All About Us
Imogene
Schick
Imogene Schick is
a proud member of Melfort Amateur Dramatics Inc. (known as MAD). She humbly boasts that she is one of the
founding members that created the fledgling amateur theatre group in January
1975. She held the position of Secretary-Treasurer
on the original executive board formed and held that position for a number of
early years.
She fondly remembers MAD’s inaugural production of See How They Run, written by Philip King. It is a delightful farce, playing heavily on mistaken identities, slamming doors, vicars and comic situations. She was honoured to be cast as Penelope Toop, the vicar’s wife. The slapstick production generated an environment of great fun with much laughter for the cast and crew during rehearsals. This environment is MAD’s shining jewel for community members to test their imaginations and resourcefulness to bring the playwright’s tale to fruition. She believes amateur theatre provides a platform to develop confidence in such real world endeavours as public speaking, employment and provides an outlet for a person’s creativity. As such, forty years later, she remains a member of MAD.
Her favourite play was Nothing in Common by Jennifer Fell Hayes. In this moving drama, Imogene portrayed a successful business woman who cannot have children and offers to adopt the baby born to a young woman whose boyfriend has flown the coop. It was this touching tale where she discovered and recognized the power an actor has on stage, telling the character’s emotional narrative to a captivated audience. The audience’s reaction was visible and tangible. This validated her resolve to continue to strive to honestly portray a playwright’s story, humourous or serious, in an attempt to keep the playwright’s message true.
Records indicate that around 1994 Imogene resumed her involvement with MAD. She has held the club executive positions of Vice-president in 2001, Publicity and TSI Club Representative for MAD in 2002 and Member At Large in 2003. To date, she continues to hold the TSI Club Representative position on MAD’s Executive. She enjoys attending, when possible, the two annual Theatre Saskatchewan Inc. provincial festivals, known as TheatreOne and TheatreFest. There is always so much to learn and it is always great fun to visit with other thespians on a personal level and on a theatre level.
Over the years, she has participated in many comic and serious amateur theatre productions, handling various roles on stage and behind the curtains as make-up artist, costumer, sound tech, props person and generally holding the fort behind the scenes. She has a Directorial Portfolio of two productions for Melfort Amateur Dramatics, Me Too Then by Tom Dudzick and Stephen Smith in 2004 and Looking by Norm Foster in 2009. She also directed the production of Phantom of the Opry by Tim Kelly for the Melfort United Church.
Imogene states that she plans to remain a MAD member to contribute in the community effort to keep “live theatre alive in rural Saskatchewan”.
She fondly remembers MAD’s inaugural production of See How They Run, written by Philip King. It is a delightful farce, playing heavily on mistaken identities, slamming doors, vicars and comic situations. She was honoured to be cast as Penelope Toop, the vicar’s wife. The slapstick production generated an environment of great fun with much laughter for the cast and crew during rehearsals. This environment is MAD’s shining jewel for community members to test their imaginations and resourcefulness to bring the playwright’s tale to fruition. She believes amateur theatre provides a platform to develop confidence in such real world endeavours as public speaking, employment and provides an outlet for a person’s creativity. As such, forty years later, she remains a member of MAD.
Her favourite play was Nothing in Common by Jennifer Fell Hayes. In this moving drama, Imogene portrayed a successful business woman who cannot have children and offers to adopt the baby born to a young woman whose boyfriend has flown the coop. It was this touching tale where she discovered and recognized the power an actor has on stage, telling the character’s emotional narrative to a captivated audience. The audience’s reaction was visible and tangible. This validated her resolve to continue to strive to honestly portray a playwright’s story, humourous or serious, in an attempt to keep the playwright’s message true.
Records indicate that around 1994 Imogene resumed her involvement with MAD. She has held the club executive positions of Vice-president in 2001, Publicity and TSI Club Representative for MAD in 2002 and Member At Large in 2003. To date, she continues to hold the TSI Club Representative position on MAD’s Executive. She enjoys attending, when possible, the two annual Theatre Saskatchewan Inc. provincial festivals, known as TheatreOne and TheatreFest. There is always so much to learn and it is always great fun to visit with other thespians on a personal level and on a theatre level.
Over the years, she has participated in many comic and serious amateur theatre productions, handling various roles on stage and behind the curtains as make-up artist, costumer, sound tech, props person and generally holding the fort behind the scenes. She has a Directorial Portfolio of two productions for Melfort Amateur Dramatics, Me Too Then by Tom Dudzick and Stephen Smith in 2004 and Looking by Norm Foster in 2009. She also directed the production of Phantom of the Opry by Tim Kelly for the Melfort United Church.
Imogene states that she plans to remain a MAD member to contribute in the community effort to keep “live theatre alive in rural Saskatchewan”.
Michelle Waldbillig
Michelle has belonged to Prince Albert Community Players and Melfort Amateur Dramatics, Inc.
Michelle made her directing debut in a one-act play in Prince Albert called “Gayden” which was a total disaster for the audience and the club but a great learning experience for Michelle.
Michelle joined Melfort Amateur Dramatics in 1979 when she took on the part of Gillian in “Bell, Book and Candle. She became Vice-President the same year and has since held most of the offices on Executive and acted and directed in many of subsequent plays.
Throughout, Michelle has also worked backstage as Props Mistress, Makeup Lady, Wardrobe Mistress and set construction design and crew.
Acting Roles:
“Bell, Book and Candle” in 1979, “Marriage Wheel” in 1980 for D.D.F. Theatre Saskatchewan ’80 Festival in Saskatoon which won Winning Entry, “Please Communicate” and our first Wine and Cheese event, “Dionysian Delight”in 1981, Barefoot In The Park”, “Blithe Spirit” and a workshop with the writer/director Ken Mitchell for “ The Shipbuilder” in 1982, storytelling under the tent for Canada Day in 1983, “The Other Cinderella” in 1984 for which she won the Best Actress award at Festival for her role as the Fairy Godmother and “The New Quixote”, directing and acting in Chatauqua in 1985 for Melfort’s Heritage Week plus “The Real Inspector Hound”.In 1986 “We’ll Meet Again” for the Legion Remembrance Day events, “ I Ought To Be In Pictures” for TheatreFest “86, working with Division Three students in after school drama and acting program, and “Visitor From Forest Hills” were among her early acting productions. In 1988 a return to acting in “Echoes” won her the Woodward Trophy for Best Actress. Roles in “Ledge, Ledger and Legend” in 2001, “Papers”, “I’m Henry” “Dinner for One” in 2009 and “The Wisteria Bush”in 2012.
Directing:
In 1985 she directed “Melfort Under the Tent “ for Heritage Week in Melfort then in 1987 she directed her first full length play, “The Supporting Cast”, followed by the one act play “Bag Lady”.
She then directed the Chautaqua under the Tent for the 1988 Summer Games, “Last of the Red Hot Lovers” in 1988 followed by “Wintersong” in 1989. “Crimes of the Heart in 1990 and a successful fundraiser of “The Passion Play” for the Red Cross in 1991. This was followed by another season of work with the junior school children’s group, Madcaps.
She directed “Weekend Comedy” in 2002, directed “A Mad Breakfast” for the Melfort Centennial Homecoming Chautauqua in 2003, was part of Mad’s first Murder Mystery in 2004, directed “ Steel Magnolias” in 2004, “Adaptations” in 2005, “Renaissance and Remembrance” with the Legion in 2007, “The Nightingale and Not The Lark”in 2008 for TheatreOne in Strasbourg, and “The Beatty Trek”, a multi-media presentation with the Melfort & District Museum in 2008 .
She directed Mad’s Festival entry for TheatreOne in Mose Jaw, “Save Me A Place At Forest Lawn” in 2009.
She co-hosted TheatreOne in 2010 and directed MAD’s entry “The Four Poster”. She also directed and produced another joint multi-media production with the Melfort and District Museum called“Love Letters”.
In 2011 she directed “The Dressing Gown” for the spring dessert theatre and Mad’s fall dinner theatre production of “Christmas Belles”.
In 2012 she directed the Christmas dinner theatre production of “Dashing Through the Snow”. In 2013 she directed “Fox On The Fairway” as a joint Dessert Theatre production with the Melfort Golf and Country Club and “Kitchen Witches” for the Christmas Dinner theatre.
In 2014 she directed MAD’s entry of “Snapshots” in TheatreFest 2015 and assisted in the production of two one act plays, “A New Sunrise” and “Box” for a Wine and Cheese evening in the Madhouse.
In 2015 she directed “ Hat Tricks” for TheatreFest 2015 which MAD hosted.
Through the years she has attended and benefitted from many workshops and and festivals which individual clubs and TheatreSaskatchewan have provided. Michelle feels you are never too old to learn new techniques and methods and besides, “ theatre is fun”.
