Play Readings with Theatre; Just Because

Theatre; Just Because is a local theatre company with the goal to help "grow the local theatre community not only through producing, but giving back at the same time – in the form of affordable workshops and specialized one-on-one mentorships towards professional growth. [They] focus on the individual artist and create unique opportunities for them to create and perform.”  It was with this mandate in mind that the monthly Play Reading Night was formed.

The Play Reading Nights are held in partnership with Suncor Energy Centre for the Performing Arts. Each night brings a different play to life and allows attendees to read a role aloud, or to just listen as the play unfolds. Attendance is open to everyone ages 16+, regardless of theatre experience.

Plays that have been done in the past include selections from various genres and eras including Grey Gardens, Suicide in B♭, and Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God. 

The next Play Reading Night will be held on Monday December 5th and the play that will be read is A Charlie Brown Christmas.

For more information on Theatre; Just Because or the monthly play reading night visit http://www.theatrejustbecause.com/play-reading-nights/

Tonight Come See 4 Local Plays

Tonight join Theatre; Just Because in a celebration of the one act plays created in their Play Production Series of workshops. Each play features local actors, directors, and stage managers who have been working with Theatre; Just Because for the last 4 months to bring these stories to life.

"Check Please" by Jonathan Rand
Directed by Diana Moser
Check Please follows a series of blind dinner dates that couldn't get any worse -- until they do.

"For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls" by Christopher Durang 
Directed by Ludwig Moelbert
A fading Southern belle, Amanda, tries to prepare her hyper-sensitive, hypochondriacal son, Lawrence, for "the feminine caller."

"SCABS" by Maria Blom
Directed by Hanna Fridhed
A warm and humorous play about growing as a person, letting go of and embracing both fears and new beginnings.

"Sure Thing" by David Ives
Directed by Jennifer Townsend
A chance meeting of two characters, Betty and Bill, whose conversation is continually reset by a ringing bell.

The shows will take place at the Suncor Energy Centre for the Performing Arts starting at 7pm.  Tickets are $10 each and can be purchased at the door or at SECPA.CA. 

UBUNTU TOWN a Community Play is Looking for Actors, Musicians, and Volunteers

Calling all new and long-term residents who appreciate the value of living in the diverse and multicultural community of Fort McMurray. Premiering on the evening of Friday February 12th, UBUNTU TOWN will kick-off the annual Multicultural EXPO in celebration of its 10th anniversary! THE MULTICULTURAL ASSOCIATION OF WOOD BUFFALO is pleased to announce a new and exciting creative project: UBUNTU TOWN. With African origins, “Ubuntu” is a word with a multitude of meanings representing human-ness and humanity towards others.

UBUNTU TOWN is a community play project – a unique theatrical creation developed by the community for the community. Colin Funk, a professional theatre artist from Banff, Alberta, will guide the development process during the months of January and February, 2016.

The Multicultural Association is looking for 12-14 volunteers: actors and musicians from all age groups, gender and cultures to collaborate in developing this community play and in sharing stories as part of the final performance. No theatre or performance background necessary. Just a keen interest in the topic, a willingness to share your stories with others and a commitment to attending one play development workshop and four short rehearsals leading up to the performance.

If you are new to Fort McMurray or a long-term resident interested in sharing the stories of how your cultural background has shaped your experience living in this community, we would like to hear from you. Please contact the UBUNTU TOWN Community Play Project before January 7, 2016 at events@multiculturefm.org or 780-791-5186.

This special project holds the great promise of honouring and highlighting the wonderful layers of cultural diversity in our community and in showcasing Fort McMurray’s natural spirit of Ubuntu to citizens here and abroad. We hope you can join us in this unique community development project.

For more details on how to get involved with the UBUNTU TOWN Community Play Project please contact Rodas Asres before January 7th at events@multiculturefm.org or 780-791-5186.

Westwood Winter Magic Open House

Westwood Winter Magic Open House 

Wednesday, December 2nd from 7:00-9:30pm  

Westwood Performing and Visual Arts students present: 

Dance, Drama & Improv, Art & photography, Band, Guitar, Piano and Vocal performances.

Admission Free: Cash donations are welcome towards various performing arts programs, Food Bank items, or winter clothing for the Centre of Hope.

Night Witches Previews This Wednesday

Night Witches, a collectively created play by Cheepiyak Theatre previews this Wednesday at Westwood Community High School Theatre. Directed by Terri Mort and co-directed by Michelle Thorne, starring twenty four Westwood high school actors, the play is based on the famous world war II Soviet women’s 488 Night Bomber Regiment. Nachthexen as the Germans called them were; female pilots, navigators and mechanics who flew small PO-2 biplanes or obsolete Yak planes that called for specific strategies to overthrow enemy occupied territory. The perspective is from both male and female pilots and show moments of their; recruitment, training and tragedies. Moments in the play include the love relationships between the male and female pilots, flight strategies, weather conditions and other surprising facts that contributed to the story of these amazing very young pilots.
  
Community Strategies coordinator Michael Beamish recently sat down with Terri Mort and discussed the challenges and triumphs of creating this unique piece of theatre.

Michael Beamish (MB): How long have you been teaching theatre in Wood Buffalo?

Terri Mort (TM): I have been teaching with FMPSD for eighteen years. Eleven at Westwood and prior to that at Greely Road School where I did extracurricular drama projects.

MB: Why did you choose to create a piece on the Night Witches?

TM: I wanted to create a piece of theatre that focused on the perspective of youth and war. Through many overwhelming moments and research, I stumbled across an articles about the young female night bombers of World War II USSR. I was really excited when I learned about these courageous and talented women. I ordered books & shared with the cast and crew and we learned that they were not only war heroes but also had incredible personal stories.

MB: How many students star in the show?

TM: This is an ensemble show with twenty five stars-fourteen girls and nine boys.

MB: How did you and your students create the show?

TM: Actors were assigned characters and researched the lives of those people -whether a German officer or a specific historic figure such as Major Marina Raskova .Students also researched information such as soldiers’ ranks, duties, professional background and personal stories. We workshopped various scenes to create stage moments -keeping moments we liked. In addition students wrote their own monologues, short scenes and eventually formed everything into one script.

MB: Have your actors been affected by the material of the show?

TM: I believe our actors knowledge on Operation Barbarossa, technical understanding of aircrafts and challenges that the USSR went through in World War II is evident. Each cast and crew member would also be able to give you their own anecdotes in addition.

MB: What were some of the challenges you had in creating this play?

TM: Some of our challenges included: working originally without a script, building scenes and refining to make stage worthy moments along with dropping some of the stories that also inspired us. Local actor and Arts Council employee, Michelle Thorne has worked as co-director providing professional guidance and creativity.

MB: What are the awards and challenges in working with young actors?

TM: We are blessed to have so much talent at Westwood. Students created stage roles and dramaturged the world of the play. They created choreography, combat scenes, costume construction, sound design and made efforts to learn Russian dialects. This play showcases a huge range of skill and ability. 

Challenges for many were starting a show without a script. Actors didn’t understand at first what their role was in the story or the vignettes and who we were going to threat it all together. This was equally challenging for a technical team without a script for the longest time. However the actors kept searching deep into their characters, coming up with their own ideas for scenes that are woven into our final collection

MB: What have you learned from the show?

TM: I’ve learned that theatre isn’t always about ordering a script online from a publishing company. Original material can be created from a mass of intelligent and creative young minds who make brave choices  all for the love of  theatre.

MB: Why should audience come see Night Witches?

TM: Night Witches is one of the greatest war stories never told. Audiences will be moved by the story of these young pilots. In addition audiences will hopefully make connections with their own family heritage and stories of war -whether through accounts from those who served overseas in recent war zones or from those who served in World War II.

Do not miss this unique, original play! Night Witches has a few scenes with suggested violence and occasional language and is recommended for audiences aged 12 and up. The show runs from November 18-21, tickets can be purchased at the Westwood office or one hour before show time at the Cheepiyak Theatre office, $15 adults & $10 students & seniors, $5 for preview night. For more information please contact: Terri.Mort @fmpsd.ab.ca or 780-791-1986 Ext. 178

Do Not Miss Night Witches! A Unique Theatre Experience

Night Witches, a Cheepiyak Theatre production directed by Terri Mort and co-directed by Michelle Thorne is about to hit the skies at Westwood Community High School Theatre, November 18^th (preview night) to November 21^st.

Night Witches is a historic collective drama based on the famous World War II Soviet women’s night bomber regiment who flew in wood (plywood)-and-canvas Polikarpov Po-2 biplanes, which were intended for use as a training aircraft and for crop-dusting. Although the aircraft was obsolete and slow, the pilots made daring use of their exceptional maneuverability; they had the advantage of having a maximum speed that was lower than the stall speed of both the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, and as a result, German pilots found them very difficult to shoot down. The planes could carry only six bombs at a time, so multiple missions per night were necessary. An attack technique of the night bombers was to idle the engine near the target and glide to the bomb release point, with only wind noise left to reveal their location. German soldiers likened the sound to broomsticks and named the pilots Nachthexen (Night Witches). Due to the weight of the bombs and the low altitude of flight, the pilots carried no parachutes making the missions ever more daring. The regiment flew harassment bombing and precision bombing missions against the German military from 1942 until the end of the war. At its largest, it had 40 two-person crews. It flew over 23,000 sorties and is said to have dropped 3,000 tons of bombs. It was the most highly decorated female unit in the Soviet Air Force, each pilot having flown over 800 missions by the end of the war and twenty-three having been awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union title. Thirty of its members died in combat.

The play, Night Witches, captures this amazing piece of history from both male and female perspectives with moments of; pilot recruitment, training, tragedies, love relationships,  flight strategies, weather conditions and other surprising facts that contributed to the heroic stories of these very young, brave, pilots.  The play is collectively created by a cast of twenty four Westwood, high school, actors who had to dramaturg and research the history, workshop scenes, and create a collection of monologues, vignettes and character moments. The play features true to life characters such as Major Marina Raskova, famous ace pilot Lilly Litvak, and Nadia Popova who was one of the longest surviving Night Witch passing away in 2012. Nathan Loitz, a professionally trained Actor Combatant through Fight Directors Canada, worked with the cast to create jaw dropping combat moments. The movement of the play, choreographed by student choreographer Jonathan Cestnick, is both spellbinding and stunning. The play features model planes and uniform elements built by Westwood robotics teacher Mr. Brian Vaughan using a 3D printer. Backstage support for the play and stage manager Cally Miller are also Westwood students.

Night Witches has a few scenes with suggested violence and occasional language and is recommended for audiences aged twelve and up. The show runs from November 18-21, tickets can be purchased at the Westwood office, $15 adults, $10 students & seniors, $5 for preview night. For more information please contact: Terri.Mort @fmpsd.ab.ca or 780-791-1986 Ext. 178

Diana Moser, A Few Good Men

Keyano Theatre’s first play in its 4-Play Drama Series A Few Good Men, written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by Dave Horak closes this Saturday. Do not miss this tense, award-winning, drama about military lawyers at a court-martial who uncover a high-level conspiracy in the course of defending their clients, two United States Marines accused of murder. The show plays tonight and tomorrow starting at 8pm. Purchase your tickets today at www.keyano.ca/theatre. 

Community Strategies coordinator Michael Beamish, recently interviewed local actor Diana Moser about her experiences in the show playing the character Lt. Commander Joanne Galloway. A lawyer with the Navy JAG Corps, specifically the internal affairs division where she works as an investigator.

Michael Beamish: When did you start acting?

Diana Moser: I did some acting in musical theatre in high school, but I really got into acting when I was cast in the ensemble of Les Miserables at Keyano Theatre a couple years ago. I’ve done two more plays since then, Cabaret at Keyano and the one act play The Most Massive Woman Wins with Theatre; Just Because.

MB:  What were the rehearsal like?

DM: The rehearsals were very interesting. We spent the first several rehearsals sitting at a table, reading carefully through the script and noting significant shifts in character, emotion, mood, etc. As a cast we had good discussion of the themes of the play, and what was important to us in putting on this production. We spent time going through movement and space exercises, which really got us working together as an ensemble. I found that moving around and blocking the show helped to solidify lines for me, and then the director’s specific work with us on the intention and thinking behind all of the lines and scenes strengthened my character and her relationships. I really enjoyed adding in the technical elements of the play (costumes, sound, lights) too. It sure went by quickly though!

MB: What was it like working with Dave Horak?

DM: I enjoyed working with Dave! He had a clear vision but he was very interested in helping me get through my process of building my character and relationships. I always felt like I could try things and really play. He was thoughtful and supportive, and he brought in many ideas and concepts for me to try as an actor; I learned so much. He definitely steered this ship with confidence!

MB: Who have you bounded with most in this show?

DM: As an actor, I feel that I bonded the most with Brodie, who played Daniel Kaffee. He has such great energy and I found that we had strong chemistry on stage. I always felt good about trying things, he was right there with it. He’s so pro, I learned so much. I would totally work with him again.

MB: What is it like acting with your husband, Chris?

DM: It was fun acting with him! We did Les Miserables together, but we never interacted as characters. Our characters in this play are reluctant partners, mostly held together by Kaffee, which was an intriguing relationship to play. I think I most enjoyed seeing him develop his character. And working on this play together sure made learning lines a little easier!

MB: What is your backstage ritual?

DM: Aside from the usual warm up, hair, makeup, and costume, I need to ground myself. I check my props and costume change placements before the start of the show, and I like to just sit in my dressing room until we’re called for the top of the show. I don’t close my door, I like hearing all the commotion going on, but I keep myself directly out of it so that I can be aware of myself and my mind set.

MB: What is your favourite line and why?

DM: “I know how to fight, but you know how to win.” (Act 1, Jo to Kaffee)

Jo decides what is important – sure, she doesn’t quite like Kaffee, she doesn’t really understand his personality, the whole situation around the case bothers her – but she realizes the bigger picture and how to get there. It is hard to recognize the parts of yourself that you wish were better, and it’s even harder to admit when someone else can do what you can’t. But that is the reality of life, and you can draw strength where and when you need it by embracing this.

MB: What is your favourite scene in the play?

DM: My favourite scene in the play is in Act 1, when the JAG lawyers visit the Guantanomo Bay Marine base and they meet Colonel Jessup and his officers for the first time. There’s great shifts in power, character motivations and traits are highlighted, and there’s a lot of important information that the characters and audience find out.

MB: Why should people come see this show?

DM: People should come and see the show because of the characters, the story, and the energy. What Aaron Sorkin created through his words and what we have developed as a cast and crew is unique and fascinating. Bonus – you may hear a famous line or two!

For tickets or more information please visit www.keyano.ca/theatre or contact the Keyano Box Office at 780-791-4990.

Theatre Just Because at Alberta Culture Days

The One Act Play Night, a part of Alberta Culture Days, shows tonight at the Suncor Energy Centre for the Performing Arts, 7pm-9:30pm, admission is FREE. Hosted by, Theatre Just Because a homegrown, emerging, independent, theatre company the evening will feature two short yet powerful plays performed by local theatre artists, Mountain Top and The Most Massive Woman. Both plays were presented at a sold-out performance at the Alberta Drama Festival Association (ADFA) Regional One Act Play Festival last spring at the Keyano Theatre and Arts Centre.


Mountain Top, written and performed by Pattie Dwyer, is a captivating one-woman show about friendship, racial divides and fear. It was selected for the ADFA Provincial One Act Play Festival in Red Deer and received awards for Best Actress and Best New Work. 


The Most Massive Woman Wins by Madeleine George and directed by Michelle Thorne is about four women sitting in the waiting room of a liposuction clinic. Their brave stories as they deal with body image issues are told through a surreal sequence of monologues, flashbacks, nursery rhymes and dance. At the ADFA Regional Festival, the play won awards for Best Ensemble Cast, Best Directing, and Technical Achievement.

Recently Community Strategies Coordinator, Michael Beamish, interviewed the founders of Theatre Just Because, Michelle Thorne and Danna-Rae Evasiuk to talk about their new company, their friendship, and of course theatre.  

Michael Beamish (MB): How did you two first meet?

Danna-Rae Evasiuk (DRE): I knew Michelle when we were both at Westwood Community High School.

Michelle Thorne (MT): Danna Rae was a couple grades younger than me and did backstage work in school productions that I was acting in.

DRE: We were both in the drama crowd.

MT: Fast forward over a decade later and we happen to meet again at the ADFA Regional Festival at Keyano Theatre a few years ago.

DRE: I was playing an Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes song in the tech booth at the end of the night and she hollered, “Danna-Rae, is that you?” We’ve been collaborating on projects ever since.

MB: How would you describe your relationship?

DRE: We’re friends, we’re co-workers, we’re family. We come from the same spot, share the same dreams and artistic vision.

MT: We are family absolutely. Her mom is my mom. Her dad is my dad. Her sister is my sister. But we also have a really strong artistic partnership; we share a common love for our community, for alternative, black box theatre, and really understand each others artistic visions. We have completely different skills set and really honed in on how to use that to our advantage through the past few years of collaborations.

MB: How do you stay friends and work together?

DRE: I don’t feel like there’s much of a separation.

MT: It's all the same thing, really.

DRE: We’re friends who work together, co-workers who are friends. We respect each other as people and as professionals.  Both roles are incredibly interwoven and it works in incredible ways.

MT: We've spent countless hours driving all over the Province for theatre festivals these past few years, after our first 20 hour round trip and we still wanted to hang out and talk about projects the next day; thats special! There are many parallels between our friendship and the work that we do and really the work comes from passion projects. It's not work, it never feels like actual "work". It’s what we love to do and now we get an opportunity to share it with our community on such a broader scale.

MB: What was your best theatre road trip?

MT: The trip to High River Alberta for the ADFA Festival.

DRE: I wish you could have seen it. It was a convoy of vans making a B-line straight through Alberta. We had the time of our life.

MT: The community was so warm and welcoming and the group of artists we travelled with were incredible.

DRE: We got to know and enjoy the community, and see some of the most amazing theatre being produced in Alberta.

MT: We saw some incredible pieces and met artists that we still stay in close touch with to this day. We were fortunate enough to be able to stay at Danna Rae's Aunt’s house which was a 5 minute walk away from the theatre. She had a cat named Oreo and a gorgeous backyard.

DR: There was this train car that was converted into a diner – we ate there too often for the length of time we were there, but the food was great and the ambiance was delicious. We were delayed the day we left because there was this massive parade happening outside the front door and blocking the driveway. A few weeks after we left the flood hit. At the interPLAY festival of that year we remounted the play that we took to that community  – Barefoot in Nightgown by Candlelight. All proceeds from those performances were donated to the Windmill Players, High River’s Community Theatre Company, to help replace what they lost. That ability of ours to give back to a community that left such an impression on us is what makes this the best road trip to me.

MB: How did you guys first get involved with theatre?

MT: When I was 4 years old I played Chicken Little in my Jr. Kindergarten production of "Chicken Little"; I've been hooked ever since. 

                                                              DRE: I can’t even remember. Theatre has always been a part of my life – from being a two year old ballerina, to elementary school musicals, to running the lights for my high school’s musicals. It’s a joy and passion that I went to college for it and now it’s my profession.

MB:     How many shows have you done together?

DRE: I’ve lost track. We’re at probably more than a dozen.

MT: A Midsummer Night's Dream-

DRE: Maggie's Getting Married-

MT: Barefoot in Nightgown by Candlelight, Louis & Dave,

DRE: Five Ways To Break A Woman's Heart, The Vagina Monologues,  AND-

MT & DRE: The Most Massive Woman Wins.

MB: What show or shows have you done together that stand out to you?

MT: Probably ones we haven't done yet. We're always thinking about the future. What can we do next? We have lists.

DRE: The one that stands out to me the most is the production we’re currently working on – The Most Massive Woman Wins. It’s unique in the way that we get to revisit it. We first mounted this production this last spring and so many things can change between the spring and fall. To see the characters grow has been a complete inspiration. As a designer, the growth of the direction and acting has moved me to give my own work with lights and music room to breathe and change and become something different.

MB:   What made you want to start a theatre company together?

DRE: Michelle and I collaborated on so many projects for years before we even talked about starting a theatre company. But once we started talking about we wanted to see happen in our community, and what we envisioned ourselves doing, the ball didn’t stop moving. When we started talking about it in detail, we were driving to Edmonton. The drive seemed like it lasted half a hour. We were on the same page with every dream, every idea. There is no moss on our rolling stone.

MT: We wanted a platform to do the kind of work that we love to do. There comes a time in everyone’s life where they can either lay back and accept the regret of not chasing their dreams, or just take a leap of faith and try. And we want to share this platform with our community; give opportunity to a variety of theatre artists and exciting, alternative theatre options for our audiences.

MB:  Why did you call your company Theatre Just Because?

DRE: Honestly? Okay, I’m going to be honest with you. We were terribly stuck with “Theatre” being the first word. But maybe that was just me. Michelle and I were going back and forth, rapid fire. “Theatre…” We both suggested about a thousand things. Fill in the blank.

MT: It was kind of a throw away. When we started the name Theatre; Just Because when we were filling out applications to be in a festival and decided we may as well give ourselves a company name to keep it simple. We asked why we were doing the show and really it is just because.

DRE: It can mean anything. Just Because it’s a way to connect, a way to create, a way to express yourself, a way to tell your story, a way to be a part of and contribute to your community. It’s anything you want, anything you need it to be.

MT: This is in our blood, its why we wake up in the morning. We are theatre artists. There is no definable reason. Its just in us.

MB: What is your mandate?

MT: Our mandate is to produce relevant theatre with local artists, utilizing black box and found theatre spaces. To educate and inform, to ask questions and explore. To share with other artists and to create outside the box. To make theatre which is reflective of the community in which it is created in and to give back to the community that we were born and raised in.

DRE: We’re accomplishing that by our three-fold series of workshops with the Suncor Energy Centre for the Performing Arts.  And of course, we always want to be producing different kinds of theatre ourselves. Theatre that Fort McMurray hasn’t seen before.

MB:   How has the company grown since you first started?

DRE: It’s grown massively. We first started out as a company that produced a single One Act Play a year. We used to rehearse in my parent’s basement, then in Michelle’s living room. Our company comes from very modest means.

MT: We can actually call ourselves a company now, that’s pretty huge. I think a sense of accountability has also taken a stronghold on us as well. There is so much potential for a fresh alternative theatre company in town and we are so blessed that The Suncor Energy Centre for the Performing Arts are supporting us as we begin to branch our way out into the community. We've been working together for years but I get a sense that we have barely scratched the surface.

DRE: Now we’ve incorporated more theatre artists — the ever inspiring Terri Mort and Pattie Dwyer, and a full season workshops that are completely free and open to the public.

MT: These are exciting times for Theatre; Just Because.

MB: Who inspires you?

MT: My community. The people within it. The lives we live as Canadians. I'm usually drawn to the salt of the earth, I get inspiration from overlooked individuals. I'm curious about their stories.

DRE: My family. Whenever I create something, I want to create something that they’d like to see. 

MB: Fort McMurray is a place where people come for work, is it hard for you to attract audiences, artists, and support? Is it difficult creating theatre in an oil town?

MT: I don't think either of us really view Wood Buffalo that way. I, myself never refer to it as an oil town; it’s just my home. We're both born and raised Fort McMurray. Graduated from the same high school. Our immediate families still live here. We are so deeply rooted and invested in our community and the support has been amazing. The ADFA Regional Festival sold out last year with only two plays. People in our community want a theatre experience and we want to give them performances that resonate with them.

DRE: I don’t find it difficult at all. The support in our community is extraordinary - from audience’s interest to the support of the theatres in Fort McMurray. We were fortunate to have the Suncor Energy Centre for the Performing Arts want to partner with us to provide the means, support, and guidance we need to deliver the workshops we dreamed of. We’re lucky enough to have amazing audience turn outs to our shows. I can’t express my gratitude for that. However, it is difficult to attract new, up-and-coming artists. The theatre community here is full of superb talent, mind blowing and amazing talent. But I want to see the people who are new to this, who have maybe watched a few shows and said to themselves, “maybe I could…,” take the stage. If anything, my one complaint is that everyone’s schedules are all over the place and it makes scheduling rehearsals a nightmare. But it’s a nightmare that can be creatively worked around.

MB: How do you want to grow theatre/arts in Wood Buffalo? What is your vision for theatre in this community?

DRE: My vision for theatre in Wood Buffalo is to see more independent creation. More playwrights, more directors, more artists with the gusto to put on an independent production, and more participation in the ADFA Regional One Acts Festival.

MT: I personally would love to see/create more educational based theatre programming. The arts is such a phenomenal way to educate and raise awareness. I also want to provide more opportunity for local artists to have opportunities to showcase their strengths and learn new skills from their peers. I am a Canadian Theatre junkie and would love to see more focus on local playwrights and encouragement of locally written pieces. We've seen major successes of playwrights in Wood Buffalo, Jeff Hoffman's One Man MacBeth, you, Mr. Beamish with Hometown The Musical, and Pattie Dwyer's Mountaintop. I want to make theatre that is accessible and relatable. Theatre that tells the stories of the people living in our region. Theatre that educates, that pushes boundaries, that brings people together. Theatre that entertains us in the good times and comforts us in the bad. 

MB:   What is up and coming for Theatre Just Because?

MT: We have several events that are showing for Alberta Culture Days. We’ve remounted our production of The Most Massive Woman Wins from the spring Regional ADFA Festival. We’re also creating a staged reading of I, Claudia by Kristen Thompson.

From October, 2015-March 2016, we’re providing a three-fold series of workshops that will give community members the tools and resources they need to produce, direct, stage manage, design, or act in their own One Act Play. We're also starting a Play Reading Club at the end of September and we have a pretty incredible script picked out for the first session. 

DRE: If you would like to see the full schedule of our workshops please visit our website at www.theatrejustbecause.com 

MB: Thank you for the interview ladies.

MT & DRE: Thank you.

For details on Theatre Just Because events at Alberta Culture Days please visit www.rmwb.ca/culturedays.