In 1980, Jacqueline Russell crashed onto the earth, did a somersault, and stuck the landing with a “Taa-Daaaaa!” Her first stage appearance was as the devil in Even the Devil is Afraid of a Shrew (a seminal feminist text) at the age of six. The moment she did something to make the audience laugh, her heart rippled with joy, and she has been chasing that feeling ever since.
As a performer and creator, she has contributed to many new works, including her feminist sketch comedy show Raunch (with co-creator Alice Nelson). She’s a plucky kind of specimen, wrestling through the obstacles of childhood pain, weathering the horrors of waking up human on this planet, and making art has been her antidote. She completed her MFA at the University of Calgary, researching the intersection of clown ways of knowing and feminist ways of thinking. She is the Head Hag of Wee Witches, a creative coven of Mad/Sick artists dedicated to crafting collective small delights.
She is wildness, she is love, she is Mother, she is just like anyone else and utterly her own.
(Other than that, I find her quite dull.)
-Written by Sarah Robertson
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Which ’hood are you in?
I live in Patterson, way up on the hill. The view is spectacular.
What do you do?
I am a director, performer, creator, arts educator, and clown. I am particularly drawn to theatrical investigations that playfully examine gender, feminism, and disability. I teach clown and acting at the University of Calgary.
What are you currently working on?
I’ve been developing my show Allergic to Water, a dark comedy about the world’s most famous mermaid, for the past five years. It opens in November 2025. You can get tickets at insideouttheatre.com.
Where can we find your work?
