Current Audtions - From Cradle to Stage 2010-2011

Auditions for our annual one-act festival featuring new works by local playwrights will be held February 13th and 14th, from 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.. There are a variety of roles to be auditioned for.

The three plays are:

A reading of Poetry Unbound by Robert Zimmer

Directed by Vivien Bosley

Even the Walls Have Eyes by Sherryl Melnyk

Dramaturgy by Brian Dooley

Directed by Sarah Jackson

Hope is Dead by Mike Czuba

Dramaturgy by Tracy Carroll

Directed by J. Nelson Niwa

Stage Managed by May Kharaghani

Auditions will consist of readings from the plays, and preparation of a short poem is suggested. Copies of the scripts are NOT available as they are new works currently under development.

To book an audition please email me, Kristen Finlay, at adwalterdale2009@yahoo.ca or phone 780-406-1256. I hope to see you out!

The Threepenny Opera - Cast!

The past two weekends auditions and callbacks for The Threepenny Opera were held at Walterdale. Director Curtis Knecht, Music Director Sally Hunt and Assistant Director Kristin Johnston deliberated over the many talented people to assemble the following cast (which features actors both new and familiar to Walterdale!).

Macheath (Mack the Knife) - John Evans

Peachum - Gerald Mason

Mrs. Peachum - Kristen M. Finlay

Polly Peachum - Alix Cartwright

Tiger Brown - Bradley Bishop

Lucy Brown - Lauren Kneteman

Jenny - Erika Conway

Filch - David Johnston

Smith - Dean Krawchuk

Ensemble - Owen Bishop, Kougar Rossetti, Josh Languedoc, Oscar Derkx, Derek Logan, Ted Fischer, Kellie Payne, Kara Little, Trish van Doornum, Malaika Horswill, Kara Chamberlain, and Charity Principe

The Production Team is rounded out with Kat Evans - Set and Costume Designer, Richard Hatfield - Lighting Designer, Doug Verdin - Master Builder, Geri Dittrich - Master Costumer, Kelsey Wangler - Choreographer, Joan Hawkins - Master Painter and Crystal Oleksyn - Stage Manager. The Production Team will be managed by Walterdale veteran Jackie Lotery. All in all it looks like a fun crew!

Spotlight on George Millar - Set Designer of Much Ado About Nothing

What is your role on this Production? Set Designer

Is this your first Shakespearean production? I did a great set for The Tempest in Ireland (1967) [How I'd love to do it here!]

What is it that drew you to this production? Much Ado About Nothing is a gem of gossip mongering. Two infatuated lovers fail to exchange vows. Two sparring opponents 'use their hands against their hearts.' Absolutely brilliant! Who could doubt the plume that writ it?

What is your favorite thing about being involved in this current production? What greater joy than seeing 20 actors use a 'dreamed space' so brilliantly. I adored every one of the cast in this production.

Spotlight on Gabby Bernard - Margaret in Much Ado About Nothing

1. What is your role in this production? I play Margaret, one of Hero's gentlewomen and, as fondly termed by our costume designer Ephram, 'the skanky maid'.

2. Is this your first Shakespearean production? This is my first Shakespeare production and I'm loving every minute!
3. What is it that drew you to this production? I spent my summer scrounging for auditions, and when I came across the notice for Much Ado About Nothing I was a little hesitant... a), I'd never even attempted Shakespeare before, and b)high school English class had pretty much ruined classic literature for me. But as soon as I picked up a copy of the play to research the show a bit more, I fell in love with it! I could see so much potential for character work and fun stage work, and just the idea of working on something so rich with possibilities for a theater like Walterdale really excited me. I booked an audition right away, and here I am!
4. What is your favourite thing about the role you play in this current production? I love the challenge this role has offered me - Margaret's personality is so polar-opposite of my own and I've had to really push myself to fit into her shoes! Of course the chance to work with so many talented artists and actors has been such an incredible learning experience, as well as an absolute delight. The enthusiasm and positive energy has been so inspiring. Oh, and I guess it's pretty fun to be so saucy and inappropriate on stage, too.

Spotlight on Anne Marie Szucs - Director of Much Ado About Nothing

1. What is your role in this production? Director
2. Is this your first Shakespearean production? No, but all others were acting experiences: Keyano Theatre - Romeo and Juliet (twice) - once as Lady Montague and once as Lady Capulet; Keyano - Comedy of Errors (Abbess/Emilia); Horizon Players - A Midsummer Night's Dream (Titania) and Hamlet (Gertrude); Seacoast Studios (West Vancouver) - Love and Drollery; Love and Dreaming (both collages of scene work from Shakespearean plays)
3. What is it that drew you to this production? I was ready to direct one of three shows voted on by donors - I had no idea what would be picked; I was secretly rooting for Much Ado, though, as I really wanted to sink my teeth into directing a Shakespearean play
4. What is your favourite thing about this current production? The chance to work with an amazingly talented cast and crew!

Spotlight on Patrick Errington - Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing

1. What is your role in this production? Claudio

2. Is this your first Shakespearean production? Yes this is my first complete Shakespeare production, though my BA English major at the U of A has been focused largely on play texts of the Elizabethan/Jacobean era.
3. What is it that drew you to this production? I have a significant interest in Shakespeare's plays (and I better, as I have devoted significant time to the study of such texts from a literary standpoint at the U of A). I am also hoping to focus my acting career toward Shakespeare's plays, and this seemed like a fantastic place to start combining my past literary experience with my love for the stage.
4. Favourite thing? There are way too many for me to say!

Spotlight on Murray Cullen - Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing

1. What is your role in this production? Benedick
2. Is this your first Shakespearean production? I believe it is my 4th.... Lord Capulet in R&J, Dromo of Syracuse in Comedy of Errors, and Hamlet in ....that play ... about that guy....Benedick is a bit like Dromo and Hamlet smooshed together.
3. What is it that drew you to this production? A chance to play Benedick, he is one of those Shakespearean characters that you just can't say no to.
4. What is your favourite thing about the role you play? Benedick and I share many.... "qualities".... I enjoy letting him out to play. It seems to me that Love is one of the leading causes of fear, anger, pain and sorrow.... and as with all horrible things, it's hilarious when they happen to other people.

Spotlight on Leah Paterson - Hero in Much Ado About Nothing

1. What is your role in this production? Hero
2. Is this your first Shakespearean production? This is my first full Shakespearean show- although I was a servant in Taming of The Shrew when I was eight. I don't know if that counts though since I'm not really sure I knew what was going on.
3. What is it that drew you to this production? I've always wanted to do a Shakespeare show. We did lots of Shakespearean scene and monologue work while I was at school at Grant MacEwan, but its really great to be able to play a character for the whole length of the play.
4. What is your favourite thing about the role you play in this current production? It's interesting to play someone who is very much at the mercy of the other characters in the play, and still not play her like a wimp. Since Hero is so silent, a lot of my work is reacting which as been challenging but really rewarding. Also- the costumes are AMAZING. I feel like I'm in my real wedding dress- it's gorgeous!

Spotlight on Rob Johnstone - Don Pedro in Much Ado About Nothing

1. What is your role in this production? Don Pedro
2. Is this your first Shakespearean production? It's my fourth and the second time round for Much Ado. My first was As You Like It (Sylvius), followed by Much Ado (Benedick) and Midsummer Nights Dream (Oberon). When I came home after auditioning for Dream my youngest son asked me if I got a part and I reported that I had and character was Oberon. He then asked who Oberon was and I replied that he was a king. Wise child that he is then asked "king of what" and when I replied "the faries" he just rolled his eyes and walked away.
3. What is it that drew you to this production? We found Walterdale during the fringe when we went to see Molly Bloom, as we were leaving , after the performance, we saw the past production pictures on the wall and noted that recent productions included Jimmy Dean and Lend me a Tenor shows our Theatre group in Ottawa had done. As we read the plaques and looked around we saw many similarities to our old theatrical home (Kanata Theatre) right down to the friendly English lady (I am assuming Jan Streader, always a phenomenal Walterdale Ambassador) who chatted with us, telling us more about Walterdale, it's history, past productions and perhaps most importantly what the upcoming season was. We were excited to see Rabbit Hole on the season as we had missed a production of it in Ottawa and really wanted to see it. Home we went with brochures for the season and the company in hand. After a several days my wife, Martha, suggested I audition for Much Ado as that might open some doors for involvement in the group. Theatre groups seem like great places to get involved, meet people and find ones feet tin a new city. The fact that the play that was being audioned next was Much Ado was a bonus.
4. What is your favourite thing about being in this production? As Beatrice says when asked what parts she loves of Benedick best "for all of them together" The cast is great, so too the crew, our fearless director and for the opportunity. Thanks Much

We Heartily Agree!

I love it when newspapers and bloggers say nice things about us. Here is the first review for Much Ado About Nothing hot off the presses on the SEE Magazine Blog.

http://www.seemagazine.com/edmonton-blogs/seen-heard/2010/12/03/theatre-review-much-ado-about-nothing-248/

Theatre Review: 'Much Ado About Nothing' Posted by Kristin Rodier in SEEN & HEARD
Director Anne Marie Szucs brings one of Shakespeare’s most loved comedies to life in this current production at the Walterdale theatre. The production is fast-paced, whimsical, facetious, and uproariously funny. The two leads, Murray Cullen (Benedick) and Erika Conway (Beatrice) exactly embody the fickle, nimble, and verbose characters through which Shakespeare wrote some of his best insults and most biting criticisms of the frivolity of love. The set dressings are simple, but the performances are anything but.

This production is glaringly well acted. Often Shakespearean productions leave audiences to think through the dialogue because it is more recited than acted. Such is not the case under Szucs' direction. The actors bring the words to life by thinking through the prose as they fall in love, denounce commitment, hatch plans, and receive scorn. There are so many small details and added directorial touches that bring out so much more of the humour in Shakespeare’s irreverent comedy. This show is beyond an amateur production and is just the thing for cold winter’s night. Four and a half stars out of five.

Much Ado is now playing at the Walterdale until December 11th.