Stag and Doe – Walterdale Theatre

Meet the Cast of STAG AND DOE! Katelyn Arthurs is Bonnie!

Who are you? Katelyn Arthurs

What is your role in the show? I am playing Bonnie in the show!

Have you been involved with Walterdale Theatre before? I’ve been fortunate to be involved with the Walterdale for many years. Mostly as an actor, but there was one time I was convinced to assistant direct.

What do you think is the best season for a wedding? I think all seasons are great for weddings. I love love! Summer has the opportunity for outdoor celebrations, winter has those dramatic photo ops, spring just feels like new beginnings, and fall is just a superior season altogether for many reasons.

Why should audiences come to see Stag and Doe? It’s EXACTLY what we all need right now. A little levity, a few warm fuzzies and a LOT of laughs!

Meet the Team of STAG AND DOE! Rebecca Cave is Stage Manager!

Who are you? Rebecca Cave

What is your role in the show? What does that involve? Stage Manager, which means I’ve got an incredibly colourful version of the script, and it’s my job to make sure that everything that is supposed to be and happen on stage does so at the correct time and in the safest manner possible.

Have you been involved with Walterdale Theatre before? Yes, I’ve been involved in a variety of roles, but most commonly as a Lighting Designer.

What do you think is the best season for a wedding? I’ve always thought that for weather reasons fall is probably best. If you aim for September or early October, you dodge the snow, but it’s not too hot and you get some gorgeous sunlight.

Tell us a funny short story about something going wrong at a wedding. When I was a kid, my aunt had a winter wedding in what had to be the coldest church in town. It was a semi-historical building in the UK, so the only heating it had was these ancient radiators at the back that got turned on after we showed up. The bridesmaid dresses were sleeveless and very pretty, but not at all warm and my poor sister and I ended up taking shelter in my mom’s shawl. The bride of course had the foresight to give herself a faux-fur wrap. The whole affair was lovely and sweet and we were all blue by the end of it. Thankfully the reception hall had central heating.

Why should audiences come to see Stag and Doe? Stag and Doe is a hilarious show about weddings; how they go right, how they go wrong, and what’re the parts that really matter. With the wedding season bearing down upon us, it’s the perfect time for pandemonium and parties, and we’ve got both ready to share.

Meet the Team of STAG AND DOE! John Anderson is Production Manager!

Who are you? John Anderson

What is your role in the show? I am happy to be the Production Manager of this show, supporting my friend, Louise, in her directorial project. My duties in the PM role involve a lot of administrative tasks, such as booking rehearsal space at the theatre and elsewhere; preparing the program by collecting bios and headshots from the team; organizing and running production meetings; etc. It’s a rewarding role, because it means the creative team members can just focus on those creative parts, knowing that people like me have taken care of the other details. It takes a village to create a show, and I’ve had fun being part of this one.

Have you been involved with Walterdale Theatre before? I’ve been involved with Walterdale for about ten or so years, but always behind the scenes, as I’m not an actor. I’ve been serving on the Board for about five years. I’ve directed a couple shows (The Realistic Joneses and All My Sons), and am hoping to direct another one as soon as they’ll let me.

What do you think is the best season for a wedding? Compared to others, I haven’t attended too many weddings, but the ones I’ve enjoyed most were in the summertime and one at New Years. I haven’t put too much thought into it, but I think early summer is a great time for it, because everyone is feeling new and excited after the winter and it’s easier to space out for people that need to step away from the commotion, either because they need a smoke break, or because they’re introverts that just need some momentary distance.

Tell us a funny short story about something going wrong at a wedding. My uncle was at a wedding where they served drinks before the ceremony, and he was telling me how much he liked that, because it allowed people to loosen up for the actual ceremony, as opposed to waiting until the reception to have a drink. Consequently, he got way too drunk by the end of the night, and my grandma told him the next day that he embarrassed the family on the dance floor. The female bartender was wearing the nice vest he wore to the wedding at the end of the night, he must have enjoyed ordering drinks from her a lot. So maybe don’t serve alcohol until the reception, if you get married…

Why should audiences come to see Stag and Doe? It’s a great, modern Canadian play. I think it has a lot of hilarious moments, but the characters can be very endearing as well.

Meet the Cast of STAG AND DOE! Stephanie Swensrude plays Mandy!

Who are you? Stephanie Swensrude

What is your role in the show? I play the role of Mandy, so I have been attending rehearsals since January to learn my lines, practice blocking, and explore the emotional life of the character. I am also the Co-Director of Publicity, so I promote the show.

Have you been involved with Walterdale Theatre before? I’ve been involved with Walterdale for about eleven years. The first few shows, I was an Assistant Stage Manager, and I’ve acted in a few shows, operated lights, and I also joined the Board of Directors about a year and a half ago as Co-Director of Publicity.

What do you think is the best season for a wedding? Early summer, so you avoid super high prices, and so you can enjoy summer as newlyweds!

Got a funny story about something going wrong at a wedding? When I was attending a family member’s wedding at about three years old, my parents lost me for a while, and after searching frantically, they found me sleeping on a pile of bubble wrap in a closet.

Why should audiences come to see Stag and Doe? I think the show is really funny, but has a lot of heart. It is also a very Canadian play!

Meet the Team of STAG AND DOE! Louise Mallory is the Director!

Who are you? Louise Mallory

What is your role in the show? What does that involve? I’m the Director. After proposing that Walterdale Theatre should include this play in our 2024-2025 season, I gathered the team, selected the cast by auditions, and lead the rehearsal process.

Have you been involved with Walterdale Theatre before? Yes! After starting as an Assistant Stage Manager on A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum in 2014, I’ve been on a show team in every season since. I directed 5@50 in 2020-2021, and I served on the Board for six years.

What do you think is the best season for a wedding? I have so many relatives and friends who are teachers that I always go to their weddings in the summer!

Got any funny stories about something going wrong at a wedding? My hockey teammate got married in a church. During a solemn prayer, some man ran up to the front and started slapping one of the bridesmaids on her legs. It turned out that her skirt had caught on one of the candles decorating the steps, and he was putting out the sparks.

Why should audiences come to see Stag and Doe? Stag and Doe is a funny play about wanting the perfect wedding, and what might go wrong with those plans. The actors are delightful, and Mark Crawford’s clever script is Canadian!

Meet the Team of STAG AND DOE! Alodie Larochelle is Costume Designer!

Who are you? Alodie Larochelle

What is your role in the show? I’m the Costume Designer. After making mood boards and sketches to get ideas out, I pull costumes from the costume bank, as well as from our actors’ wardrobes in some cases. I thrift some costumes, and head a team of stitchers to modify costumes to fit, and make a couple of unique pieces from scratch. My role also involves choosing hairstyles, makeup, jewelry, and nails. During the run, I wash costumes every three nights or so. Maybe I’ll meet Walter this time?

Have you been involved with Walterdale Theatre before? I’ve designed costumes for The Penelopiad before!

What do you think is the best season for a wedding? Early fall. The weather is more stable by then, and the natural light is nice and flattering for photos.

Tell us a funny short story about something going wrong at a wedding. My youngest cousin, Matthieu, then a child, didn’t know what a jello shot was at a family wedding, and ate one with a spoon…

Why should audiences come to see Stag and Doe? It’s a show that simultaneously gives a good, hard, critical look at the Wedding Industrial Complex, and still very much believes in love!

Meet the Team of STAG AND DOE! Brooke Emberly is Co-Master Painter!

Who are you? Brooke Emberly

What is your role in the show? What does that involve? Co-Master Painter. I report to and assist the Master Painter directly, helping to lead the team. I am also acting as a Mentor to the Master Painter on this show.

Have you been involved with Walterdale Theatre before? How? Yes, I am the Head of the Paint Department for the Walterdale Theatre, and have been a Master Painter for 16 shows over the past several years, while assisting on many more.

What do you think is the best season for a wedding? Late May/early June, when the weather is warm, but not scorching hot.

Tell us a funny short story about something going wrong at a wedding. At my wedding, we couldn’t hear the music used for walking down the isle from where we were standing, so even though I had it all planned out, we just stood back there for a long while, waiting for the music to begin, and then had to rush in, last second!

Why should audiences come to see Stag and Doe? Not only are you supporting Community theatre in Edmonton, but you get to reap the benefits of so many volunteers that do arts for the sake of loving the arts!