Tag: Cast

Meet the Cast of LADY WINDERMERE’S FAN – David Owen is Lord Augustus Lorton

david-owenWho: I am David Owen and I play Lord Augustus Lorton.

What is my background in theatre: I have a PhD in theatre and performance studies from York University, an MFA in Directing from the U of C, and an MA in Dramatic Theory and Criticism from the U of A. I am also a member of the Playwright’s Guild of Canada. At the Walterdale, I was the Artistic Director from 1999-2001 and directed Doctor Faustus and The Birthday Party. As an actor at the Walterdale, I was in The Grace of Mary Traverse, Jehanne of the Witches, and the one-act Enter the Giants.

What brought me out: I moved back to Edmonton last year and I wanted to audition for Glengarry Glen Ross but my schedule wouldn’t allow it. This year, finding myself back in Edmonton again and with a more forgiving schedule AND an Oscar Wilde show to try out for, I jumped at the chance! It feels great to be back.

Why should audiences come out: Who doesn’t like to laugh? Audiences should come see the show because it is ridiculously funny but also because it allows us to laugh at ourselves and at relationships and false appearances and societies pressures. These can all be very stressful at times, and taken too seriously, and we can all benefit from a playful critique of this “demmed thing we call society.”

The most fun thing: The outrageous accents!

The most challenging thing: The outrageous accents!

Favourite Wilde quote: “All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does, and that is his.” Algernon, The Importance of Being Earnest.

Meet the Cast of LADY WINDERMERE’S FAN – Hannah Haugen is Lady Agatha Carlisle!

img_4068Who are you and what is your role in Lady Windermere’s Fan? My name is Hannah Haugen and in Lady Windermere’s Fan I play Lady Agatha Carlisle-the contained daughter of a Duchess and soft spoken young lady of the upper class. Agatha is a joy to play and a creative challenge with her limited and joyous dialogue.

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? I have been acting since nine years old and just graduated from Jasper Place High School as a very involved drama student. Over my time there I took part in lots of productions, the most recent as Emily Webb in Our Town. The past three years I have preformed on the Walterdale stage at the Zone 8 City One Act Festival in anything from Chekhov to MacIvor.

Why do you think audiences should come see the show? Lady Windermere’s Fan is a funny and vibrant piece that audiences will come to enjoy the aristocratic energy, classic humor and insightful moments on life and class. I personally love the ability of so many characters in this piece to house eccentricity and hilarity whilst never losing their realism or worth.

What has been most enjoyable part of the process so far? So far the most fun moments in rehearsal have been working with Leslie Caffaro who plays my Mother (The Duchess of Berrwick) as she pushes around her doting daughter with some serious style. Or the cupcakes at lasts week’s rehearsal, it’s a tie really. Either way Lady Windermere’s Fan will be a pulsing and comical production I hope to see lots and lots of people enjoy!

Meet the Cast of LADY WINDERMERE’S FAN by Oscar Wilde

2Lady's FanAuditions were completed this week for Lady Windermere’s Fan by Oscar Wilde, directed by Martin Stout.

We’re excited to welcome back many Walterdale members as well as welcome in several brand new ones!

Join us onstage in December for this witty piece from Oscar Wilde!

CAST:
Mrs. Erlynne – Marsha Amanova
Lady Windermere – Miranda Broumas
Duchess of Berwick – Leslie Caffaro
Mrs. Cowper-Cowper – Grace Chapman
Rosalie (Maid) – Emanuelle Dubbeldam
Lord Darlington – Dan Fessenden
Lady Agatha Carlisle – Hannah Haugen
Lady Plymdale – Brittany Hinse
Lord Windermere – Patrick Maloney
Parker (Butler) – Ed Medeiros
Mr Dumby – Andy Mikula
Mr Cecil Graham – Brayden O’Boyle
Lord Augustus Lorton – David Owen
Lady Stutfield – Roseanna Sargent
Mr Hopper – Craig Sephton
Lady Jedburgh – Samantha VandenBrink

Production Team:
Director – Martin Stout
Assistant Director – Madeleine Stout
Production Manager – Karin Lauderdale
Set Designer – Leland Stelck
Lighting Designer – Richard Hatfield
Costume Designer – Geri Dittrich
Props – Emily Randall
Master Builder – Pierre Valois
Master Painter – Joan Heys Hawkins

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 – 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).