Meet the Cast of LADY WINDERMERE’S FAN – Andy Mikula is Mr. Dumby

andy-mikulaWhat is your role in this production? I play Mr. Dumby, who is variously described as ‘ridiculous’ and ‘an absolute brute’, but is really just trying to do his best to succeed in this demmed thing we call ‘society’, for better or worse.

What is your background in theatre? I got involved in theatre during high school, where I played some part, big or small, in fourteen productions over the course of three years. In the years since, I have not been nearly so prolific. My last appearance on stage was as Michael in Sex Lives of Superheroes for the Stage Struck festival in 2013.

What brought you out for this show? Why did you want to be a part of it? I’ve always loved Oscar Wilde’s writing, and I find it fascinating that what was his idea of satire and modern society more than a hundred years ago isn’t too far off from today. Of course, we might be dressed a bit differently, but the sentiments are the same.
Why do you think audiences should come and see this show? First of all, it’s just a great story, with a little bit of everything. Love, jokes, insults – what more can you ask for? Secondly, the costumes. We all look pretty fantastic, if I do say so myself.
What has been the most fun so far working on the show? The most challenging thing? Absolutely, without a question, the best part of working on the show has been the people. I don’t have a lot of experience in the community theatre scene in Edmonton, but everyone has been fantastic, and I couldn’t imagine a better reason to wake up for a 9:00 AM rehearsal on a Saturday morning.
 What is your favorite Oscar Wilde quote?“The world is a stage, but the play is badly cast.” (Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime and Other Stories)

Introducing the Cast and Creative Team of QUEEN MILLI OF GALT

4MilliCast:

Milli: Stephanie O’Neill
Edward: Owen Emblau
Mona: Lauren Tamke
Mrs. Milroy: Anne-Marie Smyth
Godfrey: Robert Klakowich

Production Team:

Liz Cook – Director
Paula Blanco Longa – Assistant Director
Anne Marie Szucs – Mentor Director
Laura Young – Stage Manager
Glenn Cook – Production Manager
Catherine Wenschlag – Mentor PM
Jim Herchak – Set Designer
Roy Jackson – Lighting Designer
Phil Kreisel – Sound Designer
Geri Dittrich – Costume Designer
Karin Lauderdale – Costume Ass’t/Assigned DoP
Alayna Hunchak – Props Master
Assistant Stage Manager – TBA
Lighting Operator – TBA
Sound Operator – TBA
Richard Hatfield – Master Builder
Joan Hawkins – Master Painter
Kimberly North – Assistant Painter

Meet the cast of LADY WINDERMERE’S FAN – Patrick Maloney is Lord Windermere!

patrickWhat is your role in this production? I’m playing Lord Windermere in this production. He’s an austere traditionalist man who deeply loves his wife.

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? I’ve been involved in theatre since elementary school. Recently I graduation from Grant McEwan’s Theatre Arts program. Last Spring I appeared in Sunset Syndrome for Walterdale’s From Cradle to Stage Festival.

What brought you out for this show? What drew you to it? I heard about the audition for the show from a friend! I was a little asleep at the wheel! It’s Oscar Wilde! How could I pass that up! He’s one of the great wits.

What should audiences expect from the show? Audiences should expect a hilarious evening of theatre where an assortment of British upper crust experience problems we can identify with to this day.

What has been the most fun thing about working on this show for you? Sussing out all the closet nerds on the cast (there’s lots of us!). The most challenging? Hardest part is maintaining posture. It puts a hurt on you.

Favorite Oscar Wilde quote? “I have nothing to declare but my genius.”

Meet the Cast of LADY WINDERMERE’S FAN – Miranda Broumas is Lady Windermere

1047556Who are you and what is your role in Lady Windermere’s Fan? My name is Miranda Broumas, and I’m playing Lady Windermere.

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? I took drama, advanced acting, and oral communication classes from junior high through post-secondary. In 2013, I retired from competitive and professional dance to focus my extracurricular efforts on theatre. 2016 roles include Lucy in Raine (New Works Festival 2016), Cunningham in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (University of Alberta), and Dawn in Seven Lost Minutes (35th Annual Edmonton Fringe Festival). Lady Windermere’s Fan will be my first production at Walterdale Theatre.

What brought you out for this show? Why did you want to be a part of it? I’m a big fan of Oscar Wilde, a major nerd for Victorian literature, and I liked the challenge of learning a proper English accent. Lady Windermere is also a rather interesting character to play. She and I share distaste for egocentric and smug people, but we differ in that she holds very black-and-white views. Personal growth and maturity entail learning at least some level of elasticity, and it’s really fun to navigate that journey with her.

Why should audiences check out the show? Lady Windermere’s Fan brilliantly juxtaposes the amusing and the serious, putting a comedic and melodramatic twist on themes that everyone can relate to. If you’ve ever felt pressure to uphold reputation, save face, or create the illusion that everything is fine when it really isn’t; if you’ve ever witnessed hypocrisy, felt burdened by social mores and conformity, or faced social ostracism at school or work; if you’ve ever withheld information to protect someone you love, or experienced the joyous complexity of family and romantic relationships, then you’ll surely identify with a character or two. Plus, it’s written by Oscar Wilde…how could you miss it?

What has been the most fun part of working on the show? Among a host of other aspects, like our fantastic team, I’d say the costumes are a pretty fun part of the show. The play takes place at a time in history when manners and mannerisms were held to the highest standard – when folks scrutinized over every minute detail of their posture, breath, and physical interactions with others. When the ladies started rehearsing in corsets, long trains and character shoes, you could really see life breathed into our characters (while the oxygen was simultaneously pushed out of our lungs) – everybody’s spines straightened and upper lips stiffened just a bit more. It’s also pretty entertaining to see the gentlemen commit to period-appropriate facial hair.

Favourite Oscar Wilde quote: Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.”

Meet the Cast of LADY WINDERMERE’S FAN – Craig Sephton is Mr. Hopper