Meet the Cast of THE WOMEN – Peg Young is in the Ensemble!

What is your role in The Women? I am a member of the ensemble.  I have four roles.  I play Euphie, the maid at the Spa, a shop assistant and fitter at the dressmaker’s store and the dowager whose granddaughter has gotten drunk.  My biggest role is that of Maggie, Mary’s relatively new maid. She is a plain cook, chosen because Mary is worried about her husband’s diet.  Maggie is in a precarious position as a result of the possible break-up of the marriage of her employers. She will be let go and will need to find another place of employment. Despite her anxiety, she is down-to-earth and pragmatic. She is well aware of her position in life and takes a working-class view of the people she works for.  She will be okay, I’m sure.

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? I have a B.Ed. in English and Drama from The University of Alberta and worked as a Junior High Drama teacher for some years for Edmonton Public Schools.  After retiring, I went back to theatre school and was fortunate to be chosen to perform in A Christmas Carol at the Citadel Theatre for 12 seasons.  I played Auntie Norma  in Death Comes to Auntie Norma at the Walterdale and at the Edmonton Fringe. I was privileged to play Emily in The Sunset Syndrome again at the Walterdale and the Edmonton Fringe.

What brought you out for The Women? Catherine Wenschlag had directed me twice and I was interested in trying out for The Women when she told me she was directing it.

What do you think audiences will take away from the show? I hope that the audience is entertained, first of all. The set and costumes are phenomenal so it is visually appealing.  The story is set in the 1930s but the themes are timeless:  Women as friends, women as underhanded enemies, privileged women with no consideration for the lives of their servants, and women dependent on men for their well-being and security.

What is the most challenging obstacle that you think women have overcome in the last century? How much space do I have?  Seriously…..     Last century, gaining the vote was the most significant step forward towards independence.  The two major wars taught the world that women were no longer always to be slotted into domestic and subservient positions and could function as well as, or sometimes better than, men.  We still have a long way to go.  When I read the hateful comments aimed at women on social media, I sometimes despair. The most important issue in my mind today is the education of our children—especially our boys—about respect. All over the world, our daughters need to know that they have control over their bodies and minds.  All over the world, our boys need to know that they do not have control over the minds and bodies of girls.  Until there is true equality, there is no peace.

Meet the Cast of THE WOMEN – Roseanna Sargent is Mary!

What is your role in The Women? The role I play in this production is Mary. She is a high society lady, happily married with 2 wonderful children and life is rather enjoyable for her until she finds out her husband is having an affair. 

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale?  My first production at the Walterdale was part of the cradle to stage festival and I played Sophie the daughter of Emily, in The Sunset Syndrome which portrayed Emily’s inner turmoil and emotions of a women with dementia. This production was the first play I was a part of in Canada. I then went on to be apart of Lady Windermere’s Fan and got to wear the most beautiful dress.

What brought you out for the show?  I loved the idea of an all women cast and the play is just hilarious with some deeper meaning and issues that slowly arise throughout the story. It was a production that I knew would be awesome to be apart off.

Why should audiences come see this show? This play has all the emotions in it. You will laugh your head off one moment, nod your head with understanding the next and be sobbing within 10 minutes. The play is about women, in all societies and in all classes. It tells the story of friendship, betrayal and deals with real life issues that many women deal with every single day. There is so much depth to this play that most people will walk out with understanding, however what they exit with, will be entirely up to them.

What is the most challenging obstacle that you think women have overcome in the last century? I think the most challenging obstacle women have overcome this last century is the right to their body. History depicts women as secondary citizens who belonged to their father or husband with no voice and no control. The past 100 years has seen women grow and speak up and fight for equality in all areas. As a women living in a western society today I have a voice, I have a choice as to who I will marry, love, be apart of my family. I have opportunities that many women all over the world do not have. I am lucky and very grateful for this, but there are so many women and children who do not have a voice, who do not have control over their place in society, I think women have a long way to go to gain equality. I think women’s greatest challenge is uniting all women over the world and reaching a common ground that protects all women in all societies and cultures with respect to the variation of this world.

Meet the Cast of THE WOMEN – Katrina Kunkel is in the Ensemble!

What is your role in The Women? I get the opportunity as an ensemble member to play 1st Hairdresser, Princess Tamara, Miss Watts, and 2nd Girl. I am excited to play a variety of characters from varying social statuses and backgrounds who have differing beliefs of the world around them.

What is your background in theatre? In Edmonton? At Walterdale? This is my first performance with Walterdale! I took some drama classes at the University of Alberta and had the opportunity to perform in ABBEDAM and the New Works Festival at the University. I absolutely fell in love with the experience.
What brought you out for The Women? I was drawn to the story and the cast size and was intrigued that it would be an all female cast. I enjoyed my past theatre experiences and the support and sense of community that is created through being part of a production. I can say I definitely found that here!
What do you think audiences will take away from the show? Why do you think they should come and see it? While the play was written in 1936, it speaks to issues that are still prevalent in society today. While provoking laughter, the story also provokes a deeper reflection into the multiple facets of female relationships, societal privilege and entitlement, the position of women in society, and the judgment and support that comes from making personal choices. While the audience may or may not agree with the choices of the characters, it opens the door to create dialogue about how it compares or contrasts to each audience member’s own view of the world.
What do you think is the most important issue facing women today (in North America? Globally?)? Why? Control and choices over one’s own body and the sigma surrounding it. The problem is a global one and ranges from access to birth control, genital mutilation, safe abortions, to judgement regarding clothing choices. Many of the decisions surrounding women’s bodies are made with little or no input from women themselves or from the individual woman. Women, and everyone for that matter, should be able to feel safe making personal choices regarding their own body without judgement, discrimination, and harassment from others.