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Kat Andra Armstrong

(she/her/hers) Trans actress, artist. Guts’ists’i, Wîcîspa, Moh'kinstsis; Colonial Calgary

Hi! I’m an artist and student from IB's Visual Arts program, Sheridan College’s Art Fundamentals program, and U of C’s Drama (Acting) BFA program. I'm a patient, attentive and sensitive communicator, with deep love for people and curiosity; committed to empowering others. Worked and learned +8 years with and from students of all ages (infant–elderhood) in swimming lessons, art, rec, and drama camps, and theatre workshops—a favourite being my involvement from 2014–2017 part of the Healing Through the Arts program with the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre: making art with patients in their Rehabilitation Unit (what I’m made for). I’m effusive for etymology, stars, my friends’ poetry, humming with rain, jamming on piano, drawing, Ursula K. Le Guin's stories, and making theatre—lately that’s meant: acting in DATE NIGHT at Calgary Fringe Fest: doing things in it like leading large improvisational group games of coming up with ‘mad libs’ of queer, radical, communal love, and meeting audience members’ parents on hectic mock dates. Also been lucky to take part in special experiences like: live-synth-scoring at Toronto’s Buddies in Bad Times Theatre for THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SPECIAL; a trans woman’s inter-generational/dimensional Greyhound road-trip towards belonging, also acting in KINDLING at Downstage Theatre; a play of friends grappling with rent, loneliness, and oppression under capitalism, I’ve also also been: so moved by students’ writing at Alberta Theatre Projects’ STUDENT WRITERS WORKSHOP as an actress in their incredible student works, I’ve been buzzing around as a musical hummingbird in the travelling WAGONSTAGE production for kids learning about pollinators and climate action, learned about continental drift and geologists like Marie Tharp in FORMATIONS, and I’ve spent years thespianing in a bunch of BARD ON BOWER and U of C Shakespeare plays; all which have been passageways to so much heart. Recently I wrote, illustrated, and printed my own 56 pg. picture-fable: FREE TIME; about love, Imperial Canada, family, and doom.
The arts community has been sanctuary: I've been taught that circles rise together; no one’s free unless all are; and to always enact imaginative compassion. I stand up for others and put my body on the line, I’m a home for grief, and am moved to be part of the world and to do what I can in nurturing a caring, alive community; always excited to fall more into all this. I am available immediately, wonderful to have around, recently was *birthed* as a clown and assistant to a clown, and would love to gab with you.

Education:

> CLOWN — Jacqueline Russell (2024)

> DRAMA, BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS — University of Calgary (2020-24)

> CLIMATE CONSCIOUS WORLD-BUILDING PERFORMANCE CREATION — Major Matt Mason Collective (2022)

> STAGE COMBAT — UCalgary SCPA; John Knight (2022)

> DEVISED THEATRE INTENSIVE — Ghost River Theatre; Eric Rose (2020)

> ADDITIONAL VOCAL PRACTICE — Voice Activated; Jane MacFarlane (2020)

> ART FUNDAMENTALS, CERTIFICATE — Sheridan College (2018-19)

> STAGE COMBAT — Prime Stock Theatre; Morgan Yamada, Thomas Usher (2017, 18, 19)

> VISUAL ARTS, DIPLOMA — International Baccalaureate (2014-16)

Additional Training:

> STANDARD FIRST AID WITH CPR C & AED — St. John Ambulance (2019)

> AQUATIC EMERGENCY CARE — Lifesaving Society (2016)

> OXYGEN ADMINISTRATION — Canadian Red Cross (2016)

> NATIONAL LIFEGUARD – WATERPARK — Lifesaving Society (2016)

> NATIONAL LIFEGUARD — Lifesaving Society (2016)

> WATER SAFETY INSTRUCTOR — Lifesaving Society (2016)

> PRINCIPLES OF HEALTHY CHILD DEVELOPMENT — High Five (2016)

Arts & Theatre:

——(2025)————————-

> ESPERANZAMask Actor: ‘Depression’ — Festival of Animated Objects

> MATERIAL WORLDS: DEVISING WITH OBJECT PUPPETRY INTENSIVE
 — Production Assistant — Ghost River Theatre

> OBJECT RUNWAY — Production Assistant — Ghost River Theatre

> TRANSCENDENT SPACE — Production Assistant, Sound Designer — Ghost River Theatre

> ECHOES OF THE LANDProduction Assistant — Ghost River Theatre, High Performance Rodeo

——(2024)————————-

> FREE TIMEPicturebook Writer, Illustrator, Creator — Self

> CYPT CAMPS — Curiosity Camp Facilitator, Stage Manager — Calgary Young People’s Theatre

> TALKING TO YOUR KIDS ABOUT GUNSActor: ‘Ana’ — UCalgary Alchemy Festival

> LIGHTS OUTContributing Writer, Deviser — UCalgary Mainstage

——(2023)————————-

> DROPOUT LEGS — Actor: “Legs’, Solo Piece Creator — Self

> THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SPECIALLive Synth, Sound, Production Assistant — Buddies In Bad Times

> DR. VOYNICH & HER CHILDRENActor: ‘Rue Voynich’ — UCalgary DRAM 511 Project

> YAGAActor: ‘Katherine’ — UCalgary DRAM 511 Project

> ORB WEBProducer, Actor: ‘Suitcase’ — Incendiary Festival: Hot Summer Nights, Self

> DATE NIGHTActor/Improviser: ‘Date’ — Sunflower Collective Theatre, Calgary Fringe Festival

> POOR RECOLLECTIONSActor: ‘Her’, Dramaturg — Sage Theatre: IGNITE!

> STUDENT WRITERS GROUP SHOWCASE: ‘The Flower’, ‘Portrait of Madame X’, ‘This Play is Unique’ Actor: ‘Flower’ + ‘Georgia’ + ‘Character A’ — Alberta Theatre Projects

> KINDLINGActor: ‘Lyla’, Co-director — Downstage Theatre: Stage It

> SCPA STUDENT SHOWCASEMask Actor: ‘Ruth’ — Festival of Animated Objects

> ANTI-WALMART GROUP THERAPYActor/Improviser: ‘Leanne’, Deviser, Stage Manager — ND: 24 Hour Festival

——(2022)————————-

> MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHINGActor: ‘Dogberry’ + ‘Innogen’ — UCalgary Mainstage

> WAGONSTAGEActor: ‘Ruby the Hummingbird’ — UCalgary, World Stage Design

> FORMATIONSActor: ‘Marie Tharp’ + ‘Martha Thomas’ + ‘Ensemble’, Story Collaborator — UCalgary Mainstage, Geoscience Conference, World Stage Design

> WALMART THERAPYActor/Improviser: ‘Leanne’, Deviser, Stage Manager — ND: 24 Hour Festival

> SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHTActor: ‘Guide’, Audience Surrogate — UCalgary: Alchemy

——(2021)————————-

> VICTORIA STATIONActor: ‘Controller’ — UCalgary: DRAM 611 Project

> THE REAL INSPECTOR HOUNDActor: ‘Birdboot’ — UCalgary: DRAM 511 Project

> SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHTActor: ‘Lady’ + ‘Lord’ — UCalgary: Master’s Thesis

> THEY’RE MADE OF MEATActor: ‘1’ — UCalgary: DRAM 511 Project

> HELLO FRIENDVideo Producer — Quest Theatre

> DRAMA CAMPSVideo Producer, Camp Assistant — Quest Theatre

> AGAPESound Designer — Incendiary Festival

——(2020)————————-

> SLOTHST IN SPACE — Comic Artist, Solo Piece Creator — Self

> THE STREETCollaborator, Camera — Pounds Per Square Inch Performance

> DIGITAL DRAMA CAMPSVideo Producer, Camp Assistant — Quest Theatre

> SALT-WATER MOONMusic Producer, Sound Designer — Creating Genesis Theatre

> SNOWBLINDPhoto/Video/2D Producer — Lunchbox Theatre & Making Treaty 7

> THE BOY FROM OZSound Designer — Front Row Centre Players Society

> LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORSPoster Artist — Lindsay Thurber High School

——(2019)————————-

> KOHKUM & MESound Designer, Photo/Video/Poster Artist — Calgary Fringe, Native Earth Performing Arts: Weesageechak Begins to Dance 32

> MACBETHActor: ‘Ross’ + ‘Ensemble’ — Prime Stock Theatre: Bard on Bower

> EASY AS ABCActor: ‘Puppet’, Producer, Writer/Creator — Self

——(2018)————————-

> HENRY VActor: ‘Ancient Pistol’ + ‘Ensemble’ — Prime Stock Theatre: Bard on Bower

> ROMEO & JULIETActor: ‘Paris’ + ‘Ensemble’ — Prime Stock Theatre: Bard on Bower

——(2017)————————-

> ANTONY & CLEOPATRAActor: ‘Enobarbus’ — Prime Stock Theatre: Bard on Bower

> SPRING GARDEN ROADActor: ‘Storyteller’, Solo Piece Director, Sound/Set/Lighting Designer — Lindsay Thurber CHS

> PHILIP GLASS BUYS A LOAF OF BREADActor: ‘Philip Glass’ — Lindsay Thurber CHS, Alberta High School Drama Festival Association: One-Act Play Festival

> THE BOXDirector, Actor: ‘One’, Set/Sound/Lighting/Poster Designer — Lindsay Thurber CHS

> HEALING THROUGH THE ARTS — Rehabilitation Unit Arts Volunteer — Red Deer Regional Hospital

——(2016)————————-

> THE PUPPET-MASTERActor: ‘Puppet’ — Lindsay Thurber CHS, Central Alberta Theatre: Cat-Nips

> HEALING THROUGH THE ARTS — Rehabilitation Unit Arts Volunteer — Red Deer Regional Hospital

> LTCHS R&B BAND — Pianist — Lindsay Thurber CHS

——(2015)————————-

> HEALING THROUGH THE ARTS — Rehabilitation Unit Arts Volunteer — Red Deer Regional Hospital

> LTCHS R&B BAND — Pianist — Lindsay Thurber CHS

——(2014)————————-

> HEALING THROUGH THE ARTS — Rehabilitation Unit Arts Volunteer — Red Deer Regional Hospital

> LTCHS R&B BAND — Pianist — Lindsay Thurber CHS