Arden Theatre: Best in Show - Behind the Curtain

If you’ve been living in St. Albert for long, you’re probably already familiar with the Arden Theatre. Maybe it’s the place where your children had their first dance recital, or perhaps it’s where you walked across the stage to receive your high-school diploma. But the Arden is so much more than a local auditorium. It’s a performance space that excels in providing levels of entertainment that are nothing less than outstanding. Since opening its doors in 1984, the Arden has played host to local favourites as well as international sensations, attracting performers from all around the globe.

Of course, these high-calibre performances don’t organize themselves. Though you may not notice their handiwork, the dedicated Arden team plans out every aspect of the performance, working silently behind the scenes to make sure each performance runs flawlessly. How do they do it? Take a look.

The planning phase of any performance begins early. Very early. The details of the shows can start taking shape up to 18 months before the big night. During this time, Caitlin North, along with her programing team, contacts the artists and starts making preparations for the show. “We’re really privileged here at the Arden,” she says, “We’re known as one of the most prominent performing arts centres in Canada. It doesn’t take a lot of effort to convince artists to perform here.” A little closer to opening night (about a month), the team reaches out to the artist to work out all of the arrangements of their visit. They plan for the artist’s transportation needs, accommodations and anything else needed to make the performers feel at home in St. Albert. Everyone on the team has a role to play, and constant communication keep things running -smoothly.

Performance night is where all those months of planning begin to pay off. With every detail thought of, and every contingency accounted for, the artists get on stage as though they’ve been performing at the Arden for years. Things don’t always go perfectly behind the scenes, but as an audience member, you’d never know it. According to Caitlin, the most important thing is that the audience never sees you sweat. Late flights and baggage mix-ups can mean that performers arrive at the airport without any of their equipment—sometimes only an hour before the show. But the Arden is ready for any problems, and they always get their artists on stage, on time and without any hint of a problem. At that point, the fate of the show is in the hands of the performers and of the Arden’s wonderful tech crew, who adjust the sound and lighting to make the performance as memorable as possible. You may not notice this crew’s contribution in the moment, but you’d surely miss it if it were gone.

It’s safe to say that audiences at the Arden have responded well to the silent efforts of the production team. The theatre has always had a loyal core audience, but it has grown tremendously in recent years, attracting newcomers at every show. Audience engagement is at the top of the list in terms of what makes a show successful. “I grew up in the arts scene,” says Caitlin, “And for me, the best part of any show is watching the audience and the performers build a connection with each other. The Arden is one of those places where people know, not just regionally, but on a national level, that those connections can happen. To be able to contribute to that is really gratifying.” While most of the team’s efforts remain invisible to the audience, their positive attitudes leave a mark on every aspect of the show. t8n

“Being behind the scenes, I get to play a part in bringing all kinds of special experiences to our audiences. I find that really rewarding.”

–Pamela Osborne, Marketing &
Public Relations Coordinator

“I feel very lucky to have the support of the city and this community. It’s not something that I ever take for granted.”

–Caitlin North, Professional Programming Presenter