Author: Kristen Finlay

Straight Edge Theatre presents Bat Boy: The Musical at The 2016 Edmonton Fringe

Bat Boy photosBat Boy: The Musical features the following Walterdale Alumni:

Nadine Veroba – Actor
Amanda Neufeld – Director
Molly Mackinnon – Actor
Bethany Hughes – Producer
Bat Boy: The Musical is the hilariously irreverent and satirical musical based on the widely popular 90s tabloid article from The Weekly World News featuring a half-man and half-bat boy found in the cave and on the run from government officials. Set in the backwards hick town of Hope Falls in West Virginia coal mining district, Bat Boy: The Musical tells the tale of the titular Bat Boy when, after being discovered feral and savage by a trio of spelunking hooligan teenagers, is given over to the care of the towns local veterinarian (Dr. Parker), for a lack of a better solution. The Parker begin the task of to assimilate the Bat Boy (whom they name Edgar) to human life and, most importantly, civilized culture. Edgar proves himself to be a quick study in language, education and decorum (thanks to some old BBC video tapes), and Dr. Parker’s wife and daughter soon find themselves forming a close bond with the boy much to the Doctors discontent.
Will Edgar ever find acceptance and friendship in a town that fears and distrusts him?
Will he ever find companionship or even love?
And will he ever be able to control his insatiable need for human blood?! 
Bat Boy: The Musical will reveal all and so much more in this hilarious rock/pop musical romp which serves as a brilliant theatrical metaphor for the dangers of prejudice, intolerance, and provincialism while dealing with the controversial subject matter of rape, incest, and domestic abuse. Prepare to be amazed and offended!
La Cite – Venue 39 8627 Rue Marie-Anne Gaboury
Shows:
Aug 11, 11:15pm
Aug 12, 10:15pm
Aug 13, 8:30pm
Aug 14, 1:00pm
Aug 15, 9:45pm
Aug 16, 8:00pm
Aug 17, 6:00pm
Aug 18, 2:00pm
Aug 19, 9:45pm

Tickle Trunk Productions Presents CONFESSIONS OF A MIDDLE AGED DRAMA QUEEN

521_Confessions_of_a_Middle_Aged_Drama_Queen-1468524130276-eb3e85ddbaa1fe095128023effa3c454a8d4ab10-256wTo be or not to be a Drama Queen…. that is the question!

Confessions of a Middle Aged Drama Queen, a new work by Walterdale member, Erika Conway, is a comedy about self discovery, overcoming obstacles and managing a desire to meet a hot strapping fireman! Erika has always had a deep desire to see more women in roles for theatre and film so she decided the best way to do this was to start creating opportunities herself.

Location:
Varscona Hotel on Whyte
8208 106 Street Northwest, Edmonton

Show dates and times:
August 11 8:00pm August 17 8:00pm
August 12 2:00pm, 8:00pm August 18 8:00pm
August 13 2:00pm, 8:00pm August 19 2:00pm, 8:00pm
August 14 2:00pm, 8:00pm August 20 2:00pm, 8:00pm
August 16 8:00pm August 21 2:00pm, 8:00pm

Confessions of A Middle Aged Drama Queen is the story of Madelyn Sharp who wants nothing more than to be loved and adored. Her quirky ways, imagination and perspective on life has saved her from going to the dark side too often but also finds her in very unique experiences. Reality and her dreams just don’t get along……and this is the struggle she faces as she makes her way to discovering what is on the other side of the door.

Erika was formerly seen at Walterdale in Much Ado About Nothing and And Then The Lights Went Out.

Introducing the Cast and Creative Team for RED by John Logan

1RedRed
By John Logan
Directed by Bethany Hughes
On Stage: October 12-22, 2016

John Logan’s Red follows the apprenticeship of Ken, a young painter, under the volatile and famous abstract expressionist Mark Rothko.  He mixes paint, runs errands, and clean s brushes, but he ends up being the audience for Rothko’s beliefs about art and the world.  When Rothko is commissioned to produced a grand piece of art, Ken turns the table of Rothko and his beliefs.

“There is only one thing I fear in life, my friend… One day the black will swallow the red.”

Cast:
Rothko – Mark Finlay
Ken – Ben Osgood

Creative Team:
Director – Bethany Hughes
Mentor Director – Sarah Van Tassel
Stage Manager – Anglia Redding
Production Manager – Catherine Wenschlag
Set Designer – Joan Hawkins
Light Designer – Brad Melrose
Sound Designer – Daniel Belland
Costume Designer – Geri Dittrich
Props Manager – TBA
Assistant Stage Manager – TBA
LX Operator – Laura Ly
Sound Operator – TBA
Master Builder – Alan Westen
Master Painter – TBA

Meet the Cast of CHESS – Kate Wylie is Svetlana!

SvetlanaWhat is your role in Chess? I am playing the character of Svetlana, Anatoly’s (the Russian Chess Champion) wife. She faces a lot of struggles including being a woman in communist Russia and dealing with a dying marriage. Her future is very uncertain through much of the production.

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? I grew up doing theatre – musical theatre in particular. I am a graduate of the MacEwan Theatre Arts Program, although in those days it was Grant MacEwan College. When I moved back to Edmonton from Toronto after a very long hiatus from theatre, I did my first production at the Walterdale – Nine. I then had another opportunity to work with the amazing Kristen Finlay and Sally Hunt again on The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with ELOPE theatre. Since then I have been away from the theatre completing my MBA. It feels great to be back at  Walterdale!

What brought you out for this show? What drew you to it? I grew up listening to the LP of the original concept album of Chess. I am definitely showing my age when I say it was an LP! It has always been one of my favourite musicals. The music is fantastic and full of interesting layers. In spite of the fact that it is such an amazing show, it rarely gets produced. Because of that, I had to jump at the chance to do it. Lucky for me, our lovely director was willing to accommodate my rather crazy schedule, which included a study tour in Europe during the rehearsal period. Thanks again for that Kristen!

Why do you think audiences should come see this show? What do you think they will take away from it? The music first and foremost! There are such great tunes in this show. The show also provides an interesting journey back into the years of the Cold War. The 1980’s do not seem like they were that long ago but the world has changed an absolutely incredible amount since then. It’s fascinating looking back.

Chess is a Board Game… What’s your favorite Board Game? Why? Got any funny game-playing stories? My favourite game to play is Cribbage. I grew up in rural Saskatchewan, where everyone plays Crib and my great-grandmother (G.G. we called her) taught us all to play, usually around the tender age of 8. She was ruthless! She would steal your points if you didn’t count them right. Needless to say you learned how to count properly pretty quickly! My husband and I also played Crib on our first date….maybe that sounds lame and I should be ashamed to admit it but it was sweet and fun. I won both games – he’ll claim he let me win but knowing how competitive he is there’s no way that’s true!

Meet the Cast of CHESS – Alyssa Paterson is in the Ensemble

Meet the Cast of CHESS – Melanie Lafleur is The Arbiter

sHeadshot5BandWWhat is your role in the production? I will be portraying the role of The Arbiter in Chess. As the official representative of the World Chess Organization, The Arbiter is responsible for all actions that take place during each chess match. The Arbiter is judge and jury, making the final call on all items related to the game and it’s participants. In short, I am the boss.

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? I have been singing, dancing and performing as long as I can remember. I have had the opportunity to perform on a variety of stages both in professional and community settings. I returned to the stage last year after a 9 year hiatus. Chess marks my second performance with the Walterdale, last seen all the way back in 2001.

What brought you out for this show? What drew you to it? I remember discovering this show first when I was in high school and falling in love the the intricate music and dark, yet moving story. I was excited when I heard the Walterdale was planning the production and decided early on that I would love a chance to sing some of the rock-infused music!

Why do you think audiences should come see this show? What do you think they will take away from it? Chess tells the story of a significant time in human history. The names and places may differ from our reality, but the themes are everlasting. The struggles and ideological differences these character face are universal no matter what the issues being discussed. I hope the audience is reminded that home is where the heart is. And that the greatest sacrifice we can make is to give of ourselves completely.

Chess is a Board Game… What’s your favorite Board Game? Why? Got any funny game-playing stories? My favorite game is Skip-Bo! I love card games. My best friend and I have played the game so much that we even have our own rules! Some that involve new positions such as “Skip-Bo Fairy” and “Shuffle Queen”. I have always enjoyed strategy games and have been known to play a round or two of Chess myself.

Meet the Cast of CHESS – Katelyn Arthurs is in the Ensemble

What is your role in the production? I am in the ensemble, so I wear several different hats during the show – Russian, American, Thai Woman, CIA, and so on and so forth! I love the fact that you get so much variety during each show in who you’re playing, and I’m also loving the new challenge of trying to sing the alto lines in the music. Oh… and also trying to sing said alto parts in Hungarian.

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? I’ve been involved with community theatre ever since I was a kid. It was a natural outlet for me so my parents could subject other people to my spontaneous song and dance numbers. I was lucky enough to discover the Walterdale shortly after moving to Edmonton in 2006, and haven’t looked back. It’s a great organization and a wonderful place to learn and experiment.

What brought you out for this show? What drew you to it? Firstly, I love working with Kristen (our director) every chance I get! Secondly, once I checked out the music I was hooked.

Why do you think audiences should come see this show? What do you think they will take away from it? It’s not your conventional musical. It’s very contemporary and doesn’t shy away from real-world issues. There’s no “musical-world bubble”. Also, the music is OUTSTANDING and we have a fantastic cast to showcase it. You will probably get goosebumps more than once during this show! The good kind, we promise.

Chess is a board game… What’s your favourite board game and why? I’m a die-hard Monopoly girl. I like to think I have a head for strategy, but it’s mostly just luck.Capture As far as why, who doesn’t like having that much money (even if it’s fake) at their disposal? Why yes, I will buy both those railways!

Meet the Cast of CHESS – Lauren Pearson is Florence!

sHeadshot1ABandWWhat is your role in Chess? I play Florence. She is the chess second to the American chess champion, Freddie Trumper. She is a brilliant chess player in her own right but unfortunately, at the time the play is set, women were not chess champions. Florence has the difficult job of navigating Freddy’s emotions and ego while at the World Chess Championships. At the same time, she is also realizing that she should start putting herself first.

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? I grew up taking dancing, singing and acting lessons. I was very involved in the theatre throughout school. In university I obtained my BFA in Stage Management and worked on a few shows at the Citadel before going to law school. This is my first time being involved in a Walterdale show and I am really enjoying it. I haven’t been on stage in ten years and this is my first musical! However, my family and I are avid karaoke singers and we love to perform at all kinds of dingy karaoke bars.

What brought you out for this show? What drew you to it? Throughout my musical theatre training I always knew of Chess because of its beautiful music and amazing solos. I sang “Someone Else’s Story” at a the Kiwanis Music Festival years ago. It only happened by chance that I checked the Walterdale audition notice website and saw that Chess was going up. I knew instantly that I had to be a part of the production.

Why do you think audiences should come see this show? What do you think they will take away from it? The music is powerful and beautiful. The cast is incredible and we have a very strong ensemble. It sounds like an angel choir at times. Come for the music, stay for the compelling and heartbreaking story.

Chess is a Board Game… What’s your favorite Board Game? I love playing Cranium because it’s has multiple games in one: Pictionary, Trivia and Charades. I mostly like trivia games, to see what useless knowledge I’ve collected over the years. These days, I play a lot of games on my phone instead of on a board though. It’s a terrible habit!

Photo Credit: Janine Hodder

Meet the Cast of CHESS – Todd Hauck is Anatoly

Headshot3BandWWhat is your role in CHESS? I’m playing Anatoly, the Russian chess champion.  He is passionate and thoughtful, and has dedicated his entire life to the game of chess. He hates the politics and propaganda that he constantly has to deal with and wishes he could be free of those distractions, allowing him to simply concentrate on the game.   Not long after meeting Florence, his opponent’s second, the two fall in love.  His love for Florence forces him to make some very difficult choices throughout the show.

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? I’ve been involved in theatre for about 5 years now, and absolutely love it!  I have made some of the best friends I have ever had through theatre, and I’m constantly amazed by what wonderful people the Edmonton theater community is made of. I have never had the pleasure of doing a show at Walterdale, but have seen many shows here and wanted to perform here for years. I can’t wait!

 What brought you out for this show? What drew you to it? I had the pleasure of working with Sally Hunt (our musical director) on a show a couple of years ago, so when I heard her speaking about this show I immediately looked into it, and instantly fell in love with the amazing music, story, and characters.  Anatoly is such a pleasure to play, and his songs are some of the best that I have ever had the chance to learn.

 Why do you think audiences should come see this show? What do you think they will take away from it? The music is really amazing, with examples of thus about every style all wrapped up into one show.  Classic musical theatre, pop songs, ballads, rap…  It’s all in there and beautifully written.  The cast is packed with truly gifted performers, all working very hard to bring this show to life, and I think audiences will be blown away with what they see and hear.

Chess is a Board Game… What’s your favorite Board Game? Why? Got any funny game-playing stories? We have recently began having some family Monopoly games, and my kids have a ball playing it.  Last time we had a game my middle daughter Lilly went so far as to prepare herself by applying war paint to her face before we started! It was hilarious!

Meet the Team of Chess – John Anderson is the Assistant Stage Manager!

john andersonWhat is your role on the production?  I am the Assistant Stage Manager for Chess. That means, during the performances, I’ll be doing work behind the curtains, Wizard of Oz style (but with much less authority, Cowardly Lion style). You might even see me briefly come on stage, when the lights go down, helping the cast change the set for the next scene.

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? I was previously the Assistant Stage Manager on Walterdale’s production of Jenny’s Story. That was a great experience, and I had a lot of fun with the cast and crew. So far, Chess is shaping up to be just as fun.

What brought you out for this show? What drew you to it? If I could, I’d volunteer to participate in every Walterdale show, but, unfortunately, the majority of the season takes place at the same time as basketball season. Like Jenny’s Story, Chess is on stage in the summertime—the off-season for all us hardwood ballers—so volunteering for the summer shows is my chance to re-connect with the theatre community that I have to miss for most of the year.

Why do you think audiences should come see this show? What do you think they will take away from it? For one, the cast. I mean, I’ve been watching these guys almost every night, and I can tell you, you’re going to feel some real feels at this show. Also, I think the audience will really enjoy the song-and-dance element of this show. The music has a lot of heart to it, and our talented cast will be doing these songs justice. You’ll be humming some of these songs at intermission, and at work the next day. The script is nothing to sneeze at either. I’ve found in the past that the story for some musicals tends to just be cliché fluff that fills the air between songs, but not with Chess. I read the script the other week, and was surprised by how subtle and thoughtful its story could be, particularly the ending, which will satisfy your Entertain-Me-Now!! wants, as well as provoke some real discussion, as your group gets a post-play drink. At the end of the day, it’s an unusually thoughtful plot for a musical that’s full of great songs, performed by an ensemble that’s willing and able to give you their all. That’s real entertainment, right there. What more could you want?

Chess is a Board Game… What’s your favorite Board Game? Why? Got any funny game-playing stories? I don’t think Jenga really counts as a board game, so I’ll have to give the highly coveted Favorite-Board-Game award to Chess. My dad taught me the game, when I was six, and I used to play it often at lunchtime in my elementary daycare. Once, in an impressive campaign of skill and strategy, I took home third place in my age group at a city tournament (Reluctant real life admission: there were only four kids in my age group at the tournament, and I think the fourth kid went home sick halfway through… Whatever, though).