An exciting, witty, trashy, tuneful, and emotional rock musical in the vein of David Bowie, Lou Reed, & Rocky Horror, Hedwig & The Angry Inch is a story about love, redemption, navigating life, and finding your other half. 

Cast:

Hedwig: Jeff Schissler
Yitzhak: TJ Collina-Ashton

The Angry Inch:
Skszp (Guitars/Piano/Vocals): Ian Jack
Krzyzhtoff (Lead Guitar): Sean Veecock
Jacek (Bass/Guitar/Vocals): Geoff Bemrose
Schlatko (Drums/Percussion): Kyle Nurse

Produced by Geoff Bemrose
Directed byShannon Oliver
Musical Direction by Ian Jack
Props by Shannon Oliver, TJ Collina-Ashton, Karen Wood & Riley Ashton
Hedwig's Costumes, Make-up & Wigs by Devon Poole
Hedwig's Cape & Illustrations by Karen Wood
Additional Costumes and Make-up by the Cast & Crew
Projections and Sound Effects Managed by Brad McMaster & Karen Wood
Lighting Design by Geoff Bemrose, Assisted by Matt Keast
Lighting Managed by Keevin Carter
Sound Engineered & Managed by David Bird
Sound Recordings & Effects by Ian Jack
Poster & Photography by Devon Poole
Program, Hedwig Logo & Additional Poster Layout by Ian Jack
Front of House by Karen Ruth Brown
Tickets Managed by Justin Boyd

Jeff Schissler appears by permission of Canadian Actors' Equity Association

From the director:

My side career in acting and directing has flowed between film, commercials and stage over the years. Recently I've focussed solely on direction - including productions of Hair, Sweeney Todd and Jesus Christ Superstar. I was the recipient of the director of the year award recently presented to me by the Eastern Ontario Drama Guild for my direction of Bedroom Farce. I was thriled to be asked to take part in a production of Hedwig. As I have been fascinated with the movie for years, it was an honour to be asked by Ian Jack & AFA to direct for them. I want to thank the entire production crew and band for all their hard work and a huge thank you to Jeff and TJ. See you later and let the magic begin.
-Shannon Oliver, Director

From the musical director:

From the opening rill of "Tear Me Down" to the messianic final refrain of "Midnight Radio," it was immediately apparent to me that Hedwig and the Angry Inch boasted one of the most important collections of songs. Not just as a musical. Ever. Charge me with crimes of hyperbole, but as a punk/art rock/glam disciple, Hedwig is to me what Les Miserables is to many in thatre circles. It's that important. I have lived with this musical since 2001 and I'm still as enamoured with these songs after playing them hundreds of times, repeatedly watching the film snf seeing multiple stage versions. What sets this show apart from the oft-compared Rocky Horror Show - admittedly a musical favourite of my late-mid-teens - is that there are layers of meaning in John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask's masterstroke beyond the tragicomedy chaos and memorable glam rock score. Hedwig boasts possibly the first popular transgender character to hit the stage, it uses Plato as a conceptual springboard and it still manages to radiate a universal theme. It's not just about finding your other half - it's about finding yourself.

It has been a realization of a long term dream bringing these songs and characters to the stage. I hope the show rewards the Hed-heads in the crowd, and lures new converts into the cult of Hedwig. I would like to thank AFA, Geoff, Shannon, Jeff, TJ, Sean, Kyle, Karen, Keevin, Devon, Brad and everyone involved in helping me to pull the wig down from the shelf. Enjoy the show.
-Ian Jack, Musical Director

From the cast:

I am thrilled to be performing Hedwig and the Angry Inch at the Gordon Best. I saw the film version of Hedwig when I was eighteen years old and I was mesmerized. I was immediately drawn to this larger than life glam-rock goddess who, through music and storytelling, spoke of her quest for identity, acceptance and her other half. I'm a graduate of the Sheridan Music Theatre Performance program and I've been fortunate enough to play many different characters over the last couple of years. However, Hedwig is unlike any character I've played and I've had both a challenging and incredible time bringing her to life. Thank you to the entire creative team for the collaboration, AFA for the opportunity and to Devon Poole for his many talents. Enjoy the show!
-Hedwig, Jeff Schissler

As a long-time fan of punk, I could not pass up the opportunity to play Yitzhak - especially across from the amazing Jeff Schissler, supported by a band of talented musicians and the production team of AFA. From U of W Drama to Second City and more, my training has been as varied as my roles. Yitzhak was truly a learning experience. John Cameron Mitchell reminds us that gender does not really matter; it's how we treat each other. Thanks to family and friends for their support. This one is for Imantz. Cheers.
-Yitzhak, TJ Collina-Ashton

THANK YOU

The Bemrose Family, David Bird, The Cavanaugh-Veecock Family, Kerri Davies & CMHA, Courage PTBO, Mark Edwardson & Cathy Burnham, Catherine Hanrahan, Ray Henderson & The Citiots, Evan Holt (PtboCanada), The Jack Family, Matt Keast, Joelle Kovach (Peterborough Examiner), Rick Lambert & Peterborough Pride, Randy Lee, Earl & Shirley Mitchell, The Nurse Family, Ian Osborn, Devon Poole, Paul Rellinger (Peterborough This Week), Dane Shumak & The Anne SHirley Theatre Company (Trent University), Dani Stover, Jan Tkachuck (Gender Journeys), Sam Tweedle (Kawartha Now), James Woollatt & Chris Kiraly, and all of our families and friends.