A new recreational option will be offered to the creative, imaginative minds of youth in Martensville this upcoming fall. Gumshoe Productions, founded by Danielle Roy, is a Saskatchewan-based theatre company where students who share a passion for fi ne arts can create together and empower one another. “This company was built out of my own bold determination to bring original scripts with important and diffi cult topics to the stage and where artists, audiences and aspiring creators can fl ourish, learn and grow,” stated Roy. “I created Gumshoe Productions because I decided I do not want to continue auditioning and acting and never having a say in the stories I’m telling – I wanted to create a space where creating ideas was safe, and welcomed.”
Roy is a talented and experienced female actor who has also been teaching the arts for over ten years. Graduated from the University of Saskatchewan in 2012, Roy continued to further her education in 2014 at the Globe Theatre Conservatory in Regina. She has since performed at various venues and even wrote, produced and directed her own show, titled ‘Peach’. This show was inspired from Roy’s own life events targeting the struggles of growing up. The show recently went on an Eastern Canadian Fringe tour in 2016 and it will be hitting the stage once again in Saskatoon’s Live Five 2017/18. Roy hopes to be able to take her performing arts students on a ‘fi eld trip’ to watch the show in action. Roy’s experience in teaching drama is also held in high regards as she has taught with most of the drama organizations in Saskatoon including SUM Theatre and Saskatchewan Express. “I absolutely love what I do, and I cannot imagine my life without theatre. I sometimes refer to the characters I play as ‘the people I could have been’ but chose to be me instead. You learn from the characters you play. It’s like that age old saying: ‘You can’t judge someone until you’ve walked in their shoes’ – As actors, we take a stroll in those shoes, and that might be what makes theatre the most socially enlightening craft there is,” informed Roy.
This drama program will begin on September 7th and run through to the end of March. Classes will be offered on Thursdays starting at 6:00pm for ages 6-9, 7:00pm for ages 10-13, and 8:00pm for ages 13 to 18 at the going rate of $80 per month. The program will cover the basics of theatre exercises. Students will work on their focus, listening, teamwork, confi dence, character building, and improvisation skills. The classes will then venture into some ‘mask work’, ‘clown work’ and scenes. At the very end of the program’s year, the students will have created a performance to showcase; said performance will depend on the group and their creative genius. “My hope is that this opportunity for our youth will help them better express themselves creatively, in a way that’s accessible to them. I don’t think that theatre is just for the “actor”, I think theatre can teach us all something – even if it’s just to let go and have fun,” spoke Roy.
If you are interested in being a part of Gumshoe Productions this fall, contact Danielle Roy at gumshoeproductions@sasktel.net for further information about classes and registration.
Note on featured image
Danielle Roy performs in “Dr Frightful Presents: Dead Air” (Photo Submitted)
