This Is War is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com
Walterdale Theatre acknowledges that our theatre is located on Treaty 6, a traditional territory of the Cree and has been an important trading place of the Saulteaux, Blackfoot, Nakota Sioux, Dene, and Métis peoples of western Canada for many thousands of years. We also recognize and honour that we are Treaty people and therefore seek to uphold the spirit and intent of this Treaty.
We are an Edmonton-based community theatre committed to the production of engaging and vibrant works and providing our member volunteers opportunities to participate in all aspects of theatre production.
Want to get involved with Walterdale?
Have you ever wanted to try your hand at stage management, acting, directing, or even media relations in theatre?
Walterdale Theatre has been successfully run by its volunteers for more than 60 years now, and we invite you to join our team. Whether you can donate a few hours or a few seasons, we are always looking for new volunteers to help grow our theatre.
The best way to get involved at Walterdale is to become a member today! You will receive news about shows, special events, opportunities to volunteer or audition, and discounts on tickets.
For more information about joining Walterdale, go to our website at www.walterdaletheatre.com, e-mail us at walterph@telus.net, or call us at 780-439-3058. We will get back to you!
Dramatis Personae
| Role | Actor |
|---|---|
| Master Corporal Tanya Young | Chelsea Thompson |
| Sergeant Stephen Hughes | Mike Leoppky |
| Private Jonny Henderson | Declan Hutcheon |
| Sergeant Chris Anders | Alex D. Mackie |
Production Team
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Director | Shawn Marshall |
| Mentor Director | Kristen M. Finlay |
| Assistant Director | Jenn Marshall |
| Costume Designer | Cathy Dragon |
| Fight and Intimacy Choreographer and Armourer | Sarah Spicer |
| Lighting Designer | Pat Sirant |
| Set Designer | Len Marshall |
| Sound Designer | Dalton Terhorst |
| Production Manager and Head Painter | Afrah Collier-Potts |
| Stage Manager | Lee-Anna Semenyna |
| Master Builder and Technical Advisor | Richard Hatfield |
| Properties Master | Debbie Tyson |
| Special Effects Master and Assistant Stage Manager | Rebecca Cave |
| Assistant Head Painter | Kendra Nordstrom |
| Fight Captains | Alex D. Mackie and Chelsea Thompson |
| Lighting Operator | Laura Eschak |
| Sound Operator | Dave Breakenridge |
| Properties Assistant | Rachel Whipple |
| Build Crew | Harmen de Vries, Ken New, Kendra Nordstrom, Andrew Selwood, Lisa Swaren, Pierre Valois |
| Paint Crew | Harmen de Vries, Brooke Emberly, Laura Eschak, Lauren Gagnon, Joan Heys Hawkins, Angela James-Findlay, Denika LePage, Kendra Nordstrom, Pierre Valois, Megan Vetsch |
| Poster/Cover Art and Video Design | Lee-Anna Semenyna |
| Marketing Video Editor | Drew Conlon |
| Mental Health Consultancy | Paul Sevigny |
| Captioner | Shannon Wiebe |
Director’s Notes
As I was expanding my knowledge of Canadian playwrights, Hannah Moscovitch was at, or near the top of every list I could find. As I dug deeper into her impressive catalogue, I fell in love with the brutal honesty of This is War.
I’ve always been attracted to scripts that deal with the complexity of human beings in high stakes situations. Nothing tells a story better, and captivates an audience more, than honesty, and broken people from broken situations. Moscovitch ingeniously explores this idea in the highest stakes situation possible: life or death.
War is a world only few of us can truly know, and the ones who do have different accounts and it’s easy for us, as citizens, to have opinions on this. Good, bad, or somewhere in between, our opinions vary, but the answer is never truly black and white and it’s easy for us to sit with those opinions without truly knowing. This makes the morality, and the storytelling, murky at best, and completely bleak at worst.
Having these actors, and this crew, bring these complexities, and this world to life, has been the dream of a lifetime. Please, enjoy the hard work of this incredibly talented cast and crew!
~ Shawn Marshall
| Audience Advisories |
|---|
| This performance contains mature content and potentially triggering content. Themes include adult language, sexual content (involving consent in a power-imbalanced dynamic), depictions of sexual assault, post-traumatic stress disorder, torture and war crimes, and reenactments of combat scenarios based on the Afghanistan War. Theatrical effects include compressed air with baby powder. Flashing lights and loud theatrical noises (screaming, gun shots, explosions) will take place during the show. |
| Synopsis |
|---|
| Master Corporal Tanya Young, Captain Stephen Hughes, Private Jonny Henderson, and Sergeant Chris Anders lived through a violent, botched mission while stationed in one of the most violent and war-torn sections of the Afghanistan War. Told through their separate accounts to an unseen broadcasting corporation, the truth isn’t always as simple as it seems as a picture is formed, painted by guilt, PTSD, nationalism and violence. |
| Setting |
|---|
| Afghanistan War. |
| Run Time |
|---|
| First Act: 72 minutes 15-minute intermission Second Act: 67 minutes |
| Acknowledgements |
|---|
| Scott Henderson; Henderson Images; Bryan and Janet Nordstrom |
Cast Biographies
Private Jonny Henderson – Declan Hutcheon
A recent graduate of AMDA in New York, Declan is thrilled to briefly return to his home city with Walterdale. Off-Broadway credits include Edgar and Fight Captain in King Lear, Sampson and Fight Captain in Romeo and Juliet, and Xavier in Cheap Culture. “Enjoy” the show!
Sergeant Stephen Hughes – Mike Leoppky
Mike is thrilled to return to Walterdale for this incredible show! A veteran of community theatre, he mixes heart, wit, and just enough chaos to keep directors alert. When not onstage, he’s writing, dad-joking, and loving every minute of the adventure with his family and friends.
Sergeant Chris Anders – Alex D. Mackie
After taking an eight year hiatus from theatre in order to pursue his master’s degree, get married, and start a family with two kids, Alex is ecstatic to make his return to the stage with such a phenomenal cast and crew. Enjoy the show…or don’t. It’s up to you!
Master Corporal Tanya Young – Chelsea Thompson
Chelsea is thrilled to be a part of the amazing This Is War team. Born and raised in Edmonton, and a graduate of the UofA Drama Department, she’s delighted to be back on stage at the Walterdale after many years away living in Vancouver. She hopes you enjoy the show!
Production Team Biographies
Dave Breakenridge – Sound Operator
Dave is thrilled to work with Walterdale again, now as crew. He first appeared at Walterdale during the 1996 Evening of One-Acts. More recently, he performed in From Cradle to Stage 2024 and 2025. Other recent credits include They Promised Her the Moon (Leduc Drama Society) and Hearts Left Open (Edmonton Fringe).
Rebecca Cave – Special Effects Master and Assistant Stage Manager
Rebecca Cave is coming up on their eighth year in community theatre and they are excited to be a part of this production of This Is War. This is their third production with Walterdale this year, and the first time ASMing in several years.
Afrah Collier-Potts – Production Manager and Head Painter
Afrah has a diverse background in theatre, film, and television, from hair, makeup, and wardrobe to head painter. Recent credits include director for From Cradle to Stage (Walterdale Theatre), stage manager for The Boston Dip (Fringe 2025), access assistant at Citadel Theatre, and head painter for This is War (Walterdale Theatre).
Cathy Dragon – Costume Designer
Cathy has been involved in theatre since 1974 in Edmonton, Calgary, Fort McMurray, and Australia. This intense, raw script calls for as much realism as possible, so recreating uniforms and gear has been an amazing opportunity. Thank you to all who have served.
Laura Eschak – Lighting Operator
Laura enjoys all areas of performing including theatre and film and has been involved for many years. Recent productions include performing in Annie, helping paint on Willy Wonka, Stage Managing Hearts Left Open in Fringe 2025 and costume work. Laura thanks her family for their support and all those who have served.
Kristen M. Finlay – Mentor Director
Kristen is a former Artistic Director and Board President. Most recently she directed The Penelopiad, The 39 Steps, and The Light in the Piazza. Other recent directing projects include Amélie (ELOPE) and assistant directing Sense and Sensibility (The Citadel). When not at Walterdale, Kristen teaches and plays pub trivia.
Richard Hatfield – Head Builder and Technical Advisor
Richard has been performing many roles at Walterdale since 1991. Some of these roles include President, Set Builder, Technical Director, Lighting Designer, and many more. Some of the recent shows Richard has worked on are Stag & Doe, The Realistic Joneses and All My Sons.
Jenn Marshall – Assistant Director
Jenn has been a part of the Edmonton Theatre scene for 7 years, and is extremely excited for her Walterdale debut. This is only possible because of the incredible talent amassed both on and off the stage and she feels privileged to have worked with each of them. Enjoy the show!!
Len Marshall – Set Designer
This is Len’s first Walterdale project, but not his first project with Shawn and other team members. Len helped design and build the set for The Ballad of Maria Martin with Leduc Drama Society. Len has been in community theatre for 30 years and is always ready for new challenges.
Shawn Marshall – Director
Shawn (he/him) is thrilled to be making his directorial debut for Walterdale Theatre. Shawn has written and directed seven shows for the Edmonton Fringe Festival and recently directed The Ballad of Maria Marten by Beth Flintoff for the Leduc Drama Society. This script is amazing. Please enjoy the show.
Kendra Nordstrom – Assistant Head Painter
Kendra is excited to work on Walterdale’s production of This is War. Kendra has a background in photography and makeup and just recently dove into theatre. She was on the set build and paint crew for According to the Chorus, Shakespeare in Love, and is this production’s assistant head painter!
Lee-Anna Semenyna – Stage Manager
Lee-Anna Semenyna is delighted to join Walterdale Theatre. Recent credits include writing and directing the Fringe premiere of Hearts Left Open and performing in The Ballad of Maria Marten with Leduc Drama Society. She’s honoured to stage manage This Is War and grateful to contribute to this powerful production.
Pat Sirant – Lighting Designer
Pat is a University of Alberta alumnus who has been involved in theatre in roles both onstage and backstage for the last 7 years. Some shows they’ve worked on include: Feast at the New Works Festival and Edmonton Fringe Festival, The 39 Steps at Walterdale Theatre, and She Kills Monsters with University of Alberta Studio Theatre.
Sarah Spicer – Fight and Intimacy Choreographer and Armourer
Sarah Spicer (she/her) is an Edmonton based Fight and Intimacy Choreographer. Select past credits include: Midsummer Night’s Dream (Citadel Theatre), Amadeus (Psychopomp Theatre), and Stag and Doe (Walterdale Theatre). She is honoured to work with this cast and crew and thanks her family and friends for their support (especially her husband, Thomas).
Dalton Terhorst – Sound Designer
Dalton is a multi-disciplinary artist, recently on stage in Boston Dip (Nacho Pals Theatre), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Festival Place), and in production teams of Stag and Doe (Assistant Director, Walterdale), Beehive (Music Director and Sound Designer, St. Albert Dinner Theatre), and Head over Heels (Music Director, Leduc Drama Society).
Debbie Tyson – Properties Master
Debbie Caseburg Tyson is thrilled to be part of this powerful production with a fabulous team of creatives. Every show comes with challenges, new things to learn, and surprising discoveries. With gratitude to all who serve.
Rachel Whipple – Properties Assistant
Rachel Whipple has been working on props at Walterdale Theatre since 2016. She’s delighted to help Shawn and his team create the vision for This is War. This script is incredibly powerful. Enjoy the show!
Advertisements / Acknowledgements
Donors and Sponsors (August 2023 – November 2025)
Walterdale Theatre extends thanks to the generous support of local business, government grants, partners, and our patrons and members for their donations of time and funding. Without your support we could not continue.
Public Funders and Partners
Community Facility Enhancement Program—Government of Alberta
Artistic Sponsor
Gorilla Property Services Edmonton
Community Partners
Valtone Cleaners
Champions ($500+)
AbleIT Inc.
Alexander Family in Memory of Shelley Superstein Alexander
Anne Marie Szucs
Dale and Syrell Wilson
Karin Lauderdale
Kristen M. Finlay
Stephen Harper
Harmony Fund at ECF
Supporters ($100-$499)
Joan & Alex Hawkins, Michael Buhr, Mike Harding & Don Zeman, Moira Walker,
Philip & M.J. Kreisel, Richard Hatfield, Sol Sigurdson, Margaret Booker, Julie Sinclair, David Wolkowski, Genevieve Carolan, Vivien Bosley, Mary Purvis, Brenda Bisziel, Anonymous
Friends ($50-$99)
Brent Christopherson, Jean Guertin, Gerry and Barbara Sinn, Sally Hunt, Ruby Swekla
Donors ($49 and under)
Vivian Binnema, Isabel Cave, Andrew Marriott, Roberta Rolf, Trish Mallet, Louise Mallory, Teresa Cartmell
Player’s Endowment Fund ($200 plus)
It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play – The Cast and Production Team
King of the Yees – The Cast and Production Team
Stag and Doe – The Cast and Production Team
Shakespeare in Love – The Cast and Production Team
According to the Chorus – The Cast and Production Team
Present Laughter – The Cast and Production Team
If you would like to be a part of the Walterdale Theatre family of sponsors, contact our Administrator by e-mail or phone the theatre at 780-439-3058.
| WALTERDALE THEATRE ASSOCIATES Is a Canadian Registered Charity, and will provide you with an income tax receipt for any donation over $20.00 you wish to make.Thank you to everyone who supports our theatre! |
A Brief History of Walterdale Theatre and Building
Walterdale is one of the longest running community theatres in Canada.
Walterdale Theatre Associates traces its beginnings to Theatre Associates, who produced their first plays (Lady Audley’s Secret and Out of the Frying Pan) in August 1958, playing in the Jubilee Auditorium social room. Before finding its home in the current Fire Hall, there have been two other Walterdale Theatres. The first was an old school on the Walterdale flats (Kinsmen Fieldhouse area), hence our name. The second was a former service men’s club house, which was later demolished for Kingsway Garden Mall.
Our current building was built in 1910 and was Strathcona Fire Hall #1. In 1912 it was re-numbered Edmonton #6 when the City of Strathcona amalgamated with the City of Edmonton. The bell tower houses the Strathcona “Town Bell”. It is topped by an octagonal belfry, covered by an octagonal roof. The tower was used to dry hoses (by hanging them up) after use. The stable (now set-building workshop) was designed to house nine horses.
The building ceased to be a working Fire Hall in 1954 and was used to store furniture. In 1974 Walterdale Theatre Associates took over the building and lovingly restored it, and converted the inside to a 145-seat theatre. The first play produced in this theatre was What the Butler Saw by Joe Orton, which opened November 12, 1974.
Major renovations were again carried out in 1993 (raising the roof and tying the building together with new beams) and in 2011 (new main floor washrooms, renewing the bricks and other major outside work).
Walterdale continues to keep our building updated and efficient, and has replaced the lighting instruments with LED lights, and the the aging heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems throughout the building with modern efficient HVAC systems.
Walterdale Theatre Board of Directors 2025 – 2026
Executive
Artistic Director – Barbara Mah
President – Richard Hatfield
Vice-President – Anne Marie Szucs
Treasurer – Martin Stout
Secretary – Kristen M. Finlay
Past-President – Sally Hunt
Directors
Building Co-Directors – Doug Verdin and dale Wilson
Front-of-House Director – Rachel Whipple & Vacant
Membership Co-Directors – Laura Eschak & Christine Gold
Production Co-Directors – John Anderson & Afrah Collier-Potts
Public Relations Co-Directors – Stephanie Swensrude & Dalton Bryce Terhorst
Technical Co-Directors – Rebecca Cave & Matthew Baker
Directors at Large – Tracy Wyman & Jennifer Robinson
Front of House Volunteers
Front of House Committee Members
Volunteer Coordinator
Harmen de Vries and Rachel Whipple
Box Office Manager
Anne Marie Szucs
Bar & Concession Manager
Cassandra Duval
A special and heartfelt thank you to all the wonderful volunteers for Front of House positions during the run of Present Laughter.
ALICE OSCAR, AMY JEAN, ANDREA NEWMAN, ANDREW KWAN, ANNELIESE COUTU,
BOB KLAKOWICH, BRIAN AULT, CASEY POWLIK, CHRISTINE GOLD, CINNAMON STACEY, DALTON BRYCE TERHORST, DAVE WOLKOWSKI, DAVID SELWOOD, DORAN WERNER, DOUG VERDIN, GLORIA CARR, HARMEN DE VRIES, HEIDI RYLL, JACKIE LOTERY,
JIHANE ZEIDAN, JOHN DOLPHIN, KARLY BROADSTOCK, KEVIN SCHULTZ, KRISTEN FINLAY,
LAURA DEDORIW, LAUREN GAGNON, LLOYD BRUCE BROWN, LOUISE MALLORY,
NICOLLE LEMAY, NISHA SHARMA, PHIL ZYP, SARAH CHAMP, SHABAB KHAN,
SHAUNA REBUS
| Sound Credits |
|---|
20140130 – Thai military excercise.wav by LG — https://freesound.org/s/345169/ — License: Attribution 4.0 Abstract Wooshes.wav by Rizzard — https://freesound.org/s/558240/ — License: Attribution 4.0 boxes_falling_down_stairs_01.wav by joedeshon — https://freesound.org/s/81048/ — License: Attribution 4.0 Grit Spray.wav by F.M.Audio — https://freesound.org/s/547585/ — License: Attribution 4.0 In the Coop by lonemonk — https://freesound.org/s/246009/ — License: Attribution 3.0 Sota, taistelu, rintama // War, infantry at the front, a battle, various guns, automatic weapons, various banging, ricochets, mix by YleArkisto — https://freesound.org/s/410296/ — License: Attribution 4.0 Sota, taistelu, rintama, jalkaväki / War, infantry at the front, a battle, various guns, automatics, weapons, various banging, mix by YleArkisto — https://freesound.org/s/265654/ — License: Attribution 4.0 All recorded dramatic vocals performed by the cast of This is War. |
