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!