Chess – Walterdale Theatre

Meet the Cast of CHESS – Kate Wylie is Svetlana!

What 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 – Melanie Lafleur is The Arbiter

What is your role in the production? I will be portraying the role of The Arbiter in Chess. As the official representative of the World Chess Organization, The Arbiter is responsible for all actions that take place during each chess match. The Arbiter is judge and jury, making the final call on all items related to the game and it’s participants. In short, I am the boss.

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? I have been singing, dancing and performing as long as I can remember. I have had the opportunity to perform on a variety of stages both in professional and community settings. I returned to the stage last year after a 9 year hiatus. Chess marks my second performance with the Walterdale, last seen all the way back in 2001.

What brought you out for this show? What drew you to it? I remember discovering this show first when I was in high school and falling in love the the intricate music and dark, yet moving story. I was excited when I heard the Walterdale was planning the production and decided early on that I would love a chance to sing some of the rock-infused music!

Why do you think audiences should come see this show? What do you think they will take away from it? Chess tells the story of a significant time in human history. The names and places may differ from our reality, but the themes are everlasting. The struggles and ideological differences these character face are universal no matter what the issues being discussed. I hope the audience is reminded that home is where the heart is. And that the greatest sacrifice we can make is to give of ourselves completely.

Chess is a Board Game… What’s your favorite Board Game? Why? Got any funny game-playing stories? My favorite game is Skip-Bo! I love card games. My best friend and I have played the game so much that we even have our own rules! Some that involve new positions such as “Skip-Bo Fairy” and “Shuffle Queen”. I have always enjoyed strategy games and have been known to play a round or two of Chess myself.

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. 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!

What 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

What 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!

What 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).

Meet the Cast of CHESS – Tyra Watkin is in the Ensemble

What is your role in CHESS? I play a Hungarian, a Merchandizer, an American, an Attendant and Arbiter’s Assistant. These roles are very wide ranged and fun! I can really change who I am between every character, anywhere from a young scared Hungarian girl to a confident merchandizer. It is fantastic!

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? This my second theatre production and I am super excited to be a part of the Walterdale family for the musical Chess!

What brought you out for this production? What really drew me towards Chess was the plot line and how exciting it was. I was looking for auditions and I found Chess and I was instantly drawn towards it!

Why should audiences come see this show? I think audiences should really come see it for the phenomenal story! You will be happy you came, its so interesting and dramatically awesome. Between the great dramatics, singing and dancing you’ll find something you love in this musical. It has romance, and feuds, politics, and chess – what’s not to love!?

What’s your favourite Board Game? My favourite board game would have to be snakes and ladders, its just so much fun to play with friends and family. My family and I play a lot of this game whenever we go camping, a perfect time to play a little snakes and ladders!

Meet the team of CHESS – Sally Hunt is Music Director

What is your role on the production? I am the music director, so I have ultimate responsibility for every note you hear. The music, while beautiful and very catchy, is surprisingly complex throughout – it is much harder than it seems. Throw in some singing in Hungarian, and the need to pare down a very full orchestration to a small ensemble suitable for a space like Walterdale, and I have spent many hours going through over 300 pages of music. And I have loved every minute of it!

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? I’ve been a music director and teacher for over 25 years. I currently teach musical theatre at the Citadel Theatre’s Foote Theatre School. As a music director, I seem to do shows with either very long titles – The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, A Tale of Two Cities, The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Die Dreigroschenoper (the original German title of The Threepenny Opera) — or very short titles — Shout, Nine, and now Chess. My most recent work with Walterdale includes The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, The Threepenny Opera, and Nine.

What brought you out for this show? What drew you to it? This is one of my favourite scores of all time. From a purely musical perspective, it is one great song after another, so who wouldn’t want to work on that? This was also another opportunity to work with Kristen Finlay. This is our fifth show as a director/music director team, and I love the creativity and vision she brings. It is always a great pleasure to assist her in bringing a show to life on the stage.

Why do you think audiences should come see this show? What do you think they will take away from it? The story itself has surprising twists and layers – Cold War politics is not a common backdrop for musical theatre, so it is definitely not your typical “boy meets girl” musical. The big draw of this show, though, has to be the music. It is SO GOOD! I guarantee people will be singing the songs as they head home.

Chess is a Board Game… What’s your favorite Board Game? Why? Got any funny game-playing stories? When I was a child, my father found a book on old board games, and decided to build some for us. He made a number of games, including Go and Nine Men’s Morris. You’ve likely heard of Go, but Nine Men’s Morris is a little more obscure. A version of it dates back to ancient Egypt, it gained popularity in medieval England, and is mentioned by Shakespeare in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Hmmm, sounds somewhat like the opening song of this show…

Meet the Cast of CHESS – Mark Finlay is Molokov

What is your role in Chess? I play Molokov – first name Alexander or Ivan, depending on who you ask or what you read. My character is a ‘chess second’ for the Russian World Champion Chess master, which means I act to help my Champion play his best game of chess by giving advice, looking after non-game things, etc. I may have some other duties or responsibilities in this world, but you will have to watch the play to know for sure.

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? I make very infrequent appearances in theatrical productions. I can count the number of plays I have been part of over my lifetime on both hands, minus a finger or two. I often am called upon when a director needs a large person with a loud voice that doesn’t mind shaving their head, and can carry a tune.

In the past 15 years, I have played 3 parts before this one: Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar (Keyano Theatre Company – Fort McMurray), Lectro in The Other Side of the Pole (Interplay Dinner Theatre – Fort McMurray) and Daddy Warbucks in Annie (Sherard Theatre – Sherwood Park).

My experience at Walterdale has to this point been primarily as an audience member, however I have been called upon to tear down sets after a show is complete, and have even once worked the box office! Those experiences are usually in conjunction with the far more extensive theatre participation of my wife.

CHESS will be my first appearance on Walterdale’s stage as a performer.

What brought you out for this show? Truth be told, my wife made me audition! I was only cursorily familiar with CHESS, being in high school when “One Night in Bangkok” was on the radio. Having seen various vocal showcases by professional performers over the years, I have heard more selections from the show than I had realized!

Growing up in the middle of the Cold War, the rivalry between the Superpower nations was very much evident. This play showcases that tension, underneath the primary story of the chess competition, and the relationships that develop in spite of the adversarial context. It is a complex play with many facets…much like the game it is named after! There are apparently many different versions of this play and its music, and two productions are rarely the same…that adds a level of complexity that I haven’t seen before in other plays I have done.

As a kid I received a book called Bobby Fisher Teaches Chess, which I still have to this day. This play is inspired by Fischer and other chess grandmasters, and I was curious to find out more about the play and explore the music as well.

Why do you think audiences should come see this show? I think audiences should come to see this show for a number of reasons…

There are many people who are familiar with the music, but not the story…come get familiar with both!
There are some spectacularly talented people in this show, and they deserve to be seen and heard!
For those curious people that know me from my work, the novelty of seeing me do something so markedly different might be all the incentive they need!

What do you think they will take away from it? I think people will take away that there is often more going on in any given situation than what immediately meets the eye…that there is game strategy in many aspects of life besides on the tabletop…that sacrifice can be a key component of winning and losing…how one plays a game can indicate their personality away from the game table…

Chess is a Board Game… What’s your favorite Board Game? Why? Got any funny game-playing stories? I play many boardgames, but some of my favourites are the oldies...Monopoly, Scrabble, Risk, etc. They are relatively easy to learn, can be adapted for players of lower experience and skill, allow for conversation between turns, and can accommodate more than two players easily.

In the days prior to our modern technological era (“when I was a young boy…”), I can remember spending hours playing Life and Risk with a good friend that lived a block away. My Great-Grandmother taught me to play Scrabble and Dominos, another cherished childhood memory. Another of my best friends and I used to play “speed Monopoly”, where we were changing cash and properties so quickly (but accurately) that his girlfriend could not keep track of what we were doing. I can remember playing Risk all evening until the sun came up the next morning. He and I still get together to play Scrabble from time to time, he loves to boast about his victories, but he gets very sour when he doesn’t do well!

You can learn a great deal about people by observing them over a gaming table. I have known gracious winners and gracious losers, and folks that are neither.

Meet the Cast of CHESS – Tanya Mirzayans is in the Ensemble

What is your role in Chess? I am performing as part of the ensemble. Being in the ensemble requires you to adapt quickly and play a variety of characters. For me, this show’s primary challenge has been learning lines and lyrics in multiple languages: German, Russian, and Hungarian.

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? A few years ago, my voice teacher encouraged me to get out there and audition for a show. I had been singing my whole life but hadn’t been involved in community theatre. I performed in Jekyll & Hyde with Two One-Way Tickets to Broadway, followed by Wizard of Oz with Festival Players. My free time went out the window as I fell in love with theatre!

Walterdale is such a great place to get involved. The people are friendly, welcoming, and so willing to teach people with minimal experience to contribute to shows in new ways. My crew work at Walterdale has included a variety of jobs, so I have learned a lot and made some great memories there. I was a dresser for The Three Penny Opera (“yay… hooray”), stitcher and dresser for Nine, ASM for Proof, stitcher and dresser for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and lighting operator for Six Degrees of Separation. I was also ASM for Round Barn Productions’ SHOUT! A Mod Musical.

What brought you out for this show? I really wanted to be part of a Walterdale cast for the first time, not to mention the opportunity to work with Kristen, Sally, and Bethany again. Initially, I was not very familiar with this particular show, but at this point some of my favourite musical numbers are from Chess, and it’s a joy to perform.

Why do you think audiences should come see this show? There are a lot of reasons to come out for this show, but I will keep it simple: “Anthem” is goosebumps-good.

Chess is a Board Game… What’s your favorite Board Game? Why? Got any funny game-playing stories? I used to think I was good at Chess. Having since played with a few friends, I realized I only thought that because my sister and I are both terrible at it. We make up for that being an unstoppable team at Taboo.