Member Profile – Page 10 – Walterdale Theatre

Meet the Cast of THE WOMEN – Jenn Robinson is Edith Potter!

What is your role in The Women? I am playing Edith Potter. She is new money and doesn’t quite fit in with her high society friends. She is often saying or doing the wrong things, but it doesn’t phase her at all. She is perpetually pregnant, always eating, and a total blast to play.

What is your background in theatre? In Edmonton? At Walterdale? I took drama classes in school but haven’t really done much since. A few years ago I started taking vocal lessons with Edmonton Vocal Arts. That inspired me to get involved with acting again and since then I’ve taken courses at the Foote Theatre and became involved with Actor’s Gym. I worked as assistant stage manager on Boeing Boeing at the Walterdale a few years ago and I loved it. I am very excited to be working with Walterdale again, this time in front of the curtain.

What brought you out for The Women? I had a great time working on the last show I was involved with at the Walterdale, and I thought it would be the perfect place to get back into theatre. I was also very interested in being a part of an all female production, and have had an amazing time working with all of these hilarious and incredibly talented women.

What do you think audiences will take away from the show? Why do you think they should come and see it? I hope they laugh their asses off but then go home afterwards and think ‘damn that’s real’. Our director Catherine Wenschlag has done an incredible job of bringing this show into our century and creating situations and relationships that are still relevant and real in our current society. I think on the surface our show is very funny and will have audiences laughing, but at the core it is a very insightful glimpse into women’s roles in society and the complexities of female friendships. Other women can be our best friends and our greatest enemies.

What do you think is the most important issue facing women today (in North America? Globally?)? Why? I think one of the biggest obstacles women continue to face today is sexual harassment, especially in the work place. We have witnessed the downfall of many powerful male celebrities over the past few months due to sexual harassment claims and charges. Sadly this is not new, it’s just finally being talked about by the media. Women have been dealing with this for decades, forced to remain silent for fear of losing their jobs, being judged, or worse not being believed. It’s about time people are finally talking about it, and taking steps to fight it. It’s beautiful the way women are banding together to support each other. But this fight is not over, and it won’t be until women are in a place where they feel safe and comfortable to come forward about sexual harassment in their work place, or god forbid when we live in a time where women no longer have to face that abuse at all.

Meet the Cast of THE WOMEN – Katelyn Arthurs is Miriam Aarons!

What is your role in The Women? I play Miriam Aarons, an ex-chorus girl turned musical theatre star. She’s a scrappy, sassy, witty character who is no stranger to doing what she has to do to survive in a man’s world.

What is your background in theatre? In Edmonton? At Walterdale? I’ve done a few shows at the Walterdale and around Edmonton, and before that some community theatre as I nomaded around the country. Walterdale keeps having me, so I keep coming back!

What brought you out for The Women? I’ve always wanted to work with Catherine (our director), and when she had mentioned this show a while back, I already dibs-ed an audition slot! The script is also fascinating, being that it was written in 1936, and a lot of it still rings true. It’s still a very timely piece that takes a look at relationships, social climates, and the importance of thinking for yourself.

What do you think audiences will take away from the show? Why do you think they should come and see it? First of all, the set and the costumes are gorgeous. Secondly, Clare Boothe Luce was a fantastic writer who produced a fantastic, biting script that is peppered with humour, sincerity, and brutal honesty. Last but not least, the incredible amount of talent in the show. The cast is incredible and it’s been really great working alongside this many talented women… not to mention the best rehearsal conversations EVER. I foresee a great talk-back on the talk-back evening during the run!

What do you think is the most important issue facing women today (in North America? Globally?)? Why? The ability to have total agency over their bodies. Women’s health issues and decisions concerning them are too often made in rooms where there are no women present, or even consulted. In 2018, it is frightening to be able to say that in certain areas of first world countries, it is easier for a woman to buy a gun than to access birth control. Women face a tremendous amount of scrutiny in regards to their reproductive health, when it should be no one’s business but theirs and their doctor… who may or may not respect their wishes as well. While we are fortunate to live somewhere with more progressive laws, it seems that every time someone makes some progress, someone else takes two steps back. Women have a powerful voice and I’m proud to be part of a generation that is using it for change.

Meet the Team of THE WOMEN – Brooke Emberly is the Master Painter!

What is your role on The Women? My name is Brooke Emberly, and I am the Master Painter on The Women coming up next at Walterdale Theatre. Being Master Painter means I am directly in charge of making sure the Designers and Directors dream of the set comes to life, in the form of paint. I am in charge of acquiring the appropriate paints for the palette of the show, applying the techniques and textures required, and overseeing all those who help with this process to be sure everything looks uniform. In the paint department, we are the last ones to work but the first thing you see when entering the theatre!

What is your background in theatre? In Edmonton? At Walterdale? I graduated from the Theatre Production course at Grant MacEwan University in May of 2015. Before that, my experience with theatre was the acting I did in high school. I was always interested in the ‘behind the stage’ magic, and wanted a job that would always bring new and exciting challenges. Since graduating, I’ve had the good fortune to stay active by volunteering with Walterdale Theatre, light-walking at the Citadel Theatre, working concerts with our local IATSE 210, as well as my festival work with The Works during the summer months. Through these connections, I had the opportunity to work on the props for the music video Second Attack by Striker. Although it was volunteer work, it was an amazing experience that I’m so grateful to have been able to learn from.

What brought you out for The Women? I was actually head-hunted for this position, which is an extraordinarily humbling experience. After working on the paint crew for Othello, another show put on by The Walterdale, I was asked to come back in a leadership position for this show. I am so excited to be working with the people I do, and equally as excited to see how this all comes together!

What do you think audiences will take away from the show? Although The Women was created in the 1930’s, many of the issues it revolves around are very relevant today. At its core, this show is about stability, respect, trust, and feeling honoured and wanted. These are all things that anyone, of any gender, can relate to. Through its zany scenes juxtaposed against its serious ones, this slice of life play works through many of the truly human issues we still face. I honestly believe that there are so many ways to interpret this play, that you just have to some see it for itself to see what it says to YOU!

What do you think is the most important issue facing women today? Why? We currently live in an amazing era where information (and inevitably, misinformation) can be shared globally at the click of a button. This means, issues that were never being addressed before on large scale levels are being recognized and sought out. Unfortunately, we also live in an age where it is easier, and ‘trendy,’ to pretend that legitimate issues that plague thousands are just cases of people being ‘too sensitive’ or ‘too pc.’ There is an awkward tug-of-war happening where the newer generation see’s these issues and wishes to take the reins and fix them, yet the older generation is not ready to give up control or change old ‘bad habits’ for the better. This has always been the case as one generation gets ready to overtake the other, (i.e. the ‘Greatest Generation’ verses the ‘Baby Boomers’ in the hippie movements, rock and roll movements, etc…) however there is the added complexity of technology that spreads these debates quicker, more aggressively and more anonymously. Of course, it is not all as cut and dry as all of that, as there are people from each generation that go against the grain of the masses in either positive or negative ways; but it still stands to show that the most challenging obstacle facing women today is the ability to legitimately be heard, recognized, trusted and understood above the roar of nay-sayers and the cloud of misinformation and abuse. After all, those who are in the wrong are often the loudest of them all.

Meet the Cast of THE WOMEN – Julie Whelan is Crystal!

What is your role in The Women? I play Crystal Allen, one of the more obvious antagonists of the play. She is a lower class woman who uses cunning strategy and sexuality to climb the social ladder.

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? I have no background in theatre! I’m the newest member of the Walterdale family and The Women is my theatrical debut.

What brought you out for the show? I have a client who is a talented musical theatre actress and she suggested that I give the Walterdale a try. Honestly, I was looking for a new hobby since my children are school aged and I finally have some time for myself. When Catherine sent me the script, I knew immediately that this was a project I wanted to be a part of.

Why do you think audiences should come and see the show? The play is hilarious on the surface but also provokes some serious thought on the obstacles women have overcome since 1936 and the challenges we are still faced with today. People who want a good laugh and some serious food for thought need to come see this play. The cast is also made up entirely of incredibly talented women who bring so much color to the play.

What do you think is the most important issue facing women today (in North America? Globally?)? Why? Access to birth control and safe abortions. This is an obstacle for women worldwide. While we have much better access here in North America vs. many other parts of the globe, we still aren’t free from the judgment, harassment and lack of privacy when it comes to our right to choose. In this political climate it seems we’ve taken two steps back in this category- and that’s frightening!

Meet the Team of SHATTER – Savanna Harvey is the Lighting and Sound Designer

What is your role on this production? Light and sound designer.

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? I started with Walterdale as Assistant Director for Jennie’s Story (2014). I was also Associate Dramaturg for the Cradle to Stage play Bottled Up (2016).

What brought you out for this show? I’m an independent creator-performer, and I’ve wanted to learn more about light and sound design for ages. What better way to learn than by doing?!

What do you think audiences will take away from this show? Why should they come and see it? I may be a little biased, but I think the lighting design for Shatter is really cool. I tried to design a unique aesthetic (flashlights and shadow puppetry) on top of stage lighting that would compliment the themes in the text. Watch out for shadows, suspicion, and fragmentation!

Shatter deals with a major event in Canadian history that Canadians today might not know too much about. Are there any other major events in Canadian history that you feel we should know more about that we do? I don’t know much about Canadian history, but I am involved in its present. I participated in the Edmonton Women’s March on Washington last January. Collectively, these marches were the largest civil rights march in history. The event aimed to be intersectional, inclusive, and international, supporting of the rights of all women and femmes. It was an incredible experience – it’s not often you have the opportunity to actively participate in history! I ended up making an art exhibit about the experience called ARTifacts of Protest. If you’re interested in learning more about the march, I’m presenting the exhibit and a lecture at the University of Alberta for International Week (January 2018).

Meet the Team of SHATTER – Rebecca Collins is the ASM!

What is your role in/on this production? I am the Assistant Stage Manager for Walterdale’s production of Shatter. I communicate between creative departments and help keep track of the actors during performance. The Shatter creative team has been incredibly collaborative, and I feel privileged to have analyzed the play with the performers in rehearsal. My favorite part of being the Assistant Stage Manager is bringing Jordan Campion coffee.

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? My first acting role was tree 1 of 3, in my grade three class production of Hansel and Gretel. However, it was my fifth grade after school drama class production of A Christmas Carol and my role as Ghost of Christmas Past that truly inspired my love of theatre. I have since grown to become a theatre and humanities educator with Edmonton Public Schools. I have worked creatively in theatre as an actor, designer, director, and now assistant stage manager! Shatter is my first Walterdale production and I have loved exploring the space and getting to know the wonderful group of people who make theatre magic happen!

What brought you out for this show? I attended the University of Alberta with the director of Shatter, Josh Languedoc. Over our time in university, Josh and I collaborated on many artistic projects, including attending the Indra Congress in Derry/Londonderry Northern Ireland. When Josh expressed that he was looking to build his creative team for this production I jumped at the opportunity to work with him again. I have wanted to work on a play with Walterdale for many years and I had a chance to finally bring my dream to fruition.

What do you think audiences will take away from this show? Why should they come and see it? Shatter is a poignant and relatable story to our current socio-political climate. Opening on the 100^th anniversary of this major Canadian tragedy, Shatter reminds audiences that we haven’t come quite as far as we would like to think we have. In the face of danger and disaster, fear can still blind us and make us distrust our neighbors. As a social studies teacher, I believe that we study the past to find connections between the past and our present while making predication about our future. I hope that audiences will reflect on the mistakes Canadians have made before and think about how they as individuals can influence our future. I think audiences should come and see Shatter because Trina Davies’ story is truly captivating and will deepen their understanding of a terrible Canadian tragedy.

I think that a lot of young Canadians don’t know a lot about the 1970 October Crisis. The Front de liberation du Québec (FLQ) kidnapped British diplomat James Cross and provincial cabinet Minister of Labour Pierre Laporte, declaring them political prisoners. The FLQ forced CBC to broadcast their manifesto, and a letter of captivity from Pierre Laporte. Laporte was eventually executed by the FLQ, his body found strangled in the trunk of a car.

There were multiple bombings through out Quebec, primarily in Montreal, detonated by FLQ members. Pierre Elliot Trudeau invoked the War Measure Act and had military enforcement patrolling the streets of Quebec. The October Crisis is the only time in Canadian history the War Measures Act has been invoked during peace times.

I think it is important that Canadians understand the October Crisis for a number reasons. One good reason to know about this part of Canadian history is to know how our fellow Canadians have responded to political unrest. The October Crisis is a bloody, vulgar, and shocking part of our not so distant past.

Meet the Team of SHATTER – Austin Lohouse is the Props Master!

What is your role on this production? I am the one the Props Masters for this show and that involves created and altering all sorts of props and set decorations

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? I went the MacEwan University for theatre production for 2 years and worked with Mile Zero Dance on their show Anything Goes A Dance in 17 Parts. This is my first show with Walterdale.

What brought you out for this production? As I was chatting with Rachel (the other props master for this show) over coffee she invited me to the first production meeting where I introduced myself and the rest is history

What do you think audiences will take away from this production? Audiences should take away a sense of astonishment for the subject matter. The cultural climate of this show mirrors that of today eerily. I’m certain many people will see the parallels.

Shatter deals with a major event in Canadian history that Canadians today might not know too much about. Are there any other major events in Canadian history that you feel we should know more about that we do? Until I joined onto this show I didn’t know of this event either so it’s been very interesting and exciting learning about the times as we go into this more. There is a lot of Canadian history that gets glossed over and that we forget as we get out of school, an event that I have been attracted recently is the creation and spread of the Canadian Pacific Railway until 1885.

Meet the Cast of SHATTER – Stuart Old is a Shadow!

What is your role in this production? I am an actor in the chorus of “shadow” characters that Josh incorporated in the production. The chorus serves to heighten the storytelling and action of the play, but, in addition, we all created individuals who lived in Halifax during the events portrayed. The backstory of my character is that of “Alfred”, a Nova Scotian of Irish heritage who made his living in Halifax as a fisherman while indulging a secret, poetic nature.

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? I first experienced stage performance in high school. After nearly a decade working as a tradesman, I returned to theatre, being accepted into the Theatre Performance and Creation program at Red Deer College in 2015. I completed the program this spring and moved to Edmonton. This is my first production with Walterdale!

What brought you out for this production? Even before I moved to Edmonton, I knew Walterdale by reputation. When I learned that Walterdale would be producing Shatter, it struck me right away as something I would be proud to be a part of!

Why do you think people should come and see this show? What do you think audiences will take away from it? Audiences will experience the story through the eyes of the ordinary Canadians who woke up in Halifax on the morning of December 6, 1917. These were people experiencing love and friendship, hopes and doubts, never suspecting what would happen to them. They will witness the struggle of the survivors to overcome the wounds to their bodies and souls. This story resonates today. It is difficult to rebuild, to preserve what is honest and decent, to resist the desire to lash out in revenge. It is vital to reflect that even in our safe and prosperous country, sudden tragedy can challenge us to our cores. Finally, the play has many beautiful moments of laughter and affection in defiance of tragedy.

Shatter deals with a major event in Canadian history that Canadians today might not know too much about. Are there any other major events in Canadian history that you feel we should know more about that we do? The 1837 rebellions in Ontario and Quebec forced the British to introduce democracy in Canada by making our government here responsible to our parliament, not to the British monarch. These rebellions not only redefined Canada’s government, but those of Australia and New Zealand as well! They also provoked an explicit project to assimilate the French people of Canada. Pretty important for nearly-forgotten history!

Meet the Team for SHATTER – Jordan Campion is the Stage Manager

What is your role on this production? I am the stage manager for Shatter. The way I usually explain my role to people is a behind the scenes HQ. Myself along with our assistant stage manager, Becky, are the eyes and ears in the rehearsal hall. We connect the artistic side of the process that Josh is going through with the reality side which is our amazing designers and technicians actually making it happen. We also make schedules along with the director and production manager and communicate with actors. Usually that ends up looking like endless e-mails and schedule making. During the show the ASM is backstage taking care of props and costume as necessary and I’m in the booth calling lighting and sound cues.

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? This is my first Walterdale show! I got to know Josh and Bethany while working on Sweeney Todd in the spring and I jumped at the chance to work on this show. I have been working in theatre for almost my whole life. My dad is a musician and carpenter so I often would help him set up shows and build things. In junior high I helped build and design sets and acted as an ASM. Then in high school I started Stage Managing and immediately fell in love with the job. I completed a year of the BFA Stage Management but decided I wanted to focus more on education so I’m currently transferring into a BEd. However, I still work on a number of things around the city and continue to stage manage.

What brought you out for this show? Josh and Bethany are both amazing creative people so I was so excited to work on any team that they were a part of. I thought it was really important to showcase young faces at Walterdale which Josh and I absolutely are. We are also both First Nation and I love the idea of having two big roles on a production team being filled by aboriginal individuals. We both feel that aboriginal presence in theatre and art is really important and has so so much to offer. On top of all of that the script and cast are just so brilliant. I really couldn’t say no!

What do you think audiences will take away from this show? Why should they come and see it? I think that this show offers so much more than just a historical representation of an event. Audience members will be able to relate so so much to the characters on stage. Whether it be audiences thinking about their own coming of age story or what pushed away from naive innocence or audiences thinking about raising kids and seeing that all happen it’s really relatable. Also just the idea of the evolution of relationships and friendships is something everyone can understand. It’s a lot of highs and lows and everyone can relate to that in some way. I also think that a lot of our principals are strong females and that’s super important. As a young female in this industry it’s so great to see complex strong females on stage that are real and imperfect and unique and just their own person.

Shatter deals with a major event in Canadian history that Canadians today might not know too much about. Are there any other major events in Canadian history that you feel we should know more about that we do? For me Indian Residential Schools are something that I think we’ve just started to really understand and dissect as a country. I’ve been privileged enough to do some work with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and it’s always so unreal to me that people still don’t know a lot about it. I think there’s still a long way to go in understanding inter-generational trauma and how to move forward cohesively.

Meet the Creative Team of SHATTER – Josh Languedoc is the Director!

What is your role on this production? I am the director of Shatter.

Is there a quote from the play that speaks to you? Why? I keep returning to the final line in the show: “Oh…well….we all do our part.” It seems simple, but to me, this line is both a strong message of empowerment, but it is also a call out on dangerous behaviour we have as a society. Throughout the arch of this play, we see incredible tensions between friends and strangers as mistrust builds through the social circumstances surrounding the tragedy. So, on one hand, we need to recognize we have a power in the face of tragedy. That power is in coming together, supporting one another, and never losing hope. That is the part we must play when faced with tragedy. However, on the other hand, we also do our part in adding to the tension that comes with tragedy. We tend to look for a source to blame and we tend to foster division rather than acceptance.. So, we as a society can add greatly to the negativity to a situation if we choose to push people away and divide rather than accept.

Why should audiences come see the show? Even though this tragedy took place 100 years ago, the cautionary message in this play is currently relevant to the state of our world. All across the United States, and extending here in Canada, numerous debates have occurred over how to handle issues of terrorism, mistrust, and the political climate. This play does an incredible job of capturing the drama individuals face when a tragedy occurs. Who do we really trust? Who are our real friends? What should we do to keep ourselves safe? Is it reminding ourselves we will be OK? Do we take shelter in our lover? Or do we build a wall and protect us from the dangers? All of these questions are explored in the drama of the play, and I feel this play will provide audiences with an incredible sense of emotion as we explore these questions together. Especially by recognizing the dangers we can place ourselves in by going the mistrust route.

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? I have been onstage since the age of 5. Theatre has very much remained in my life since that age. Currently, I work as a theatre educator for the Citadel Theatre, Edmonton Public Schools, Black Gold Schools, Workshop West Playwrights Theatre, Kompany Family Theatre, and in my own company, KidLibs Theatre. I’m also a professional improviser with The 11 O’Clock Number (Grindstone Theatre) and with KidLibs Theatre.. Plays like Shatter also inspire me as a playwright. Currently, I am the Playwright in Residence at Workshop West Playwrights Theatre, and am writing several plays for different theatre companies, including Native Earth Theatre and Kompany Family Theatre.

At the Walterdale, I have performed as an actor in 3 shows. I played Art Milligan in The Male Order Bride, and was part of the general ensemble in Walterdale’s musical productions of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and The Three Penny Opera.

What do you hope that audiences will take away from the show? Honestly, I just want audiences to feel the emotional weight of this tragedy. Through the drama of the main characters, the full sense of uncertainty and anger associated with this tragedy is felt. I want audiences to see themselves in these characters – would I change the way Anna does within this tragedy? Would I feel like Jennie if I experienced what happened to her? Would I be proud in my tactic if I were in Brian’s shoes? Would I be like Elsie and remain hopeful in the presence of extreme tragedy? And then, which of these characters gives us any insight in how to handle these types of tragedies?

Interview by Stephanie O’Neill