Season 68: A Walk Through the Process
- Joyanne Rudiak
- Jul 16
- 4 min read
Finally. Finally, I'm able to talk about Walterdale Theatre's Season 68! It was a journey to get to Season Launch, but we made it and I'm proud and excited for the season to come.
Since announcing the season, I've been reflecting on the process it took to get here and thought I'd share it with you, give you a peek behind the curtain, so to speak.
When I was accepted as the Incoming Artistic Director for seasons 68 and 69, I was tasked with putting out the submission call for scripts and directors, and subsequently reading through each submission to determine whether the proposed show would be a good fit for Walterdale Theatre. This is one of my jobs as Incoming Artistic Director: to wade through the submissions and put together a slate of shows I believe would make a good season, one the community would respond to and be excited about. This slate would then be brought to Walterdale Theatre Associates' Board of Directors for discussion, querie, and approval.
This year, I received submissions from 16 potential directors, with 22 plays (each submission could include up to two plays for perusal). With the task of needing to narrow down the plays from 22 to 4 (plus include a play of my own to direct), I employed a variety of criteria Walterdale Artistic Directors have used in the past for choosing which plays could be a good fit:
Is the play Canadian?
Has it been produced in Edmonton recently or not?
Does the play allow for diversity in casting (gender, age, ethnicity, sexuality, etc.)?
Are minority groups represented?
How does the play work with others in the season?
Have other plays like it (topic, time period, style) been produced at Walterdale before?
There is also a degree of trust the Board puts in the Artistic Director to use their experience and discretion to make an informed decision. One of my personal criteria, for example, was looking to see if a theme arose out of a play in relation to others, to link the season together, albeit through different lenses. After going back and forth, hemming and hawing, one theme kept coming to the surface around a group of submissions that ultimately fit the bill.
That theme is [Re]Write Your Story.
We've all got stories we cling to, or more likely, cling to us, stories that may have served us once but don't anymore. The plays that comprise Season 68 all deal with how stories can shift and change, sometimes obviously, other times more subtly. It's a theme that's universal, that I believe all audience members will be able to relate to, hopefully in an entertaining and thought-provoking way.
This is what I presented to the Board during our season meeting (a meeting specifically to discuss the slate of potential plays for the upcoming season). After my presentation, after questions, comments, and suggestions from each member, the Board approved the season through a vote. I was ecstatic!
But now I had a new task: planning Season Launch.
Season Launch is its own production. There is a loose script in place that needs to be fleshed out, organized, cast, promoted, and ultimately performed. I needed to ensure each director chose a scene to present, cast it, and were ready to go the night of, in addition to preparing my own scene. Enlisting the help of various people in the Walterdale community – technicians, designers, front of house, membership and catering – served to choreograph the evening. The amount of emails I sent over the course of the next month and a half were astounding.
Finally, with ample advice gleaned from board members and the support of those involved in executing the event, June 11 arrived. As alluded to above, the event included the announcement of the theme and chosen plays:
The announcement was followed by presentations by each director which included sneak-peek performances from each of the shows. It was so fun to watch these performances bring to life the words I had read mere months before, a testament to the work the directors had already put into their scripts. Witnessing audience reactions to the shared scenes was exhilarating, solidifying the choices made for the season.
We also had the good fortune of being joined by Miriam Veugelers, from the cast of Once, to share a sneak-peek of her own. Her performance of "The Hill," which featured confident piano skills and soaring vocals, offered a stunning preview of the soon-to-be open final production of Season 67.
And so, with thanks to all those involved in bringing Season Launch to fruition, and those who attended, Season 68 was now live!
It's been wonderful to hear approval of and excitement about Season 68 from patrons and community members. The well-wishes have been incredibly touching and encouraging as I get closer and closer to stepping fully into the role of Artistic Director. Having this opportunity is not something I take lightly, as I recognize my responsibility in listening to our community members and having their words and experiences guide which stories we tell on our stage. That's the intention I took into beginning this process, and I hope it is evident as the season plays out.
And now, I am firmly in the thick of preparing for our first production, The Tamer Tamed, which, incidentally, is my own. More emails, more meetings, more planning. And what a privilege!
I hope you'll continue to join me in the journey of Artistic Directorship at Walterdale, as I take each small step forward this season. I know I'm going to learn a lot in this experience, and I welcome you in coming along for the ride!
Sending best wishes to you and yours,
Joyanne :D
To learn more about how to get involved with Walterdale Theatre, check out https://www.walterdaletheatre.com/get-involved/volunteer/
Follow on Instagram @waltertheghost
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