Q with Tom Power Playwright Marlene Ginader wants to diversify serial killing
Mar 31, 2026
Marlene Ginader, a Vancouver-based actor and playwright, wrote and stars in the satirical solo show Canadian Psycho. She explains why she set out to 'diversify' the serial killer narrative. She examines the model minority myth and representation in media. She discusses using dark comedy, songs from true crime interviews, and solo-performance routines to spark conversations.
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Play Started From A Joke About Mindhunter
- Canadian Psycho began as a joke Ginader told while watching Mindhunter about playing famous male killers herself.
- That one-off joke evolved into a solo satirical play she writes and stars in to explore deeper themes.
Diversifying Serial Killers As Representation Critique
- Marlene Ginader uses the absurd premise of diversifying serial killers to critique broader representation issues in media.
- Framing it as satire lets her push boundaries and explore who gets to be seen, mythologized, or villainized in stories.
Model Minority Myth Framed Through Shock
- Ginader connects the model minority myth to restrictive expectations placed on Asian people, like not disrupting authority or committing crimes.
- She imagined the ultimate takedown by having a character do something shocking to upend that notion.