A Q+A with One Yellow Rabbit's Denise Clarke

Denise Clarke is a dancer and choreographer who has worked with One Yellow Rabbit since 1983, helping to create shows such as Featherland and Heavens to Murgatriod. She has also choreographed works for Alberta Theatre Projects and Theatre Calgary, and performed as a dancer in a number of shows, including Sign Language and Dream Machine.

We touched base with Clarke to hear her thoughts on theatre in Calgary.

What production by another company are you most excited about?

“I’m excited to see Brad Fraser’s True Love Lies at Alberta Theatre Projects this season. He’s an old friend, and I spoke with him recently at length about it, and I’m excited he’s coming.”

What’s emerging in theatre that we should be watching out for?

“I’m kind of big on young theatre artists. I really believe in actor and playwright Christopher Duthie, who recently preformed in Reverie for Ghost River Theatre, and I’m curious to see what he’s going to be doing. He’s a very talented young actor.”

What separates OYR from other theatre companies?

“We’re 28 years old and think of ourselves as a bit more of a rock band than we do a theatre company. We’re not interested in throwing out a ‘season’ every year as much as we’re interested in making new shows. So it’s a very different model than when you are producing a season of work and you’re feverishly trying to program seven plays. We’re interested in working within the community, cultivating our work and putting together something that’s entirely our own.”