Diving into work at Walterdale...

Last week was kind of a special one for me with regards to Walterdale Theatre. At the AGM I became the President for the 2017/18 Season, a posting I am very excited about especially considering the team that I will have to work with on the Board. It marks a return to the Board after a 5 year absence where I poured myself into production and a new job and work on other Boards. I think that after the experience I have gained on the Theatre Alberta and APN Boards I go back with a lot of skills that will help me serve the organization.

I also was surprised with an Award last week. I was selected for the Outstanding Season Contribution Award. Because they knew I was attending as incoming President they didn't tell me, so it was a very nice surprise. I was glad that Mark had decided to come along and since Walterdale has been so much of my theatre family over the years, I did feel like I had a lot of friends there to share the win with. It is always wonderful to be recognized and thanked for what you do and even nicer when it is done in front of people you love.

As for my Walterdale non-Board work this year, I am happy to announce that my play, Water Beneath Her Feet, has been selected for development and production at this year's From Cradle to Stage Festival. This means that I get to work on the script with dramaturge Tracy Carroll between now and February and then the developed script will be presented at Walterdale as part of the From Cradle to Stage Festival in May 2018. I had my first session with Tracy tonight and am looking forward to diving into a new draft with her questions and comments buzzing in my head.

Join the Board of Stage Struck!

Help develop and maintain community theatre in our city!

Stage Struck! the Edmonton Regional One Act Festival  is recruiting committee members. Stage Struck! is an adjudicated adult one act play festival scheduled for February 2015 at the Walterdale Theatre.  Positions to be filled include publicity, box office and reception.  The committee meets 3 or 4 times per year and works the Friday night and Saturday of the festival. If you would like to play a role in encouraging community theatre, please contact Mary-Ellen Perley, Committee Chair at mperley@shaw.ca for more information or to send a letter of interest.

Last Week's Theatre Re-cap - Much Ado about Dracula on an Ordinary Day!

Last week I managed to take in three shows!  That's with rehearsing and having to go to Red Deer for an APN Board Retreat!  I feel like a rock star for getting to three shows!  So, I am also very tired...

Anyhow, I took in Opening Night of Dracula at Walterdale.  I am not a big horror fan, so it's not the kind of piece I expect to connect with, but I did appreciate the gusto and expertise with which everything was attacked.  Everything looked and sounded perfect so I am sure for those Vampire Aficionados it hit the spot.  The tech/designer in me was fairly blown away by the detail in all the designs.  From the pitch perfect costumes to the Special FX and props, to the sound, to the make-up and the blood, oh the blood - you could see that hours upon hours were put into the show.  The set design was elegant and supported by a fabulous lighting design so that the multiple locations were clear and functional.  Well done! It's selling terrifically well so I would advise getting tickets early to avoid disappointment.

I spent the week rehearsing for Proof and then was off to my APN Board Retreat on Saturday in Red Deer.  It was a great day and I think we really got a lot of work done towards directing the organization into the future.  It was also really great to meet in person with the board as we primarily have phone meetings and it is so good to actually see who you are talking to.

And then I drove home quickly (but not too quickly) and did so well that I managed to make it back into town early enough to catch Three Form Theatre's Ordinary Days.  I was very excited to be able to catch this as I had intended to see it the night before but an hitherto unplanned volleyball game for my 12 year old pre-empted my going.  I am glad Red Deer was not farther away and the roads were clear.  The show was delightful.  It's a song cycle, but unlike many of those, the songs were clear and told a story with real characters.  I was unfamiliar with it, but I liked the music - it wasn't easy but the four singer/actors (played by Adrianne Salmon, Kristin Johnston, Mark Sinongco, and Brian McDougall) handled it well and they were all very strong singers.  It was simply staged and they all made us care about each of the characters  and I even teared up a little bit. I'm excited to see what this little company does next.  I think they are smart in the choices they are making.  Small cast shows that they can stage simply and really do a good job of.

The next day, Sunday, I was back to rehearsing for Proof and then rushed off to the U of A to catch a slightly truncated Much Ado About Nothing in the Media room.  It was so good. I was worried because I have seen much Ado a lot recently, but it remains my favorite Shakespeare of the moment. This production was fun and light and was staged beautifully.  Everyone was up to the challenge of the language and it was delightfully physical and modern without being present day.  The cuts were judicious and worked well and made for a brisk show where you got everything you needed and they could leave you wanting more.  Favorite moments include text exchanges, the funeral scene that redeemed Claudio (Scott Shpeley) and made me believe Hero (Sophie Gareau-Brenna) would take him back, Benedict (Kris Joseph) hiding in the audience, Beatrice (Alana Hawley) explaining why men without beards and with beards are not for her, and Margaret's (Mary Hulbert) ability to make everything saucy. But really, everyone was up to the challenge and Director Megan Watson did a fine job staging this.

Finding Out How It All Works...

I'm a bit tired this morning.  I drove to Calgary Saturday afternoon and drove back late last night.  I was there for my second Theatre Alberta Board meeting.  The first meeting was immediately following the AGM this past summer and it was a wee introduction, but this longer meeting was a much better introduction and orientation to what I will be doing on the Board.  I am now Chair of the Governance Committee and I think that will be a good fit for me.  This is the committee that checks in on how we are doing with our very comprehensive 3 Year Plan.  The foresight and scope of the Board and Organization as a whole was very impressive to me.  I have been a fan and member of Theatre Alberta for a long time, but seeing behind the scenes made me more fully realize why the programs and services are so good. The Quality was linked to the amount of work put in to make it that good.

I enjoyed meeting and talking with the rest of the Board Members.  Everyone seems very invested in Theatre and both passionate and sensible.  There were lots of great ideas and sharings going on around the table.  I think this is going to be a great experience for me and I hope that I will be able to contribute in a valuable way!

After the meeting I squeezed in a quick bite to eat with my friend Wanda.  Always good to see and visit with but too short.  I wish I got to Calgary more often so I could see her more.  It was a quick and dirty share about kids and life and all that.  I am hoping that we get a longer visit in November and that we can share some wine (we didn't last night as we both had some driving to do!).

It better get Better...

We had a Board Meeting for the theatre last night. I was in a good mood when I got there, but halfway through the meeting that was gone. I wanted to slam my computer shut and leave. I felt that my input was not valued and that I was being condescended to. If this keeps up I will not be back next year. My time is too valuable to feel the way I did. I wrote the Board about my specific issues and I have received a message back from the President asking me to call when I feel I can talk about it, but I know I am not ready right now. This is the second meeting this year (out of three) that I have written to the Board the next day because I felt I was prevented from saying something at the actual meeting. Both times I felt dismissed. What is the point of me being on the Board if I can't express my opinion?