Auditions - Village of Idiots

Audition Notice for Village of Idiots, directed by Linette Smith - the final show in our 2010 - 2011 Season.

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

From Cradle to Stage - Cast 2011

Introducing the casts and teams of this season's From Cradle to Stage. Auditions were held Feb 13th and 14th and we had great fun listening to the variety of poems shared. We heard everything from Shel Silverstein to William Shakespeare to Dylan Thomas. Such wonderful words! Thanks to everyone for coming out. We had such wonderful people to choose from. The following casts feature people both familiar to Walterdale and brand new! Always an exciting mix!

Hope is Dead, by Mike Czuba; Dramaturgy by Tracy Carroll
Directed by J. Nelson Niwa

Stage Managed by May Kharaghani

Cast:

Girl - Alexandria Fortier

Old Man - Bob Klakowich

Even the Walls Have Eyes, by Sherryl Melnyk; Dramaturgy by Brian Dooley

Directed by Sarah Jackson

Stage Managed by Megan Lindmark

Cast:

Andrea - Tara Rout

Father - Ryan Beck

Mother - Mandy Faye

Poetry Unbound, by Robert Zimmer - a staged reading

Directed by Vivien Bosley

Stage Managed by Jackie Lotery

Cast:

Poetry - Gabby Bernard

Lyrica - Isabelle Chatelain

Pedanticus - Robert MacDougall

Theory - John Trehart

Academia - Heather Patton

Narrator - Mary Ellen Perley

Taxpayers - Matt McTurk, Nathan Schmidt

Overall Production Team:

Production Manager - Pierre Valois

Lighting Designer - Brad Melrose

Sound Designer - Darryl Portz

Costume Coordinators - Parazanda Valois and Sarah Valois

Anyone interested in working on this production, please contact Pierre Valois.

Runs and Auditions...

We are currently in the middle of the Run for Rabbit Hole at Walterdale. The show has been well received and audiences have been both generous in their size and appreciation. If you want to catch it you have 3 more chances and I would advise getting your tickets ahead of time as we have Sold Out 3/7 shows so far. Most gratifying have been the comments about how well cast it is and consistently we have heard feedback like 'it is so real, I forgot I was watching a play'. Certainly wonderful words to hear after all the hard work. Anyhow, the show runs until February 19th (Saturday).

We also held auditions for From Cradle to Stage this past week. The Directors were pleased with the turn-out and had some hard choices to make. Casting should be completed any day now and we anxiously await the posting on this Blog!

A Delightful Review of Rabbit Hole in the Edmonton Journal

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/entertainment/Haunting+characters+Rabbit+Hole/4268567/story.html

Some of our Preview Articles - if you want to know a bit more about the show...

http://thegatewayonline.ca/articles/arts-entertainment/2011/02/10/hopeful-light-other-side-rabbit-hole

http://www.stalbertgazette.com/article/20110209/SAG0302/302099985

http://www.vueweekly.com/arts/story/down_the_rabbit_hole1/

Opening Night - Rabbit Hole

Last night Rabbit Hole opened at Walterdale Playhouse. The house was delightfully full and the audience was both laughing and crying. I know the Cast and Production Team and Crew enjoyed the many kind words shared with them at the Opening Night Reception. One audience member shared that it felt like you were watching through someones window into their house and they became so engaged in it's realism that they almost forgot it was a play. Wonderful words of praise, indeed!

The sizable house continued tonight (2 for 1 Thursday). A reported house of approximately 135 in our 143 seat theatre made for a nicely packed group. At this point in time the cast is dipping their toes into Act Two. Recommendations are to book your tickets ahead of time if you want to get to see this show! It is our 6 Pack show so that means many of the tickets are already spoken for!

Spotlight on Graham Mothersill - Jason in Rabbit Hole

What is your role in this production? I play Jason, the young man who is responsible for Danny's death. He remains on the fringe of the action as he attempts to make some sort of contact with Becca and Howie. I love playing Jason because he is such a contrast to the other four characters of the show who are very familiar with each other. He is young, inexperienced, and going through his own unique turmoil in the midst of the chaos.

What did you audition for this show? I actually saw Rabbit Hole three years ago at Alberta Theatre Projects in Calgary, where I worked as an usher. It was the first show that I ushered for at ATP, and now its the first show I've been in at Walterdale. I auditioned for Jason because the show has been stuck in my head since I first saw it. The opportunity to play a character close to my own age was also a huge factor! Rabbit Hole's domestic setting, for me, is what makes it so universal. In the grand scheme of the world, the struggles of these five character mean so very little - but to them it's the whole world, and isn't that how it is for everyone?

What is your background in theatre? I've been performing in choirs and small productions since I was three years old, but I wasn't serious about theatre until I played Tom Collins in Summerstock Calgary's production of RENT in the summer after grade 12. That production changed the course of my life (goodbye med school!), and will likely result in me owning a MUCH smaller house than I would've otherwise been able to afford. Most of my acting experience has been in various scene study classes and larger musical theatre productions. I'm currently a second year BA Drama major at the University of Alberta.

What has been your favorite part of the show?

1. Lemon squares

2. Making inappropriate jokes to my cast mates regarding my driving

3. Working with this fantastic group of people that my university courses would never have allowed me to work with.

Any other comments? Seriously, those lemon squares are something else.

Rabbit Hole - Director's Preview IS Student's Night

Tonight is the Director's Preview for Rabbit Hole. Tickets for the regular run are selling briskly in addition to it being our 6-pack show so this might be a ticket that is hard to get. If you are a student with valid student I.D. however, you can see the show tonight at 8 p.m. during our Director's Preview. This is subject to available seating, but it is a chance to see the show FOR FREE!

We are chomping at the bit to show this beautiful piece to an audience. We hope to see you there!

Spotlight on Erin Valentine - Stage Manager of Rabbit Hole

What is your role in this production? I am lucky to be Stage Managing this show. Some of the things I did were writing down blocking, giving lines notes, and keeping track of all the food!

Why did you join this team? Several months before the auditions for Rabbit Hole, I asked Kristen about getting involved in Walterdale and she offered to have me Stage Manage the show she was directing. I had no idea at the time what the show even was, but after reading the script I was so grateful to be a part of it. The characters drew me in - even just on paper, they were people I cared about and wanted to learn more about. I couldn't wait to see them come to life and be a part of making that happen!

What is your background in theatre? I sort of fell into doing theatre a few years ago when I was still in high school and loved it from the get-go. I started as a Props Manager and stage crews but Stage Management always appealed to me. In grade 12 I had the experience of stage managing a couple of one acts, and in the year and a half since graduating I've been prowling the Edmonton theatre scene for further opportunities. From stage managing a musical (Annie - Sherard) and a Fringe Show, and working running crew and lighting operator here at Walterdale, to helping to build and paint sets, I've been very fortunate to be able to try my hand at so many aspects of theatre on so many shows. Every show I get to be involved in makes me love theatre more, and I'm looking forward to remaining a part of the theatre world, both in community theatre and at the U of A in the Fall.

What do you hope audiences will take away from the show? Part of what makes this play so beautiful for me is the small moments - a glance between two family members or a quick smile at a subtle joke. I hope the audiences will see and feel these moments, and leave with an appreciation of the little things that define relationships and pull people through whatever pain they're dealing with. I hope they'll see the hope surfacing throughout the show, and feel as uplifted in the moments of lightness as they do pained in the moments of tragedy.

What has been your favorite part of the show? The people that have been involved in the show are just amazing. I am relatively new to theatre compared to some of the theatre veterans I've been able to work so closely with, and I have learned so much from everyone. I'm grateful to have the designers, cast and production team that we have - I've been able to fully trust everyone involved, which made it a really safe environment in which to grow as a stage manager. And everyone is so talented; it just blows my mind. I'll quit gushing now, but really, this has been such a solid cast and crew to work with and I'm honoured to be bringing a show to the stage with this group.

Spotlight on Francie Goodwin-Davies - Nat in Rabbit Hole...

What is your role in this production? I play Nat, the mother of Becca and Izzy. She's not very intellectual and is hardened by her life experiences, but she also has lots of advice to try to help. She loves her children even though they don't seem to have that much patience for her.

Why did you audition for this production? Usually I like to do comedies, but I thought the play sounded interesting. I also wanted to work with Kristen and be back at Walterdale.

What is your background in theatre? The first time I was onstage was when I was 5. I have always been onstage. I studied at the U of A and U of C, attended Vic Comp School of Performing Arts and the Banff School of Fine Arts. I have done commercials, TV, Film but primarily live Theatre. I am a 35 year member of Walterdale. I also toured with an Opportunities for Youth Grant within a 50 mile radius of Edmonton and performing in rural areas. I was also with the first group to build and perform in the Pumphouse Theatre in Calgary. I have enjoyed working onstage in many theatre across Alberta for the last 50 years.

What do you want audience to take away from this production? That after all, there is hope.

What is you favorite part of the show? My scene with Becca when we talk about feelings being like a brick in your pocket... but the whole show is fantastic. I love the script. It's real and human without being just about sadness. This has been a fabulous experience for me, meeting and working with such a great group of folks from my fellow actors to the director to the crew. WOW!

Spotlight on Amelia Maciejewski - Izzy in Rabbit Hole

What is your role in this production? I play Izzy. She is a free-spirited person who has a blunt perspective on life, and who is in desperate need of attention. She is also Becca's sister.

Why did you come out for this show? I originally auditioned for the role of Becca because I really connected with her struggles and ways of coping. I haven't had a child die, but for the past 2 years have gone through a child being diagnosed with Autism and find that there are some similarities of grieving, coping, distancing, disconnection and a shift in reality. Some of the comment on support groups (for parents who have lost a child) are almost verbatim of what I experienced, and divorce is rampant amongst families in the Autism community. There is such a feeling of helplessness that I could see Becca's need for whatever control she could take. One thing that sets me apart from Becca, however, is that I use humour to cope with my struggles and so Izzy was the better fit... and it is a lighter journey to take so I get to have lots of fun! I like to let the wild woman out once in awhile.

What is your background in theatre? I have a BA in Drama from the U of A '00. This is my 6th Walterdale Production. I am also the CO-Director of Media for Walterdale and have been a Radio and Stage Actor.

What do you hope audiences will take away from the show? The interconnectedness of human struggle - that everyone goes through loss in some form and you are not alone on the journey. Don't let the storyline discourage you from coming because you think it will be too depressing or full of emoting - this is a realistic look at how a family is dealing with change, with all of it's quirks and dysfunction.

What has been your favorite part of this journey? Being able to explore delivery of lines to humour not only myself, but hopefully some audience members as well. I also got to work with awesome people and that helped in this.