Strathmore graduate performs in Rosebud spring shows
By Laureen F. Guenther Times Contributor
Danai Allan, who grew up in Strathmore and is a student in Rosebud School of the Arts’ (RSA) Music Mentorship program, plays key roles in two of three Rosebud events this spring.
Now a third-year student at RSA, Allan said the highlights of her years in Rosebud have included participating in Rosebud’s “generous and honest community and being immersed in art through theatre in every aspect of life.”
She also values being close to her hometown of Strathmore and sharing art with those she cares about most.
Allan is the sound designer for The Glass Menagerie, a play performed by Rosebud School of the Arts Artists-in-Training. The play runs April 14-29 on Rosebud`s Studio Stage.
The Glass Menagerie centers on a small family – Amanda Wingfield and her adult children Tom and Laura – and their visitor, The Gentleman Caller.
Hayley Rosenau and Koayla Cormack play the role of Amanda, and Karyssa Komar and Noah Vankoughnett-Mouland play the role of Tom Wingfield. Judite Vold plays Laura Wingfield and Ryan Leenheer is The Gentleman Caller.
Kelsey Krogman is directing.
The story, Danai Allan said, “is about unrequited love and the role that it plays in Laura Wingfield’s life. It is a feeling all of us can relate to … it delves into the centre of this feeling and allows the audience to sit in the discomfort and ponder.”
Despite that discomfort, Allan said the story’s message is refreshing.
“Honesty is something we all crave when it comes to feelings that hold significant weight, such as unrequited love,’ she said.
As sound designer, Allan said her role is “to create composition that accents story and allows for each individual to have their own experience, rather than a projected group experience. In this show in particular, my core ideas focused around making space for inner discomfort, with the hope of shedding light on one of the most human feelings.”
Director Kelsey Krogman, Allan said, “has a way of seeing things and people through a soft, compassionate lens that is approachable and insightful. This quality lends itself so well to our story.”
Allan is also performing in Rosebud’s spring choir concert, at 3 p.m., April 23 in Rosebud Church. The concert features Rosebud Masterworks Choir and Rosebud’s auditioned women’s choir, Rosa Cantorum. Their theme is Dan’s Mix Tape, featuring favorite songs of their director Dan Hall.
Allan said she especially looks forward to performing in Rosa Cantorum.
“The pieces that have been selected have such intricate accompaniment that is accented with beautiful melody,” she said. “It is quite a treat.”
The Trip to Bountiful, a play produced by Rosebud Theatre, is another key Rosebud event this spring. It opened in the Opera House March 31 and will run until May 20.
The play focuses on an elderly woman, played by Judith Buchan, who decides to leave her son and cranky daughter-in-law, in order to take a risky journey to the place where she grew up, a town called Bountiful. Nathan Schmidt and Heather Pattengale play the son and daughter-in-law.
For tickets to The Glass Menagerie or The Trip to Bountiful, or for more information, see rosebudtheatre.com or call 1-800-267-7553. Admission to the choir concert is by donation.