Where Are They Now? 3 Theatre Calgary alumni on the big and small screen

Have you ever watched a movie or T.V. show (especially if they are made in Canada) and wondered why some names look familiar? We're no stranger to this feeling at Theatre Calgary, having a long list of artists who have both acted on our stage, and played a part in some of your favourite shows. Here's a look at three familiar faces in the first installment of our "Where Are They Now" series.

1. Dana Ivey

For Theatre Calgary: Private Lives (1969), The Three Desks (1969), Black Comedy/White Liars (1969), Loot (1969), Great Expectations (1969), You Two Stay Here, The Rest of You Come With Me (1970), The Importance of Being Earnest (1970), Bell, Book and Candle (1970)

On Screen: Boardwalk Empire (2010), Sabrina (1995), Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

Before receiving 5 Tony Award nominations for her work on Broadway and appearing in a multitude of movies and T.V. shows, American-born actress Dana Ivey got her start in the late 60s as a member of Theatre Calgary’s permanent acting company. For 8 productions, including the runaway hit You Two Stay Here, The Rest of You Come With Me (written and created by our first Artistic Director, Christopher Newton), Ivey was at the head of it all. 

Unfortunately a massive fire at our offices in 1972 means that we don’t have any photos of Ivey on stage, but you can read about her experience as a part of our early family in this 1969 article from the Calgary Herald. 

2. Paul Gross

For Theatre Calgary: Mrs. Warren’s Profession(1981), Farther West(1982)

On screen: Due South(1994-1998) Passchendaele (2008)

In 1981, a young Calgarian actor by the name of Paul Gross took to the Theatre Calgary stage as Frank Gardner in our production of George Bernard Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession. Only a few months after his debut, the same actor returned to be assistant director and the character of “Raglan” in John Murrell’s Farther West.

Twelve years later, if you were tuning into the Canadian television classic Due South, you’d hear the name Paul Gross again. For 4 glorious seasons, Gross gave us Constable Benton Fraser, the overly polite RCMP officer working for the Canadian consulate in Chicago who liked to taste evidence. And if Due South doesn’t ring a bell, perhaps the 2008 war film Passchendaele is more familiar. Gross not only starred in the film, he also wrote, directed and produced it.

3. Janet Wright

For Theatre Calgary: Eight to the Bar (1979), A Moon for the Misbegotten (1982)

On screen: Corner Gas (2004-2009), The Perfect Storm (2000)

You can’t really be a Canadian and not know about the show Corner Gas. In 2009, the premier of Saskatchewan even declared April 13 as “Corner Gas Day.”  A staple of Canadian television for 6 years, Corner Gas introduced us to the cunning and short-tempered personality of Emma Leroy, played by English-born Janet Wright. Nearly three decades earlier, a young Wright not only cofounded Persephone Theatre in Saskatoon with her sister, but also landed roles in Theatre Calgary’s 1979 production of Eight to the Bar and 1982 production of A Moon for the Misbegotten. A storied career would follow Wright leading up to her role in Corner Gas, including being the first female to play the role of King Lear on a Canadian stage in 1995. Sadly, Janet Wright passed away in 2016 at the age of 71.

Editor's note: A previous version of this post omitted information about the passing of Janet Wright. We apologize for this oversight, and have corrected the article to include this information.