Author: Kristen Finlay

Introducing the Cast and Creative Team of FOLLIES!

CAST:6Follies
SALLY DURANT PLUMMER -Leslie Caffaro
PHYLLIS ROGERS STONE – Monica Roberts
BUDDY PLUMMER – Dustin Berube
BENJAMIN STONE – Gavin Belik
YOUNG SALLY – Tia Yakubowich
YOUNG PHYLLIS – Veronica Masik
YOUNG BUDDY – Allan Cabral de Sa
YOUNG BEN – Aidan Spila
CARLOTTA CAMPION – Kristen M. Finlay
STELLA DEEMS – Joyanne Rudiak
HATTIE WALKER – Karin Thomas
SOLANGE LAFITTE – Jackie Lotery
EMILY WHITMAN – Stacey Grubb
THEODORE WHITMAN – Kent Sutherland
HEIDI SCHILLER – Erin Foster-O’Riordan
DIMITRI WEISMANN/ROSCOE – Morgan Smith
KEVIN (waiter) – Aaron Schaan
Ensemble: Austin Kumar. Michael Watt, Aaron Schaan, Carol Chu, Alyssa Paterson, Stephanie Swensrude, Kayleigh Teatrault, Nadia Small, Christine Maydew

PRODUCTION TEAM
Director/Choreographer – Barbara Mah
Music Director – Michael Clark
Stage Manager – Phil Kreisel
Production Manager – MJ Kreisel
Assistant Choreographer – Christine Maydew
Costume Designer – Karin Lauderdale
Set Designer – David Folk
Lighting Designer – Brad Melrose
Properties Manager – Debbie Tyson
ASM – Danielle Szeponski
Set Builder – Richard Hatfield
ASM – Steven Sobolewski
Sound Designer – Marika Friesen
Live sound (mics) – Tim Friesen
Light Operator – John Anderson
Sound Operator – Christina O’Dell
Set Painter – Karlie Christie

From Cradle to Stage 2017 – Cast Announcement

 

5CradleGuenevere by John Richardson 

Guenevere: Miranda Broumas
Chorus: Sarah Spicer, Brooklyn Melnyk, and Erin Forwick-Whalley
Percival/Mordred: Jesse Harlton
Lancelot: Derek Kaye
King Arthur: Kohl Littlechilds
Bedivere: Austin Kumar
Elaine of Astelot: Catherine Wenschlag

Portrait of a Family Dinner by Tessa Simpson

 Basil: Amir Shah
Kristy: Vina Nguyen
Dorian: Julian Stamer
Sybil: Samantha Woolsey
Victoria: Anglia Redding
Chris: Rebecca Ponting

Production Team 

Festival Coordinator: Vlady Peychoff
Guenevere Director: Eric Smith
Portrait Director: Laura Ly
Portrait Mentor Director:  Bethany Hughes
Guenevere Stage Manager: Rebecca Sokoluik
Production Manager: Catherine Wenschlag
Set Designer/Head of Paint: Joan Hawkins
Costume Designer: Jaimie Lievers
Lighting Designer: Karlie Christie
Sound Designer: Nicholas Juba
Master Builder: Alan Westen
Costume Mentor:   Geri Dittrich

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

Meet the Cast of LADY WINDERMERE’S FAN – Marsha Amanova is Mrs. Erlynne

marsha-amanova-headshotWhat is your role in this production? I am playing that woman, Mrs. Erlynne. An outsider, she is regarded with curiosity and suspicion, and is the subject of a great deal of gossip — much, but not all, deserved. She is a wanton woman who is currently struggling to overcome her past and make her way back into society – by any means necessary! Mrs. Erlynne is charming and clever and adept at manipulating people to get what she wants.
What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? I feel like I’ve been performing my whole life, although I didn’t really become involved in theatre in Edmonton until I joined a theatre troupe at University (The Nice Wantons), and I auditioned at Walterdale for the first time in 2004, for Cyrano de Bergerac (ensemble). Other memorable Walterdale roles have been Procne in The Love of the Nightingale (2012), and Ruth in Blithe Spirit (2014). I’ve also directed a few one-acts for Cradle to Stage, and was a Board Member for four years.
What brought you out for this show? Why did you want to be a part of it? I reconnected with Oscar Wilde’s work in preparation for a visit to Dublin last year, and when I read Lady Windermere’s Fan I was taken with the thought of playing Mrs. Erlynne. She’s a fascinating character and and I thought she’d be a lot of fun to play on stage. When I heard Walterdale was producing the play this season, I knew I’d have to audition.
Why do you think audiences should come and see this show? Escape the dark days of Edmonton’s winter and join us in Victorian London! There will be beauty and comedy and some food for thought, as the play examines and critiques ideas of society and morality and gender.
What has been the most fun so far working on the show? The most challenging thing? Wilde’s script is both fun and challenging for me! I love his wit and his writing, but that doesn’t make the words much easier to memorize. It’s so important to get the lines exactly right. Another fun challenge is the costumes – our wardrobe department is overflowing with talent, and they build beautiful pieces that I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to wear, but it takes a lot of practice and concentration to be able to move gracefully in heels, corsets and big dresses! The most fun of all, of course, is working with yet another fabulous cast and crew. While I’ve previously worked with most of the production team, I was surprised that I had never worked with any of the cast before. That’s one of the things I love about Walterdale: the mix of dedicated people who’ve been around for years and those who are just discovering this amazing community.
What is your favorite Oscar Wilde quote? 
“Things are because we see them, and what we see, and how we see it, depends on the Arts that have influenced us.”
― Oscar Wilde, The Decay of Lying

Meet the Team of LADY WINDERMERE’S FAN – Martin Stout is the Director!

martin-stoutWho are you and what is your role on this production? Martin Stout – Director

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? I have no formal drama training at all, but lots of experience. I was variously actor, producer and director with Beaumont Drama Society in dozens of shows over fifteen years. The highlight was performing in The Mikado as Lord High Executioner at the Winspear.  At Walterdale I had roles in The Country Wife, The Taming of the Shrew & Blithe Spirit and I was Assistant Director on Ravenscroft.

Why did you want to direct this show? It’s not only Oscar Wilde’s wittiest play but also his most biting social satire. And, I can resist everything except costume drama. I wanted to fill the stage with beautiful ladies in corsets and dashing gentlemen in tailcoats, and then revel in their epigrammatic interplay.

Why do you think audiences should come and see this show? We have an immensely talented cast, wearing beautiful costumes, performing a theatrical classic on a fantastic set! So it will be gorgeous to look at and scintillating to listen to. It should certainly enthrall anybody who enjoyed “Downton Abbey”, “Sherlock Holmes” or even “Poldark”. But it is not often performed, so this may be your only chance to see it for a long time.

What has been the most fun so far working on the show?  The best part for me is watching my actors take written words from a page and breathe life into them, to create really believable characters. As part of that, we had a lot of fun doing a workshop with Barb Mah on manners, deportment and dance. The cast were gradually transformed into Lords and Ladies from 1892.

The most challenging thing? The biggest challenge has been to create a set that can be rapidly changed from Lady Windermere’s rooms to Lord Darlington’s chambers and then back again within the constraints of space, time and budget. Luckily I had the marvellous talents of my designer, builder and painter, who have more than risen to the challenge and created a fabulous evocation of two grand Victorian interiors. Now I’m looking forward to lighting it.

What is your favorite Oscar Wilde quote? “…there is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.” – The Picture of Dorian Gray

Meet the Cast of LADY WINDERMERE’S FAN – Dan Fessenden is Lord Darlington

fessendenWho are you and who do you play? My name is Dan Fessenden and I play the suave and debonair Lord Darlington.

What is your background in theatre?  I am excited to return for my second show at the Walterdale. Last year I was in Ravenscroft.

What brought you out for this show? I love Walterdale Theatre! I’ve seen lots of shows and have wanted to be on the stage for a while. Last year was my first one which was the culmination of that goal! There’s a lot of room for growth as an actor, and I’m happy to have another chance to do so. I’m also excited to be working with many of the same talented cast and crew at the Walterdale again!

What is the most enjoyable thing about working on this production? The entire production is full of some excellently talented and creative people. We’ve had a lot of fun putting together the show and I think that will come across for anyone who comes to see it. The script itself is full of great lines and moments!

What is the most challenging thing?  One of the most interesting things for me by far has been the fact that my character is not actually the character I relate most to in the story. So playing this other person has been both fun and challenging.
Got a favourite Oscar Wilde quote? “The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple”