Lora Brovold’s parents were set on her becoming a lawyer. She decided to become a theatre actor instead. Her parents protested at first, but then encouraged her. “My dad always said to concentrate on dreams first,” says the soft-spoken thespian and producer.

It was decided that if she was going to be an actor, she was going to get a degree. Brovold moved from Ontario to Alberta to attend the University of Alberta’s drama program. She graduated in 2002 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, and she has been acting since, in both free and paid performances.

She also produces plays, an experience that “is hard work but empowering.” Brovold acknowledges acting is a tough market: Even though she has been acting since 2002, most directors want more experienced actors. As well, there aren’t many female roles, and some theatres in Edmonton don’t hold auditions.

At 27, this is the first year she hasn’t had to rely on a full-time job to support her acting. “It’s hard not to have a job, but it’s good because it gets your entrepreneurial brain in gear,” explains Brovold.

Success comes after four years of hard work; this year, she’s had major roles in Three Days of Rain and Hockey Stories for Boys. Her performance in Three Days of Rain earned her a nomination for an Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award.

In March, Brovold signed with an agent who should open up more opportunities for her in film, television and radio. In the next year, she would like to produce a play and will begin her four year apprenticeship to become an equity actor, which may help her to get more acting jobs.