administered by Quest Theatre was created in honor of him. And no, he’s not dead yet.
2009 – Present
Current Artistic Director, Nikki Loach, took the company in the direction of National and International Touring for a spell. Again, we had a logo refresh to encompass not just driving across Alberta. Successes included theatre tours outside Alberta with Snow Angel, The Umbrella, and We Are All Treaty People a co-production with the Making Treaty 7 Cultural Society. But a move to cSPACE King Edward Arts Hub placed Quest squarely in the middle of a curious, artistic family-oriented community that made us recognize the importance of nurturing children in our own backyard. Collaborative partnerships and amplifying marginalized voices with important stories to tell, currently guide our artistic pursuits.
Nikki is currently supported by Helena Deng (Tour & Education Coordinator), Claire Bolton (Camp & Program Coordinator), Madeleine Taylor-Gregg (Admin & Marketing Coordinator), and Dani Driusso (Social Media Specialist). Since its inception, the company has performed for over 1.6 million young people and families throughout Alberta and Western Canada. Quest has produced over 115 productions, 440 Artists in School Programs, and has conducted decades of seasonal local Drama Camps.