Having been actively involved for two years in Armidale’s theatre community, and having directed two short plays, I already had suitable actresses and actors in mind that I wanted for my main roles. For the role of the mother, Mrs. Shoemaker, I contacted the actress that had portrayed Mrs. Shoemaker already on stage. Heather joined a group of fellow retirees who read and discuss plays and went on to act for the first time in a production of George Orwell's ANIMAL FARM, followed by a revised version of JACK AND THE BEANSTALK and finally took on the role of Mrs. Shoemaker in the stage version of DEATH AND OTHER VANITIES. She definitely has a natural talent for acting and I was delighted that she agreed to reprise her role for the big screen. The daughter Belinda was played by Valerie. We were in the midst of another season for Armidale's Favourite Shorts and were both acting in the short play Artic Homes. I had had several months to see her acting talent close up and was convinced she would do justice to the role of the depressed daughter. At the end of a rehearsal, I told Valerie about my plan to make a short film and without hesitation, she agreed to come on board. Valerie has been acting as a hobby for several years now and has carved out a reputation as an excellent character actress and taken on parts in THE LYONS, A BUNCH OF AMATEURS, RED JACK, ARCTIC HOMES, and IN BED WITH THE BISHOPS. Belinda’s husband Pete was played by Stephen who was also part of the Artic Homes cast as well as being one of the main characters in my play Harriette also for Armidale’s Favourite Shorts. Stephen has been involved in plays and musicals since primary school and went on to obtain a B.A. in Theatre Studies. Stephen acted in a few productions, but more often than not, he would be found behind the lighting desk. He built a reputation as a lighting designer and operator and worked as tech crew for professional and amateur theatres in Sydney, Ballarat, Melbourne, and Armidale as well as for small local film productions. Belinda’s psychiatrist was played by Gordon who is a veteran film and theatre actor and director. He is running the High Country Theatre and is part of the Armchair Theatre initiative, where theatre enthusiasts like Gordon and Heather get together to read and discuss plays. Gordon was a great asset as he brought a wealth of experience and lighting equipment to the production. Our two youngest cast members were Sophie and Caoiltiarn who played Valerie's and Stephen's daughter, Caoiltiarn being the real-life daughter of Stephen. Sophie together with her older brother Nicholas (who played Belinda's coworker) have been around the Armidale theatre circuit multiple times and are well versed actors. Nicholas is currently studying for a B.A. majoring in Theatre and Performance (minoring in Screen Media) and has been involved in plays and musicals since 2013 with the Felt Tip Theatre Company, Two Sticks Theatre Company, the Armidale Drama and Musical Society, High Country Theatre and is now on the board of the UNE Friends of Theatre Society.
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March 2023
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