Criselda Mierau has a particular zeal for making things happen. She seems the kind of person who hears “wouldn’t it be cool if…?” and immediately starts working to bring that idea into reality. 

Case in point: in 2008, she was leading the St Albert Singers Guild, and a few of her singers started asking about adding more theatre into what they were doing. She formed the Acting Out Musical Theatre company to accommodate. 

“I had been a part of some touring companies that had done musical theatre—it was completely in my wheelhouse,” Mierau continues.“I was lucky enough to also know a lot of people in both Edmonton and St. Albert that did this stuff too. From musicians to choreographers to directors to set builders … It made good sense to bring it as a lovely culmination into this group and go, ‘Now we can use everybody.’” 

Over the past 15 years, Acting Out has presented everything from revue-style shows to full-scale productions: in May, they’ll offer a concertized version of Les Misérables at St. Albert United Church. But as if that wasn’t enough, this year Mierau has added not one but two different choirs to her portfolio: So Noted—a monday night choir who’ve been doing pop up singing events around the city—and Forte Plus, a more casual afternoon choir that meets on Wednesdays. 

“I knew I had an aging population in St. Albert Singers,” she says. “I literally had people saying, ‘I'm not sure I wanna drive at night anymore.’ So I went, ‘Well, why don't we do an afternoon one?’” 

After the initial meetings were a hit, Mierau added another idea into the mix: Seniors Acting Out Together, featuring a readers’ theatre element that mixes dramatic readings in with the choir’s singing, offering more opportunities to people of a wide range of ages. 

“I would describe it as a joy for me,” she says. “I literally had one of our gals say, ‘I didn't think I was ever gonna find my voice and be able to sing again.’ And she joined the group and went, ‘oh, I can still do this.’ It's just a beautiful thing.” 

There’s still one more new idea that Mierau’s helping bring to fruition soon: the Acting Out Summer Academy, day-camp experience for young people interested in musical theatre.  

That all adds up into a significant, perpetual to-do list for Mierau—”I know it sounds nuts,” she laughs—but she’s found a joy in bringing these opportunities to the community, both the performers and those behind the scenes as well. 

“I'm just branching out more and more,” Mierau says. “I really feel like the more people I can involve … all of that stuff matters to me in terms of going, ‘I tapped a ton of people again, who are local to us, that go, ‘we love doing this work.’ … I'm pleased that I can offer them the opportunity.” 

Article written by: Paul Blinov

 More information about Acting Out, So Noted, and Forte PLus can be found at aomt.ca. 

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