Hailed as “hysterically funny, brilliant, brutal” by Now Magazine, Beautiful Man makes its Alberta premiere in the Motel Theatre at Arts Commons. Written by the Hamilton-born Erin Shields who is known for her sharp lens for interrogating the negative depictions of women in literature, Beautiful Man is a biting satire about the portrayal of women in film and television, co-produced by Downstage, Verb Theatre and Handsome Alice.

Katherine Rawlinson of Downstage sat down with Linda Kee for a quick Q&A of why she’s excited to be involved in the Alberta premiere of Beautiful Man.

What most excites you about being a part of the Alberta Premiere of Beautiful Man by Erin Shields?
The synergy of a completely new combination of individuals I’ve never worked with before. Each artist (performance and tech) brings their own flavor. This is gonna be fun! What kind of trouble are we gonna get into?

Who inspires you as a performer/creator in Calgary?
Michelle Thrush. Humility. Talent. A force. I’m blessed to have her in my life.

How and why did you become an artist? Why did you become an artist?
I feel like I was drawn to what felt enjoyable - the answer to WHY has been a life’s journey to answer. I followed the feeling first, then wondered…what is drawing me to this work? So far, my answer seems to be - connection, present moment connection. "No anticipation of the next moment and no residue of the past moment." That quote is from a teacher/artist based in Vancouver named Su-Feh Lee, their Wu-Shu/performing arts and movement workshop. It's not an easy task - balancing the present moment with a fresh and authentic response with something you’ve repeated hundreds of times.

You can catch Beautiful Man from February 29 to March 10, 2024 in Motel Theatre at Arts Commons. Click here to learn more and get your tickets today!