Meet Tahnia!
Who's that?
Tahnia Getson!
Tahnia Getson is a recent graduate of the University of Lethbridge and also an alumnae of Grande Prairie Regional College! She has her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from the University of Lethbridge, as well as her Visual Arts diploma from Grande Prairie Regional College. She's been working on various theatre and art projects over the last decade of her learning and working career.
Who are you?
My name is Tahnia! I am a super passionate artist who believes really strongly in advocating through art! I've been doing theatre for the last decade or so (which makes me sound terribly old) and visual arts for about 5 years. I'm really passionate about devised theatre, movement, mask and social theatre! I'm also passionate about educating! I previously taught the Rising Star program through Grande Prairie Live Theatre for a total of 8 years!
What does theatre mean to you?
Theatre is one of the best avenues to explore your own identity. There isn't a medium, that I have explored, that has taught me more about who I was as a person than theatre has. It's allowed me to explore perspectives outside my own, it's taught me to communicate and it's provided me a rollercoaster of laughter and tears. Theatre has shaped so much of who I am as a person that I cannot imagine my life without it.
Why Cavalcade?
Cavalcade started out of a joke with my theatre partner - Jordy Wiens - when we met. It was the idea that we could have a popup tent trailer and become a little troupe of travelling performers. We don't currently have a tent trailer, but haven't closed the door on that yet! However, we started looking into companies like Trickster Theatre who travels for residencies and we started working towards a couple pop up shows that could be designed to travel!
What's your favorite project you've worked on so far?
I started working on a piece called "Happy Triangle Man Takes Over The World" which was actually a class assignment that I had worked with a group on. It was all about taking paintings and bringing them to life on the stage. It wound up being this wild piece about Psychology and Ego and Art. It was a lot of fun for me because it blended a bunch of my worlds together. Also I got to be a triangle. So that was fun.
What piece of work are you most proudĀ of?
That's really hard, actually! I think there have been so many projects that I have truly adored working on. My first devised piece with the teenagers I teach, Stories I've Never Told, is high on my list. I was so proud of the work that they created and their work ethic. If I'm looking internally at the work that I have been creating I'd have to say that I'm really proud of a piece I recently wrote that coupled verbatim theatre with devised theatre - redacted. I'm hoping to put it up in the Peace Region for it's debut.
What's your connection to Grande Prairie and the Peace Region?
I basically grew up here. I've integrated myself into as much of the Arts Community as I can in Grande Prairie. I have a lot of love for the community and members in the Peace Region and I cannot wait to work with them and to hear their voices in the community.
Who is inspiring you right now?
I am inspired by so many people in life. I take a lot of inspiration from companies like Trickster Theatre and Frantic Assembly. I also take a lot of inspiration from individuals. Brette Gerecke, who has been designing for Catalyst Theatre has done some phenomenal work that I'm always blown away by. Locally, Serena Love is super inspirational to me. I love her clear voice in her work and am constantly blown away. My inspirations change all of the time, pending what I'm doing in my own work.
