What is your role in The Women? I am playing Edith Potter. She is new money and doesn’t quite fit in with her high society friends. She is often saying or doing the wrong things, but it doesn’t phase her at all. She is perpetually pregnant, always eating, and a total blast to play.What is your background in theatre? In Edmonton? At Walterdale? I took drama classes in school but haven’t really done much since. A few years ago I started taking vocal lessons with Edmonton Vocal Arts. That inspired me to get involved with acting again and since then I’ve taken courses at the Foote Theatre and became involved with Actor’s Gym. I worked as assistant stage manager on Boeing Boeing at the Walterdale a few years ago and I loved it. I am very excited to be working with Walterdale again, this time in front of the curtain.
What brought you out for The Women? I had a great time working on the last show I was involved with at the Walterdale, and I thought it would be the perfect place to get back into theatre. I was also very interested in being a part of an all female production, and have had an amazing time working with all of these hilarious and incredibly talented women.
What do you think audiences will take away from the show? Why do you think they should come and see it? I hope they laugh their asses off but then go home afterwards and think ‘damn that’s real’. Our director Catherine Wenschlag has done an incredible job of bringing this show into our century and creating situations and relationships that are still relevant and real in our current society. I think on the surface our show is very funny and will have audiences laughing, but at the core it is a very insightful glimpse into women’s roles in society and the complexities of female friendships. Other women can be our best friends and our greatest enemies.
What do you think is the most important issue facing women today (in North America? Globally?)? Why? I think one of the biggest obstacles women continue to face today is sexual harassment, especially in the work place. We have witnessed the downfall of many powerful male celebrities over the past few months due to sexual harassment claims and charges. Sadly this is not new, it’s just finally being talked about by the media. Women have been dealing with this for decades, forced to remain silent for fear of losing their jobs, being judged, or worse not being believed. It’s about time people are finally talking about it, and taking steps to fight it. It’s beautiful the way women are banding together to support each other. But this fight is not over, and it won’t be until women are in a place where they feel safe and comfortable to come forward about sexual harassment in their work place, or god forbid when we live in a time where women no longer have to face that abuse at all.