Tonight we add an Audience!

Tonight is the Director's Preview for Shakespeare's delightful Much Ado About Nothing. We add the final and perhaps most important component - the Audience. It is also Student's Night so if you are a high school or university or college student with a valid student ID bring it to Walterdale and see the show for Free. You will play an important role in our process because it is only with an audience that the actors can tell if their rhythms are right. Come to Messina, Italy and the world of Beatrice and Benedick and get out of the cold of the Edmonton winter for a couple of hours!

Simply Magic!

I am always impressed the most by those things that I cannot do myself. Other than a quilt or a button I do not sew. Quilts hide your mistakes and buttons are pretty easy. So, when it comes to costumes I am usually so grateful when someone steps forward to make them. The simplest of costumes impress me. The costumes I saw on the cast of Much Ado About Nothing, however, blow me away! Ephram Di Medicci and his crew of stitchers and sewers have created a fabulous world in fabric. The ladies look stunning, the men handsome, and the upstairs of Walterdale swirls with cream and gold and lace and brocade. This show, with a cast of 19 (some of whom wear more than one costume), has been almost entirely built. All of the women wear custom made corsets. All the of the dress reach to the floor. Everything laces up with gold braid and cream coloured ribbons. The cleavage is bountiful and beautiful. I am truly amazed by all of the costumes and I cannot wait to see them on the set in proper light. It's going to be so pretty!

http://gallery.radgrandpa.com/Event-Photography/Theatre/Much-Ado-About-Nothing/13838847_9WdP9#1014307118_nQ53o

Much To Do!

This weekend the theatre will be filled with noises as the Dry Tech for Much Ado About Nothing is completed. Q2Q commences in a few short days and then we roll into the final week of rehearsals before opening. So many things were accomplished early because of the hard work and team work on this project. Set, Props and Lighting were all finished well before their deadline. Costumes are being finished up (and looking amazing, I must say!) as I type. All to get ready for that December 1 Opening Night!

We also have a wonderful promotional partnership with Victoria High School who are presenting Two Gentlemen of Verona on Dec 2-4th. For those Shakespeare Fanatics you can take ticket stubs from either show (ours or theirs) to the other and receive a $2 discount at the door. It's a great way to help people to get to more theatre and to celebrate Shakespeare in this chilly winter!

Starting to Think About Next Season Already...

Season Submissions 2011-2012

Every year the call goes out for submissions for the upcoming season. If you are interested in directing a show at Walterdale, please submit at this time. These scripts and additional information will be held in care for the incoming Artistic Director to use to help build their season. All selected Directors will need to be members by the time their audition notice is released. For information on membership, please refer to our website.

What if you haven’t directed much or at all before?
If you are new to directing, please contact Kristen M. Finlay, current Artistic Director, at adwalterdale2009@yahoo.ca to find out how to become an Assistant Director, or direct a One-Act in our From Cradle to Stage One-Act Festival. Please bear in mind that many people do want to direct at Walterdale and experience is a factor in selection.

What kinds of plays are we looking for?
We are looking for a variety of plays. Dramas, comedies, thrillers, classic works, musicals, pantomimes, small cast, large cast, medium cast, period, modern, Canadian, etc… The season has 5 shows plus the one-acts and these shows must meet a variety of needs. We serve a varied audience and a varied membership, so we like to offer up different shows to meet those needs. Feel free to push boundaries and choose edgier works, or pick plays that you connect to. You can submit more than one script. I recommend submitting different kinds of works (varied cast sizes and themes) so that you give the Artistic Director a variety to choose from. Always submit well-written scripts as it is often the writing that rules a script out.

Please submit the following materials:
1. A copy of the script (if you submit the original script, it will be returned to you – photocopies will not be).
2. A copy of your theatre résumé, highlighting your directorial experience both with Walterdale and in other theatrical settings.
3. A Directorial Proposal – including the following:
* Why you think this would be a good show for Walterdale to produce
* Your directorial concept for the show
* Casting requirements
* What Production Team you would bring with you into the project
* ANY information that might affect budget (e.g. Chorus size for a musical or size of ensemble in a straight play, desire for period dress, rental of special equipment).

Scripts and accompanying materials may be dropped off or mailed to:
Walterdale Theatre Associates
c/o Kristen M. Finlay, Artistic Director
10322 – 83rd Avenue NW
Edmonton, Alberta
T6E 5C3
Deadline: January 5th, 2011

It's Always Busy at Walterdale

Every week we receive many requests for rental of our space. Invariably the answer is no. We aren't trying to be mean, but what people don't realize is that we are a very busy building. On the surface it doesn't look like it because people outside of Walterdale are only aware of the public performances - our 6 productions, 3 workshops, and 2 major rentals (ADFA and Fringe) - however, in between those events we are busy using the space to prepare for them. The very day after a show closes the next production moves in and the build and rehearsals begin. Because all our members are volunteers many of them also have day jobs or day commitments and this means that rehearsals happen upstairs while the build progresses on deck. Sometimes, if rehearsal schedules are forgiving, two productions can share the space for rehearsals. That's actually happening now with Rabbit Hole rehearsing on Monday and Wednesdays and Much Ado About Nothing rehearsing Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and weekends. Of course, we can use the upstairs as well for rehearsal but at some point the production needs to move to the deck to get familiar with that space. That is actually one of the perks of doing a show at Walterdale - we can build in-house and the production can rehearse on the set for more than just one or two nights. Now, you might think that there would still be some nights for rentals - but because we are relying on volunteers the time it might take to build and paint is approximated and often those dates that look 'free' might be needed if things run behind schedule. Add to that the concerns over having someone in the space with all the props and potential damage to set and props and the time required to make the space rental-ready, it becomes an impossibility. Rest assured, the space is not sitting empty. It may look dark from the outside but inside a crew may be busy at work hammering, or hanging lights or painting. Since the building is older we also need those times in between shows to do maintenance and upgrades. Those first weeks after a close are the best time. This past October we upgraded our dimmer panel - sharing the space with electricians and builders so that the build could still be accomplished on time. A similar maintenance operation will happen after Much Ado closes in December. It's going to get even tighter when the renovations commence. So, if you want to rent the Walterdale - it's an extreme long-shot. Don't feel bad. It's just the nature of how we use the space.

From Cradle to Stage - Selected Scripts!

The two scripts selected from the short-list for development and production are:

Even the Walls Have Eyes by Sherryl Melnyk (paired with Dramaturge Brian Dooley)

Hope is Dead by Mike Czuba (paired with Dramaturge Tracy Carroll)

Congratulations to our 2 selected playwrights for their work. I hope that all of you who submitted this year will submit again in the future as we were very pleased with your work and this was not an easy decision to make. We received over 25 entries and the jury and Dramaturges deliberated for quite some time before making their decisions.

I am looking forward to seeing these works on our stage in May 2011!

Getting Excited About Shakespeare

I sat in on a rehearsal for Much Ado About Nothing last night. I saw about 1/3 of the play. We are 3 1/2 weeks out and it is looking really good. The Set is pretty much done so the cast has the luxury of playing on it for quite a while. It looks lovely. Everyone seemed to know what they were doing - they were having a run for lights. There was the occasional call for line but there are 3 1/2 weeks out - plenty of time! I had a lot of fun watching the cast. Those sitting and watching were supportive and laughing and those onstage were definitely having fun. It will be so cool to see them in their costumes under lights and going for broke!