ABOUT
Jan Alexandra Smith is an actor, director and instructor based in Stratford, Ontario. She trained at the University of Alberta and has honed her technique over 30 years as a theatre artist.
Having played many major roles across Canada, she has become well known for integrating strong physical skill with vocal versatility and emotional honesty.
As a director and choreographer, Jan has also staged outstanding productions ranging from mysteries to musicals, and contemporary to classical.
She has enjoyed return engagements with the Shaw Festival, Theatre Calgary, Vertigo Theatre, The Citadel, The Royal Alex, Charlottetown Festival, Thousand Islands Playhouse, Royal Manitoba Theatre Center and The Grand. Jan also voices several popular characters in video games such as BioWare’s Mass Effect and DragonAge.
Beyond theatre, she is an accomplished home renovator, yoga student and teacher, dog mum, cat mum, and has recently completed culinary training at Conestoga College in Waterloo, Ontario.
Jan Alexandra Smith gives her riveting presence force, not to mention Shakespearean dimensions, in a sizzling performance. She has a take-charge glare that could torch a barn a county away. You can’t take your eyes off her, and you’d be wise not to. In her first entrance she stands down a gang like she was scolding a recalcitrant class.
Liz Nicholls
Edmonton Journal
Smith is not an excellent Scrooge because she’s a woman, she’s an excellent Scrooge full stop.
Courtney Lee Church
Stratford Festival Reviews
Smith, who starred earlier in the Grand’s season as the miserable Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, the sombre Mrs. Ross in The Wars and the vengeful Johannah Donnelly in Vigilante, proved again why she’s one of this country’s great stage talents with a playful, sexy turn as Tanya.
Joe Belanger
London Free Press
