Please enjoy a few Pictures from The Threepenny Opera

These are photos taken by Douglas Dollars Stewart at our Threepenny Opera media call.

http://gallery.radgrandpa.com/Event-Photography/Theatre/The-Threepenny-Opera/16413499_5Ven6#1234658445_FGrrQ

Spotlight on Sally Hunt - Music Director of The Threepenny Opera

What is your role in this production? I am the Music Director. This involves coaching all the singers as well as rehearsing musicians. For this show I am leading a 4-piece group from the piano.

What is your background in theatre? I've been involved in musical theatre for about 25 years, starting out as a performer, and have been an accompanist, conductor and music director for about 20 years. The shows I have done with Walterdale include The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, The Fantasticks, and A Little Night Music. I am a classically trained musician, and that training is coming in very handy on this show!

What attracted you to this show? I've loved the music from The Threepenny Opera for years. Kurt Weill is a brilliant composer who writes complex and challenging music. I've wanted to do the show for a long time and Walterdale Theatre as a venue is an ideal space for this piece. So, when the chance to do the show with Curtis came along, it was too good an opportunity to pass up.

What are the challenges in doing a show like Threepenny? The show is very complex musically. It's a unique hybrid - part opera, part classical art song, and part jazz. It is full of unusual harmonies and melodies that don't quite go where the ear expects. Add to that lyrics that aren't the usual sugar-coated sentimental stuff you hear in musicals and it is a challenge for all involved! For me it is a welcome challenge though, and I am relishing every moment! One of the specific challenges of this show is The Ballad of Mack the Knife. The song has become a standard for jazz singers and crooners, yet it's style in the context of the show is very different. It has been a challenge to keep the song true to Weill's purpose, and not let it sound like Ella Fitzgerald or Michale Buble. I think audiences will be pleasantly surprised to hear it in its original incarnation.

What has made the experience fun for you? One of the great joys for me is working with new people. Many Directors and Music Directors get stuck in the rut of always casting the same people, and this is ultimately very limiting artistically. While there are a couple of cast members whom I've known and worked with for years, more than half the cast are brand new collaborators for me, and this makes for an exciting and stimulating process.

The Threepenny Opera has been an amazing journey so far. We have a cast of fearless performers who are willing to do anything we throw at them (there have been a few surprises!). The creative team is second to none in vision and enthusiasm and the musicians are all Walterdale veterans who are as enthusiastic as I am about the music. All of these talented individuals are together creating a world very different from our own. I can hardly wait to share this world with the audience!

What I have learned...

Even though there are still 3 more shows before my tenure is up as Artistic Director, the shift into the next season is starting at the theatre and it has me thinking a lot about what I have learned about Walterdale over the last 2 years. The biggest thing I think I learned is that Walterdale, more than any other theatre I have worked in before, is all about collaboration. Everyone brings something to the table and the productions that welcome collaboration are the richer for it. In this sense, and in my role, I realized that whether I am Director of a show or Artistic Director of the entire theatre, the other people at Walterdale do not work FOR me, but rather I work WITH them. And although in some things the buck may stop with me, there is no boss. It has been so valuable to embrace this as I have learned so much from the many people I have been fortunate to work with over the past few years. I know that I will get to work with them again in the future near and distant, and I know that the foundation we have built by sharing and collaborating will work for us in whatever we do at Walterdale or outside of it. I feel blessed for the people that I have been able to work with. Some of them I got to mentor, some mentored me, and some just fit into their roles as though they were the right jig-saw piece for the puzzle.

It has to work that way, because we are community theatre. If the respect is not given to those that come to contribute then they will leave, because the currency they are paid in is respect, not money. We say we do it for Love, not Money, but tied into that Love of Theatre is the feeling of accomplishment and respect from those that we work with. It's a wondrous thing to count the hours of dedication and sweat and hard work and laughter that go into every show.

Spotlight on Geri Dittrich - Wardrobe Mistress on The Threepenny Opera

What is your role on this Production? I've joined The Threepenny Opera Production Team as the Wardrobe Mistress and as an occasional set painter. My job is to interpret the costume designs given to me by our Production Designer, Kat Evans, and to co-ordinate the procurement and/or the construction, and the management of the costumes for the rehearsals and the run of the show.

What is your background in theatre? I've been a Costume Designer, Costume Technician and a Wardrobe Mistress as a professional and as a hobbyist for many years. Most of my work has been done in Edmonton and surrounding areas. Some of it in community theatres. I am a graduate of the U of A's Dept. of Human Ecology's Clothing and Textiles. My original course of studies concentrated on Textile Chemistry, but after a short course in Fashion History, my interest turned to Historic Fashion Design and it's application in Theatre.

Why did you join this production? I joined for several important reasons: the production is at Walterdale Playhouse; the production is produced by Walterdale Theatre Associates; the team members are Walterdale Theatre members; the costume designs are fun and interesting; and I have a great team of Costume Dept. Volunteers that are willing to work with me on these costumes. I joined the set painting team to work with Joan Hawkins, to learn more about set painting and to pay back many hours of sewing that Joan has given me on many shows.

What kinds of challenges do you face? The greatest challenge is the time commitment. I spend 12 hours during each of 4 days per week in the theatre co-ordinating the tasks and the volunteers, as well as several hours per week away from the theatre, sourcing costumes and materials and scheduling volunteers. Another challenge is the interpretation of the design concepts and drawings that have been conceived by another designer, who is often unable to be with me while I work in the theatre. Another significant challenge is preparing tasks for and instructing volunteers that have limited experience as costume technicians. Co-ordinating up to 8 people at a time in a limited work space while constructing garments that 'bend the rules' of ordinary fashion and must be functional for an actor in an active stage play can be very stressful at times.

And the rewards? What makes the stress of a project of this nature fade out of my memory and become a 'fun' memory is the group of people that I work with (both veterans and newbies) and the camaraderie we have during our long 'work bees', the 'tea sessions' we have together, the post-show meetings (aka brunches) and the theatre/textile/sewing field trips we attend together. Along with this I try to share my knowledge with my crew and have them gain a sense of pride in their work as it appears on the stage and instill a sense of belonging to the 'Walterdale Family'. I value their support and their friendship. We are Walterdale!

Oh, and the rest of the team and cast! They are a pretty good bunch of people too. They seem to like our work and are having fun in rehearsals, not to mention the play itself! It seems to be a good selection for this season. I think I'll really enjoy watching it if I get a chance. I will certainly enjoy listening to it backstage.

With all of these factors contributing to the fabulous outcome on Opening Night, I think I made a good choice in joining this theatrical experience.

* Photo is Geri Dittrich and Marcia Rigney at The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Opening Night reception.

Spotlight on Dean Krawchuk - Warden Smith in The Threepenny Opera

What is your role in this production? My character is Smith, the Warden of the London Police. This character is very greasy. He loves having power over people, and he uses and abuses this privilege. It's quite fun to play a character that is very different from myself.

How long have you been involved in theatre? I have been involved in theatre from an early age. I started from the dance side, and moved into acting when I was 12 years old. Now, I have a B.Ed with a Drama major, and have been teaching drama for the past 5 years. The Threepenny Opera is my second show with Walterdale. I was also in You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown! I have also recently appeared in The Laramie Project and Famished here in Edmonton.

Why did you come out for this show? I have worked with the Director, Curtis Knecht, and a number of the people on the Production Team in the past and had really enjoyed the process of working with them so I wanted to do it again. I also wanted to get involved with another show and the timing was perfect.

What has been the most enjoyable thing about this show? The most challenging? I like working with people I have not worked with before and seeing what they bring to an ensemble. I am often watching people as they are rehearsing to see their energy and commitment to their character and the process. It is fun for me to see how everyone's character grows in the rehearsal process. It helps me develop my own character, and sometimes I see a new approach that I have not seen in the past and I make note of it for future use. The most challenging thing in this process is the music. Some of the notes are very high, so I am very happy that Sally (Sally Hunt - The Music Director) has let a few of us men sing some parts an octave lower than what is written.

Any final comments? I hope the audience has fun. I know this is a different style of show for some people, but as long as they have fun watching it, that's all I can ask for.

Spotlight on Josh Languedoc - Bob the Saw in The Threepenny Opera

How long have you been involved in theatre? I started doing theatre when I was 6 by doing drama camps with the St. Albert Children's Theatre. I also performed in several shows with them and found a love for performing. I graduated from Victoria School of Performing and Visual Arts where I did several more shows and gained some directing experience. Currently, I am exploring my play writing side and writing several plays. I have co-founded an improvisational comedy group called Beerprov that performs bi-weekly at Avenue Theatre, and have also co-founded the Kazoodles, an emerging theatre for young audiences group that aims at telling stories to children through songs, play and empowerment. With regards to Walterdale, I have been fortunate enough to act in three shows: The Mail Order Bride, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and The Threepenny Opera.

What are you doing in this show? My role for this this production is Bob the Saw and I also play a Beggar. Bob is one of the criminals in Mackie's (Mac the Knife) Gang. Bob is one of four gang members that is "employed' by Mac to carry out his dirty work. Bob is a pickpocket who has very little talent. As such, he is a bit of an underling int he gang. He tries to fit in but can't quite reach the same level of intimidation as the other three gang members. He is also quieter and looks up to Matt, the second in command.

Why did you come out for this show? I auditioned for this show out of curiosity. I had heard a lot about this musical and how dark and gritty it was and wanted to see if the team would want me to be a part of it. Most musicals I have been a part of have been very ritzy and jazzy and I was curious about how different this show would be. Another thing that drew me to this show was the team. I had worked with most of them before and really wanted another chance to work with them again.

What has the work been like for you? I love trying to portray lower-class cockney. It's so gritty and raw in its execution that I love trying to speak like these criminals do, interact with others like these criminals do, and sing songs like they would. At the same time, trying to speak in a consistent cockney accent has been the hardest part of the show! It's so specific with it's regions that I have struggled with not letting it slip into another region or even another country!

What do you think audiences will take away from the show? I hope the audience will get a chance to peek at a sector of society that they do not think of often. The lives these characters lead are not lives of typical Canadians, and as such, the mundane activities and encounters these characters deal with on a day to day basis may surprise audiences. That to me is a very important part of theatre. It's important for us as humans to glimpse at other lives than our own and feel sympathy, be moved and even reflect. Ultimately that is what I hope the audience gets out of this play. That and hopefully a few laughs!

We would not take our own lives so seriously if we focused on this one line from the show:

A kick in the pants is just another kick in the pants!

* Photo: Douglas Dollars Stewart

Spotlight on Charity Principe - Jenny Diver in The Threepenny Opera

What is your background in theatre?

I have a B.A. (Drama) from the University of Alberta. I also completed the Capilano Theatre Program in North Vancouver, B.C. My background ranges from musical theatre, Shakespeare, straight drama to local new work. I have been in West Side Story, The Vagina Monologues, The Laramie Project, Twelfth Night, The Visit, and Running..., to name a few. My interest back in University was in community engagement theatre. I wrote a collective creation piece under the direction of David Barnett (former chair of the U of A Drama Dept.) called I Am Canadian? - a look at the immigrant experience and culture gap for 1st generation Canadians - inspired by my own family's journey to Canada from the Philippines. Community theatre can be a powerful tool to communicate and engage people and can create a forum for positive discourse.

I've done one show in the Walterdale Playhouse as a venue (but not a formal Walterdale Production) for the 2001 Edmonton International Fringe Festival entitled Running: The Alex Decoteau Story which chronicled the life of Canadian Olympic Athlete (1912) and first aboriginal police officer in Edmonton, Alex Decoteau. It was written by Charlotte Cameron, directed by Laura Roald and starred Trevor Duplessis and Amelia Maciewjewski. Amelia was just featured in Walterdale's production of Rabbit Hole and gave what I believe to be one of her BEST performances!

What is your role in this production?

I feel privileged to play Jenny Diver, the lead whore in The Threepenny Opera. There's a group of us, the "Women of Wapping", who play Mack the Knife's go-to girls... it involves a lot of strutting about and looking sexy, touching various body parts, soliciting the men on stage and being empowered to do so - this is our profession, after all. Much thanks to Jody for encouraging us to bust out our inner sexy!

Jenny, also known as Ginny-Jenny or Low-Dive Jenny, is an amazing character to play. She is sexy, tough-as-nails, conniving, and oozing with sensual awesomeness and Judas-like betrayal. Jenny's songs are arguably the most well-known numbers in The Threepenny Opera (aside from Mack the Knife) and the opportunity to sing Pirate Jenny and Solomon's Song is scary but also fantastic!

Why did you choose to audition for this show? What attracted you to it?

It's been well over 15 years since I've been in a musical and almost ten since I've acted in a major theatre project. I wanted to try my hand at another musical. I studied Brecht at the U of A and loved it. The style of the project - a comedy, parodying traditional sentimental musicals, while still being dark, sexy and powerful - is why I decided to audition.

What has the production been like for you so far?

I've enjoyed the laughter and the camaraderie between cast mates the most - while still having the opportunity to do good work. The Director, cast and crew are so funny and at the same time so talented. That's the magic of doing community theatre - you meet people of various ages, disciplines, theatre backgrounds and walks of life - but the one thing you can always count on is the shared passion for theatre, whether it be directing, acting, singing, dancing, set construction and design, costumes. Walterdale is especially great at attracting some of our city's best unsung talent.

The most challenging thing is yet to come. The show features a number called the Tango Ballad and we'll be asked to do the TANGO! I am looking forward to getting started on that!

What do you hope the audiences get from the show?

They say that with the Brechtian style of acting, the acting is in quotation marks. That means that the actors are always seen as "actors" and not real characters to be identified with... This style of acting married with the jarring theatrical conventions that Brecht employs int he script with signs, asides to the audience, comedic songs - all breaking the 4th wall of theatre is always an interesting for an audience. I hope they enjoy that sense of performance and theatricality. The show is also terribly funny. If anything, I hope the audience enjoys the experience and laughs as much as we have during the process of creating it.

Any other Comments?

BIG BIG BIG thank you to Curtis, Sally and the rest of the audition panel for allowing me the opportunity to play Jenny. It's been a truly awesome experience so far and as my first Walterdale production - it inspires me and encourages me to continue to be part of this great theatre community.

Spotlight on David Johnston - Filch in The Threepenny Opera

What is your background in theatre?

This is my third show in less than a year with Walterdale; previously, Kiss Within a Kiss and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas saw me attempting my Dubious Southern Accent, to much amusement. Elsewhere, I graduated with BA (Drama) from the University of Alberta, am currently Artistic Director of indie production company Allspice Theatre, and have done odds and ends of theatre in all corners of the city for many of my 23 years. Recent highlights without context include: juggling fruit at Nextfest, being doused in blood-coloured karo syrup in the women's washroom of the Timms Centre, chorus dancing in underwear and lederhosen at the Catalyst, girl-on-woodchuck action at the Fringe, and a slow painful metamorphosis into an African (not Asian!) rhinoceros.

What is you role in this Production?

Though Richard Hatfield is [successfully, I think] trying to rope me into aiding him with the lighting design and hang, I'm primarily an actor, playing the role of Filch. Filch is... he's an extreme August, if you know clown terminology. He's a variation on the lead villain's One Inept Guard, as he's got no skill-set beyond begging, though he's not very good at that. For some reason, he's managed to survive to adulthood, and J.J. Peachum enlists him into his beggar's army. Mayhem, murder and singing ensure.

Why did you audition for this show?

Sally Hunt told me she was doing the music and Kat Evans told me her design concept for the show was Victorian Steampunk. That was pretty much all the convincing I needed.

What has working on the show been like so far?

The most enjoyable aspect is the sheer physicality of the show. It's very big, very spectacular, very much outside the realm of Normal a lot of the time. The space that we've got to play in is all sorts of fun, with nooks and crannies and crevices and levels, and playing a character who drifts in, out, and around all of them is a joy. I've been increasingly fascinated by physical theatre and the studies of movement int he last few years, and I appreciate any opportunities to test the limits of what my body can do and and how it can contort to tell a story. Plus, I get to fall down a lot.

Most challenging are the words themselves. Not the dialect, I mean, so much as the phrasings and the conversation proper. Brecht and Blitzstein have come up with a script that never takes the short and economical route' they always take ten words to say what you can in five, and thirty to say what you can in ten. It's structured phraseology, buttressed in with nouns and verbs and further extends the hyper surreality of the potentially ordinary scenarios. Much of it doesn't just sound like anything a normal person would say... which forces us all again to get out of the habits of portraying Normal People.

What do you hope the audience gets out of the show?

While the story is exceedingly parablesque and often explicitly stating the underlying themes through blunt dialogue, I think, more than anything, the show is fun. The characters are complicated and richly developed, the sounds of the show are just so darn interesting to listen to, the visuals are striking and original, the twists are largely unanticipated, and the whole show is unlike a lot of other traditional musicals. It's a hoot.

As well, I spent four months growing a beard for this show. If you don't come, those four months were wasted.

* Photo: Douglas Dollars Stewart

Spotlight on Kara Little - Dolly in The Threepenny Opera

What is your background in theatre?
I always enjoyed singing but never thought I was any good at it. I was singing along with a group when a woman near me was belting out harmonies, so I started singing with her. My friends heard me and told me that I could actually sing - I was mortified that they heard me! I got over it and started to see if there was something I could do with this. I took some singing lessons at Grant MacEwan then Musical Theatre at the Citadel, and my classmates pointed me in the direction of auditions with Edmonton Musical Theatre. I would have never tried without their encouragement. Now I perform in about one show a year and have played with Lethbridge Musical Theatre, Horizon Players, Sherard Musical Theatre and ELOPE. This is my first production with the Walterdale and I can't wait!

What is your role on this production?

I play the role of Dolly, one of Mackie's "girls". She enjoys her power over men and is very opportunistic in taking advantage of them or of rich Londoners by parading as the poorest of the poor.

What attracted you to the project?

I love musicals and I've worked with most of the production crew before, so I was excited to have the chance to work with them again for my first production in the historic Walterdale.

What has been the most enjoyable thing about being involved in the show? What has been the most challenging thing?

I'm enjoying working with a cast that is very talented and supportive and challenges us to break out of our "polite Canadian" ways!

What do you hope the audience gets out of the show?

I hope it can be a fun escape from the daily routine. Some may want to peel away the layers of the characters and decipher what their motivation really is, and others may just lean back, turn their brains off and enjoy an entertaining show!

Spotlight on Kelsey Wangler - Choreographer of The Threepenny Opera

What is your background in theatre?

My work in theatre began in Jr. High and continued throughout High School and into University. I began as an actor in several shows in Jr. High and High School including Annie, And Then There Were None and High School Musical. In my final year of high school I undertook by first role as director, directing a one act play Totally Red. I also began choreographing with How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Outside of Jr. High and High School my primary work has been in choreographing. I have recently been involved in choreographing Spruce Grove Composite High School's productions of Grease and Beauty and the Beast. I was also involved in choreographing the Fringe production of Famished.

Outside of theatre, I have been involved in the dance community for 18 years. I have trained in many disciplines: including tap, jazz, ballet, hip hop, lyrical, and musical theatre. I am currently a dance teacher at Ward School of Dance in Spruce Grove.

This is my first time working with the Walterdale and I am very excited about moving into a new area of theatre. This is a great opportunity and I'm very glad to get to be a part of it.

What is your role on this production?

I am the choreographer for The Threepenny Opera. This involves instilling movement in the musical numbers that works in collaboration with the character's, the director's vision, and the general feel of the show. As the choreographer, it is my goal to maintain the concept of epic theatre that is present within Threepenny, all the while incorporating the individuality of this particular cast and my own ideas into one overall product.

Why did you join the team for this show?

Curtis (the Director) approached me after I had worked with him during Famished. What attracted me most to this project is that I have yet to work in an arena outside of a high school production or a one act. This is not only an intriguing opportunity as it is a very interesting play, but also because it allows me to work in setting that I have not yet experienced. It's a new challenge that I am very excited to take on!

What has been the most enjoyable thing about being involved in the show? What has been the most challenging thing?

I have very much enjoyed working with Curtis and the rest of the cast. Everyone has been very receptive and helpful throughout the entire process thus far. The challenge of working in an unfamiliar territory has been very rewarding! I'm very grateful to have had the opportunity to take on this challenge.

What do you hope the audience gets out of the show?

I hope the audience enjoys the experience of an epic theatre production. This show incorporates very different elements from many other productions and I hope that the audience enjoys the unique experience that is The Threepenny Opera.

Spotlight on Curtis Knecht - Director of The Threepenny Opera

Tell us a bit about your background in theatre:

I came to theatre from the musical side of the stage. I began singing lessons when I was very young and my teacher happened to be the director of the local theatre troupe. She got me involved in community theatre and my love of the stage was born. Theatre and music eventually lead me to obtain my Master of Music degree in voice and pedagogy where I studied, directed and performed opera. My association with the Walterdale began when I returned to Edmonton after earning my degree; I was music director for the production of the Rocky Horror Show, and was onstage as Petruccio in the Taming of the Shrew. I am thrilled to again be involved at the Walterdale for this production of The Threepenny Opera.

What is your role on this production?

I am the director of The Threepenny Opera. That means I'm the one trying to tell everyone what to do. In reality, what I try to do is provide a world for the actors to play in. The Threepenny Opera is a dark and grimy place set in the poorest districts of a Victorian era London and it is my job to unleash the actors into this world of killers, criminals, prostitutes and corrupt policemen. I also have the overall vision of the entire production; from set designs to costumes to music, a director has their hand in all aspects of the production. As overwhelming as that many sound, I'll let you in on the secret of directing... surround yourself with incredibly talented people and allow them to play in the world with you and success is guaranteed.

What brought you to this production?

I had submitted my name to be a director in the 2010/11 season and was contacted my the Artistic Director and asked if I was interested in the Threepenny Opera. I jumped at the chance. Not only is Threepenny a marvelous work, but the chance to again work with Sally Hunt (who is music director) was too good to pass up.

What else can you tell us about this production?

The most enjoyable thing about this production has been the people. Musicals, by necessity, tend to attract the biggest casts and production crews and all of these people coming together to help bring my vision of the production to life has been amazing. Working together at every rehearsal, sharing ideas, planning, staging, and all the other parts of the show are so much easier with people who share the same enjoyment of theatre as you do. The most challenging aspect of the show has not actually been directly related to the production. In my life outside of the show, both of my parents have been diagnosed with and are fighting advanced stages of cancer. This has placed a large burden upon myself and my family and at times threatened my involvement in the production itself. Balancing the need to be available for family and the desire to fully commit to the show has been stressful. The production has been amazingly helpful in providing an outlet for some of my tensions and anxieties and I think, personally, has made the last few months easier.

The Threepenny Opera is loaded with social commentary regarding rampant capitalism, the oppression and exploitation of the poor and the corruption of authority, but at the end of the night I hope the audience leaves the theatre entertained. The message of the show is simple and obvious but our goal is to deliver that message in the most entertaining manner possible. We want our audience to laugh with us at the dark humour, squirm at those moments of vulgarity and be carried along by the engaging music and witty speeches provided to us by Weill and Brecht (the composer and author respectively).

I know those audience members coming to the Threepenny Opera expecting a pop-music version of "Mack the Knife" in the style of Bobby Darin or Ella Fitzgerald are in for a bit of a shock. Kurt Weill's music, while heavily influenced by early 20th century jazz, is also deeply immersed in the classical traditions of the period. Weill's orchestrations are thick and lushly dissonant and his playful use of traditional dances (waltz, tango) mixed with Bertolt Brecht's blunt, colourful and often vulgar text can be jarring to say the least. The world of the Threepenny Opera is not a nice place to live, but I think everyone will enjoy their visit.

Spotlight on Gerald Mason - Mr. Peachum in The Threepenny Opera

So Gerald, tell us about yourself and your role in this Walterdale Production.

I've been a Walterdale members since the mid 80's. I've mostly acted but in some cases I have done hair and make-up and have even sewed on a button if required. Theatre has been my hobby for years. In this production I play Mr. Peachum. He is in charge of all the beggars in all of the 14 districts of London. He lives off of his people. He is a very nasty man.

Why did you come out for this show?

This production is a musical and I love music. Also I have worked with the Director, Music Director, and I knew some of the people that were going to audition for the show. The people in this show are awesome. It is so great to go to rehearsal because it is theatre family.

What is the most challenging thing about this production?

The most challenging thing is the dialect/accent and the fact that I have to be a nasty man.

Any other comments?

I hope the audiences will sit back and just enjoy the show. Let us take them on a 2 hour trip so they can forget about their day's problems.