Script Salon

Join us Sunday, June 14 , for Soul Search by Pamela Schmunk.

SOUL SEARCH
By Pamela Schmunk
As a woman of a certain age, Lin does what’s expected until she doesn’t. She dares herself to travel to Canada. Lin’s journeys, real and metaphorical, allow the actors to transform across age, gender and ethnicity.

Directed by Pat Darbasie and read by Michele Fleiger, Julie Golosky, Jared Matsunaga-Turnbull, Maureen Rooney, Davina Stewart and Alison Wells.

Pamela Schmunk's original Drama training was at U of S. At U of A, Pam earned her B.Ed. and M.A. in Theatre. She taught Drama and directed youth for thirty-plus years in Edmonton, Bali, Jiaxing, and Taipei. Pam shared "With Woman" at the March International Women’s Day Script Salon and is currently in APN’s Emerging Playwrights’ program with mentor Beth Graham writing Turn Your Face to the Sun. Pam is preoccupied with the intersecting experiences of women across cultures and is pretty convinced that we are more the same than we are different. Thanks to Patricia Darbasie, Conni Massing (WWPT), and APN for their guidance and support of Soul Search.

SCRIPT SALON, Sunday, June 14, at 7:30 in the Upper Arts Space at Holy Trinity Anglican Church (10037 84 Avenue). Doors open at 7. SCRIPT SALON presents on the SECOND SUNDAY OF THE MONTH unless otherwise noted.

Admission is by donation at the door. Refreshments available. Free parking. Playwright Talkback. To arrange elevator access, email [email protected] in advance.

SCRIPT SALON is supported by Alberta Playwrights Network, the Playwrights Guild of Canada and our loyal audience.

Script Salon is pleased to co-present, with the Citadel Theatre Collider Festival, a new play reading, Darcy & Wickham by Belinda Cornish, adapted from the novel Follies Past by Edmonton writer Melanie Kerr on Sunday, June 7 at 7 pm in Zeidler Hall at the Citadel. Free admission (donations accepted at the door).

Directed by Brian Deedrick, and read by Ruth Alexander, Alexander Ariate, Rachel Bowron, Dayna Lea Hoffman, Bella King, Cameron Kneteman, Mark Meer, Priya Narine and Gabriel Richardson.

Darcy & Wickham
For shy, demure Georgiana Darcy, the prospect of her first London season is intimidating beyond words. That is, until her childhood friend, George Wickham, reappears in her life, igniting a spark of passion which promises to bloom into the match made in heaven of which she has always dreamed. Ah, but the path of love never did run smooth… Based on the backstory so tantalizingly hinted at in Pride and Prejudice, Darcy & Wickham explores the true source of the enmity between one of literature’s most renowned romantic heroes, Mr. Darcy, and his nemesis, the dashing Mr. Wickham. From these seeds flourishes a sweeping new romantic comedy, featuring many familiar characters beloved of Austen fans, as well as a host of hilarious fresh faces. Darcy & Wickham is a fleet-footed carriage ride, from gracious gatherings in Grosvenor Square to a deathbed vigil in a country inn, from the first flush of blushing love to the brink of a perilous elopement. Passion rails against propriety, and duplicity disrupts decorum, in a tempest of intrigues and affairs barely contained by the corsetry of Regency England.

Full information about the other events happening at Collider Festival, June 5-7, is here: https://citadeltheatre.com/artists/play-development/collider-festival/

On Sunday, May 10 at 7:30 pm, we are delighted to host the Women’s Script Writing Circle in their second-year showcase of excerpts from scripts written by Sandy Paddick, Linda Wood Edwards, Heather D. Swain, Linda Grass, Sue Huff, and Michelle Todd.

Mary on my Mind by Sandy Paddick
A group of women can’t get the rights to Jesus Christ Superstar so they decide to write their own version. This is the third scene in the play where they are coming together to brainstorm their new play, Mary on My Mind

Sandy Paddick has been a theatre practitioner in Edmonton, Alberta, for the past forty years. She has appeared as a performer at almost every theatre company in Edmonton. Somewhere in her timeline she became a Speech Pathologist, which keeps her busy. She has two dogs, two daughters and a husband, John Hudson – who also keep her very busy. She began this group with Sue Huff hoping to gather women writers together to --- write! In her youth, she co-wrote a piece called “The Charter of Rights and Freedoms” for the Legal Resource Centre in Edmonton. She has written two plays for Azimuth Theatre, Naked Lies, which toured high schools in Alberta and Back Pocket Lennie, which toured Canadian women’s prisons. Sandy’s children’s play, Night Without Stars was produced by Wagonstage Theatre in Calgary. She wrote Enchantment produced by Workshop West Theatre and Theatre Yes! More recently, Crescendo was produced by Shadow Theatre. Sandy is thrilled to be meeting with this wonderful group of women writers every month!

Eggs Over Awkward by Linda Wood Edwards
A one act play. When families are over the joy of hosting each other in their homes at the high holidays and Mother’s Day, it invariably means a brunch reservation. And that means conflict. I bet we look just horrible to the service people tasked with taking care of us. Multiply that by how many families in the restaurant? If the family can’t pull it together for mom’s sake, we sure hope the servers can!

Linda Wood Edwards’ plays haves been to Australia, Washington DC, Yukon, Victoria, Saskatchewan, and across Alberta. Linda has two Sterling nominations (Spring Alibi 2005; Trail and Error 2016), two tours (Never Let the Crew See You Cry 2014; Four in the Crib 2013/2018), accolades for 10-minute plays (Walk of Shame 2023; Gibberish v. Genius 2018; Almost the Pioneer Brewing Company 2018), and a professional production (The Great Wh******se Fire of 1921 w/David Cheoros, 2021 Northern Light Theatre). And more! Linda is a governance nerd, funeral celebrant, beer afficianado, and devoted fan of the CFL. She thanks Script Salon for holding space for our plays.

There will be Tea! by Heather D. Swain
A simple knock on a door and two women are forced to choose reality over denial, changing their friendship forever.

Heather D. Swain has been a working artist since the late 1900s, a classically trained actor, writer, director who in 1992 came to do a Fringe show and never left town and then went on to become a street performer, touring the planet. Heather's writing has always been part of the her work, be it co-creating the Dora Mavor Moore Award winning Love and Work Enough (Playwrights Canada Press); the Sterling Award nominated Breasting the Waves, or many characters for Edmonton Street Performers Festival. She uses humour and wit to turn things on edge, discovering hidden gems in a phrase or character, inviting audiences to see the world in a way they may not have thought of before and yet was in plain view.

Whole Lotta Shakin’! by Linda Grass
For you theatre purists, welcome to the world of Dinner Theatre, where the characters are broad, the laughs are cheap, and it doesn't hurt to be a little drunk! Whole Lotta Shakin’! takes place in a Legion Hall in 1959, where a musical contest exposes mystery, rivalry, and talent to boot.

Linda Grass is an Edmonton-based stage actor and nascent playwright. Her first play, After Eve, was performed at Script Salon in 2022. Since then, she joined the Women’s Scriptwriting Circle, and completed another play, Chasing the Fat. She has taken a decidedly different turn on this year’s writing project, challenging herself to write a script for dinner theatre.

Midnight Cry by Sue Huff
Ellie is a woman who believes in bodily autonomy, but her mind and heart come into conflict when her mother sets the date for MAiD. What happens when loving someone means counting down the days until strangers arrive to kill them.

Sue Huff is a local writer, actor, and filmmaker. She most recently appeared in Trunk Theatre's production of Marjorie Prime at the Varscona Theatre. Over her long career (almost 40 years!) in the arts, she has performed on most of the stages in Edmonton and over the past few years has started working consistently in film. Her writing has included 2 plays, 2 screenplays, a book, 40+ pieces for CBC Radio, and many presentations. Sue is a co-founder of the Women's Scriptwriting Circle, which aims to encourage and empower more women to write for theatre and film. The script being presented tonight will hopefully be filmed this summer, assuming Sue's grant applications to the AFA and EAC are successful. She has also applied for funding through various historical agencies to create a short documentary about the history of horse racing in Edmonton. When she is not acting, writing or hustling up money for projects, Sue offers workshops for educators, supports caregivers with loved ones affected by eating disorders, and works as a substitute behavioural therapist with Edmonton Catholic Schools. She also enjoys sailing and scuba diving with her husband, Kevin.

Motherhood by Michelle Todd
Michelle is working on a new one-woman show for the 2026 Edmonton Fringe Festival that explores how you raise multi-racial kids in the time of hashtag, social media, and technology. A show for anyone who is someone`s kid, had a kid, confused by sports, feels old…

Michelle Todd is pleased to share Motherhood at Script Salon for Mother's Day. An Edmonton native, Michelle has been active in the arts community for many years. A graduate of MacEwan's Theatre Arts program, Michelle has written Kuya, Deep Fried Curried Perogies, and her latest piece Hoodies was written for Concrete Theatre's Anti-Racism and Change project for Theatre for Young Audiences. Michelle's acting credits include Request Programme (Northern Light Theatre) Ms. Pat's Kitchen (SkirtsAfire and Black Arts Hub), After the Trojan Women (Common Ground Arts Society), Tiny Beautiful Things (Shadow Theatre), Black Widow Gun Club (Whizgiggling Productions), and Carole of the Belles, Mass Debating (100% More Girls).

SCRIPT SALON, Sunday, May 10, at 7:30 in the Upper Arts Space at Holy Trinity Anglican Church (10037 84 Avenue). Doors open at 7. SCRIPT SALON presents on the SECOND SUNDAY OF THE MONTH unless otherwise noted. Admission is by donation at the door. Refreshments available. Free parking. To arrange elevator access, email [email protected] in advance.

SCRIPT SALON is supported by Alberta Playwrights Network, the Playwrights Guild of Canada and our loyal audience.

Join us on Sunday, April 12 at 7:30 pm for a reading of PUNCHING JUDY - LADIES BOXING IN 18 EASY STEPS
By Trevor Schmidt

A completely speculative history of real-life figure Elizabeth Wilkinson, an English bare-knuckle boxer and one of the most famous prizefighters of the 18th century. During her decade-long career, she was often described as a "Championess" who fought 45 bouts without defeat. After her last documented fights in 1733, no further information about her life can be found in the historical record. References to Wilkinson became increasingly rare and negative in the Victorian era of stricter redefinition of gender roles. Some writers portrayed Wilkinson as a historical curiosity, while others derided her as evidence of barbarism.

Directed by John Hudson and read by Vance Avery, Collin Doyle, Sarah Ormandy and Nicole St. Martin.

Trevor Schmidt has been the Artistic Director of Northern Light Theatre for the past 23 years, and involved with NLT for the past 31 years as a performer, director, designer, and playwright, and is a multiple Sterling award winner in performance, director, and playwriting categories. His one-woman Gothic thriller We Had a Girl Before You opened the season in its American premiere at the Greater Boston Stage Company. He was awarded Outstanding Choreography for 6.0: How Heap and Pebble Took on the World and Won at the Betty Mitchell Theatre Awards in Calgary, and the DIALOG Award for Excellence in Artistic Direction as part of the Mayor's Evening for the Arts in Edmonton. He was shortlisted for the Gwen Pharis Ringwood Award (Alberta Literary Awards) for Two-Headed/Half-Hearted, a musical he wrote with composer Kaeley Jade Wiebe. He was most recently honoured at the AMPIAs for Outstanding Performance in a Lead Role- Male or Non-Binary for the film Me and Mr. Right (Northern Gateway Productions).

SCRIPT SALON, Sunday, April 12, at 7:30 in the Upper Arts Space at Holy Trinity Anglican Church (10037 84 Avenue). Doors open at 7. SCRIPT SALON presents on the SECOND SUNDAY OF THE MONTH unless otherwise noted. Admission is by donation at the door. Refreshments available. Free parking. Playwright Talkback. To arrange elevator access, email [email protected] in advance.

Our first International Women’s Day Monologues for Women is Sunday, March 8 at 7:30 pm, featuring Zoe Hawnt, Rea Tarvydas, Maureen Rooney, Michelle Todd, Linda Wood Edwards, Heather D. Swain, Pamela Schmunk, Lily Davies, Hengameh E. Rice and Sue Huff. Many thanks to the Writers' Guild of Alberta for sponsoring this event.

SCRIPT SALON, Sunday, March 8, at 7:30 in the Upper Arts Space at Holy Trinity Anglican Church (10037 84 Avenue). Doors open at 7. SCRIPT SALON presents on the SECOND SUNDAY OF THE MONTH unless otherwise noted.

Admission is by donation at the door. Refreshments available. Free parking. Playwright Talkback. To arrange elevator access, email [email protected] in advance.

SCRIPT SALON is supported by Alberta Playwrights Network, the Playwrights Guild of Canada and our loyal audience.

Join us on Sunday, Feb 8 at 7:30 pm for THE DRESS THAT MADE THE GIRL by Lynda Celentano. Dramaturged and directed by Beth Graham and read by Ellie Heath, Andrea House, Victoria Suen and Caley Suliak.

Giorgi’s sick of wearing hand-me-downs and ugly clothes from Bargain Gerald’s. She finally feels special in a handmade dress for her first visit to Italy. When she returns home to find Ma has given away the dress, she retaliates as only a 10-year-old can. Between Giorgi’s bratty behaviour and Ma’s spiraling OCD, siblings Marcella and Adele are determined to restore peace and dig deeper for the reasons behind the dress giveaway. When they reveal Ma’s struggles, both in Italy and in Canada, Giorgi begins to see Ma as a person with her own battles to fight. In this humorous and heartfelt story, Giorgi begins to make the transition from self-centered and materialistic to empathetic and appreciative.

SCRIPT SALON, Sunday, February 8, at 7:30 in the Upper Arts Space at Holy Trinity Anglican Church (10037 84 Avenue). Doors open at 7.

SCRIPT SALON presents on the SECOND SUNDAY OF THE MONTH unless otherwise noted.

Admission is by donation at the door. Refreshments available. Free parking. Playwright Talkback. To arrange elevator access, email [email protected] in advance.

SCRIPT SALON is supported by Alberta Playwrights Network, the Playwrights Guild of Canada and our loyal audience.

EdmonTEN open for 10-minute plays by Edmonton playwrights until Feb 13. Info here:

EdmontTEN — Alberta Playwrights' Network all plays must be 10 minutes in length (approximately 8 to 10 pages). We are looking for complete 10 minute plays and not scenes from other plays.

APN Emerging Artists Playwright Mentorship Program: deadline Feb 13. More info here:

APN Emerging Artist Playwright Mentorship Program — Alberta Playwrights' Network There are 10 available spots. The mentors are from Calgary and Edmonton however we can offer the service online and so we encourage applications from anywhere in the province.

Join us on Sunday, Jan 11 at 7:30 pm for readings from the Indigenous Playwrights Circle from Workshop West Theatre:
"Kiyam-ing" by Maria Buffalo, Epcor by Shyanne Duquette, Not your Ordinary Love Triangle by Deborah Lee, Big Wind: is that an Indian Agent I Smell? by Jordan McPeek, and Red River by Dylan Thomas-Bouchier with Josh Languedoc. Readers include Ron Walker and Demaris Moon Walker, directed by Josh Languedoc.

Sunday, January 11, at 7:30 in the Upper Arts Space at Holy Trinity Anglican Church (10037 84 Avenue). Doors open at 7. SCRIPT SALON presents on the SECOND SUNDAY OF THE MONTH unless otherwise noted.

Admission is by donation at the door. Refreshments available. Free parking. Playwright Talkback. To arrange elevator access, email [email protected] in advance.

SCRIPT SALON is supported by Alberta Playwrights Network, the Playwrights Guild of Canada and our loyal audience.

SCRIPT SALON Call: Submit by January 15, 2026
Monologues for International Women's Day

We are accepting unpublished monologues for women, 5 to 7 minutes in length, to be read by Alberta playwrights
on Sunday, March 8, 2026 at Edmonton Script Salon. Honorarium provided. Sponsored by the Writers Guild of Alberta.
Submit to [email protected] by January 15, 2026. Selected playwrights will be notified by February 13, 2026. Here is a link to hear some monologues we have presented in the past:

Script Salon 10th Anniversary Recordings — Alberta Playwrights' Network In honour of Script Salon’s 10th Anniversary, we invited monologue submissions from Alberta playwrights to be read aloud at a celebration event in Edmonton in 2024. Below are the recordings from that event along with information about the playwrights who took part.