Tag: Member

Introducing the Cast and Creative Team of FOLLIES!

CAST:6Follies
SALLY DURANT PLUMMER -Leslie Caffaro
PHYLLIS ROGERS STONE – Monica Roberts
BUDDY PLUMMER – Dustin Berube
BENJAMIN STONE – Gavin Belik
YOUNG SALLY – Tia Yakubowich
YOUNG PHYLLIS – Veronica Masik
YOUNG BUDDY – Allan Cabral de Sa
YOUNG BEN – Aidan Spila
CARLOTTA CAMPION – Kristen M. Finlay
STELLA DEEMS – Joyanne Rudiak
HATTIE WALKER – Karin Thomas
SOLANGE LAFITTE – Jackie Lotery
EMILY WHITMAN – Stacey Grubb
THEODORE WHITMAN – Kent Sutherland
HEIDI SCHILLER – Erin Foster-O’Riordan
DIMITRI WEISMANN/ROSCOE – Morgan Smith
KEVIN (waiter) – Aaron Schaan
Ensemble: Austin Kumar. Michael Watt, Aaron Schaan, Carol Chu, Alyssa Paterson, Stephanie Swensrude, Kayleigh Teatrault, Nadia Small, Christine Maydew

PRODUCTION TEAM
Director/Choreographer – Barbara Mah
Music Director – Michael Clark
Stage Manager – Phil Kreisel
Production Manager – MJ Kreisel
Assistant Choreographer – Christine Maydew
Costume Designer – Karin Lauderdale
Set Designer – David Folk
Lighting Designer – Brad Melrose
Properties Manager – Debbie Tyson
ASM – Danielle Szeponski
Set Builder – Richard Hatfield
ASM – Steven Sobolewski
Sound Designer – Marika Friesen
Live sound (mics) – Tim Friesen
Light Operator – John Anderson
Sound Operator – Christina O’Dell
Set Painter – Karlie Christie

Meet the Cast of LADY WINDERMERE’S FAN – Craig Sephton is Mr. Hopper

Meet the Cast of LADY WINDERMERE’S FAN – Émanuelle Dubbeldam is Rosalie!

emanuelle-dubbeldamWhat is your role in this production? I play Rosalie — Lady Windermere’s maid — as well as Miss Graham.

What is your background in theatre? Although it’s my first time on the Walterdale stage, I have been involved in theatre since the tender age of seven. I have made a couple of appearances at NextFest and the Fringe, and, being bilingual, through l’UniThéâtre. I have about seven years of improv experience and definitely consider it to be my favourite form of theatre.

What brought you out for this show? I knew the story was interesting and filled to the brim with amusing characters, and I figured it would be a blast to be a part of. Boy, was I right!

Why do you think audiences shoudl come and see this show? Lady Windermere’s Fan is extremely cleverly written, with twists and turns in every scene. Each character brings a new dimension to the story and there is humour sprinkled throughout. It’s loads of fun to watch; trust me, I have seen it many times by now.

What has been the most fun so far working on the show? The little accidents that turn out to be hilarious. Everyone involved has a great sense of humour, I’m surprised we get anything done at all.

The most challenging thing? The posture! I’m a sloucher through and through.

What is your favorite Oscar Wilde quote? “London is too full of fogs—and serious people. Whether the fogs produce the serious people or whether the serious people produce the fogs, I don’t know.”

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 Bethany Hughes, Director of RED

bethanyWhat is your role on this production?
– Director
– Responsible to oversee the artistic and dramatic aspects of the production and choosing the cast members, production design, and the creative aspects of show.

What is your background in theatre?
A few Walterdale Productions: Stage Manager – Misanthrope, Proof; Choreographer: CHESS: The Musical
Straight Edge Theatre: Co-Founder

What about this show intrigues you?
– The passion, the energy, the characters relationship and, the text.
– I love art, in all forms and mediums. This show brings with it some beautiful creative challenges. Those challenges inspired me as an Artist/Director to create this world.

What is the most challenging thing about working on this show?
– Speaking of challenges… one of the technical challenges has been blocking the painting scene. There are lots of factors to that moment. The diligence, the technique, the timing, and the synchronization of the movement. There is a lot happening, and quickly.  Lots of layers to consider.
– Another great challenge is the text/ dialogue itself. These words are heavy and intellectual and difficult. How do you take 40 pages of  talking and make it interesting and engaging? It was a daunting task at first, but I was in love with the language and the relationship of the characters.  Confession: The first time I read it (years ago) I used dictionary.com several times.

Art plays a big role in this show. Who is your favorite artist and why? Favorite painting/sculpture? Do you have a picture?
– I have a few local Artists whose work I deeply admire: Mitchell Chalifoux and Kristina Shave. Admittedly Ken and I are of one mind. I adore Jackson Pollock’s work. I have a soft spot in my heart for Monet and Van Gogh as well.

van-goghpollock

Meet the Cast of CHESS – Melanie Lafleur is The Arbiter

sHeadshot5BandWWhat 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.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 – Matt Boisvert is Freddie

sHeadshot2BandWWhat is your role in Chess? I play Freddie. It entails a lot complaining, self-centered comments and general rudeness. It is a wonderful role: high energy and vocally interesting. It is also pretty hilarious to play someone so opposite myself.

 What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? This is my first production with the Walterdale theatre and I have had a blast. I grew up doing St. Albert Children’s Theatre (1993-2000) which took up most of my adolescent evenings. I wrote several plays (We’ve Got Monkeys, Booth…), performed in an Improv troupe (Mr. Improv) and had a sketch comedy troupe (Cheese Tea). My last theatre show was Puck in the 5-hole, a sketch comedy show in Winnipeg Fringe in 2003.

 What brought you out for this show? What drew you to it?  I had been wanting to get back on stage for many years now. i suppose part of me was waiting for the perfect time/perfect show. Chess certainly seems to be that. I chose Walterdale because it is about the love of theatre rather than ticket sales and profit. I wanted to rekindle that feeling I had as a child when I volunteered much of my time because I loved doing it and enjoyed the relationships formed.

Why do you think audiences should come see this show? What do you think they will take away from it? Chess is a powerhouse. It is anything but a conventional musical. The score is amazing, the melodies contagious and the story layered with passion and intrigue. Every time you think you got it figured out, it changes. Quite like playing Chess.

Chess is a Board Game… What’s your favorite Board Game? Why? Got any funny game-playing stories? Actually, I invent board games! I have invented over a dozen board/card/tabletop games and have recently started a company called Spark of Madness. I love games so much I could never pick ONE as my favourite. My goal as a designer is to eventually create a good chess/checkers/backgammon style game. I have one called Stacks which is almost there…almost. One day. 🙂

Meet the Team of CHESS – Glenna Schowalter is the Stage Manager

glennaWhat is your role on the production?  I am the stage manager. This means that I sit through rehearsals to take blocking notes, get tech notes out to the production team and call all the cues once we get into the run of the show. There’s lots of communication and organization involved, and (of course) patience.

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? I started theatre in high school, and have graduated from MacEwan University’s Theatre Production program with distinction. Since then I’ve done numerous community theatre shows and festivals such as Fringe and the Works. This is my fourth production at Walterdale, and my second time stage managing here.

What brought you out for this show? I was actually finishing up last season’s production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? when Technical Director Richard Hatfield asked if I would be interested in stage managing Chess. I said yes, of course.

Why do you think audiences should come see this show? What do you think they will take away from it? I think audiences will be blown away by the score of the show. Each song is musically interesting and completely unique in its storytelling moments. The audience will walk out humming.

Chess is a Board Game… What’s your favorite Board Game? Why? Got any funny game-playing stories? I love board games! I am a frequent visitor to our city’s board game cafes. My favourite board game so far (I still have so many to try!) is Shadows Over Camelot. It’s a cooperative game where the players take on the roles of King Arthur’s knights and try to save the kingdom from invading evil forces. I like it because of the co-op gameplay, and I’m a sucker for medieval fantasy stuff.