Nicola received her MFA from
York University in Toronto with a degree that specialized in Acting. Training also included Voice, Movement,
Shakespeare and Film (www.yorku.ca/gradthea/mfa/)
PERFORMANCE CREATION
Nicola is a Creation Ensemble
member with DOWNSTAGE PERFORMANCE SOCIETY and has co-created and performed in
several productions earning her the shared Betty Mitchell Award for Outstanding
New Play in 2010 (www.inthewake.ca) as
well as a nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
CLOWN
Nicola is a certified
Pochinko Clown Teacher, having completed her Teacher Training Intensive with
John Turner of ‘Mump and Smoot’ in 2010. Her training includes Baby Clown, Boot
Camp and Joey & Auguste (www.mumpandsmoot.com)
MASK
Nicola trained in Full
Character Mask, Half Character Mask and Commedia dell' Arte with
TRESTLE THEATRE whilst living in London (www.trestle.org.uk/participate/training/)
STILT WALKING
Nicola has trained with Green
Fools Theatre as a character based stilt walker. These characters are hired to rove at festivals or other
gatherings and interact with the public (www.greenfools.com)
IMPROVISATION
Nicola completed her BFA at
the University of Calgary and was taught by Keith Johnstone (creator of Theatre Sports and founder of the Loose Moose Theatre, a Calgary Based theatre
company dedicated to Improvisation).
She regularly attended the Loose Moose and honed her skills in Improv (www.loosemoose.com).
ENVIRONMENTAL THEATRE
Nicola has been creating
nature-based theatre for young audiences for over a decade. She co-founded Green Being Theatre
whilst living in the UK, which specialized in environmental themes for young
audiences and has continued this type of work in Kananaskis Country and with
Evergreen Theatre. Nicola has also
been working as an educational interpreter for the Calgary Zoo since 2007,
giving her an in depth knowledge of many endangered animals and key
conservation messages.
PERCUSSION
Nicola began playing the drums in her Junior High School band. Beginning with classical percussion including snare drum and timpani’s, she then moved on to learn to play the drum kit. As all good teenagers do, she joined a band. In her twenties, she picked up the Djembe and has never looked back. African drumming has become her specialty and she often uses it to facilitate theatre workshops or teaches students basic rhythms to incorporate into a production.
FRENCH
Nicola completed her
schooling in French Immersion and has retained enough of her French Vocabulary
to be able to add French components into a theatrical presentations.
