Jacqueline Russell

About Jacqueline

Jacqueline (she/her) is a director, performer, creator and clown based in Mohkínstsis/Calgary on Treaty Seven territory. She specializes in clown, mask, immersive theatre creation and theatre for young audiences. Jacqueline was the Artistic Producer of Handsome Alice (formerly Urban Curvz) Theatre from 2011-2015, the 2013-14 RBC Emerging Director at Lunchbox Theatre and the Artistic Producer for Evergreen Theatre from 2008-2013. She has directed for Evergreen Theatre, Calgary Opera, The Shakespeare Company, New West Theatre, Lunchbox Theatre, Urban Curvz, Keyano College, Calgary Young People’s Theatre, the University of Calgary and Inside Out Theatre. As a performer/creator she has contributed to many new works, including her feminist sketch comedy show Raunch (with co-creator Alice Nelson) which was held over at the Edmonton International Fringe Festival in 2009 and appeared at Fem Fest (Sarasvati Productions) in 2010 and Magnetic North in 2012. With her co-conspirator Jed Tomlinson she has created and toured two full-length clown shows, The Sama Kutra & Hushabye, to festivals across the country. She was an artist-in-residence at the Manitoulin Conservatory for Creation and Performance from 2014 -2016. Jacqueline is a graduate of the BFA program in Acting at the University of Alberta and recently completed her MFA at the University of Calgary where her thesis research examined the intersection of clown ways of knowing and feminist ways of thinking. In February 2021 she performed as part of an international lineup of female clowns for the online Red Pearl Festival in Helsinki. Jacqueline currently teaches for the School of Creative and Performing Arts at the University of Calgary, Ambrose University and Inside Out Theatre.