Typecast Anonymous Productions Inc. is heading on its first tour. The local theatre company is taking its production of John Logan’s Red to Wetaskiwin, Edmonton and Camrose.
“We wanted to reach a bit of a broader audience,” says Sam Ulan, operations manager for Typecast Anonymous Productions Inc. “We thought, Well, if we’re already doing Wetaskiwin and Camrose, why don’t we look into a theatre in Edmonton, because a lot of the theatres around Whyte Ave are really great for doing kind of Fringe-style shows all year round.”
Jonathan Ewing founded Typecast Anonymous Productions Inc. in May 2020. The organization debated postponing the launch, but decided people needed theatre more than ever during those early stages of the pandemic. The company’s goal is to provide theatre for groups who might not be able to participate otherwise, whether it’s because of less work or schools cancelling shows because of COVID. The first production was a virtual showing of Where and When, a play written by Ewing and Erica Toews.
The upcoming production of Red tells the story of artist Mark Rothko, played by Mike Hicks, who is at the height of his career in the 1950s, but struggling creatively. The story is told through the lens of Rothko’s assistant, Ken, played by Ewing, as the two paint together and challenge each other’s views on art. The play, based on a series of real events, is directed by Oakley Aram and Amber Beddoes.
“It’s a two-man play, and we found that really interesting because we could play around with the dynamics of what the stage looks like without having to worry too much about the talent acquisition for it,” says Ulan. “And it was a little bit easier for us to kind of get our feet in the door with having this be our first actual stage performance.”
Typecast Anonymous Productions Inc. is performing Red at Wetaskiwin’s Manluk Theatre on February 19 and 20, Edmonton’s Grindstone Theatre on February 24 and 27, and Camrose’s Bailey Theatre on March 5.
