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, that creates dynamic, meaningful theatre, forges community projects and offers delightful classes and workshops.  Our passions are making great art, fostering inclusion and building community.

Solo Chicken is built on the philosophy that a healthy society should be guided by the principles of inclusion and access and should strive to make space for everyone to create, participate and share their voice.  Creating opportunities for everyone to engage in the arts fosters a sense of belonging, builds community and leads to positive social and artistic change.

From heartwarming community arts projects that celebrate the power of inclusion (The Spirit Project), groundbreaking works of physical theatre (Fruit Machine) to delightful improv and comedy classes, Solo Chicken is known in Fredericton and beyond as a place for all.  Championing access and inclusion while always working to create challenging and delightful works of art, the company has grown from its humble founding in 2004, to become a key part of New Brunswick’s arts and culture fabric.

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 led 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’ interests, as well as filling gaps in our collective artistic literacy in order to support our vibrant, ever-growing artistic ecosystem.

Staff

  • Headshot of Lisa Anne Ross.

    Lisa Anne Ross (she/her)

    Artistic Producer
    lisa@solochickenproductions.com

    LISA 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.

  • Headshot of Jean-Michel Cliche.

    Jean-Michel Cliche (he/him)

    Associate Artistic Director
    jeanmichel@solochickenproductions.com

    JEAN-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!

  • Naomi McGowan (she/her)

    General Manager
    naomi@solochickenproductions.com

    NAOMI McGOWAN is a theatre performer, director, educator and producer! She has a BA in English/Fine Arts from St.Thomas University specialized in musical theatre performance. She has many years of theatre administration experience from her time as the former Operations Manager at Theatre New Brunswick where she still teaches musical theatre. As a director, she has worked with NotaBle Acts, The Beaverbook Art Gallery and TNB’s Young Company. In 2024, she co-founded Non-Stop Theatrics with Caroline Coon and is currently completing her Intimacy Direction certification with IDC. To her, the magic of theatre is watching it build confidence and community. She is thrilled to be a part of the inclusivity and creativity fostered at Solo Chicken Productions. Other points of passion include: cooking, singing and hiking!

Our Artists

  • Hannah MacKellar (she/they)

    Artist-In-Residence - Summer 2026

    Hannah Mackellar is a comedian and emerging playwright of Scottish, Lebanese, and Acadian-settler descent based out of Wolastoq (Fredericton, NB). They have over 10 years’ experience as an improviser and have had the great privilege to perform with numerous troupes across New Brunswick and Ontario. With experience in short-form, long-form, and musical improvisation techniques, Hannah knows what it is to be cringe in all possible formats. As an instructor with Solo Chicken, Hannah created and lead a novel musical improvisation course and assists in teaching multiple levels of traditional improvisation. Hannah is an emerging playwright with an interest in using musical comedy and absurdity to explore emotionally challenging subject matter. Off-stage, they work as a shelter and family veterinarian.

  • Sydney Hallett (she/her)

    Associate Artist
    Current involvement: Lead of Spirit Project FHS, Spirit Project Choreographer, Instructor

    Sydney Hallett is a dancer/actor/choreographer based in Fredericton, New Brunswick. She has a BA in Fine Arts and English (Drama) from St. Thomas University and has been training in physical theatre with Solo Chicken Productions since 2017. She works with various local companies as a dance/theatre-maker and educator and creates and produces her own dance works. She believes in the power of accessibility in arts as a tool to create more dynamic, thoughtful, interesting artistic spaces, processes, and performances. She has choreographed for St. Thomas University’s Musical Theatre Program, Theatre New Brunswick’s Theatre School, and had work featured in Connection Dance Works’ Perspective, Kinetic Studio’s Open Studio Series, and Carte Blanche Acadie. As a human, she enjoys spending time with friends on a sunny patio, going on adventures, and making delicious coffee.

  • Kaylee MacNeil (she/her)

    Associate Artist
    Current involvement: Co-Director of Spirit Project, Lead of Spirit Project Jr. LHHS

    Kaylee is a theatre artist, poet, and licensed make-up artist who loves drinking Dave Mathews and getting caught in the rain. Originally from Cape Breton Island, she uprooted herself in 2016 to attend St Thomas University and now holds a BA in Interdisciplinary Fine Arts and English with a concentration in Drama. She has had the pleasure of working with Solo Chicken Productions on the Spirit Project and other artistic endeavors since 2019. She is passionate about the transformative practice of inclusion in arts and facilitation and proudly runs Spirit Project Junior at Leo Hayes Highschool. You may recognize her face from various productions across town over the years OR from generally making a fool of herself in public. In her spare time, Kaylee loves camping, 'romantasy' novels, and giving her cats (Bliss and Baby) neck scratches.

Solo Chicken Board

  • Headshot of Alexa Higgins.

    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.

  • Headshot of Dr. Lynda Ross

    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.

  • Headshot of Sharisse LeBrun

    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.

  • Headshot of Wei-Qing Tan

    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

  • Headshot of Matt Steeves

    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.

  • Headshot of Patty Saad.

    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.