The Understandable Girl
by Nikki Loach
with contributions from Lyudmyla Honcharova, Snizhana Bora, and Kathleen Ballangan and development support from Quest Theatre
Funded (in part) by the Shevchenko Foundation
Myla is the new girl at school. She doesn’t speak English; she dresses up and brings flowers for the teacher on the first day. Canada is a strange new place that is now, unexpectedly, her new home. She doesn’t understand much of what is going on, will anyone be her friend?
The Understandable Girl is a story of the importance of a first friendship between a young Canadian girl and young Ukrainian refugee told through the universal language of creative play and puppetry using English and easily understood Ukrainian. The play demonstrates how little imagination it takes to understand someone if you really listen.
Suitable for K-6
Themes: Friendship, similarities and differences, Ukrainian Culture.
Running Time: 60 min (50 min performance with 10 min Q&A)
Pricing
Early bird fee until June 30, 2025: $899 & travel fee + GST for one show $1698 & travel fee + GST for two shows
Regular fee after July 1, 2025: $975 & travel fee + GST for one show $1850 & travel fee + GST for two shows
*The cost for schools is heavily subsidized so that we can bring the magic of theatre to as many students across Alberta as we can. If you are in a position to support bringing professional theatre productions to Alberta students, please consider making a donation today.
If your school would like to bring in a touring show, but is unable to cover the subsidized fee for the production, we highly recommend you explore funding through Daytrippers Children’s Charity. Daytrippers aims to remove financial barriers and enable enriched learning opportunities for in-need children across Canada. Daytrippers can provide up to $1500 to help elementary students in lower-income and remote communities to experience learning opportunities from recognized educational and cultural institutions to help unlock their full potential.
2025 Fall Elementary School Tour
Tour Dates (6 weeks) - October 20th to November 30th, 2025
Booking Starts in March 2025
Are you interested in bringing The Understandable Girl to your school next Fall 2025? Fill out our Booking Request Form to get started!
Curriculum Ties
Belonging and working together (Kindergarten - Social Studies)
Respecting diverse cultures (Grade 1 - Social Studies
Supporting cultural understanding and collaboration (Grade 1 - Social Studies)
Appreciation of Diversity (Grade 2 - Social Studies.)
Reflect on how personal relationships are maintained or strengthened (Grade 2 - Phys-ed and Wellness)
Perspectives can be shaped or shared using effective listening and communication skills. (Grade 5 - Phys-ed and Wellness)
Healthy relationships require consideration for different opinions, thoughts, feelings, beliefs and needs (Grade 6 - Phys-ed and Wellness)
Tools of Communication: Developing an awareness of the body and voice as instruments of expression. (K to Grade 6 - Dramatic Arts)
Dramatic Forms: Exploring various forms of expression, including:
Dramatic movement
Mime
Storytelling
Dramatization
Puppetry
Storytelling Elements: Creating and telling stories by applying essential elements like character, setting, conflict, and plot. (K to Grade 6 - Dramatic Arts)
Develop empathy through experiencing thoughts and feelings of other people and other cultures, as expressed through their stories. (K to Grade 6 - Dramatic Arts)
Performance & Appreciation: Acting as creators, performers, and critics, assessing dramatic experiences, and exploring the creation of mood and emotion. (K to Grade 6 - Dramatic Arts)
Public Performances
COST
Early Bird Adult: $20
Early Bird Child: $15
*Early Bird Pricing Available until November 1st 2025
Regular Adult: $23
Regular Child: $18.50
Subscription Pricing
(For both The Understandable Girl AND Whispers In the Air)
Adult: $45
Child: $35
50% off Teacher Tickets Available with Discount Code! See Below for Info!
LOCATION
1st Floor, cSPACE Marda Loop
Studio Theatre
1721 29th Ave SW,
Calgary AB T2T 6T7
DATES & TIMES
Friday, November 21st 2025 at 7:00 pm
Saturday, November 22nd 2025 at 1:00 pm
Saturday, November 22nd 2025 at 4:00 pm
Cancellation Policy
Public show tickets are non-refundable, but can be exchanged to another performance date for a fee of $5.00.
Teachers! Use the code WELOVETEACHERS50 to receive 50% off tickets to our public shows!
Please note that proof of teacher status will be required at the box office before the show, this can be shown in several ways including showing us your e-mail address, your teaching ID, etc.. If proof of teacher status cannot be provided upon arrival to the box office, you will be required to pay the difference to the full price ticket prior to entry to the show. No refunds will be given and you may be subject to a surcharge of up to $90.00 that will go towards funding a session of Quest Theatre's Drama Day program in a Local School to support teachers further. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact admin@questtheatre.org
Drama Day is a program consisting of a series of drama activities and games chosen for grades K to six that target specific classroom wellness impacts.
Creative problem solving with space to make mistakes
Relationship building with dignity
Physical literacy through structured play
If you're interested in sponsoring a Drama Day for a local school, consider donating to Quest HERE!