Meet Darrell Portz, Director of Dracula!

What is your role on the production? Director. This is my directorial debut.

 

Why did you want to direct this show at Walterdale?  I was cast in the role of Dracula in 2005 when this show was performed in Yellowknife, NT by Lunch Pail Theatre.  I feel in love with the script and I have always wanted to do it again.  I first decided to try and get it into a Walterdale season about 2 years ago, and I was pleased Walterdale selected it to lead off this new season.

 

What is your background in theatre? When I moved to Edmonton in the summer of 2008 I wanted to stay involved in theatre and so I auditioned for the Melodrama, Blackhearts in the Green Room, and was cast as the villain, Barnaby Badlington.  Since then I performed in The Mail Order Bride and Wyrd Sisters.  In addition, I have done sound design for numerous other productions.

 

Favorite Vampire movie?  My favourite vampire move is Roman Polanski's The Fearless Vampire Killers.  I loved the comedic approach to the characters.

 

Favorite Halloween costume?  I don't normally dress up for Halloween.  Maybe because my birthday is October 31 and I am goulash enough.  One of my favourite costumes, when I was a kid, was when I dressed up as Frankenstein.  Complete with square shaped head, which I fashioned out of a cut down shoe box, that I painted green.

 

What are you most looking forward to about Dracula?  Seeing my vision of the play come to life. I have been so lucky to have such a talented cast and production crew.  The dedication each of them have brought to the process so far, is more than I could have ever hoped for.  Even though I intimately know the script, I expect to be drawn into the story and held captive.

 

Photo Credits:

Upper - Provided

Lower - Darrell in Wyrd Sisters, photo by Douglas Stewart

Introducing the cast of Proof - Up on our stage in December 2013

Proof by David Auburn

We had a very busy 3 nights of auditions and call-backs, bringing back 14 people from an initial group of approximately 50 people, to read for the 4 roles in this stunning play.  We are pleased to announce the following cast which contains actors both new and familiar to Walterdale audiences.

Cast:
Catherine - Gabby Bernard
Robert - Dale Wilson
Hal - Jordan Ward
Claire - Joyce LaBriola

These four actors join an experienced production team to collaborate on bringing to life this story of love, mathematics, sanity and relationships.

Production Team:
Director: Kristen M. Finlay
Assistant Director: Katelyn Arthurs
Stage Manager: Bethany Hughes
Set Designer: Joan Heys Hawkins
Costume Designer: Elaina Bolton
Lighting Designer: Richard Hatfield
Sound Designer: Erin Foster-O’Riordan
Master Builder: Pierre Valois
Properties: Eric Matheson-Jones
Production Manager: Catherine Wenschlag

We are still looking for an ASM and Operators, and likely some other positions.  Drop by the Open House on September 28th and talk to Catherine about joining our team.

Meet Athena Gordon, The Maid in Dracula!

What is your role in Dracula? I have the pleasure of playing The Maid for Lucy.

What brought you out for Dracula? I thought it would be fun to audition. I did a number of shows (on and off stage) for the Walterdale between 1999 and 2001, but nothing since, and figured it might be nice to return to my roots.

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? I have a BA in Drama, 2 years of which I did in the Stage Management program at the U of A. I started as an actor in High School, and when I didn't get in to acting school, I moved backstage. Most recently I was Queen Anne in Horizon Player's The Three Musketeers, and before that was Stage Manager and Assistant Director for A Midsummer Night's Dream (also with Horizon Players). My Walterdale credits include: The Vampyre (ASM), Dr. Faustus (ASM), Good night Desdemona, Good morning Juliet (Sound Operator), Infidelity (One Act - Stage Manager), The Birthday Party (ASM), The Country Wife (Sound Operator & Stage Hand) and St. Frances of Hollywood (Nurse). I will also be the Assistant Director for Blythe Spirit here at Walterdale later this season.

Favorite Vampire movie/play other than this one, and why? You know, it's funny - this is the 2nd Vampire play I have worked on, but I don't usually watch Vampire movies or plays. I do, however, love my guilty pleasure Vampire TV shows: True Blood and The Vampire Diaries. I mostly enjoy the cheesiness of them, without the overwhelming Twilight-esque melodrama and sparkly undead. 

Favorite Halloween Story? When I was growing up, we lived in a townhouse complex, and one year when it was ridiculously cold, my brother and I had to go Trick-or-treating all bundled up. My brother was dressed up as a Ninja Turtle, and his mask blocked his view. So much so, that he ran right in to a tree! We all laughed, because he jumped right up and rant to the next door - completely unfazed! We still have good laughs over it! 

What are you most looking forward to about this production? This is a really great cast and crew, and everyone seems to get along really well. It will be nice to make a return to the stage beside such a great group of people. 

Meet Dracula - Steve Dhillon

What is your role in Dracula? Dracula

What brought you out for Dracula? I have been looking for a segue into theatre after having worked in film/TV since 2006.  I jumped at the opportunity after seeing that this production was based on the Original Bram Stoker Dracula.

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? This is my first Theatre role and also my first (hopefully of many!) at Walterdale.

Favorite Vampire movie/play other than this one, and why? I loved the Coppola film but Salem's Lot is the one that kept me sleepless for weeks after watching it when I was 7

Favorite Halloween Costume and why? Believe it or not, Every year up until grade six I dressed up as a Vampire!  It was meant to be!

What are you most looking forward to about this production? With such a talented cast and production team, I can't wait to see and be a part of the final product!

 

 

Meet the Cast of Dracula - Justin Deveau as Jonathan Harker

What is your role on Dracula? I play Jonathan Harker.

What brought you out for Dracula? I am probably the tenth person to give this answer but I have been a fan of the novel since my school days and have read it several times. As a child I would stay up late to watch the old Universal horror pictures when they played them on TV. Also I have worked with Darrell a few times before and he was so excited about doing this show so I got excited about the show...like some sort of contagious excitement disease...of fun...

 

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? This is my seventh Walterdale show*. I have also done a bunch of shows at other places and Fringe shows and improv and sketch comedy and I also host burlesque shows with Capital City Burlesque but other than that I have no theatre background at all. 

 

*(Justin was in last season's Summer & Smoke and The Weir and in the previous season's Love of the Nightingale, Wyrd Sisters, and reasons to be pretty).

Favorite Vampire movie/play other than this one, and why? I liked The Lost Boys when I was a kid. I like Shadow of a Vampire a lot.

Favorite Halloween Costume and why? When I was little my mom made me a shark costume. She even took a yard stick and stuffed a sock and shoe so that I would have a person leg sticking out of my shark mouth. I won a twix bar for that outfit!

What are you most looking forward to about this production? The effects are going to be really cool. I am looking forward to seeing how they all come together. 

 

Photo Credits:

Upper - provided

Lower - Justin in reasons to be pretty; photo by Douglas Dollars Stewart

Meet Greg Cebuliak, Attendant in Dracula!

What is your role in Dracula? My role in Dracula is Male Attendant 1.

 

What brought you out for Dracula? Three things brought me out.  One, a friend of mine turns out to be assistant director and made mention that I should go to the audition.  Apparently, I'm full of expression.  Two, the play itself.  And three, the opportunity to have fun with an audition and possibly a blast with acting.

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? My background is minimal.  Mostly high school training with a lead performance in a Fringe play last year called The Question by Hugh Kemeny Productions.  As for Walterdale experience, this is my first time. 

Favorite Vampire movie/play other than this one, and why? Favorite vampire movie was, and may not be now because I haven't watched in years, is/was John Carpenter's Vampires.  Was a great movie and for me introduced the idea that some "traditional" notions of vampires are not "real".

Favorite Halloween Costume and why? Favorite?  Got dressed up as Aunt Jamima one year.  Maybe it was the cross-dressing, I don't know.  But it was unique and landed me loads of candy.

What are you most looking forward to about this production? Looking forward to the effects and the performance overall.  I'm excited just to see how it all comes together.

Meet Louise Large - Mina in Dracula!

What is your role in Dracula? I am playing Mina Murray, fiancee to Jonathan Harker and best friend to Lucy.

What brought you out for Dracula? I had a wonderful experience playing director Darrell Portz’s insane wife in Rumours (with St. Albert Theatre Troupe) so when he mentioned that he was going to be making his directorial debut with Walterdale doing Dracula I was excited about the idea of auditioning and working with him again. The role of Mina has so much complexity and is quite a shift from the roles I am typically cast in, so it was an intriguing idea to try and find the goodness in a character for a change.

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale?
In 2012 I was cast in the Cradle to the Stage production of The Carrying by Jennifer Roberts, which was a great introduction to the Walterdale community.
Outside of Walterdale some credits include:
Defiance Theatre (Founder/Artistic Director)
Azimuth Theatre (Associate Artistic Producer)
Catalyst Theatre (Assistant to Jonathan Christenson, Nevermore)
Theatre Network (Punk Outreach Coordinator, Hard Core Logo: Live!)
Cowardly Kiss Theatre (actor in She Came From Planet X!, (Real) Gone (Girl), The Maids),
Poiema Productions (Director/Dramaturg, Middleton).
I am also a proud graduate of the Keyano College Visual & Performing Arts Theatre program in Fort McMurray.

Favorite Vampire movie/play other than this one, and why? I was a pretty big fan of the Anne Rice novels growing up, so I was always interested in the film adaptations of those books. Some great, some terrible!

I was a pretty big fan of the Anne Rice novels growing up, so it always interesting to see how the film adaptations of those. When the “Queen of the Damned” movie came out I had a lot of mixed feelings about what things they choose to include, but overall the soundtrack and Stuart Townsend managed to wFavorite Halloween Costume and why? I went to school as Elvira when I was about seven years old. At least in my head I looked like Elvira - in hindsight it was just a shiny black shirt of my mom’s with a white turtleneck underneath, a much-too-big black wig, and lots of costume jewelry and makeup. No one got it. I was too ahead of my time I guess!

What are you most looking forward to about this production? Having all of the emotional elements finally blend with the technical ones, and the final addition of an audience. So excited to share this with people!

Meet Lee Conrad, Attendant in Dracula!

What is your role in Dracula?  Attendant #2 

What brought you out for Dracula?  I happened to hear in conversation that auditions were going to be held and I’ve always had a fascination with the story.  I’ve seen nearly every film version to date but have not seen a stage production and I thought what better way to experience it than to be involved. 

What is your background in theatre? I’ve dabbled in acting since junior high and have been in many independent productions since 1993.  My first show outside of school was Scott Sharplin’s Fugue for the Carnival of Shrieking Youth theatre festival.  I’ve been involved with the Fringe on numerous occasions as well as Rapid Fire Theatre. My most recent stage presence and first show with Walterdale theatre was The Trial of Salomé (2007) as the crazy Scotsman Spencer. 

Favorite Vampire movie/play other than this one? The original Fright Night.  Chris Sarandon is devilishly charming and deadly as a vampire.  Roddy McDowall as Peter Vincent was terrific on so many levels.  Great script, great score and great performances. 

Favorite Halloween Story/Costume and why? John Carpenter’s Halloween.  The theme alone scares the bejeezus out of you if you hear it in the dark.  The costume of Michael Myers (The Shape) is simple yet terrifying.  A blank emotionless face with the darkest eyes…the devil’s eyes… 

What are you most looking forward to about this production?  The effects work.  I’m eager to see how the whole design is going to come together and wow the audience into thinking “How did they DO that?!!

Meet Savannah Ribeiro, Assistant Stage Manager for Dracula!

What is your role on Dracula? I am the assistant stage manager (Pretty exciting! J )

What brought you out for Dracula? I first saw Francis Ford Coppola’s rendition of Dracula when I was ten. I am absolutely in love with the novel (I’ve read it many times) and with the vampire/horror genre in general. I heard Walterdale was doing a theatre adaptation and I thought “I need to be a part of that!

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? To be honest, I have almost no background in theatre. I was the sound tech for my junior high’s presentation of Romeo and Juliet. Dracula is the first play I’ve been part of since I was 13 years old.

Favorite Vampire movie/play other than this one, and why? I’d have to say Suck which is a horribly cheesy Canadian horror-rock-comedy about a failing band who all get turned into vampires in order to achieve fame. I just love how cheesy it is and how it references other vampire films (namely Dracula) and the music (All Canadian) is wonderful too.

Favorite Halloween Costume and why? I had a friend in high school that went all-out, over-the-top zombie. Every year she’d use this weird rubber material to make her skin like it was rotting and falling off and her makeup would be done so creatively. She’d even put in ice-blue contact lenses and carry around a piece of raw steak that looked like a heart. It was so awesome.

What are you most looking forward to about this production? Everything; being a part of this is going to be the biggest deal for me --- I love theatre/film and I love Dracula.

Meet Nicole Grainger - Movement Coach for Dracula

What is your role on Dracula?

I am the movement coach

What brought you out for Dracula?

I've always been a fan of the novel and was excited when Darrell pitched his ideas to me about how he wished to bring this stage adaptation "alive".

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale?

I started as a graduate of MacEwan University's Theatre Arts program. I've been fortunate that I've been able to enjoy a varied career in both theatre and film (in both English and French) across Canada.  It was a natural progression for me to take my dance training that served me so well in the Musical Theatre genre and transition into a choreographer and coach.

 

This is my first official venture with the Walterdale. I love the theatre space!  It was my "home-away-from-home" during our production of Duets in this past summer's Fringe. 

Favorite Vampire movie/play/novel other than this one?

The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice.  I loved it's exploration of the despair of immortality and what stimulation you need to not only keep surviving, but also to keep living.  Also, it was dead-sexy.

Favorite Halloween Costume?
I was Lucy from Dracula for Halloween one year and I loved it because I got to play with make up and blood pellets. I gave blood soaked kisses to everyone I knew.

 

What are you most looking forward to about this production?

Seeing the entire cast come together to tell the audience a fantastic story.

Introducing Lindsay Phillips, Female Attendant in Dracula at Walterdale in October 2013

What is your role in Dracula? Female Attendant

 

What brought you out for Dracula? A non-ironic love of horror fiction.

What is your background in theatre?  I have been involved in theatre much of my life and I graduated with a BA Honors in drama at the University of Alberta. I acted as production manager for Village of Idiots, but this is my first chance to perform on the Walterdale stage.

 

Favourite Vampire movie or play other than this one, and why? Teenage Space Vampires because it has mild alien vampire violence.

 

Favourite Halloween Costume and why? One year I went as a dinosaur. Dinosaurs are awesome, so why not.

What are you most looking forward to about this production? The audience's reaction to seeing the show for the first time. I want to see if we effectively terrify, surprise, and entertain them.