THEATRE
FROM CRADLE TO STAGE ARE ONE ACTS TO FOLLOW
DAVID BERRY / david@vueweekly.com
Anyone who writes plays in this city will tell you that the hardest part isn’t so much getting the idea, or finding its structure, or even fleshing it out into a workable bit of art—it’s finding a place to put it on. The sad reality is that even in a city with Edmonton’s myriad outlets for new work—everything from the Fringe’s blind lottery draw to the festivals and workshops devoted entirely to new works—establishing yourself on the scene can be something next to impossible without a couple big breaks.So when recent Fort McMurray expat Kristen Finlay found out about From Cradle to Stage, the Walterdale’s initiative to not only produce a new work, but also spend a year developing the play with the help of one of their directors and a dramaturge from the Alberta Playwrights Network, it didn’t take much convincing to get her to pull a play from her catalogue and try to take advantage of a rare opportunity.“As a writer, you really don’t have many opportunities to get to see your work produced, and as many plays as you might have on the shelf, I don’t think you’re ever quite as excited about them as when they go up on stage,” Finlay says of getting to premiere Pieces, about a mother suffering from dementia and reliving her life in her own head while her daughter struggles to come to grips with her external behaviour. “The opportunity is just huge, and you get a lot of confidence through the whole process, too. As a writer, you never really know if what you’re doing is good until other people see it, and everyone here has been very supportive and positive with everything.”
Finlay’s play will join two others, Katherine Koller’s Perdu and Phil Kreisel’s The Travelling Nude—about a lonely dog-food store clerk and a controversial small-town art teacher, respectively—as the inaugural one-acts in what the Walterdale hopes to make an annual affair. Though she admits that she’s unsure of exactly what will happen with Pieces now that its year of lavish attention is coming to an end, she hopes that audiences will be moved by a play she admits she was proud of even before it went through the Walterdale’s treatment.“I like it because I really got a chance to tell two stories, one about how the mother struggles to find herself in what was probably a time of transition, and one about figuring out how to deal with losing a loved one who’s still right there in front of you,” Finlay explains. “Ultimately, I think it’s a hopeful play—you see inside the mother’s mind, see why she’s acting and saying the things she is that don’t make much sense to you, but are actually providing glimpses into that person that’s still in there somewhere.”
Mon, May 21 - Sat, May 26
From Cradle to Stage: An Evening of One Acts
Featuring plays by Kristen Finlay, Katherine Koller, Phil Kreisel
Walterdale Playhouse (10322 - 83 Avenue), $12 - $14
It's the last day. We have had a fabulous Fringe. Our little drama Sold Out it's last 4 shows. We had decent and appreciative audiences for the first two as well. We exceeded our expectations. I know we might never have it this good again so I resolved to simply enjoy it. Best compliment was yesterday when someone who sat through it in the sweltering 4 p.m. show told me that they wished it were longer. Who knows, maybe I expand it... but not today. Maybe later. I had a great Fringe in other ways as well. I saw 20 something shows for just under $300 and feel good about my choices and about the fact that I supported other artists financially. I think I got a pretty good deal out of it. I met some great people. I had nice chats in line ups with people I may only ever see at Fringe. I apparently gained a little weight (despite avoiding the deep fried oreos) - that's gotta go...
.png)
