Board Meeting Tonight

The December Board meeting is tonight. Lend Me a Tenor closed last night and now Beautiful Thing will move into the house. The season seems to be running along smoothly with few arising issues or snags. I would like to think that is due to good organization and thinking ahead instead of always being in debrief mode. The next thing on my list is constructing an audition notice for From Cradle to Stage. There will be a variety of roles for our membership to audition for but I really want to highlight the wonderful plays that will be up on our decks to attract people. It is hard with new works because the plays are not known, they are new, so people don't know what they are getting themselves into. One of the plays also one the Canada Peace Play competition this year, so you know it's got to be good. The other thing I am looking for/working on is submissions for the 2010-2011 Season. I have many submitted scripts that do not have assigned directors. I have very few directors submissions. I want more because the more choices I have, the better the season can be!

The Mail Order Bride - Cast Complete!

We had a wonderful round of auditions for The Mail Order Bride and thanks to all those great people coming out, we have a fabulous cast. This is a very experienced team and the script is a wonderful home-grown piece. Here's the team and cast:

Production Group:

Director: Alex Hawkins

Production Manager: Marlene Kottke (in the New Year)

Acting Production Manager: George Millar

Stage Manager: To Be Determined

Set and Props Design: Joan Heys Hawkins

Costume Design: Geri Dittrich

Lighting Design: Leland Stelck

(this list will continue to be updated as we add operators, ASMs, and others)

Acting Ensemble:

dale Wilson playing Harold

Josh Languedoc playing Art
Mandy Stewart playing Rachel

Darrell Portz playing Russell

Monica Roberts playing Eva

Syrell Wilson playing Charlotte

Bradley McInenly playing Charles

If you want to be a part of this team or any other at Walterdale, drop me a line at adwalterdale2009@yahoo.ca . I would love to hear from you!

Isn't It Nice When They say Nice Things?

http://www2.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/story.html?id=6ee7a5eb-e427-4448-83b3-80cb67b80f86

The above review was in the Edmonton Journal today. I quite agree! This show is a high note. I am quite pleased with the piece and it is so much fun. The laughs will certainly warm you up in this ccccccold weather!

Exciting Things...

The first round of auditions for The Mail Order Bride were delightful. I am excited to see what happens tonight! So many wonderful actors and actresses in our company.

Auditions - The Mail Order Bride

Once the season starts it really gets rolling. For me it is amazing that we can get 6 quality productions up on stage with the bulk of the labour being volunteer-members. We are mid-run of our second show, mid-rehearsal of our third show and the auditions for our fourth show are tonight and tomorrow. The fourth show of the season is Robert Clinton's The Mail Order Bride. I loved this script when I read it and I was so pleased that I had it as an option for the line-up. Tonight, Director Alex Hawkins will see the first half of his options for casting. I know he has gotten great response to his notice and that will help in selecting a strong cast. Auditions continue tomorrow night. The task for auditions is cold reads from the script, so if you haven't booked an audition, drop by and they will fit you in. The more, the merrier!

OPENING NIGHT!

Tonight is Opening Night of our December show - Ken Ludwig's Lend Me a Tenor. Already we are hearing the informal reviews on Facebook Statuses from those who managed to see the show at the Director's or the Artist's Preview. They are overwhelmingly good and one of our actresses has even gotten an informal marriage proposal! Not bad! Now, this show is not going to make you think, it isn't going to have an impact on the world at large, it isn't socially conscious and may even be a titch naughty. BUT it should make you laugh! For those of you writing papers and finals - go see the show - have a good laugh! For those of you contemplating Christmas craziness - go see the show - relax and take a mental time-out! For those of you looking for a good time - GO SEE THE SHOW!

I will be there tonight. I hope to see you there!

Preview

I got to watch a run of Lend Me a Tenor last night. The show is in fabulous shape. Many, many laughs from me and they are still several runs away from opening (December 2nd!). It will be even better with the finished costumes and set and the last minute tweaking that will go on between now and then. They look ready for an audience!

Speaking of - Walterdale's first Student Night will be on November 30th (Monday) at 8 p.m. Anyone with a valid student I.D. can see the show for free (subject to availability). Hope to see a lot of new faces there that night!

Need a Tenor? I got one to lend to you...

Coming up next at Walterdale -

Ken Ludwig's

Lend Me a Tenor.

It should be worth a lot of laughs!

Dialects Workshop... Today

I should have put this up earlier, but I got caught up in other things. We are holding a Dialects Workshop today at the theatre. This will help fulfill the needs of Beautiful Thing which requires a very specific dialect and will be fun for those not in the show to learn how to speak in different accents. In any case, the workshop had enough people to run and there was ample advertising in the newsletter and other places so it's all good. This is one of the cool services available to Walterdale members. You can attend workshops for free! We had one in September that we had to cancel due to low enrollment (acting - and we only have 3 people sign up - we need a minimum of 6). There will be another one in the new year called Auditioning for Musicals that I will attend but not participate in. As the Director of this season's musical I want to be there to offer tips about what I will be looking for so that people can come in better prepared for the audition. After Sweeney auditions I was really surprised at how many people came in very unprepared for the audition. This was despite the fact we were very specific about what we wanted to hear from them. It is off-putting to a casting team when you walk in and say, "I know that's what you want to see/hear, but I want to do this instead". I then wonder how you will deal with direction during the process of rehearsal.

We have one open workshop to replace the skipped one, so if you have ideas for what you'd like to do... send them my way. You can either comment here or send me an email at walterdalead@yahoo.ca. I would love ideas!

From Cradle to Stage

The 2 scripts selected for this season's From Cradle to Stage are Stillborn by Andy Garland and Kiss Within a Kiss by Jim Herchak. They will be working with Brian Dooley and Tracy Carroll respectively on the development of their scripts! Congratulations!

Next Season Thinking Already...

I like getting things done well in advance. I find it lowers my stress and in my life anything that lowers my stress is a good thing. So, I am starting to think about NEXT season (2010-11). The next Walterdale newsletter will have the request for submissions for the season. These should include a copy of the play along with a Director's Analysis/Plan of Action (I want to see that the Director submitting understands the challenges of the piece, particularly if they are a new Director). I get many scripts submitted to me without Directors attached. I also got 21 submissions last year from Directors. It makes for a lot of reading. A bit of the work is technically done. The show I want to direct is in the queue and the DONOR VOTED SHOW is narrowed down to three and technically out of my hands (I have already done my reading there). As for the Donor Voted Show, we are busy planning a fun evening to thank the donors and coordinate the voting. This will take place in January and will feature readings from each of the three shows up for selection (The Seagull, Much Ado About Nothing, and Hedda Gabler). I hope it will be a close race as I have my favorite, but I actually tend to flip between 2 of them and I have heard plenty of interest in the third selection, so who knows which one it will be?

In further news, I should find out this week which of the One Acts will be produced at From Cradle to Stage in May. I am waiting to hear form our dramaturges so that I can set up the process for dramaturgy. Stay posted!

Up Next: An Operatic Farce!

Lend Me a Tenor is next up on the Walterdale stage! In the span of a few days walls have been erected on the deck and soon the cast will be able to move downstairs to rehearse in situ. It's a complicated show that will benefit from having a few weeks to slam doors and jump on real beds and run around in the real space. This is a perfect show for the Christmas season. There's music and it's hilarious and in that hectic time it is nice to go out for a belly laugh!

Last Chance to Catch Jimmy Dean

Tonight is Closing Night. Call Tix on the Square or take your chances at the door. It's a great show with a nice strong, even cast! A wonderful way to start the 51st Season!

Following the show, the cast, crew and production team will strike the set and clean the theatre and then they will have a little party (a well-deserved celebration of their hard work!).

Drumroll Please...

I am very excited to announce the cast for Beautiful Thing....

Jamie - Doran Werner
Leah - Maura Frunza
Sandra - Amelia Duplessis
Ste - Joel Taras
Tony - Randy Brososky

This cast is a mix of newcomers and old-timers (although Randy might object to being called old- 'cause he's not - in fact he is younger than I am!). If you see one of them, please congratulate them! Well done all, and well done Justen Bennett for selecting such a great cast!

Auditions - A Beautiful Thing...

One of the things I have been doing as AD of Walterdale is sit in on all the auditions for the shows this season. This past Sunday and Monday night we held the auditions for our February show, Beautiful Thing. Being involved in all the auditions, even just as an observer has given me a great opportunity to see the depth of our talent pool. I am not sure of the exact cast for this show, but I have an idea based on my own assessments of who is in running. I know that based on those who came out we shall have a strong cast. This is exciting as I figured this would be the most challenging show in our season to cast.

I have also gotten to observe the same people auditioning more than one time. One thing I am tremendously pleased with is that over the course of consecutive auditions I have seen marked improvement in some of the auditioners. That means that they are either learning from the experience, or they are going away and training or re-thinking their approach. For me, as a Director at Walterdale, it makes me excited to think that some of these people may audition for me down the line. Please, please, please do not stop coming out for auditions. There were people we saw that were good, but just not right in the mix or right for the part... there will be a part for you eventually! I know it! One long-time Walterdalian told me this weekend, she auditioned 12 times before she finally got into a Walterdale show, but it was worth it!

Another benefit to this round is that Justen Bennett, the Director, had me do a little introduction to Walterdale while he sorted readings. I hope that some of the people listened and will take me up on the offer to fine a role in our community even if they do not get cast. Walterdale is about opportunity, but sometimes the opportunity looks different than you think it will!

Walterdale on Twitter

http://twitter.com/walterdaleplays

I don't tweet (?) but someone on the Board does. If you are a Twitter Fan, check it out.

Jimmy Dean - We are Up and Running!

Wednesday marked the Opening Night for Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean. I was very nervous to do the opening night pre-show speech. I know why. I can get up and do the mot ridiculous things from a script, but when it is me up there I get very nervous. Also, I personally dislike pre-show speeches. I feel they interfere with the artistic concept of the show so part of me rails against doing them! I tried to make it short so we could get to the good stuff - the show! I was very pleased to see the way this show came to life. Since I sat in on auditions I saw the potential and it was gratifying to see the cast fulfill that. Stand outs for me were Zoe Hawnt as Sissy (now) as I had never seen her onstage in that sort of role before and she was very fun! I also was quite impressed with Keltie Squires who stepped into the show a mere 3 1/2 weeks before Opening. Actually, though, the whole cast was very even. No one felt as though they were out-acted by any of the others. It was a true ensemble, very connected and active in a challenging piece that flits back and forth from 1955 to 1975. I thought that the Director and her Production Team dealt well with the challenge of the time switch and they produced a lovely, fast-paced, conceptually consistent, well executed show. For me, as AD, it was a good start to 2 years!

The following articles were in the local papers today.

http://www.edmontonsun.com/entertainment/columnists/colin_maclean/2009/10/16/11420006-sun.html

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Come%20Back%20Five%20Dime%20Jimmy%20Dean%20Jimmy%20Dean/2110178/story.html

Come Back to the Walterdale, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean

We are a little over 2 weeks away from Opening Night for Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean. It opens October 14th (Wednesday) at 8:00 p.m. I am pleased to say that I have my babysitter booked and I am good to go for this one. If I can, I may check out the Director's Preview on the Monday night, but I may wish to wait for Opening. Ooooo, I can't decide! I have heard great things from the Cast and Production Team about how things are going. I love the set. It went up so quickly and easily and it is charming and provides a beautiful backdrop for this lovely piece.

Remember, Walterdale is likely the most economical theatre choice in the city. You can get tickets at Tix on the Square or at the door (cash only at the door). Tickets range from $12 - $16 and if you are severely strapped for cash, the first Thursday (October 15th) is a 2 for 1 night (bring a friend). You can't beat those prices!

Celebrating Alberta Arts Days and Walterdale Theatre!

This past Saturday we held an Open House and our AGM. Both events were well-attended and went very well. The combination of the Farmer's Market (Art's Barns) and Earth Day Celebrations (Gazebo Park) created a lot of foot traffic through our community. As well, we had several dedicated members in costume going out with fliers to bring people into the building and then leading tours through our backstage areas. We estimated 100-200 people through the building, asking questions, finding out what we are all about and signing up for shows.

The AGM was also well attended. We had over 50 members in attendance. I am excited to announce the new Board of Directors:
President - Eric Rice
Vice President - Justen Bennett
Treasurer - Dave Wolkowski
Secretary - Prudence Olenik
Artistic Director - Kristen M. Finlay
Director of Public Relations - Marissa Loewen
Director of Productions - Kimberlee Stadelmann and Jim Draginda
Membership Director - Ruby Swekla
Building Director - John Henoch
Technical Director - Brent Jans
Directors of FOH - Catherine Wenschlag and Annelise Coutu

The second half of the evening was a lot of fun. Thank you to crew who helped present the season in music (Sally Hunt, Erin Foster-O'Riordan, Kimberlee Stadelmann, Ian Corry, Kristin Johnston, and Maria Harman). The Fun Awards were handed out, as well as the Outstanding Season Contribution Award (Kimberlee Stadelmann) and the Jack Wilson Lifetime Achievement Award (Pat Eyford).

Lend Me a Tenor - A Fabulous Cast

After 2 nights of hilarious auditions and a few days of contemplation of personalities, skills, and schedules, Lend Me a Tenor is cast. I am excited! This is a great cast if the auditions are to be trusted and December is going to start with lots of laughter!

The Cast:

Tito - Gerald Mason

Max - Kris Loranger

Saunders - Andrew McCready

Bellhop(s) - Devin Bruce and Stan Woo

Maggie - Elena Porter

Diana - Kristin Johnston

Julia - Jan Streader

Maria - Erika Conroy

Understudy Maggie/Diana - Nicole Smashnuk

So we have a wonderful mix of old and new members, as well as some people who we haven't seen on our stage for a few years. I love the potential for new chemistry when you mix people up.

I hope that those who didn't get cast come out for other auditions. There were many, many fabulous auditions on Tuesday and Wednesday last week and I now that Elizabeth and Sarah agonized over the casting. They had the luxury of knowing they would get a great cast, but they also knew they were saying no to some amazing performers.

Open House this Saturday... Followed by the AGM in the Evening...

I hope to see you all out at one or both of these events!

Jimmy Dean Update - I am hearing great things...

I was talking to members of the cast and the production team for this show and I am hearing great things. I am excited to see it. I am debating stepping in to see a rehearsal because I don't want to interfere with the positive energy that I hear is being created and also because I want to wait to see it when it is all put together. I will think on this. If I thought there was a need for me to be in there, I would be in there in a flash, but from all reports things are moving along smoothly. The set is exciting to me. Very economical but wonderful! The Set Designer, George, had the bulk of it done in no time flat. This has given the cast a wonderful gift because they have been able to play on it a lot more than they might have been able to otherwise. It will be fun to show it off at the Open House this Saturday!

Anxiously Waiting for News...

What terrific Auditions! We had two lovely nights of auditions for Lend Me A Tenor this week. I do not envy Elizabeth Day and her team the challenge that faces them as they cast this show. Not only do they have more than one option for each role, but they also have the challenge of matching schedules to make the project work! I went through my list and there were roles I had a list of 10 possible people for. It's a jigsaw puzzle - casting. Casting one role will lead to the next and so on. No matter the outcome, I am excited to hear who she decides on, and excited to see the show in December. If the audience laughs as much as we did during auditions it is definitely going to be a fabulous show! Stay tuned for the cast list which I hope to get and post some time next week!

Looking for One Acts...

A Reminder - The Deadline for submissions for the One Act Festival is September 15th. Send submissions to my email (adwalterdale2009@yahoo.ca) or a hard copy to the theatre. The details of the submission request can be found on Walterdale's webpage.

Lend Me a Tenor Auditions - Filling up the sheet...

Things are progressing well in terms of the audition sheet for Lend Me a Tenor. Typically when a notice goes out there is an immediate response from several people in the first few days. Then the names trickle in until one week before the auditions when we will get a surge of people making that last minute decision. At this point we are in good shape. I can see more than one name on the list that would be good for each character. This is delightful for the director. She will be able not only a good cast, but a great cast! If you are planning to audition, email me for a time (adwalterdale2009@yahoo.ca). The sooner you email, the sooner you will get the pages to practice and the more likely you are to get the time you prefer!

More Walterdale Fringe Shows!

I was informed that 2 more Fringe shows have a Walterdale Connection:

ComeComeCrash - Stage 1 The Westbury
City Tensei - Stage 6 The Catalyst

I am truly amazed at how many shows have a Walterdale link! I hope everyone gets out to see one of them!

More Fringe Shows with Walterdale Connections!

Some Additional Shows I missed the first time:

00:00 A.M (Zero Ante Meridian) - Walterdale
The Twelve Dancing Princesses - Strathcona Community League
Old Wicked Songs - Westbury
The Year of Magical Thinking - Westbury
Full Frontal Nudity - Walterdale
El Dorado - Fringe Cabaret Lounge
Say Shoot - Fringe Cabaret Lounge
Noncommittal - Catalyst Theatre
Spiral Dive:Episode One & Two - La Cite Francophone
The Oddities Variety Show - Sports Bras etc.
Gut - Strathcona Public Library
Noizen of the World - Strathcona Public Library
The Unmarried Wife - Strathcona Public Library
Filling in Our Bones - Strathcona Public Library

How amazing that so many Fringe shows have a connection to Walterdale Theatre!

Fringe Shows with Walterdale Members Past and Present...

I went through all my Facebook Invites and have compiled the following list of Fringe shows with Walterdale Members (past and present). There are likely more and when I pick up my program today I will scan through and see which ones I missed and update this post. Here are the ones I know about:

@Life at the Edmonton Fringe - Yardbird Suite
Addition: An Unconventional Love Story - Venue 5 - Fringe Cabaret
For the Love of a Zombie – Venue 1 - Westbury Theatre
FROM SOMETHING – Venue 1 – Westbury Theatre
GOSSAMER FEAST - Walterdale Playhouse
Mark - the fringe theatre experience! – Venue 1 - Westbury Theatre
Mockingbird Close - Venue 1 - Westbury Theatre
Second Hand Sneakers & the Hundred Mile Hump - Walterdale Theatre
Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew – BYOV Strathcona Baptist Church
That's What Al Said / Because Alan Said So - Venue 10 – Planet ZE Design
Wedding Ruiner - BYOV T -Cook County Saloon
wetware – BYOV Filthy McNasty's Pub
Zachary And The Story Telling Stones – BYOV N - Strathcona Library

Anyhow, check out these shows with Walterdale connections! And if you can't get to one of them just go to the Fringe and see a show - any show... you won't regret it!

Auditions - Lend Me a Tenor

AUDITION NOTICE
WALTERDALE PLAYHOUSE
Ken Ludwig’s Lend Me a Tenor
Performance Dates: December 2nd – 12th, 2009
Audition Dates:
Tuesday, September 8th, 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.
Wednesday, September 9th, 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Walterdale Playhouse (10322 – 83 Avenue)
Director – Elizabeth Day
Assistant Director – Sarah Jackson
Stage Manager – Megan Lindmark

There are 4 men and 4 women in the cast:
Saunders - Maggie's father, General Manager of the Cleveland Grand Opera (40-50)
Max - Assistant to Saunders (25-35)
Tito Merelli - A world famous tenor, known as “Il Stupendo”, imposing, Italian accent (40-50)
Bellhop - (18-25)
Maggie - Max's girlfriend, pretty and quirky (20-30)
Maria - Tito's hot-blooded wife, busty, proud and excitable, Italian accent (40-50)
Diana - A provocative soprano, beautiful and very sexy (30-40)
Julia - Chair of the Opera Guild (50-60)

Monologues are not required; we’ll cold read scenes; so please familiarize yourself with the play before auditioning. Copies are available at Theatre Alberta (please call ahead, 780-422-8162) and from Kent Sutherland, Walterdale Administrator, at 780-439-3058. Walterdale is a volunteer organization. We cannot engage Equity performers.

To book an audition (drop-ins are also welcome) or for further information, please contact
Kristen M. Finlay at adwalterdale2009@yahoo.ca or phone 780-406-1256

The Official Launch

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Walterdale%20announces%20lineup/1847720/story.html

Article in the Edmonton Journal about Walterdale's upcoming season. Sounds good to me!

Working the Box Office...

I spent last night working the box office for You're a Good Man Charlie Brown. We had a really nice sized house of around 120 people. Considering that was Tuesday night of the run, that is phenomenal. That is more than some Closing Nights I have been too. Well done I say to everyone who has worked on the show and worked to get the people in the house! I also sold 3 books (For Love, Not Money by Wayne Arthurson) to a member of the audience. A Woman inquired and fortunately I am on the executive and could get into the proper places to help her out. It was a nice night. There are 4 more shows including tonight. If you plan to go, I'd advise buying tickets in advance.

The Season at a Glance...

The Edmonton Sun Review of YAGMCB

http://www.edmontonsun.com/entertainment/columnists/colin_maclean/2009/07/10/10084346-sun.html

A Sell-Out and Then Some...

We had a sell-out for You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown tonight. A sell-out in itself is not unusual, but a sell-out on the 2nd night of the run is VERY unusual so I encourage people to get their tickets in advance if they want to see the show. We had to turn away a dozen or so people who put their names on a waiting list.

A Fun-Filled Evening...

You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown had a great opening last night (well, this evening, but I imagine that no one is up reading this late). The house was almost completely full and the show was a lot of fun. It is a nice even cast and they were clearly having fun and sending it out to the audience. We took the boys. This was Gibson's first 2 Act play and he did quite well. It was great to hear the both of them laughing. Snoopy was the favorite for the boys. This is not to detract from the others in the show. There is something about grown-ups dressed up like animals that kids really like (they also really liked the Woodstocks!). Great singing, great dancing, and wonderful characters. If you plan to go, I'd advise getting your tickets early as I hear they are going fast!

Opening Tonight!

You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown! opens tonight at Walterdale Theatre. Although not technically part of my season, I did work on it (all those backdrops - that was me and my paint brush - well, not just me...) and I am looking forward to seeing it. I am taking the boys and I think it will be a great show for them to see. I hope that it sticks to it's promised 2 hour running time because I am bringing children, but the nice thing is because it is summer they can sleep in tomorrow if need be. The boys saw the Silly Summer Parade and uncoached declared the YAGMCB to be the best thing in the parade, so they are keen to see it.

I had hoped that the new season brochures would be ready for tonight's opening, but unfortunately they are not. I am not sure what the hold-up is. I had thought we got it together soon enough to have it be finished in time. It appears not. It highlights one of the frustrating elements to this position. If you lack the skills to get something done yourself, you are always relying on someone else to do it for you and it's hard to manage the situation without nagging. Almost everyone at Walterdale has another 'day job' so you have to respect that to a certain extent. I feel frustrated because if I could do it myself, I would.

A New Technical Director

I forgot to mention, yesterday the Board voted in Brent Jans as our new Technical Director. This will come as a relief to many of our membership as we have been struggling in that area for a little while now. I know that Brent plans to network with the techies at the theatre and I hope that those who have been clamouring for the help will take the time to share and share alike!

Welcome Brent!

It will all come together...

The most challenging week of most productions is Tech Week. There are exceptions, but generally speaking the number of components that merge during tech week is exponential and the amount of time all participants must contribute also increases. This can lead to crabbiness, fuzzy-headedness and pure panic. That is the week when you realize that all those little things that looked inconsequential 2 months earlier are a lot bigger when the time has slipped away. You just have to get it done. Once the show opens, it will all be alright. The audiences will clap and the actors will shine and come closing night you will have forgotten how you felt a mere 2 weeks earlier and you will be saying when's the next show?

Come see You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown! It opens on Wednesday, July 8th at 8:00 p.m. Thursday, July 9th is 2 for 1 Thursday (at the door). It's great for kids and adults alike. And it will be worth all the trauma of Tech Week!

Practically a Full-Time Job...

It's what I wanted, but I thought I would actually be doing AD-stuff. I spent Sunday afternoon, Tuesday morning, all of Wednesday (Canada Day - and we are talking 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. with a short break in the early evening), Thursday morning and Friday Morning at the theatre this week. I was painting and/or watching paint dry. The show needed help, and there didn't look to be anyone else to do it (there were 4 other people at various times also painting). That is what it is about. It is about 'no job too big or too small' and it is about pitching in when needed. If I couldn't be there, I wouldn't have been, but I could and it has helped a lot in this situation. I won't always be able to help out in this way, but when I can, I will.

A few other things were completed and screwed up this week. My job, which hours-wise feels full time, seems to be all about trouble-shooting and fixing problems.

Falling Into Place...

it is easy to feel pushed and shoved along by this job. I am at the bottom of a steep learning curve, thinking ahead to next season when I will have more awareness of what is involved so that I can plan for things. This week the focus was on getting the season brochure done and sent to the printer. That should be done now and if all goes well we will be seeing that lovely document on Opening Night of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown! I am hoping that I can move some of the media related items back into the Director of Publicity's hands. Unlike the previous AD, I lack a depth of knowledge with regards to all things media related. So, while he was able to handle a lot of those duties, I prefer to give it to the expert to deal with. I want to be consulted on things, but really, once we have the season concept laid out, I only just need to be in the loop. Right?

The other thing I did this week, was secure one of the Dramaturges for the One Acts. I am so excited that we will have Brian Dooley on board. The depth of his experience is phenomenal and whichever lucky playwright gets paired with him will be able to work with a wonderful resource. He is also talking to another Dramaturge that I would be ecstatic to have on the team. I can't say who, until it is confirmed. I am just glad that everything is falling into place (with the help of many phone calls and emails) before September!

Jimmy Dean - A Stellar Cast!

We wrapped up auditions for Jimmy Dean on Monday evening and boy-oh-boy did we see great people. With every thing fresh in mind Wendi was able to cast the show that night so callbacks will be unnecessary. To those who weren't cast. Don't despair. Your time will come. This is a strong cast, but many we did not cast were also quite strong. With the younger/older versions of characters in the play, some choices were guided by physicality. Hopefully those who said they would like to work on the show in another capacity were seriously interested. This will be a fun show to work on in any role. I know from just the two days of auditions that there will be a lot of laughs mixed with serious work!

Jimmy Dean Auditions - part 1

I sat in on the first half of the Jimmy Dean Auditions yesterday. Though the turn-out wasn't huge, it was respectable, and those that did audition were very good. Walterdale certainly has some strong actors in it's membership. To be fair, some of the auditioners were new to Walterdale, but that's a good thing. It means that the membership will grow in size and depth, as I am sure some of the newcomers have a good chance at being cast. We have another round of auditions tonight (anyone is welcome to come out and we will fit you in) and I encourage anyone who wants to be a part of a strong cast to come out. If last night is any indication of what we have to work with, this is going to be a great show! I do not envy Wendi Pope (the director) the job of casting this show as she is going to have to say no to some great people.

Auditions - this weekend!

It's not too late. Auditions for Jimmy Dean are this weekend. Lots of good women's roles (plus one for a guy) and a great director!

Dates and Times and Things to Do...

Board meeting last night. it is a bit of a challenge to wear both hats, but I try to get all my A.D. material done and in my report so that I can focus on the Secretarial duties while at the meeting. The report works like a bit of a checklist for myself as well, because in it I can see what I have done and what is still on the to-do or pending list. One of the big things I am working on is compiling a calendar for the 2 years of my term so that I can hand that to the next A.D. so that they might have a framework from which to approach the theatre. I have a skeletal calendar framed out and gradually I am filling up the days with items as they come. I am also using this as a communication tool with the Directors so that they can see at a glance what is in the space. I don't want them to have any unhappy surprises that will affect their diligent planning!

We have some exciting ideas for membership/community development. One of the ongoing refrains we hear from our members is the need for ongoing social activity in addition to the shows. A member may not be in a show every year, but they still want to see other members. So, we hope to revisit a more social atmosphere at the AGM, as well as incorporating "play reading parties" and a Christmas Variety Show. These are on the table, in any case. The next big thing will be a Season Wrap Party. Stay tuned!

Working on Selling the Season

I met to day with the young man who will be designing our artwork used in promotional materials for the next season. We tracked through the 6 shows and shared ideas and he has some nice preliminary ideas for the images required for the brochure, posters and marquee. I got a great feeling about him and he seems really enthusiastic about the work so I feel good! Randy was great in setting it up and walking me through what was required. I do admit, PR is my gray area in theatre. I truly value the help. If all goes well, the brochures will be done in time for You're a Good Man Charlie Brown! and maybe we will even have magnets (Oooooo!). I did find it funny that the show that gave me the most challenge was Whorehouse. Randy said that wasn't surprising, because it was the one I was directing so I had more of a vested interest. Made sense when you think about it. I just hope all the directors are happy with the concepts he develops...

Patience and Understanding...

Walterdale is a true community theatre. That means that aside from our part-time Administrator everyone who works on the shows at Walterdale is a member volunteer. Most of the membership have jobs. Many of them are in other theatre projects as they attempt to start a career. Most of them have family obligations that take up their time. However, sometimes we forget that. When we send an email we want a response right away, not thinking that maybe that person is picking up their kids from school, or at work in Starbucks, or in rehearsal. When we leave a phone message at the theatre on Friday we forget that the Administrator is only in on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays and no one checks the messages until he gets in. We forget that the people we want to reach might be busy painting a set or trying to find a lighting operator. We need things to get done, but we need to have patience and understanding.

Up to my Elbows...

Information on the auditions for Jimmy Dean are available here:

http://walterdaleplayhouse.com/?page_id=57

In the last three weeks I have dived into the work at Walterdale. There is always something to do. I am desperate for a timeline as I am discovering that I am always feeling like I am behind even though I am so new to the position. I have already started thinking about next season, as I think it would be valuable to have it put together earlier. I am glad that I will be directing the final show of this season so that I can use the first half of the season to get my feet on the ground. One thing I am also doing is keeping a calendar to organize the year. I can pass it along to whoever follows in my footsteps. It is nice to know when to do what!

I am also making mistakes and quickly learning how to fix them. This week I have learned to 'check the dates' - twice! Luckily the mistakes I have made are repairable. The learning curve is steep.

Wearing the hat...

This week I have likely spent over 20 hours on Walterdale work. Welcome to the position, I guess. Part of the time has been spent getting things done that will help me work less later on in the season. Part of that time has been spent in phone and email conversations with members currently working on productions (or starting the work) and trying to help them solve their problems.

Next week the newsletter will go out with the Season... but for a sneak peek...

The first show is Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean directed by Wendi Pope. It goes up in October and auditions will be mid June. Stay tuned for more details.

All is Right - We Have All the Rights!

Yesterday the Rights for the last (actually, the first) show came in. Whew! Stay tuned for announcements, likely in the newsletter and the program for the Footlight Festival and hopefully some sort of formal announcement. We need to get on it to gather interest for the auditions for the first show. These will likely be in June and will require lots of strong women of various ages...

Speaking of the Festival... There are a variety of events happening for the festival. It runs the last week of May to the first week of June and there are five One-Acts, 2 Staged Readings (which I am involved in), a late night variety show, a workshop, and some round table discussions. Many of the events are 'pay what you can', so come out!

Four down... 1 to go...

We now have confirmed the rights to 4 of the 5 shows. Ah. I anticipate no problems with the remaining one, but it is the first one of the season so I want those rights asap so that we can launch the season and set auditions.

I spent the morning in at the theatre today. I planned to get a lot more work done than I actually did, but it was good to chat with the Administrator and I did get a number of questions answered about my job and how I want to proceed. There are challenges to running an organization where everyone pretty much has another day job. There has to be a bit of flexibility with expectations while still maintaining the standards of the association. I hope to develop ways to help people do that.

The big job I started today was writing the "Thank you" letters for those individuals who submitted pieces to direct that were not selected. I had many good people (with good plays) submit, but there are only 5 slots in the season and I did want to direct myself. I am hoping that some of them can still participate with Walterdale in some capacity despite not getting to direct this season.

Merrily we roll along...

Confirmed rights for 3 of the 5 shows. Our 6-Pack selection is the February show . We had wanted the October show so as to get a jump on the season, but this will be good for the small cast show we have in cold February. Email communications have started about launching the season. Whew! Still waiting on those last two shows...

Check!

The Rights for all 5 plays have been applied for. We have received definite 'yeses' on two of them and the other 3 have received confirmation of application. They are with Samuel French and the reply says 2-4 weeks for processing. I am not anticipating any problems, but I want to know for sure so that we can move on to the next step... budgets!

One of the plays is by a local playwright so that is very exciting to me. It is great to be supporting not only Canadian, but Albertan playwrights. Another deals with two young gay teenagers who fall in love. It is a beautiful play and so well written.

I read the latest APN newsletter and it talked about female playwrights and I was disappointed in myself in that none of the plays I proposed were written by female playwrights (both of my back-ups were, however). I did select the shows with women in mind, at least with regards to acting roles, but I totally ignored the playwrights. Hmmm. I still want to select strong scripts so for next year I am hoping that the submissions include some strong pieces by women! I do have 3 female directors lined up. It is an interesting situation. I do not want to be partial one way or another, but I would rather pick the best candidates. If they happen to be women, that's great, but if they aren't, I would hope that people realize I was selecting on merit.

On the way to next season...

This past Sunday was the Season meeting with the Board of Directors. Weeks prior I gave them copies of the scripts I was proposing, plus two back-ups in case they didn't like those that I chose (for whatever reasons - hopefully legitimate ones - not just aesthetics). In addition I gave them a 4 page document outlining why I put the season together as I did. The season should be balanced and have a variety of works and you have to serve the producing membership as well as the audience. I also feel you need to have something in your season that might challenge your audience. In any case, after a lengthy discussion my first choice roster of plays were approved (pending availability of rights). There was one switch in scheduling, but that was minor in my eyes. Interestingly enough, the script I thought would be the biggest no-brainer was the one most challenged. It just goes to show you cannot know how other people will react to what you put forward.

Stay tuned for an announcement. it will probably be made during the Footlights Festival!

Post-Mortem - Hamlet

Today I went to the Hamlet Post-Mortem. Though the title is somewhat macabre, it is a very valuable tool in the Walterdale Toolbox. The Post-Mortem allows the team to look at the Production and determine the challenges and the triumphs of the process and to pass along concerns and tips for future shows. As a future AD I find this extremely useful. I have been to several Post-Mortems over the last few years. At every single one of them communication has been highlighted as an issue. When you think about how Walterdale runs, it is easy to see that this would be an issue. Every show has a different Team, some familiar to Walterdale and some brand new. Some people are in their first show, while the person next to them has done over 30. The new person may feel inundated with information and the old-timer may zone out because they already feel they know the information provided. I doubt anyone hears everything. It will no doubt continue to be an item for discussion at every future Post-Mortem I attend.

A Valuable Lesson...

I learned a valuable lesson about this new position today. Always think before you speak, or write. I will endeavour to have a better sense of discretion in future. I have never thought of myself as a public person before today. I am still not really wrapping my head around it, but for now and the next two years I will have to think about that.

Getting There...

The good thing is that I can usually tell within 25 pages if a script is a definite "no"... this saves on reading. As well, some of the submissions were already known to me, so that saved me some time. I think I am there. I need to check on availability of rights and I am waiting for one script to arrive via mail. I also have to decide which of two shows I will direct and locate a director for the remaining one. I will have to go back through the submitted resumes and figure out who might have the skill set needed... It's almost done! Now let's hope the Board likes what I present. I'd rather go with my first choice than my back-ups.

Got Some Stuff... How Come People Don't Read the Assignment?

I have a few things to read these next few weeks. I am puzzled, however, by some people who don't read what is asked of them. Some have been above and beyond with what they have submitted. Others, however, have simply dropped off a script and their name. Some the script and resume but no proposal. I thought I was clear in what I was asking for. I am not trying to be a stickler, but I want to know they know what is involved and I want to know they know why the show they picked is good for Walterdale.

The Deadline is today.

Getting a few things to read...

I received the first 2 scripts for my perusal last night. I know that more are coming. I will start taking a walk through the ones I have received. It feels a little like when you direct and you cast a show. You know that you are going to disappoint people, but you have to make the right choice for you. I want my seasons to be good, and I also want them to reflect me as the Artistic Director. At the same time I want to be collaborative about this process. It is hard to say what will happen until I get more scripts in...

I also spent some time perusing musicals online, looking for ones that would be good for Walterdale. I want ones that will attract both strong casts and audiences and that will suit the space.

Lots of nibbles, no bites yet...

I have heard from a few people that they intend to submit but have received nothing yet. Some I know are for sure so I am not worried. I hope that I get a variety so that I can use the submissions to build a diverse and exciting season. I can use my fall-backs but people want to direct shows they connect with so a submission is actually more ideal in my mind than simply matching up a director with a show I pick. I have encouraged people to submit more than one script so that I can have more options. It means more reading for me if they do this, but I read quickly and usually you can 'reject' poor scripts without necessarily reading the whole thing.

Casino

I worked the Walterdale Casino last night. Had some lovely chats. Everyone is keen to tell me what I will need to do to be a good A.D. I listen and that's all for now. Until I get submissions some of the advice is moot. Some of the advice is what they would do if they were A.D. and I really want to do the job my way, so we shall see. I keep an open mind and open ears and I will try to roll with it.

The Early Bird...

I am the kind of person who likes to get things started earlier rather than later. It is the only thing I really learned from all those '7 Habits' workshops that we did in the 90s. Anyhow, in the spirit of that I have contacted APN about getting Dramaturges in place before the One Acts competitions (maybe they can even be involved in the selection). It's a long way off, but the challenges with getting people on board after the fact is what is pushing me to do this now. The more I can get under way now, the better!

The Edmonton Journal Article...

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=57974944306&h=1Zk4o&u=Ajudi

Getting Off to a Good Start?

It is official. I am the Artistic Director of Walterdale Theatre Associates for the 2009-2011 seasons. The Edmonton Journal had an article about it yesterday in which they identified me as Karen M. Finlay. A correction was printed today. The theatre announced it in the January Newsletter. I am enjoying the congratulations from well-wishers and anxiously awaiting submissions for the upcoming season. It is now my job to sift and sort and shuffle things into the right places. I will also be saving something good for myself!

I have already received emails requesting information that should really be requested of the current A.D. because they pertain to the current season. I have forwarded them on to him and to the Administrator. I will pick up the slack where I can, but I have a big task ahead of me and I want to look after that first.