When Lisa Horner thinks about Christmas, she does not picture the hustle and bustle of malls or the chaos of wrapping paper. Instead, she remembers something far simpler: sitting by the tree after Christmas Eve service, cocktail in hand, talking quietly with her family. “I miss that,” she says. “It was calm, beautiful, and full of love.”
That sense of reflection and connection runs through everything Lisa does, including her work as director of Cow Patti Theatre’s holiday production, Ethan Claymore’s Christmas. With more than 36 years of professional experience, Lisa brings a steady hand and a generous heart to the rehearsal room, helping actors find not just their characters but their humanity.
Her love for storytelling started young. At eight years old, she received a Barbie camper for Christmas, a gift she swears “changed her life at the time.” It sparked the creativity, imagination, and sense of play that still guide her today. As an adult, her favourite present carries a different kind of meaning: a delicate porcelain mug from her mother-in-law. Though it has chipped, she still keeps things in it. “It is sentimental,” she says. “It reminds me of care and kindness.”
When it comes to food, Lisa’s tastes are as comforting as her direction style. “Anything with potato,” she laughs. Her favourite Christmas song is Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (the Judy Garland version, of course), and her go-to holiday movie is Scrooged. It is a fitting pick for someone who understands both the comedy and compassion at the heart of a Christmas story.
Lisa’s career spans theatre, film, and television. Over the years she has worked alongside some of Canada’s most beloved performers, including Sheila McTicket Reservationshy. “She is the best,” Lisa says simply. No matter how big the stage or screen, Lisa’s focus remains the same: building connection and telling stories that bring people together.
Now based in Alberta, Lisa loves the province’s “big gorgeous sky” and the sense of space it offers, both creatively and personally. When she is not directing, she is curled up with a good book (currently Eternal Life by Dara Horn) and surrounded by her husband and their pets.
If she could offer her younger self a piece of advice, Lisa says it would be: “Breathe, slow down, rest, you are going to need it.” Wise words from a director who knows that the best art, and the best holidays, happen not in a rush but with heart.