Uko Akpanuko
Daily Herald
One of Saskatchewan’s longest running artistic companies will be in Prince Albert on March 1 searching for local talent.
SaskExpress plans to hold auditions for their summer show at the Margo Fournier Arts Centre, starting at 1 p.m. on March 1. The auditions are open to performers ages 15 and older.
“For me personally it’s awesome,” SaskExpress Artistic Director and CEO Danny Balkwill said. “It’s one of my favourite things, getting to see what’s out there in this province.”
Balkwill said they’re looking for performers who, can sing, dance, and act, but emphasized that not everyone needs to be ‘Broadway caliber’. In fact, he said the organization enjoys finding and working with raw talent.
“You see these kinds of diamonds in the rough, I call them, where they have all this ability but it hasn’t had a place to grow and nourish,” Balkwill explained. “It’s so exciting for me to sometimes give these people an opportunity and work with them and watch how far and how fast they grow. It’s always an exciting adventure for me.”
The two biggest things SaskExpress is looking for is how coachable a candidate is, and whether they can tell a story through song, dance, or spoken-word during their audition.
“I think storytelling is the most important aspect,” Balkwill said. “Whether that’s through a dance and they want to convey emotion or whether that’s through their song, I like people who make strong choices and come ready to perform.”
“They might come in with some great choices for a monologue or scene, and I might give them a change and say, ‘hey, try it this way,’” he added. “Sometimes, even if I thought their performance was amazing, I’ll do that just to see how flexible they are, how they can take direction, things like that. It’s being open in the room. It’s being ready to work.”
Balkwill said Prince Albert performers have a long history of success with Saskatchewan Express. He took over in 2017 and had two Prince Albert performers in his first year: Shania Cabilao and Jennifer Brown.
Balkwill said they were both fantastic performers who were able to hone their skills with SaskExpress.
The performers will have the opportunity to travel across Saskatchewan this summer and visit a number of Saskatchewan parks, while also growing their skills, learn the ins and outs of putting on a show, including tech, staging, sound and lighting components, and make some amazing new friends.
Artists who cannot attend the March 1 audition in person are invited to provide a video submission. To sign-up for auditions, visit saskexpress.com/saskexpress/auditions.
–with files from Jason Kerr/Daily Herald
