Jessica Carmichael is an artist of mixed Abénaki/Euro heritage. She specializes in directing, acting, creation and dramaturgy. Jessica trained at the National Theatre School of Canada (Acting), the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art & King’s College London (MA Text & Performance Studies with Distinction), the University of Alberta (MFA Directing with Distinction) and the Michael Langham Workshop for Classical Direction (Stratford Festival, 2014 & 2016).
Before coming to Concordia, Jessica spent three seasons as the Artistic Director of Carousel Players, a professional theatre company for young audiences. She is a past artistic associate with Native Earth Performing Arts in Toronto and was Program Director of their Playwrights Unit Animiikiig. She was a workshop leader for “The Study” hosted by the National Arts Centre, Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance and Debajehmujig Creation Centre.
Directing (select): The Clearing (Shaw Festival of Canada 2023) Grief (Concordia University Theatre Department, 2023), Middletown (The National Theatre School of Canada, 2023), The Rez Sisters (Stratford Festival of Canada's 2021 Season); Medicine Wheel, Dream Girl, Across This Body, Dark Matters all responding to the 2019 report on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls for New Harlem's commissioned Embodying Power and Place (New Harlem Productions in association with Nightwood Theatre and Native Earth Performing Arts 2021); Apathy (Concordia University Theatre Department 2019); Boys Girls, And Other Mythological Creatures (Harbourfront Centre, Carousel Players 2019, 2017); Ipperwash (Blyth Festival 2017), Tick; iChild; Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin; Spelling 2-5-5 (Carousel Players 2014-2017), Two Indians (Summerworks Festival 2016); CLGA Unarchived (co-curator, Buddies in Bad Times Rhubarb Festival 2015), girls!girls!girls! (co-director, SummerWorks 2013).
Upcoming: TBA
Acting (select): Jessica's work as an actor has taken her across Canada/Turtle Island working with such companies as Guilty by Association (1991, Why Not Theatre Riser Project/FeministFuckItFestival/StoreFront Theatre and SFU workshop), Native Earth Performing Arts (Aluasa’sit), Thousand Islands Playhouse (Eyes Catch Fire) and Northern Light Theatre (True Mummy). She has had principle and supporting roles in full length feature Canadian films including A Louder Silence (dir. Nicolette Saina), I Think I Do (dir. Dylan Pierce) and Heart of the Sun (dir. France Damberger).
Playwriting (select): Jessica co-created Ipperwash as part of a commission for the Blyth Festival’s 2017-2018 Season, working closely with community members of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation. Jessica adapted for the stage Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin by author Chieri Uegaki and illustrator Qin Leng (Kids Can Press), with collaboration with Chieri Uegaki and her family. Hana Hashimoto was named a part of "The 49" .
Upcoming: Comes by Flying, an original work
Dramaturgy (select): Jessica has dramaturged numerous playwrights over the last 6 years. Recently she has worked recently with Jani Lauzon and Kaitlyn Riordan on their 1939, Corrina Hodgson's Sex Garage, Jeff Ho's Cockroach, and with Jordi Mand, Mark Crawford, Kate Hewlett and Matt Mackenzie on their new works while Artistic Director at Carousel Players.
Currently: Working with Todd Houseman on his The Children of the Bear , a large immersive new work with Outside the March in Toronto.
jessicacarmichael.org
