I'm part of the ensemble for this production, so I do a little dancing, a little acting and a lot of singing. I appear as a reporter in an opening scene, but for most of the show I play a very bored passenger. I named her Maureen. Maureen is married to Seamus, one of the sailors on board. Her main reason for embarking on this voyage, however, is not to spend more time with her husband, but to rub elbows with the rich and famous. Big liners like this are a draw for celebrities and Maureen is very much hoping to meet (and possibly be swept off her feet by) a huge star. After all, it's a boat, there are only so many places that one can hide...
What brought you out for this production?I took a few classes at the Foote Theatre School at the Citadel this past year and Barb Mah, the director, was one of my instructors. I had a great time in that class and I thought it would be really fun to work with Barb again, especially on a musical by Cole Porter, whom I love. Plus, TAP DANCING. Sold.
What is your background in theatre?
I started dancing when I was 7, so being onstage is nothing new for me. I loved dancing onstage, so theatre was kind of a natural segue. I did a few plays in elementary school and junior high, but I didn't really get into theatre until high school. I did my BA in Drama at the U of A, but I worked behind the scenes hanging lights/building sets and being set designer/stage carpenter/runner/stage manager etc. on most of the productions that I did, so it's nice to be back in a performing role. This is the first show I've ever done with the Walterdale, but hopefully it won't be the last!
Biggest Challenge?The comedy of the show, in general. In the past I have mostly been cast in dramatic roles - and non-musical ones, at that, save one - so to do a flashy, funny, over the top musical like this one is a really big switch. But despite the big change, it has been tons of fun and I have learned an awful lot.
This play takes place on a ship, you have any good boating stories? My brother and I spent a lot of time in my dad's boat when we were little, "fishing" off the side with long sticks. However, that boat has been docked in the backyard since about 1983, so that probably doesn't count. When I was a kid and a teenager my family spent some time in New Zealand and had a few opportunities to go out on the water in a friend's boat, in the bays around Kaiteriteri. New Zealand is a really breathtakingly beautiful country and sailing along the coastline is pretty amazing. The water itself is also unbelievably clear and gorgeously blue-green, it was a pretty awesome experience. Plus, for a very long period of time when I was younger I wanted nothing more than to be a Mountie, so I had the time of my life hanging over the side and pretending that I was on a very important police boat mission. In the Spirit of "Anything Goes" how true is that about you? In most aspects of my life, it's very, very true. When I was a kid I never ever turned down a dare, which resulted in me doing things like eating cookies soaked in ranch dressing and stepping on the tines of an upturned rake to see if it would actually come up to smack me in the face. (It did indeed.) Let's just say that being willing to do or say basically anything has sometimes gotten me into a lot of trouble....
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