Michael Waller

To say 2019 was busy year for Prof. Michael Waller is a bit of an understatement.

The associate professor of theatre took a class of fourth-year students to England, directed Shakespeare, toured two new shows and directed a full-on musical.

The breadth and scope of genres, subjects, and settings of his work included everything from the comedy of Twelfth Night set in Space to puppetry and projections to a dark reveal of humanity. Yes, Shakespeare set in Space.

"No joke! Space!" he said just before the production opened in April 2019. "Renate Pohl is designing set and Jamie Skidmore is designing lights. I'm thrilled about it. Already, it's very funny and quite beautiful; I can't wait for people to see it."

A scene from Our Lady of the Falls, featuring Louise Gauthier, Tara Manual and Adam Brake. Photo by Tom Cochrane.

A scene from Twelfth Night, featuring Aaron Wilson. Photo by Aidan Devereaux.

Meanwhile, from February to March – while Twelfth Night was in rehearsals – "Lady of The Falls" by Corner Brook's Tara Manuel completed a provincial Art and Culture Centre tour. Directed by Prof. Waller, the puppetry play for young audiences had as its themes friendship, memory, and being all in it together. It tells the story of a young girl's heroic journey upriver to meet the feared protector of the river and forest. The story moves between present and past, and combines Bunraku style puppets with shadow puppetry.

In May, Prof. Waller directed White Rooster Productions' "Hunger" by alumna Meghan Greeley of Corner Brook. The production was a remount of a successful run at the Resource Centre for the Arts in St. John's. The 2019 version toured the province's Arts and Culture Centres, telling the story of a couple who try to help an oppressed group but have unexpected motivations – the play explores the tenuous relationship between selflessness and survival.

Then during the summer season, he directed "Bittergirl, The Musical," at the Stephenville Theatre Festival.

"The musical was based on a play I dramaturged with three writers when I lived in Toronto," said Prof. Waller. "The play did very well – it toured all over North America and then we turned it into a musical. The musical has played in the Charlottetown Festival, Manitoba Theatre Centre, The Arts Club and Persephone Theatre."

But perhaps the high point of his year, going back to Twelfth Night, was the opportunity to bring a class of Grenfell theatre students to see the London production of Come From Away.

"The graduating class and I spent almost two months rehearsing the play at MUN's Harlow UK campus," he recalled. "Our days were spent rehearsing and our nights were spent in London, taking in amazing world-class theatre. One highlight was a trip into "town" (as they call it in England) to meet with the London cast of "Come From Away." This meeting was organized by MUN so that current students and alumni in England could see the show, and so the cast could meet some 'real Newfoundlanders.' What a feeling to see that show in the West End with that group of Grenfell students!"