apprentice spotlight | shelby wyminga

Shelby is an acting apprentice who's also branched out into playwriting this year. We're thrilled to have this multi-talented powerhouse in the apprenticeship!

What drew you to the apprenticeship in the first place?

I went to Trinity Western and TWU is pretty linked to PT, so I’ve always known about the apprenticeship from that connection. When I graduated, I applied right away because I thought it would be a good transition point between training and being loose in the big scary world. I didn’t get it at that point, so I was loose in the big scary world!

I reapplied this season because I had specific skills I realized I wanted to develop, mostly around producing and being able to create my own work. I came in with the goal of learning how to be more self-sufficient as an artist, and also wanting to have a theatre family that I can be connected to, so I’m not awash in a sea of vastness!

Shelby's first apprentice project was a staged reading of her new script A HERO FOR NOW.

Have you tried anything new this year you’d like to keep exploring?

First would be the producing side of things. I had a bit of experience but I’ve been digging in to that with more detail and that’s something I see myself continuing.

Assistant directing THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE was really cool. When I first started school, I was interested in directing, took a class and felt it wasn’t for me, but getting to play a bit under Sarah’s direction has made me interested again. I’m going to direct Kira and Julia in a Shakespeare scene study so I can further play with that.

The apprenticeship typically culminates in a final, fully produced show. What are you taking on for your final project?

I really really wanted to do something that would scare the shit out of me. So I picked something that I knew I’d never be cast in. I decided I wanted to play Henry V so I’m producing a version of it with an almost entirely female ensemble.

My challenge with this, which was a bit unexpected, is that I’ve been learning to take up space. I’ve always considered myself to be a fairly outspoken and confident person, but as women, so often we’re taught to apologize for our opinions and for taking that place in the spotlight. It’s easy for us to be labelled as divas.

I’m lucky because I’ve been working with Kerri Norris who’s a crazy strong woman, and she’s been cracking down every time she sees me doubting myself. I’ve been learning how to own my opinions and desires.

Exploring that has been really cool: seeing myself as a leader and sometimes forcing myself to see myself as a leader, even when I don’t feel particularly confident to go in and own a room and be really unapologetic.

Shelby was last seen on the PT stage in Ensemble Theatre Company's guest production A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY.

Any words of advice for an incoming apprentice?

Get your expectations straight. You can get a lot out of the program, but you need to know what to expect so that you can make the most of it.

What are you working on after the apprenticeship?

My sister and I are forming a theatre company called Far From the Tree Productions. We want to produce theatre that is really stripped down, getting back to the basics of story, and real and raw human characters. We’re playing with some philosophies of minimalism in our work. Also work that’s environmentally friendly, sustainable, and doesn’t rely on a lot of the gack that people often think they need to put on a good show.

And I’m hoping to keep working with PT!

Keep an eye on the Stone's Throw Facebook and Instagram accounts for more updates about HENRY V and the other final apprentice projects! And don't forget, there's still time to apply to the apprenticeship for next season.