Getting Ready for A Little Summer and Smoke! Opening Tonight at Walterdale Playhouse

Want to know a little more about Summer and Smoke before you see it?  Check out these Preview Articles to learn more about what this Tennessee Williams play is all about:

Vue Weekly

Gateway

Sound and Noise

From the sounds of these we are in for a great ride! Hope to see you all there!

Opening Night - The Weir!

Tonight we kick off Waltedale's 54th Season with The Weir.  The weather seems perfect for the show.  It's the kind of show that calls for a windy Fall evening.  We hope that you make it out tonight and that we can share the spirit of community so present in the piece.  The more I think about it, with it's themes of the supernatural, storytelling and community, this show feels written for Walterdale.

Here are a few media previews that came out today.

The Gateway - Preview Article

Edmonton Journal - Ten to Do

Join us tonight at 8 p.m. for the show and upstairs for our reception afterwards where we shall all raise a glass together!

A Few More Previews about Nine...

Radio Interview/Preview on CKUA can be found here.

Preview Article online for Sound & Noise can be found here.

Preview Article for St. Albert Gazette can be found here.

Preview Article for Vue Weekly can be found here.

We Open Tonight!

Photo by Janine Hodder

Opening Night - Wyrd Sisters!

Tonight is opening night for Wyrd Sisters at Walterdale. As with every opening at Walterdale there is a reception afterwards where the audience can mix and mingle with the cast and crew and also enjoy a tipple and a bite or two. Usually I go to opening night, but because of a scheduling conflict I will not be able to. I love the energy of an opening - everyone is extra excited to have the first paying audience (they have had two previews, but it is not the same) and since many have friends and family in the audience they are even more nervous about doing a good job. This show is full of silliness and magic, pyros and demons, witches and evil royalty, and will be a fun ride! I expect for a cold November night this will be just the ticket! Show starts at 8 p.m. I hope you make it out!

* Photo by Douglas Stewart

Celebrating New Works and Wonderful Talent!

I had the pleasure of watching the final tech rehearsal for From Cradle to Stage yesterday afternoon. Up to this point I had only seen bits and pieces of the shows so this was the first time I got to see them all in their entirety. I don't like watching shows too early in rehearsal because I don't think it is fair to those that are rehearsing. They want feedback but you can't really give appropriate feedback because the show isn't done and it might look that way (you don't want to crush them with a negative comment) or it really isn't your place to say anything (because they have a director who is doing that and you might contradict them). In any case, I watched yesterday and I must say I am very pleased with the evening of plays we will be premiering this week. All the t's were crossed and the i's were dotted.

The three plays offer up a real variety of themes and styles. The first, a reading of Poetry Unbound by Robert Zimmer, is a clever piece about poetry and art and inspiration. It is funny and intelligent and the cast brings a wonderful attack to it. At centre is the lovely Gabby Bernard who we first saw on Walterdale's stage as Margaret in Much Ado About Nothing. She is joined by several other strong actors both new and returning to Walterdale's stage. John Trehart is a newcomer who brings a smartness and sliminess to his character of Theory that is very fun to watch. Heather Patton, previously seen in Jimmy Dean last season, is sharp and authoritative as Academia. Robert MacDougall, who first appeared at Walterdale in Best Little Whorehouse and then later in Much Ado About Nothing, brings his delightfully over the top style to Pedanticus.

The second piece you'll be seeing is Even the Walls Have Eyes by Sherryl Melnyk. Anchored by Melanie Kerr, this is a monologue about confrontation and forgiveness. Melanie has a lovely naturalistic style that is compelling to watch. She is supported by Mady Faye and Steve Rempel who play a variety of figures from her past. Director Sarah Jackson added the echoing characters along with a haunting sound scape and moody lighting to create an uncomfortable intimacy that supports the piece beautifully.

Finally we will serve up Hope is Dead by Mike Czuba. Alex Fortier and Bob Klakowich populate this lonely world as two very different people who find connection on busy Bridge in the middle of the night. These two share the stage in a balanced way that makes you believe in their new found friendship.

I really enjoyed seeing all three plays. I am looking forward to Opening Night on Wednesday, May 18th so I can see how they grow and see how they are changed by the presence of a full house of people. That is the magic of theatre - every audience becomes part of the performance! I hope to see you there!

* Photo by Douglas Stewart - pictured are Alex Fortier and Bob Klakowich from Hope is Dead.

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!

Opening Night - Happy Birthday to Me!

This season, I decided to give myself an Opening Night and share it with you all. I picked a show that I loved and that I felt showed one of the best that Canada has to offer in terms of playwrights and that I felt that Walterdale could do very, very well. I do not think you will be disappointed. Mary Jane Kreisel and her crack team of Theatre Artists on both sides of the boards have worked incredibly hard and with a phenomenal amount of dedication and passion to bring this piece to life. So, welcome to the 52nd Season at Walterdale and come share a slice of Perfect Pie tonight, or sometime during the run!

In a Little Over a Week...

We start the season! Well, the work started a long time ago, but next Wednesday, on October 6th, 2010 we will officially kick off the 52nd Season with the Opening of Perfect Pie. Tonight and tomorrow night, the cast and crew is working on the Q2Q, Wednesday night is media call and a tech run and then a few more runs and a couple of Previews and we are open.

Perfect Pie is a beautifully written piece by Canada's Judith Thompson. It features 4 lovely actresses who have been seen at Walterdale and other place in Edmonton over the years. They have been working hard over the past few months doing the work with each other to play characters at different times of their lives. I hear reports from Production Team members about their strength as individual actors as well as an ensemble. I am so looking forward to seeing them. The set is finished. I was fortunate enough to get to help Joan Hawkins paint it. We had a lot of help on the set, both on the build and the painting. Pierre Valois let the build team and Joan led the painting team, all working hard to bring Alli Ross' beautiful design to life.

All of this has been directed by Mary Jane Kreisel. No stranger to Walterdale, this is MJ's first time directing a Walterdale show. She wisely picked a strong Production Team to work with, and all of them are working hard to help complete her vision for the show. Truly this has been a testament to teamwork at Walterdale.

Opening Night - SOLD OUT!

Get your tickets folks! Opening Night for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is SOLD OUT according to Tix on the Square. This is thrilling news for us and we are excited to be able to perform the show for a packed house. I haven't seen a sold out Opening Night at Walterdale since I joined the theatre in 2006 (although I am sure it has happened in the past), so this bodes well for the rest of the run, that is, if you have your tickets!

The cast and crew have just finished 2 Previews where we worked out the scene change and costuming bugs and where we got to practice with laughs and responses from our kind audiences. We are ready to Romp and Stomp tonight! Yee Haw!

Opening Night - From Cradle to Stage!

We opened From Cradle to Stage last night, other than a smoke machine that didn't work everything went very well. We had a laughed filled house for the first half and a rapt and engaged house for the second half. The reception was well attended and all were in great spirits. I was very pleased with the evening. Tonight is 2 for 1 night so if you are 'off' bring a friend and head on over to Walterdale!

Opening Tonight!

The Mail Order Bride opens tonight. People who have seen it at the Director's and Artist's Preview have been saying great things. Very exciting! I am looking forward to seeing it again with all the finished touches. The show starts at 8 p.m. I hope to see you all there!

OPENING NIGHTS! How I love them!

Tonight is another Opening Night. I love them. I love the anticipation. I love the excitement. I love the fear induced butterflies in my stomach. When we held auditions way back in October, it was in anticipation of this night. Beautiful Thing opens at Walterdale Theatre tonight. I hope to see you there!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=272545052164&index=1

OPENING NIGHT!

Tonight is Opening Night of our December show - Ken Ludwig's Lend Me a Tenor. Already we are hearing the informal reviews on Facebook Statuses from those who managed to see the show at the Director's or the Artist's Preview. They are overwhelmingly good and one of our actresses has even gotten an informal marriage proposal! Not bad! Now, this show is not going to make you think, it isn't going to have an impact on the world at large, it isn't socially conscious and may even be a titch naughty. BUT it should make you laugh! For those of you writing papers and finals - go see the show - have a good laugh! For those of you contemplating Christmas craziness - go see the show - relax and take a mental time-out! For those of you looking for a good time - GO SEE THE SHOW!

I will be there tonight. I hope to see you there!