SOLO CHICKEN PRODUCTIONS MISSION STATEMENT
Solo Chicken Productions aims to foster the creative arts through the creation & development of new works, community collaboration and educational programming. Solo Chicken Productions is committed to creating performances and opportunities for engaging with the arts that are challenging & delightful.
Solo Chicken Productions is a professional performing arts company located on the traditional territory of the Wolastoqiyik / Wəlastəkewiyik (Fredericton) in New Brunswick. We foster the creative arts through the creation and development of new works of physical theatre, the facilitation of community collaborations and by offering accessible arts-based programming. Founded in 2004, the company is built on the philosophy that a healthy arts ecology and society should create space for everyone to create and share their voice. Engaging in the act of cultural production offers communities the opportunity to foster a sense of belonging and to share their voice, all of which lead to, and promote a healthy, connected community.
Solo Chicken works to achieve this goal by supporting emerging artists, providing accessible training, developing exciting new works, and working with underserved communities to help them tell their stories. Solo Chicken Productions is committed to creating performances and opportunities for engaging with the arts that are challenging, delightful and accessible to all.
THE THREE WINGS OF SOLO CHICKEN
Creation
Solo Chicken is dedicated to the creation of new works that are entertaining, engaging and challenging for audiences. The company’s creative style is a unique multidisciplinary form that uses theatre, dance, film, and art to create lush, vivid stage pictures. Our work is best categorized as artist devised work, where the artists and directors work together to generate the story, movement, and text, in service of creating an original performance.
Community
Solo Chicken engages with long-term collaborative community arts projects that aim to give its partner the opportunity to share their stories and celebrate their unique voices. By providing our skills as theatre practitioners and taking on the role of project facilitator, Solo Chicken artists work alongside community members to foster and develop their stories into works of theatre performed by the community for the community.
Training
Solo Chicken is committed to offering high quality artist training lead by world-class instructors from near and far. In an attempt to nourish New Brunswick’s blossoming performance community, Solo Chicken aims to provide training geared towards local artists’ interest, as well as filling gaps in our collective artistic literacy in order to support our vibrant, ever-growing artistic ecosystem.
Meet the Team
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Lisa Anne Ross (she/her)
Artistic Producer
lisa@solochickenproductions.comLISA ANNE ROSS is a theatre artist, educator, director, and community arts practitioner, who in addition to performing and directing for numerous Canadian Theatre Companies, has also created and performed her own body of work. Lisa studied theatre at Dalhousie University, the Dell’arte School of Physical Theatre in Blue Lake California and has an MA from York University in ‘theatre as a tool for social change’. She is the founder and current Artistic Producer of Solo Chicken Productions and teaches and directs part-time at St. Thomas University. Lisa believes that inclusion is not a favour but a right and is key to building a healthy, productive, creative society. She also love cheese, her children and bad Netflix.
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Jean-Michel Cliche (he/him)
Associate Artistic Director
jeanmichel@solochickenproductions.comJEAN-MICHEL CLICHE is a theatre artist, playwright and educator of Lebanese and French-settler descent based out of Wolastoq (Fredericton, NB). He has trained with Fight Directors Canada and is now New Brunswick’s most active Fight Director and Violence Designer. As an actor, he has had the great privilege to perform in major cities across the country as well as communities of all sizes throughout the Maritimes. He has over 15 years of improv experience, including coaching the competitive team at Ecole Sainte-Anne, founding the Hot Garbage Players, and now hosting improv classes through Solo Chicken Productions. As an educator, Jean-Michel has taught drama with the University of New Brunswick and Theatre New Brunswick. Jean-Michel loves all things games, particularly the pen and paper roleplaying variety!
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Kaylee MacNeil (she/her)
General Manager
kaylee@solochickenproductions.comKAYLEE MACNEIL is an actor, make up artist, and facilitator who loves drinking Dave Mathews and getting caught in the rain. Originally from Cape Breton, Kaylee’s theatrical career started on the island touching on everything from musical theatre to Shakespeare before uprooting herself in 2016 to attend St Thomas University where she studied Interdisciplinary Fine Arts and English with a concentration in Drama. Since graduating in 2020, she has been working at Solo Chicken Productions on epic community engaged arts projects and fun works of physical theatre while maintaining a part-time position as a service certified artist at Sephora Fredericton. In her spare time, Kaylee likes to go out to local restaurants, road trip, and give her cats neck scritches.
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Raúl Máquez Gaitán (he/him)
Artist In Residence
RAÚL MÁRQUEZ GAITÁN is a theatre artist, contemporary dancer and educator born in Seville, Spain. Raúl studied theatre at School of Dramatic Arts in Seville, contemporary dance at Andalusian Dance Centre and has a Major in dance from SEAD (Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance). He has performed as an actor and dancer in numerous companies and projects along Europe (Spain, Austria, Wales, UK...). Raúl has over 12 years of experience working as a contemporary dance teacher in Danza Mobile, an art centre for people with intellectual disabilities in Seville. He strongly believes in the power of art to improve the life of everybody and the power of chocolate ice cream to turn over a bad day.
Solo Chicken Board
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Alexa Higgins
PRESIDENT
Alexa Higgins (she/her) is a theatre artist based in Toronto with strong ties to the New Brunswick theatre scene. She is co-Artistic Director of Falling Iguana Theatre, and is proud to have been one of the inaugural members of Solo Chicken Production's the coop. -
Dr. Lynda Ross
TREASURER
Lynda Ross is a retired women's and gender studies professor and became a member of the Solo Chicken Productions Board as Treasurer a few years ago. She joined because she believes in the project, enjoys working with Lisa, and loves playing with spreadsheets and numbers.
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Sharisse LeBrun
SECRETARY
Sharisse LeBrun (she/her) is a theatre educator and director who works as the Theatre School and Young Company Director at Theatre New Brunswick. She loves to cook and carries a book with her at all times. -
Colleen Gilks
BOARD MEMBER
Physical Educator & Professional Volunteer. She love’s running, dogs, fine wine/cuisine and travelling the world. -
Wei-Qing Tan
BOARD MEMBER
Wei Qing Tan (she/her) is a theatre artist currently based in Tkaronto, where she mainly practices stage management and production management. Her work centres around care and instilling systems of support for her collaborators.Headshot credit: Maxime Coté
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Mika Solway
BOARD MEMBER
Mika Solway (she/her) is an entrepreneur who has split her time between Fredericton and Toronto for many years. She is passionate about sustainable urban spaces and the arts. Mika owns and operates THE TEN SPOT Fredericton, a beauty bar in the heart of downtown Fredericton.
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Matt Steeves
BOARD MEMBER
Matt Steeves is a public administration professional who joined the SCP board in 2022. He is passionate about New Brunswick, solving problems, and going to the beach. -
Patty Saad
BOARD MEMBER
Patricia (Patty) Saad is a theatre technician/stagehand currently resides in Toronto and is a member of Toronto's stagehand union, I.A.T.S.E. Local 58. She loves gelato and donuts, and spends her free time going to listen to live music/concerts.