Posted on February 12, 2024
Gretchen Wolfmeyer is an Office Administrator and cantor at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church who moved to Quincy in 2011 with her spouse, Randy, and her children, Thalia & Conall. Initially from Mayville, WI, Gretchen grew up performing displays with Beaver Dam Group Theatre and the Marais Players in her hometown. Right after her Kindergarten debut as the Suggest Previous Troll in The Three Billy Goats Gruff, Gretchen went on to enjoy an additional wonderful villain part as Mrs. Lovett in QCT’s Sweeney Todd for which she gained a QUILTA. She was recently awarded The Government Director’s Award for her lots of yrs of volunteerism on stage and backstage at QCT and for her contributions to the QCT community in 2023. When not at the theatre, you can uncover her consuming espresso, snuggling her cats, or dressing up as wild Shakespearean people with the Sq. Peg Team Troupe.
How did you 1st get associated with QCT?
In July 2013, my daughter, Thalia took a week-lengthy class with (then Education and learning Director) Brandon which culminated in a performance in the Lab. She was cast as Sheep #1 in The Boy Who Cried Wolf . It was a great knowledge and we savored the class generation.
What was your very first display? Describe the working experience.
My to start with QCT present was not right up until three many years later on when my spouse and children, do the job, and volunteer schedules (together with my courage) opened up sufficient for me to audition. Sister Act in 2016 was an amazing to start with-exhibit practical experience. We experienced a superb, various forged and I produced good friends of all ages, from 16 to 79! We worked with two guest artists, Nina Waters and Nik Whitcomb, and I have been blessed more than enough to stick to their professions ever since.
What is your preferred memory working on a QCT manufacturing?
Following 11 shows onstage and even extra powering the scenes, it would be hard to decide just just one. I have seen so a lot of neighborhood customers band collectively against all odds to generate great theatre!
I am forever grateful to percussionist, Steve Atchison for pre-setting Sweeney Todd’s razors for me when a hold off intended that I could not do it. He saved that remaining efficiency!
I am grateful that I’ve been concerned in six exhibits with my complete family — Harriet the Spy, Witches, Bye Bye Birdie, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Beauty and the Beast, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Every time it transpires, it feels like a when-in-a-life time occurrence. I’ll proceed to “Count my Blessings Alternatively of Sheep”!
This is your next exhibit phase handling in six months. What do you like about stage controlling?
I enjoy theatre and making theatre. As a stage supervisor, you get to help make a clearly show wonderful every single stage of the way from casting the demonstrate to rehearsals to the performances to placing the established. If you do your job effectively, the typical community doesn’t even know you exist. And nevertheless your workload is enormous! You are the conversation hub, safety manager, and showrunner. You are everyone’s Stage Momager, cheerleader, and challenge solver. It is hard work and a quite worthwhile way to volunteer your time.
Do you choose performing on stage or functioning guiding the scenes? Why?
I love undertaking, but functioning powering the scenes balances out my life and keeps me humble. I consider that God puts me in which he wants and requirements me. And I’m always able to learn from the knowledge.
What are you hunting ahead to in the 2024 season?
To start with, I’m searching forward to audiences seeing QCT’s creation of Matilda. It is one particular of my favourite musicals of all time and has a fantastic information for all ages. I hope that what we’ve developed will resonate with audiences.
Following that, I’m hunting ahead to working with my time tickets for Shakespeare in Like and auditioning for Newsies.
What would you say to encourage a person else to get concerned at QCT?
If you are on the lookout for a fulfilling volunteer expertise, be sure to occur and volunteer at QCT. If you can spare 30 minutes or a few hrs, there is a task for you! Would you like to work together with your youngsters and train them how to give again to their community? Teamwork, leadership, and interaction are the capabilities you can discover at QCT for free of charge. Are you freshly retired and uncertain how to fill your time? Quit by or call the QCT office to come across out additional. There is a position for you that will retain you lively and younger at heart.