Mexican-Canadian director continues to rise in Calgary theatre
By James Windler, Staff Writer
Javier Vilalta is riding high after a successful directorial debut at Calgary’s Vertigo Theatre.
Vilalta watched on as people packed into Vertigo Theatre Thursday night to see The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde.
Vilalta was overwhelmed with the positive response from the audience as the performers were showered with applause at the end of the play.
The success that Vilalta has achieved didn’t happen overnight – it has been a long hard journey after immigrating from Mexico to Canada years ago to pursue his lifelong dream.
“So, I’m originally from Mexico City, and I moved to Calgary to take a fine arts major and drama at the University of Calgary, and after graduating, I started working in Calgary as a director,” said Vilalta.
“Having this opportunity in this theatre can allow me to branch out to other places, hopefully in Calgary, or Canada to continue doing specific text-based theatre.”
Vilalta has made his way through Calgary theatre directing multiple different genres.
He credited Calgary’s great theatre scene as a major reason why he’s been able to achieve success as it has enabled him to find his unique voice as a director,which he says is key when sharpening your skills.
“If you try to approach your artistry like everyone else, you’re just going to get lost in the mix; but if you find your own authentic voice, then people will understand where your artistry comes from and when they have a project that is right for you, then they will know that you are the right person for that job,” said Vilalta.
Vilalta’s journey has been difficult, but he wouldn’t trade it for anything; his drive to make a splash in the Calgary theatre scene as a Mexican-Canadian is unparalleled.
“I feel like if you’re really passionate about what you do, you’re gonna do whatever it takes to get to where you want to be,” he said.
“Because of my background, I didn’t see a lot of people like me out there, so I had to start trailblazing a little bit and say, I’m not going to lose this opportunity.”
The performance of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde will continue to play at the Vertigo Theatre until Oct. 29; information on showtimes and tickets can be found on the Vertigo Theatre website.
