Ruth Wong-Miller is an actor, singer, pianist, producer, and maven of musicals. The company she co-founded, Foote in the Door, is a regular fixture at Fringe (although not this year) and during the rest of the theatre season with its popular, large-cast musicals.
Here is a little bit more about Ruth:
Ruth is a local actor, singer, and pianist. She is co-founder, producer and artistic associate of Foote in the Door Productions. Having studied classical music her whole life and danced around her living room to old movie musicals, she was finally able to put all of her theatre dreams into reality. Ruth is lucky enough to proudly represent as a Chinese-Canadian performer, sharing the stage with other performers as passionate as she is about local theatre! Ruth’s acting and production credits include: Little Women (Jo March), Company (Amy), Carousel (Julie Jordan), How To Succeed (Rosemary), She Loves Me (Amalia Balash), and Disenchanted (Snow White), which sold out its run at last year’s Edmonton Fringe Festival. Upcoming: MISCAST (Straight Edge Theatre) at the 2018 Fringe, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Foote in the Door) this fall.
And here’s how Ruth Fringes:
How long have you been Fringing? What is your favourite Fringe memory?
Since 1996! I can’t remember the name now, but my first show was a wonderful 1 man show in the basement of Yianni’s (is that still a fringe venue?)
My favourite Fringe memory is producing my first show in the festival – there’s nothing like discovering everything from that side for the first time!
What’s the one item you never forget to bring to the Fringe or other summer festivals?
An umbrella! Weather in Edmonton is unpredictable! 🙂
It’s almost impossible to Fringe without indulging in the food! What’s your go-to food at Fringe?
It’s so difficult to pick just one! My standby faves are taco in a bag, the chocolate dipped banana and of course, Green onion cakes!
How do you choose the shows you’re going to see at Fringe? It’s still early, but do you have your eye on any shows you’re interested in seeing this year?
I usually get a program the first day they are released, read through slowly, nerdily marking with coloured tabs the shows I am most interested in seeing. I try and see almost every show listed under musicals, as I’m a musical theatre junkie. I’m lucky enough to be in an awesome show called MISCAST this year, but I am extremely excited to see Cult Cycle, a brand new musical created by the folks at Straight Edge Theatre!
What advice would you give to a first-time Fringe-er for the best way to enjoy the festival?
Take a chance and see a show! While the outdoor shows are free and fun, seeing some great theatre for only $13 dollars is beyond reasonable and you might see something that sticks with you for a long time!
You can find Ruth on Twitter and Instagram as herself (@womiee) or Foote in the Door (@FooteInTheDoor). Learn more about Foote in the Door and their upcoming shows at footeinthedoor.weebly.com.
Ruth Wong-Miller’s profile is part of my 2018 How to Fringe series highlighting some of the folks I look up to in Edmonton who have generously agreed to share a bit about themselves and how they Fringe. This year’s Edmonton International Fringe Festival runs August 16 – 26. Tickets are now on sale at tickets.fringetheatre.ca.