Meet Ally Schuurman, the director for Ride the Cyclone
New to Pine Tree Players, director Ally Schuurman brings a love of whimsical, slightly twisted, very Canadian theatre to this fall’s Ride the Cyclone.
Ally Schuurman may be new to Pine Tree Players, but Ride the Cyclone has been living in her imagination for more than a decade. This fall, Ally directs Pine Tree Players’ musical production of the cult favourite show, bringing with her a deep love for theatre that is bold, strange, funny, heartfelt, and just a little bit twisted.
We caught up with Ally to talk about the first time Ride the Cyclone knocked her sideways, what she loves about working with actors, and why community theatre matters.
learn more about auditioning, joining the band or the production team
Learn MoreWhat made you choose Ride the Cyclone?
The first time I saw Ride the Cyclone was in 2013 at the Arts Club Theatre in Vancouver. I was in university at the time, and I was instantly obsessed.
I’ve always been particularly fond of musicals with a real twisted sense of humour, and to see something so new, so queer, so whimsical, and so Canadian knock it out of the park in the same way that Little Shop of Horrors did, or the same way The Rocky Horror Show did, was incredibly thrilling. I literally haven’t stopped thinking about it since.
What do you hope audiences feel, notice, or think about after the show?
I hope audiences feel energized, and impressed with how this incredibly silly musical also manages to have an incredibly powerful perspective on death and dying.
Is there a rehearsal moment that suddenly made a show “click” for you?
If I’m lucky, there are a million of these kinds of moments in rehearsal that you get to find with everyone collaborating on the piece.
My favourite, though, is when actors interpret the delivery or punchline of a joke in a completely unexpected way and it just totally breaks me. I’ll never hold back a laugh.
How do you work with actors to help them find their characters?
My favourite way in is through what’s on the page: What do other characters think about them? What do they think about themselves? When there’s a choice to make, what choice do they take?
There’s so much on the page that tells you about character. I love that kind of archaeological dig into the text with the actors.
Is there a play or genre you’d love to direct one day?
I’m getting to tackle number one on my wish list with Ride the Cyclone, so I guess I better find a new dream. I’d love to get my hands on a Sondheim musical one day!
What would you say to someone thinking about exploring theatre as an audience member or artist for the first time?
Do it! Take a leap of faith and do it!
The more you go and see shows, or the more you try out working in different roles in the theatre, the more you get to learn about your own taste and figure out what it is about this thing that you like and want to spend your time with.
It means you’ll inevitably sit through some things that you decide aren’t for you, but on the other side of that is the musical waiting to change your whole life.
In one sentence: why does community theatre matter?
Community theatre matters because it’s a critical part of every human being’s right to make and enjoy the art of theatre.
Pine Tree Players is delighted to welcome Ally Schuurman to the director’s chair for Ride the Cyclone.
learn more about auditioning joining the band or the production team
Ally Schuurman
Ally is a performance art advocate, artist, and administrator originally from unceded Coast Salish Territory. She is currently the Theatre Arts Program Manager at Banff Centre. Prior to joining Banff Centre, her work in arts education spanned 15 years, multiple disciplines, and culminated in leading the successful expansion of the student services department at Arts Umbrella. When they’re not facilitating learning environments for artists, they’re directing, curating, and taking in works of new Canadian theatre. Ally has been the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Vancouver Fringe Festival Society since 2022.