Author: Kristen Finlay

Meet the Cast of SILENT SKY – Lauren Hughes plays Henrietta Leavitt!

Lauren Hughes

Who are you and what is your role in Silent Sky? I am Lauren Hughes, and I am playing Henrietta Leavitt. She is a total hero in the astronomy world of the early 1900’s, and also an absolute fireball in this play. Fun fact: She and I share a birthday! 

What is your background in theatre? I recently graduated the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting degree at the University of Alberta. I received extensive training there for performance, and am excited to work in this intimate space.  

What brought you out for this show? I am deeply fascinated by people of history, and the playwright’s adaptation of these people’s lives is especially beautiful and fun. I also worked with (director) Kim Mattice Wanat in university, and was drawn by the opportunity to work with her! 

Why should people come and see Silent Sky? This show is remarkably human. It fleshes out these people to remind us that that is what they were: people. It’s easy to disconnect from the names we read in textbooks, but these women did incredible things that seem completely impossible. It’s beautiful to remember their discoveries, that we may take for granted today, and how much work, and bravery it demanded of them to accomplish. 

Silent Sky deals with women scientists whose contributions to science have been overlooked. Who is your favourite overlooked woman scientist? Mary Anning was a woman who lived in the coastal town of Lyme Regis, England in the early 19th century. Her family and herself searched for and sold fossils to support themselves. When Mary was 12, she found the first full dinosaur skeleton ever discovered, which was of the Icthyosaurus (a sea dinosaur) which is now known to date back 200 million years.  After this discovery, she spent her whole life searching for more, with her findings including a full Plesiosaurus, and a Pterodactylus. These discoveries catalyzed scientific thinking, and challenged the widely accepted Earth timeline provided by the Bible. Her findings kick-started paleontology. Today Lyme Regis is known as the Jurassic Coast. (Source: https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.sciencefocus.com/science/10-amazing-women-in-science-history-you-really-should-know-about/amp/ ) 

Meet the Team for SILENT SKY – Beyata Hackborn is the Set & Lighting Designer and Master Painter!

Beyata Hackborn, Set & Lighting Designer and Master Painter for Silent Sky

Who are you and what is your role on this production? Hi! I’m Beyata, I’ll be the set & lighting designer and master painter for Silent Sky. My job is to create the visual world in which the performers can live in; essentially I read the script, think about the overall images that influence the story, the setting requirements, how the story progresses and how the characters interact with their surroundings. I then connect all these ideas into a unified design, and heighten it, and the storytelling, with lights.

My job as a master painter is simply to coordinate a paint schedule and supervise/lead the volunteer calls in which to realize the set design’s paint requirements. This show’s paint wasn’t incredibly heavy – a lot of wood grain, a starry sky floor, and creating some string curtains.

What is your background in theatre? I first worked with children’s theatre when I was very young, designed with them for a few years and proceeded to get my degree in Theatre Design from the University of Alberta, to which I just graduated this past spring. This is my first show at Walterdale but I’m very impressed with their resources and level of professionalism.

What brought you out for this show? Why did you want to do it? I’ve worked with Kim, the director, a lot when we were both completing our BFA and MFA respectively; she asked me on as a designer pretty early in the year and it’s a good month-long gig that isn’t too laborious. I then came on as lighting designer and master painter, mostly because I have trouble letting my designs go. I said yes to Kim because, even though it’s volunteer, it’s a really visually interesting show to design and offered a lot of opportunities to create a beautiful set.

Why do you think people should come see this show? It’s a really nicely-contained story about strong women and it works really well in the Walterdale space. It’s also just good as an audience member to support theatres in the community that feature early-career practitioners and an entirely/incredibly knowldegeable volunteer staff.

As this show deals with women in science who have been overlooked, who is your favourite female scientist that you think history hasn’t recognized? Mary Seacole is one of my favorite historical figures who is criminally overlooked; She didn’t invent anything or discover any phenomena but she pioneered her own medical practices in the face of extreme racial prejudice and adversity. Seacole was a Jamaican-born nurse who tended soldiers during the Crimean War (rivaling Florence Nightengale), despite the British government War Office continually refusing her medical contributions. On her own dime and facing bankruptcy, she funded her own trip to Crimea and set up a singular practice to aid in the medical care of soldiers, though later becoming destitute because of it.

Find out more about Mary Seacole here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Seacole

Introducing the Cast and Creative Team of The Light in the Piazza!

The Light in the Piazza

CAST:

Margaret Johnson – LESLIE CAFFARO
Clara Johnson – HEEYUN PARK
Fabrizio Naccarelli – BRENDAN SMITH
Giuseppe Naccarelli – ANTONIO BAVARO
Franca Naccarelli – ERIN VANDERMOLEN-PATER
Signora Naccarelli – ELIZABETH RAYCROFT
Roy Johnson – J. NELSON NIWA
Signor Naccarelli – ROBERT KLAKOWICH
Priest – KENT SUTHERLAND
Tour Guide – NATASHA MASON
Ensemble – KENDRA HUMPHREY, ELIZABETH JANZEN, JACKIE KUCEY, DAVID SON, RYLEY TENNANT, and MARC TRILLANES

CREATIVE TEAM:

Director – KRISTEN FINLAY
Music Director – RON LONG
Assistant Director – REBECCA BISSONNETTE
Choreographer – STEPHANIE LILLEY
Stage Manager – HUNTER LUTH
Set Designer – JOAN HAWKINS
Costume Designer – KARIN LAUDERDALE
Lighting Designer – BRAD MELROSE
Props Designer – TBA
Master Builder – RICHARD HATFIELD
Dialect Coach – KATHRYN EVANS
Lighting Op – TBA
Sound OP – TBA
Assistant Stage Manager – TBA
Production Manager – JOHN ANDERSON
Director of Production – LOUISE MALLORY

 

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Introducing the Cast of FROM CRADLE TO STAGE 2019

This season’s From Cradle to Stage Festival celebrates Walterdale’s 60th Anniversary Season with a collection of scenes and monologues from our members. Directed by Anika Plitt, the show goes up May 13 to 19, 2019!

CAST:

Emily Rutledge – Syrell
J. Nelson Niwa – Richard
Megan Strong – Alexandria
Alana Natasha – Jackie
Anne-Marie Smith – Prudence
Harmonie Tower – Vivien
Samuel Bronson – John
Victoria Skorobohach – New ASM (Louise)
Jenn Robinson – Kristen (Paint)
Katie Elliott – Kristen (General)

Meet the Cast of THE TRIANGLE FIRE FACTORY PROJECT – Rebecca Bissonnette is Yetta Lubitz and Rose Schneiderman!

Who are you and what is your role in this production? My name is Rebecca Bissonnette and I get the honour of playing two real life heroes – Yetta Lubitz an immigrant factory worker and Rose Schneiderman a union organizer. The characters are quite different – Yetta is a young, immature and vulnerable girl looking to better herself, while Rose is a strong, opinionated speaker who does whatever is necessary to create change.

What is your background in theatre? With Walterdale? My background in theatre isn’t a big one……not yet anyway. My very first show ever was only a few years ago, here at the Walterdale when I was cast as Mrs. French in Ravenscroft. My background is mainly in dance, having been a studio dancer for 15 years and recently returned to the dance floor over the past couple of years to launch my own dance troupe. While I might have come rather late to the theatre party, I consider myself quickly making up for lost time, having been blessed enough to work with some of the best community theatres around – Foote in the Door, Trinity Players, Element Theatre and Paper Doll Productions.

Why do you think people should come see The Triangle Fire Factory Project? I believe that when real life tells a story, people need to listen. This is so much more then words on a paper – these are words spoken by real live people, people who have experienced such tragedy, such devastation, such heartbreak. Their stories need to be told, so that we never forget and hopefully aren’t doomed to repeat.

On top of that, this show is full of such passionate people on both the cast and crew. With a show that has so many moving parts, it could very easily turn into a disaster. BUT, the commitment, hard work, dedication and joy (yes joy) with which everyone has approached this show, has easily made it one of my favourites to work on. I would work with anyone of them again in a heartbeat. People need to come see this show based on its collective heart.

Since this show deals with workplace ‘issues’ – What was your first job? How old were you and what did it entail? Let’s be real – my first job was as a lazy teenager, not wanting to work, but was told by my grandma that I wasn’t sitting around her beach house all summer. So, I was a dishwasher at the town restaurant. It was physically hard, I stunk of grease and was constantly sweaty, but I got free meals. And at 13, that’s all you can ask for.

Meet the Creative Team of THE TRIANGLE FACTORY FIRE PROJECT – Phil Kreisel is the Sound Designer!

Who are you and what is your role in this production? My name is Phil Kreisel and I am the sound designer for this show. This is one of those shows where I get to contribute exponentially to the mayhem that occurs in this production.

What is your background in theatre? With Walterdale? I started out as an actor, and before too long became involved with sound design. I have designed sound for over 80 different shows since 2004, many of them with Walterdale. I have also done some directing and have written 8 one-act plays (with probably about 4 more scripts in development).

Why do you think people should come see The Triangle Fire Factory Project? It’s an important part of history that unfortunately keeps occurring today in other parts of the world, such as the 2013 collapse of the Rana Plaza building which killed 1,135 people in Bangladesh. This show focuses on what happened in New York, and the aftermath. There are surprises in this show which I cannot divulge at this time.

My Worst job/Funniest thing? I took a part-time job in my first year of university. I was one of three people hired to sharpen 5,000 pencils for some in-person survey. Apparently, they needed us because the electric sharpener broke down, so we had to sharpen them all manually. To this day, I don’t know how their survey turned out. I never filled it out.

Meet the Creative Team of THE TRIANGLE FACTORY FIRE PROJECT – Barbara Mah is the Director!

Who are you and what is your role in this production? Barbara Mah. I’m the director of this show (more like traffic director given there are 20 actors).

What is your background in theatre? With Walterdale? This is my fourth time directing with Walterdale (Sweet Charity 2005, Anything Goes 2013 and Follies 2017), but my first time directing a play with them! I’ve choreographed countless shows at Walterdale and have worked behind the scenes with the costumes people from time to time. My sister and brother-in-law met at Walterdale doing a one-act play that I wrote. They were married on the Walterdale Stage! I consider Walterdale my “home” but I have also directed musicals for a number of theatre companies in town (ELOPE, Festival Players, Foote in the Door, Two One Way Tickets). I also teach musical theatre classes at the Citadel Theatre School. I have a few “graduates” from the classes in this show!

Why do you think people should come see The Triangle Fire Factory Project? The fire itself seems to fascinate people. I’ve seen a number of documentaries on it and there is a lot of fiction (movies, books) that use the fire as a jumping off point. The historical significance of this fire still affects us today through building codes, workplace safety legislation and workers’ rights. Not to mention, this fire happened during the women’s suffrage movement. As women were unable to vote, they could not vote in politicians that could pass workplace safety laws.

I know plays that deal with “significant” issues can sometimes be boring — well, I don’t do boring. The actors in this show have worked very very hard and will be presenting a very gripping drama.

Since this show deals with workplace ‘issues’ – what is the funniest thing that ever happened to you in a workplace situation? I once had a student in my adult musical theatre class tell me that he didn’t want to sing or dance in my class. When I gently suggested he might want to investigate an acting-only class, he responded with “but I want to star in musicals on broadway”.

Walterdale Theatre “From Cradle to Stage” 2018-19 Submissions Request

Edmonton’s foremost community theatre company is now accepting submissions for its annual new work event, From Cradle to Stage. For over a decade, Walterdale Theatre has been producing original plays by local playwrights as a part of its main stage season. In celebration of our 60th Anniversary Season we are doing something a little different.

This Day, which was submitted for last year’s competition was selected in advance for development this year. It’s a musical by Matt Graham and Sue Goberdhan and will receive dramaturgy from Anne Marie Szucs over the fall and winter to be ready for audition by the end of January 2019.

Collaboration Project: For the second piece to be developed, in honour of the 60th Season, we are looking for monologues and scenes about your Walterdale (and other community theatre) experiences. Selected playwrights will work with Facilitator Kristen M. Finlay to construct a collective piece celebrating Walterdale.

Timeline:

  • Deadline for all submissions is midnight November 15th, 2018.
    • Selected playwrights will work with the facilitator over the fall and winter the 2018-19 season to have an audition-ready collective piece by the end of January 2019.
    • Finished scripts will be paired up with directors and production teams by December 2018.
    • Both plays will be produced May 13-18, 2019.

Submission Guidelines:

  • Submit a monologue or short scene in the theme of “Walterdale Memories”. You can submit more than one piece, but please submit as a combined package (we may not use all scenes/monologues submitted).
    • Scripts must be typed or printed, with spaces between all speaking parts. Include your name and contact info on the first page of the script, and number your pages.
    • Along with the script, please include a brief bio (50 words or less) which Walterdale will use for publicity purposes if your play is chosen.
    • For the purpose of this competition, “local” indicates a resident of the Edmonton Area. This includes satellite communities such as Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Sherwood Park, St. Albert, and Leduc. If you are unsure if you geographically qualify to submit, please do not hesitate to inquire via email.

There are two ways to submit:

  1. Email a digital copy (pdf is preferred) of your scripts to Bethany Hughes, Artistic Director at walterdalead@gmail.com with From Cradle to Stage 2018-19 in the subject line.
  2. Hard-copy Scripts can be mailed to (do not send your original or ‘only’ copy):

From Cradle to Stage 2018-19
Walterdale Playhouse
10322 83 Avenue
Edmonton, AB T6E 5C3
Attention: Bethany Hughes, Artistic Director

All submissions must be received by midnight November 15, 2018. Do not submit your original copy. If you want your script returned to you, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Unselected scripts without a SASE will be recycled.

Meet the Cast of THE TRIANGLE FACTORY FIRE PROJECT – Danielle Yu is Rose Freedman & Ida Mittleman

Who are you and what is your role in this production? My name is Danielle Yu and I play 2 amazing characters, Rose Freedman and Ida Mittleman. Rose Freedman was known as the last survivor of the Triangle Shirtwaist fire dying at the age of 107 who worked on the 9th floor and Ida Mittleman was known as one of the women who testified in court that all doors of the 9th floor were indeed open.

What is your background in theatre? With Walterdale? ​I have been performing for as long as I can remember, from taking musical theatre classes at the Citadel as a child to voice lessons at the Conservatory of Music with the Alberta College. I had taken a very long break from the theatre (12 years to be exact!) until 2017 when I auditioned for an original musical titled Emma, and had landed the lead role! I auditioned at the Walterdale Theatre for my very first time this past summer and am ecstatic to be on this journey of opening the 60th season.

Why do you think people should come see The Triangle Fire Factory Project? Everyone and anyone should come and partake in the adventure and experience of The Triangle Fire Factory Project to witness the importance of this piece of history! Not only is it filled with historical events, but there’s action, agony, sorrow, humor and SO MUCH MORE. Most importantly it teaches us the reason behind the rules and regulations we have today in modern life.

Since this show deals with workplace ‘issues’ – What was your first job? How old were you and what did it entail? ​The very first job I had was when I was 16 at a McDonald’s near my neighbourhood. Being 16, I didn’t really have the understanding of responsibility so I didn’t last very long. However the 3 weeks that I was employed taught me a lot about hungry customers, cheerful customer service, and an amazing discount!