Member of the Month – November 2016 – KRISTEN M. FINLAY
Upcoming Members Workshops – Lighting Workshop with Kevin Humphrey
Lighting Workshop with Kevin Humphrey
A Theatre Alberta by Request Workshop
Sponsored by Christie Lite Sales
Date: Saturday June 3, 2017
Time: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (includes one hour lunch break)
Location: Walterdale Theatre
Cost: $25.00 (payable with cash or cheque)
FREE for Walterdale Members
Memberships may be purchased day of the workshop
Refreshments will be provided for morning and afternoon breaks with an hour lunch (bring a lunch or go out).
Email membership@walterdaletheatre.com to register by May 31st or for more information.
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Kevin Humphrey currently splits his time between being a lighting designer for events around Edmonton and programming lights for other designers. He spent over a decade touring the world with Ronnie Burkett Theatre of Marionettes as his designer and Director of Lighting.
Deciding to try and spend more time closer to home he is now the Principal Lighting Operator at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium which allows him to design for numerous local groups in his spare time. This job is great as he gets to work with the newest technology and annually see hundreds of different designs to pick up new ideas from. While primarily in theatre he has also worked extensively in dance, corporate, and rock n’ roll lighting.
In the past he has been nominated for several Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Awards. He has been the Chair of the CITT Alberta Section for 4 years and is a member of the Associated Designers of Canada.
Meet the Cast of LADY WINDERMERE’S FAN – Marsha Amanova is Mrs. Erlynne
What is your role in this production? I am playing that woman, Mrs. Erlynne. An outsider, she is regarded with curiosity and suspicion, and is the subject of a great deal of gossip — much, but not all, deserved. She is a wanton woman who is currently struggling to overcome her past and make her way back into society – by any means necessary! Mrs. Erlynne is charming and clever and adept at manipulating people to get what she wants.What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? I feel like I’ve been performing my whole life, although I didn’t really become involved in theatre in Edmonton until I joined a theatre troupe at University (The Nice Wantons), and I auditioned at Walterdale for the first time in 2004, for Cyrano de Bergerac (ensemble). Other memorable Walterdale roles have been Procne in The Love of the Nightingale (2012), and Ruth in Blithe Spirit (2014). I’ve also directed a few one-acts for Cradle to Stage, and was a Board Member for four years.
What brought you out for this show? Why did you want to be a part of it? I reconnected with Oscar Wilde’s work in preparation for a visit to Dublin last year, and when I read Lady Windermere’s Fan I was taken with the thought of playing Mrs. Erlynne. She’s a fascinating character and and I thought she’d be a lot of fun to play on stage. When I heard Walterdale was producing the play this season, I knew I’d have to audition.
Why do you think audiences should come and see this show? Escape the dark days of Edmonton’s winter and join us in Victorian London! There will be beauty and comedy and some food for thought, as the play examines and critiques ideas of society and morality and gender.
What has been the most fun so far working on the show? The most challenging thing? Wilde’s script is both fun and challenging for me! I love his wit and his writing, but that doesn’t make the words much easier to memorize. It’s so important to get the lines exactly right. Another fun challenge is the costumes – our wardrobe department is overflowing with talent, and they build beautiful pieces that I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to wear, but it takes a lot of practice and concentration to be able to move gracefully in heels, corsets and big dresses! The most fun of all, of course, is working with yet another fabulous cast and crew. While I’ve previously worked with most of the production team, I was surprised that I had never worked with any of the cast before. That’s one of the things I love about Walterdale: the mix of dedicated people who’ve been around for years and those who are just discovering this amazing community.
What is your favorite Oscar Wilde quote?
“Things are because we see them, and what we see, and how we see it, depends on the Arts that have influenced us.”
― Oscar Wilde, The Decay of Lying
Meet the Team of RED – Anglia Redding is the Stage Manager!
What is your role on this production? I’m the stage manager, which means I help the director by wrangling actors, helping with lines, and lots of other things to numerous to mention. During the run of the show, I’m in the booth, making sure the lights and sound are seen and heard!
What is your background in theatre? With Walterdale? I’m a graduate of Keyano College with a diploma in Visual & Performing Arts. I acted onstage in quite a few shows, such as Narnia, The Odd Couple (the female version), Damn Yankees, Come Back to the Five & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean, and Les Belles Soeurs before moving to Edmonton in 2012.
I started with Walterdale in 2012 when I was asked to assistant stage manage The Weir. I’ve since started stage managing and have been the SM for Starless, Jeffrey, Magpies, Jesus Master Builder, and W;t all here at Walterdale. I’ve since stage managed Gossamer Feast and Fag Hag Fandango by Gerald Osborn for 2016’s Stage Struck! I also been lucky to SM Death Comes to Auntie Norma at the 2015 Fringe and Jesus Master Builder at the 2016 Fringe. You’ll be seeing me in the booth again later in the year for Othello.
What brought you out for this show? Bethany and I have wanted to do something together ever since we met during the production of W;t and I was honoured when she called and asked me to stage manage for Red. I jumped at the chance and it was an extra added bonus to be alongside Sarah Van Tassel again.
This play is extremely in-depth, not just about the lives of two painters who are opposites, but how art affects our lives in different ways. It was fascinating moving through the different art periods and what really caused the demise of some and the rise of others.
What is the most challenging thing about working on this show? The most fun/enjoyable thing? The most challenging thing for me has been how sick I’ve been! I’ve had to miss quite a few rehearsals due to bronchitis, but I’m on the mend and ready to get back on my feet.
The most enjoyable for me was walking in one day and seeing the set. It’s just…amazing doesn’t seem the right word. It made me breathless (not because of the bronchitis) because it seemed so…intimate. I forgot it was a set and it looked like an artist’s space where paintings and art came to life.
Art plays a big role in this show. Who is your favorite artist and why? Favorite painting/sculpture? Do you have a picture? I really adore Georges Suerat, who painted A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. The painting is made entirely of dots that blend together to form figures and shapes; the colours blend together optically to show you the scene and that just knocks my socks right off.
I’m also big into Banksy, the English-based graffiti artist who’s extremely cheeky. I enjoy how he uses dark humour to make political and social statements. He’s all over London and England and no one knows who he is. It’s amazing.
Tickle Trunk Productions Presents CONFESSIONS OF A MIDDLE AGED DRAMA QUEEN
To be or not to be a Drama Queen…. that is the question!
Confessions of a Middle Aged Drama Queen, a new work by Walterdale member, Erika Conway, is a comedy about self discovery, overcoming obstacles and managing a desire to meet a hot strapping fireman! Erika has always had a deep desire to see more women in roles for theatre and film so she decided the best way to do this was to start creating opportunities herself.
Location:
Varscona Hotel on Whyte
8208 106 Street Northwest, Edmonton
Show dates and times:
August 11 8:00pm August 17 8:00pm
August 12 2:00pm, 8:00pm August 18 8:00pm
August 13 2:00pm, 8:00pm August 19 2:00pm, 8:00pm
August 14 2:00pm, 8:00pm August 20 2:00pm, 8:00pm
August 16 8:00pm August 21 2:00pm, 8:00pm
Confessions of A Middle Aged Drama Queen is the story of Madelyn Sharp who wants nothing more than to be loved and adored. Her quirky ways, imagination and perspective on life has saved her from going to the dark side too often but also finds her in very unique experiences. Reality and her dreams just don’t get along……and this is the struggle she faces as she makes her way to discovering what is on the other side of the door.
Erika was formerly seen at Walterdale in Much Ado About Nothing and And Then The Lights Went Out.