Local actor to perform in Strike!

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This article was published 13/5/2019 (614 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

River Park South resident Dane Bjornson is 19 years old, but his career portfolio reads like it belongs to someone more than twice his age.

Next month Bjornson will be playing the character of Davey, an unemployed European-Canadian veteran of the First World War, in Rainbow Stage’s production of Strike!. Returning home, tensions rise between Davey and the townspeople.  

"It’ll be a show of taking a stand, fighting for the people, and striking while the iron’s hot with an original score that will be performed by the cast onstage," Bjornson said.

Strike! takes place in 1919 when workers around the world are demanding better working conditions. In Winnipeg, the city shuts down for six weeks and becomes the nation’s battleground for the democratic dream.  

The local singer/songwriter/performer is currently studying at MacEwan University in Edmonton in the faculty of music where he’ll be majoring in recording and production. Later this year, he’ll be releasing a solo project. He’s worked with recording students at both MacEwan University (Edmonton) and Mid-Ocean School of Media Arts (Winnipeg). He’s had some of his tunes recorded and looks forward to having an EP out later this year.

Bjornson began taking classes at MTYP in 2008 and was a member of their musical theatre company for eight years. He’s done musical productions at Highbury School and Glenlawn Collegiate. His first appearance at Rainbow Stage was in 2010 in the children’s chorus of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Since then, he’s worked as an assistant and instructor at their summer camp and will be back working there this summer. He was honoured with a student scholarship from Rainbow Stage in 2018.

The young artist loves the thrill of performing.

"Being able to tell someone else’s story on a stage with spontaneous song and dance delivers an unimaginable emotional intensity. There’s no other place you can get that other than live theatre, as an audience member or as the storyteller onstage," he explained.

Bjornson is proudest of the ability to make people feel through his work.

"People go to live theatre for a night out and to be entertained, but it’s the emotional effects that the audience member takes away that is what I’m most proud of. The challenges come in the process of building the character and differentiating it from the person I am. Davey and I differ in age, experiences, work, generation, aspirations and many other things. Building the character will be challenging, but it’s a challenge I’m looking forward to," said Bjornson.

Find him on Facebook (Dane Bjornson), Instagram (@danebjornson) and YouTube (Dane Bjornson). Strike runs June 18 to June 28 and July 2 to July 5, 2019. Tickets available online at rainbowstage.ca or by calling 204-989-0888.