CHRISTIE ANDERSON’s joke philosophy is to never shut up – eventually, you will say something funny. She started her jokes as a cartoonist and now tells jokes regularly around the lower mainland. She has performed in BC at the Laff Riot Girls Competition, Sirius Radio’s National Comedy contest, and many more.
ZANDRA BELL is an award winning motivational humorist well known on the national conference scene for creating original, intelligent corporate customized comedy to inspire, and enhance human potential. These keynote presentations are performed in the persona of her hilarious alter ego the charmingly outspoken, hit sensation Shirley Best, an iconic, charismatic, sixty something housewife turned self avowed stress management expert, wellness guru, and Certified Credit Card Utilization Consultant.
COLUMPA C. BOBB is Coast Salish, of Tsleil Waututh and Nlaka’pamux heritage, and is most recognized for her role as Mary Cook on the CBC Television show ‘North of 60’ and guest roles on television series such as ‘The Rez.’ She is an award-winning actress and playwright and has performed her original monologues and one-person shows across Canada.
SANDRA BONNER-PEDERSON is a member of the Tzeachten First Nation and a 1994 graduate of the Television Broadcasting course at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. She has worked in the television industry since 1989.
KAREN BRELSFORD is a working actor in Vancouver/Victoria and New York’s film, TV, and theatre industries. Film/TV: NBC, Hallmark, Lifetime, Movie Central, College Humor and SyFy. Karen is a regular cast member of ‘Sin City: The Live Improvised Serial’, ‘Atomic Vaudeville’, and ‘The Derwin Blanshard Show’! “The physical comedy is impeccable”; “brilliant, super, and very funny” (QB Bulletin). “Karen Brelsford [is] excellent”! (The Marble). www.karenbrelsford.com
ANA DE LARA, after graduating from theatre school in her early 20’s, ventured into stand-up comedy but stopped in the name of love. She returned 20 years later and instantly became 20 dollars richer after winning the Funniest Comic with a Day Job Contest in Vancouver. In addition to being a stand-up comic, Ana keeps her creative fire burning as a writer/director/actor and will be performing her one-woman play, The Virgin Mary Had a Little Lamb, in the 2013 Victoria Fringe Festival.
DAWN DUMONT is a Plains Cree comedian and actress from Saskatchewan Canada. Dawn has made people laugh at comedy clubs across North American including the New York’s Comic Strip, the New York Comedy Club and The Improv. She began her comedy career in Toronto on stages such as Yuk Yuk’s and the Laugh Resort. Dawn also had a recent role on ABC’s ‘One Live to Live.’ Dawn is also a comedy writer and has written for the stage, radio, film and television. Her work has been featured on CBC Radio, Aboriginal Voices Radio Network, and the Aboriginal People’s Television Network.
BEVERLEY ELLIOTT has opened for such major acts as The Oakridge Boys, Jamie Warren, Thomas Wade and the Waywards, and has sung with Long John Baldry, Kathy MacDonald, Jim Byrnes and Lisa Brokop. She has appeared in motion pictures ranging from ‘Unforgiven’ to ‘2012’ and ‘The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants.’ She is currently a series regular on the ABC drama ‘Once Upon a Time.’
KATIE-ELLEN HUMPHRIES is originally from Victoria, but now makes her home in Vancouver, where she performs stand-up comedy with the Laff Riot Girls and at Yuk-Yuks Comedy Club. She is a regular performer at Heckler’s Comedy Club.
LINDA KIDDER is a Musician, Singer/Songwriter/Actor. She has toured throughout the world with K.D. Lang, Gary Fjellgaard, Michelle Wright, Ian Tyson and the Good Brothers. Linda has been nominated several times by the BCCMA, the CMA and the Juno’s for vocalist and bass player of the year.
CARA LYTWYN is Metis, originally from Flin Flon, Manitoba, is the first woman to win Winnipeg’s ‘Funniest Person with a Day Job’ competition, and is the first and only female comedian to win Winnipeg’s ‘Funniest Comic’ competition sponsored by the Winnipeg Free Press and Hot 103. Cara was selected to perform in the 2010 Just for Laughs Showcase, and the 2010 CBC Winnipeg Comedy Festival.
SHARON MAHONEY has performed her solo character-based shows for street, stage, cabaret and festivals all over the world including; Adelaide Fringe Festival (AUS), Edinburgh Fringe (UK) Fremantle Busker Festival (AUS), Hobart Taste of Tasmania (AUS), World Busker’s Festival (NZ), Glastonbury Festival (UK), Oerol Terschellings Festival (NL), Villach Pflasterspektakel (AU), Feldkirch Pflastspektakel (Austria), Coff’s Harbour Buskers Festival (AU), Tasmanian Circus Festival (AU), Koblenz Gaulker Festival (DE), Winchester Hat Fair (UK) and the Singapore River Busker’s Festival (RSN). In 2001, Sharon became one of the very few women to win the Marcus Marconi Press Prize at the Rotterdam International Street Theatre Festival (NL). In 2003, Sharon co-starred and co-wrote Quanta Costa, an all-female sketch comedy show in Perth Australia.
CAROLYN MARK is a Canadian alternative country singer-songwriter. She has recorded as a solo artist and as a member of the duo The Corn Sisters with American colleague Neko Case, as well as with the bands the Vinaigrettes, Jr.
J (JACQUELINE) MCLAUGHLIN is a comedian and musician: a singer, songwriter and producer, she has performed in Nashville, New York and Los Angeles. She now makes music and her home in Victoria, where, among other things, she hosts Walper’s Arcadium, as well as the weekly Hootenanny at Logan’s Pub and is a regular at the Ministry of Casual Living.
ROMINA MIRANDA is from Victoria B.C. and has trained in acting, mime, dance, and writing. She has performed many plays with Puente Theatre and acted in a number of independent films.
NICOLE NATRESS is an actress (CAEA/UBCP) and a playwright (Playwrights Guild of Canada). The Drama Queens is based on a one-act play that she has written. To find out more of what she is doing when she is not being a Drama Queen, visit www.nicollenattrass.com.
CARILYNN NICHOLSON is a professional stand-up comedian, actor and writer. She recently moved from Toronto, where she was a regular performer at the Laugh Resort, Comedywood and Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Club, to Victoria where she has headlined at Phillips Comedy Night, Heckler’s Comedy Club and the all-female comedy show PussyWit.
CAMIEL PELL has toured Canada and Australia doing stand-up and now you can catch her performing at various clubs, theatres and charity benefits around Vancouver doing Sketch Comedy and Improv. She is featured in the current issue of SAD Magazine which can be purchased from Munro’s Books in Victoria B.C. Check out her Facebook ‘like’ page, youtube and vimeo for more upcoming works!
ERIN ORMOND lives on Vancouver Island, where she works as an actor, and a teacher of Voice and Speech and Acting. Her most recent stage appearance was as M’Lynn in Steel Magnolia’s at the Richmond Gateway Theatre. Special thanks to Nicolle for introducing her to the hilarious world of Trixie and Chicie. Keep shining DQs!
JANET ROGERS is a Mohawk writer from Six Nations Ontario. She currently holds the position of Poet Laureate for the city of Victoria BC. She began her creative career as a visual artist, and started writing in 1996.
MELANIE ROSE has been on the comedy scene since 2007 and has quickly become a fixture on the Vancouver comedy scene. She has performed in comedy clubs across Canada and just recently was featured on BiteTV. Melanie’s unique take on her life and the world around her have opened the door for many of her comedy accomplishments, including opening for Canadian comedy great Mike MacDonald and performing at mental health and wellness events to help remove the stigma around being bi-polar.
SHARON SHORTY is from Tlingit, Northern Tutchone, and Norwegian descent. She is from the Raven Clan and was raised with the storytelling tradition of her southern Yukon community. Her popular character ‘Grandma Susie’ tells traditional stories as well as relating new adventures in New York City and visits with Colonel Sanders. She has appeared on APTN, CBC, and CTV and is an award-winning actor and storyteller. In 2012, on Canada Day, Sharon Shorty was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for her significant public service to the Yukon and Canada alike.
SHELLY SUZUKI recently moved from one Canadian Coast (the East) to the other (the West), namely Victoria, where she lives on a houseboat with her bulldog. She has performed at Heckler’s Comedy Club, the Ratfish Comedy Lounge; Phillip’s Comedy Night, the Underground Comedy Fort and is a three-time champion of The Showdown at the Victoria Event Centre.
KIRSTEN VAN RITZEN is the creator and executive-producer of ‘She Kills Me’, and a professional actor and comedienne. She is also a writer, director, teacher and producer. She starred in five seasons of ‘Sin City’ at Toronto’s The Second City, and is a founding member of Edmonton’s ‘Die-Nasty’ improv troupe, both Canadian Comedy Award nominees. Kirsten was named Best Solo Comedy Artist for ‘The Kirsten Van Ritzen Show’.
HEATHER WITHERDEN is known as Winnipeg’s Favourite Wisecracking Mom. From the north end of Main Street, Heather Witherden got married, had three kids, and started writing jokes in the baby book to amuse herself. She graduated to writing jokes in the Christmas letter, then writing jokes in chat rooms on the internet, until she finally got onstage with her jokes in 2006. Since then, she’s appeared at Rumors Comedy Club, The Winnipeg Comedy Festival, CBC Radio (Definitely Not the Opera and So You Think You’re Funny) and CBC Television (Cultural Secrets of Winnipeg, 2011).