Tag: Cast

Meet the Cast of The 39 Steps – Liam McKinnon

Liam McKinnon is one of four boisterous, ignominious, and loveable Clowns.

Hi Liam! What do you do in the show in your role as one of the Clowns?

In The 39 Steps, the title of the character “clown” is a stand-in for the different ensemble roles that are in the show. With two titled clowns in the show’s description and with two dozen or more ensemble characters, it is entirely possible for The 39 Steps to have a cast of 4, or a cast of 24. Each of the ensemble characters are not only uniquely fun to explore on and off stage, but they all allow me to be active for and with my fellow cast-mates.  

What is your background in theatre?

I started “acting” back when I was in Elementary School; performing in Christmas shows that my Mom put together for our congregation at Glory Lutheran Church, and presenting skits from cartoons and stand-up comedy shows in front of my classmates. It was a time when my proudest moment was performing the entire first third of The SpongeBob Squarepants movie for my Grade 4 class, then performing it again for our substitute teacher so that she wouldn’t be confused if I continued.

After experiencing the highs and lows of honour choir, Junior High and High School theatre, and a performance in the Edmonton Fringe Festival of 2017, I studied Theatre Arts at MacEwan University and got a diploma for all the craziness that we went through. I then was cast in Theatre Calgary’s SBTB production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and was going to be in a community theatre production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? before the COVID-19 pandemic had spread across Canada.

This is the first time since I was in University that I will be performing on an Edmonton stage and I am very excited to return with this cast and crew. 

What brought you out for The 39 Steps?

The simple answer is: A need for work 🙄

But The 39 Steps actually holds an interesting place in my heart. I had seen the show years back at the Provincial One-Act Festival in Red Deer and I remember I did not stop laughing for a minute. I was in tears from start to finish. Yet, when I walked out of the theatre, I couldn’t remember a single thing about the show itself. 

It’s a busy yet focused piece of work, operating as a farce, a romance, and a mystery piece. What made me want to play one of the clowns though was VERY MUCH the desire to play multiple characters in a single show. I’ve done ensemble shows before but NOTHING like this, and never with this much interest in each individual character; even with the ones I don’t play. 

What are you enjoying the most about working on this show so far?

I love working on a show where every rehearsal is a joy to behold. Even on days when I am not on the call sheet, I gladly come and sit in to see what these amazing artists will do next. I love to see them explore, improvise, and discover new possibilities for their characters AND see what the production team comes up with for the set, costumes, and lighting. Writing this now, I light up thinking about what the next rehearsal will bring and I hope that I can time my window in traffic perfectly so that I never miss a moment.

Why do you think people should come see The 39 Steps at Walterdale?

I think that every artist has made a significant contribution to this production and I feel that contribution is not solely driven by a desire to self-promote or cement one’s own brand or the brand of the company. Of course we all want to put on a good show that is entertaining for our audience, but I feel that every one of the production members is making the choices that they are making from a place of love and respect for each member of the team. 

Even if someone is not a fan of this particular brand of comedy, I do still feel that they should come and see it. In no small way, I feel that this is a clear example of what community theatre SHOULD BE about; connecting with the members of your community to create art that shares who they are as creatives and as people.

The 39 Steps is based on the Hitchcock film (which is based on the John Buchan novel)… do you have a favourite Hitchcock film? OR a favourite 1930s-40s film? 

Oh Boy… A LOT!  The 1930s and 40s were such fascinating decades for the motion picture industry, not just in North America, but around the world. Some of the most influential films, characters and iconic celebrities came out of this era and many, myself included, hold up the films of this time as some of the greatest films ever produced. 

For my own sake, and for my director’s piece of mind, I want to share a few titles for films that are less well-known today and encourage you to check even just one of them out for yourself. I love them and I hope you do too. The Red Shoes, Double Indemnity, The Great Dictator, Gentleman’s Agreement, La Belle et la Bête, Brief Encounter, Bicycle Thieves, The Classic Universal Monster movies, and the all-time classic REEFER MADNESS! 

Meet the Cast of The 39 Steps – Lauren Tamke

Introducing Lauren Tamke, who plays Annabella, Margaret, and Pamela in The 39 Steps

Hi Lauren! Tell us about your characters in the show!

I am extremely delighted to play three distinct characters throughout the show including Annabella, a mysterious German spy; Margaret, a sheltered Scottish lass; and Pamela, an upper class English woman.

What is your background in theatre?

The majority of my theatre work has taken place within my university experience at Concordia Edmonton in mainstage and one act festival shows and within community theatres in and around Edmonton, both as an actor and director. Most recently, I acted in The Comedy of Errors (Adriana) and Much Ado About Nothing (Borachio/Francis) as part of Prime Stock Theatre’s outdoor Shakespeare festival. At Walterdale, this is my third show. Previously I acted in Queen Milli of Galt (Mona) and directed the farce, Boeing Boeing. I love the Walterdale community and I am happy to be back on stage here!

What brought you out for The 39 Steps?

So many reasons! The “spy comedy” genre is one of my favourites and the synopsis spoke to me instantly. The timing was also super serendipitous because I saw the audition posting while packing to move back to Edmonton the following week. And I was super excited at the chance to work with director Kristen Finlay! I’m SO happy to be a part of the show.

What are you enjoying the most about working on this show so far?

I am loving the playful and productive energy of rehearsals and being back in the same physical space as my awesome production team and cast. Every night at rehearsal is a blast!

Why do you think people should come see The 39 Steps at Walterdale?

The show is light-hearted, slapsticky, and 100% bound to let the audience escape into the silliness and fun therein.

The 39 Steps is based on the Hitchcock film (which is based on the John Buchan novel)… do you have a favourite Hitchcock film? OR a favourite 1930s-40s film? 

My favourite film from the 1930s-40s would have to be Gaslight!

Meet the Cast of The 39 Steps – Lucas Anders

Hi Lucas! Tell us a bit about the character you play, Richard Hannay!

Richard is a man who has seen the world pass him by. His friends have moved on in one way or another. He looks at the world and the people around him. He’s tired of division and the craziness of the world. His hope is for a good world, a better world, one where we look after each other… though he’s up for a Grand Adventure. 

What is your background in theatre? 

I graduated from the University of Alberta with a B.Ed. with a Major in Drama. I was a theatre kid in high school and part of a core group that formed the Fort Saskatchewan Company “Rare Form Theatre” where I performed in The Importance of being Earnest, Beware of the Quickly Who and Fools. I left for Prince Rupert and became a radio morning show host and got involved in the improv scene as a co-founder of the improv troupe  “Hook, Line and Snicker.” A few years back,  I also accomplished my life-long goal of performing in the Edmonton international Fringe Festival with the production Stones in His Pockets. I returned to Edmonton pre-pandemic and taught Drama, directing high school productions with my brother, friend and collaborator Christian Zyp. Christian is a friend who I’m grateful for, and who inspires me to tackle many creative projects. This is my first production with Walterdale and I’m thrilled to take the stage under the direction of the talented Kristen Finlay.

What brought you out for the show? 

In a twist of  fate, I opened the Theatre Alberta newsletter which happened to be in my junk mail folder. There I found the audition posting for The 39 Steps. It’s been a long stretch of isolation with the pandemic continually hanging over us, so I wanted to jump into a creative project and have some fun with other creative minds. I read the opening monologue and instantly felt a connection to the lead character. Not only was I the same age as the character, but we both have a moustache! Kristen’s message of creating a show to make us all laugh resonated with me. This gave me the motivation to be a part of a piece of theatre that will bring a smile to audiences. After what has been a very difficult stretch of human history it will be nice to share some laughter with theatre goers. 

What are you enjoying the most about working on this show so far?

When you’ve got such a funny script,  talented cast and crew, it makes for a fun time exploring the world of The 39 Steps. How incredibly lucky I feel to work with such a great team. It was an interesting start to our rehearsal process over zoom and eventually meeting in person. It’s been a blast creating, collaborating, getting into hijinks, chases and mischief. The Walterdale Theatre is now our playground and we can’t wait to share what we’ve discovered with you. We look forward to sharing the mystery, laughter and fun with audiences at the Walterdale Theatre.

Why do you think people should come see this show? 

Do you like fun? It’s been heavy with global conflict and the pandemic still looming. We hope to give you a break from what has been a hard stretch. Take a chance, sit back, relax, go on a wild ride by seeing  The 39 Steps come to life. Come check out the incredibly talented cast and crew under the direction of our fearless leader Kristen Finlay. We all need to laugh… So here’s your chance! 

The 39 Steps is based on the Hitchcock film (which is based on the John Buchan novel)… do you have a favourite Hitchcock film? OR a favourite 1930s-40s film? 

The 39 Steps radiates spies, espionage and fun. A film that I love which incorporates all these elements is Double Indemnity. It’s everything a classic mystery/thriller (Film Noire) should be.

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!

Meet the Cast of THE TRIANGLE FACTORY FIRE PROJECT – Dustin Berube is William Shepherd

Who are you and what is your role in this production? My name is Dustin Berube and I play the role of William Shepherd. My character was a United Press reporter who happened to be in Washington Square at the time of the fire. He called into his office and described the fire as it was happening. In the show, he is used as a narrator for the audience.
What is your background in theatre? With Walterdale? This is my second Walterdale show (Dustin appeared in Follies, in 2017), but I have been involved with theatre since I was a teenager.

Why do you think people should come see The Triangle Fire Factory Project? This show is an interesting piece of history that is told in a unique way. Much of the script is taken straight from the transcripts and testimonials of those people that were there, which adds to the impact that this show will have on an audience. This is a live theatre experience that doesn’t come along very often.

Since this show deals with workplace ‘issues’ – What is the funniest/most embarassing thing that ever happened to you in a workplace situation? I had a funny/embarrassing workplace experience when I was working in a retail card store. It was Boxing Day and I was the first to open the shop doors. My coworker was running late so I was working as fast as I could with a very long line of customers. In the middle of a transaction with a customer, I suddenly realized that I was going to become sick, so I calmly turned around and utilized the small trash bin at my feet. I wiped my mouth with a tissue, stood up and carried on. The customers seems unfazed by my germs and insisted that I continue to bag their items. As we all know, the customer is always right!

Meet the Cast of THE TRIANGLE FACTORY FIRE PROJECT – Heather Morrow is Bertha Schwartz

Who are you and what is your role in this production? Heather Morrow, I play Bertha Schwartz in the show. She has two children who work at the sweatshop in the show, Margaret and Max.

What is your background in theatre? With Walterdale? Oh wow. One of my very first plays, Crushed, was produced at the Walterdale in 1997 — my dramaturge was Vern Thiessen. I’ve done shows for the ADFA One-Act Festival, and I was in Wyrd Sisters in 2011. Outside of the Walterdale, I’ve written and self-produced plays at the Edmonton and Calgary Fringe Festivals, I did a show at the Edinburgh Fringe when I lived in Scotland, and developing a BIG script with an amazing group of people, which I’m hoping to get funding to work on.

Why do you think people should come see The Triangle Fire Factory Project? Besides being a stunning show to watch, the subject is especially relevant now. Too many of the clothes we buy now are made in the same conditions that our characters work in, but in other countries…the problems moved because workers in North America got sick of working like that, and I fear we all forget that. As we hear on the news everyday HERE thought, we’re also seeing more incidents of new immigrants or people who simply LOOK like they’re from “somewhere else” being harassed or made to feel lesser, which is what happened to the many, many, new immigrants who were taken advantage of by shops like that in the show. It’s important for people to see a show like this and remember that treating others as less doesn’t simply hurt feelings, it’s dangerous.

Since this show deals with workplace ‘issues’…
– Worst job you ever had, and why? I worked a very strange temp job for a while, for a warehouse company that supplied big rolls of saran-wrap-like stuff to different industries. I had no real training on what I was meant to be doing there, and one day, that water was off in the building but they didn’t shut down until the middle of the day. I’m sure that’s how I caught my first full-blown flu in years — it took me six weeks to completely shake it.

– Funniest thing that ever happened to you in a workplace situation? When I lived in Scotland, I worked in admin at a law firm. Part of my job was to order office supplies for the executives. One day my BIG boss walked in and nonchalantly said, “Could you order me some rubbers?” It took everything I had to not shriek, and process what he’d said — he meant ERASERS. When he left, the other girls sitting with me asked why I was so red. After I explained we got nothing done for the rest of the morning because we were all laughing so hard.

– What was your first job? How old were you and what did it entail? Retail. I was a salesperson in a kitschy clothing store in a very dead mall in Calgary, the summer before I started university in Edmonton. I was 19.

Meet the Cast of THE TRIANGLE FACTORY FIRE PROJECT – James Toupin is Chief Edward F. Croker

Who are you and what is your role in this production? My name is James Toupin and I play New York Fire Department Chief Edward F. Croker. Before I started doing research for this show, I had no idea that Chief Croker actually instituted the Fire Drill. A Fire Drill is actually called a Croker Drill.

What is your background in theatre? With Walterdale? I graduated from Grant MacEwan’s Theatre Arts program in 1984 and worked professionally as an actor/writer/director until 2004. After 20 years, I needed to take a break for a while. I have never appeared in a Walterdale Theatre production, but I have performed many times in this theatre, including getting married here in 1990.

Why do you think people should come see The Triangle Fire Factory Project? First and foremost, because it is an excellent drama. Of course the play deals with the formative years of the labour union movement and explains what they were up against and that is an interesting moment in history.

Since this show deals with workplace ‘issues’ – what is the funniest thing that ever happened to you in a workplace situation? I have to say it was during a children’s theatre performance. I was playing the bad guy and before the show I would always talk to the younger children to let them know I was only acting like the bad guy for the play. The play began with a monologue by my character explain who everyone was and right towards the end of the monologue my character asks, “And do you know who I am?”. Without missing a beat, a little voice from the audience responded, “You’re the bad actor!”.

Meet the Cast of THE TRIANGLE FACTORY FIRE PROJECT – Kingsley Leung is Eddie Markowitz

What is your role in The Triangle Factory Fire Project? I am an immigrant. I am a Jew. I helped to make this country strong and diverse. They call me Eddie Markowitz – the head shipping clerk at the Triangle Shirt Waist Factory – played by Kingsley Leung.

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? This is my 3rd Walterdale production. When they need Asians or funny looking guys, I get the call. My willingness to shave my body and wear high heels on stage make my talents very unique.

Why do you think audiences should see this show? This will be the best Rom-Com you will see this century! Fiery relationships that go up in smoke, burning desires and trailblazing women.

This is a show about terrible working conditions… to lighten the mood, do you have any funny work stories?  As a hospital porter, I was bringing body parts and limbs down to the morgue. I was in the elevator trying to keep everything from falling off my cart, when the doors open with a bunch of doctors standing there and I ask them, “Do you mind if I get a hand?”. That was exquisite fooling!

Meet the Cast of THE TRIANGLE FACTORY FIRE PROJECT – Kent Sutherland plays Max Blanck!

Who are you and what is your role in this production? My name is Kent Sutherland, and I play Max Blanck one of the co-owners of the Triangle Waist Factory. Blanck is not a very nice person and along with his fellow co-owner, Isaac Harris, the duo was named as one of the Top 10 Worst Bosses in America by TIME Magazine. I also helped build the set and some of the props.

What is your background in theatre? I was involved with theatre throughout elementary and junior high, and then got back into as an adult with my first production being at Walterdale – The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. I have since done musicals with Festival Players, Two ONE-WAY Tickets to Broadway, Foote in the Door, and, of course, Walterdale. This is my first non-musical role in a very long time.

Why do you think people should come see The Triangle Fire Factory Project? The story is a significant part of history. It was this fire that was the catalyst for changes in building codes, the implementation of fire drills, and better working conditions for women and immigrants. The play explores the historical, political and social ramifications that resulted from this seminal event, and examines the continuing modern day concerns of corporate greed and responsibility, and the moral and ethical issues surrounding the question, “what is the value of a human life?” Also, the way our director has decided to stage the show is sure to have an effect on the audience and have their feelings run the gamut.

Worst job you ever had, and why? Probably the worst job I ever had was working the graveyard shift at the 7-11 that used to be on 99 St. and 90 Ave. one summer. There was supposed to be two people working the shift, but my co-worker often/always called in sick leaving me to work alone. There were several “interesting” incidents at that location during the graveyard shift while I was employed, and there were several times I did not feel all that safe. During one shift, a customer came in asking where the bathroom was, and I looked up to see his face covered in blood — all I could do was point in the direction of the bathroom.

The Triangle Factory Fire Project runs October 10-20, 2018.
Click here for tickets.