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E Q U I T Y
Q U A R T E R L Y
w i n ter
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Keeping the show going
Cancelled due to lack of funds
Why we love musicals
Breaking into song
No other type of theatre brings
on such complex emotions
Some people give themselves over completely to musicals and get lost
in the music and dancing – while others just can’t make the leap when
characters break into song. The same goes for performers – some relish
the joy that comes when the audience connects with a song, while others
think the form has become too commercial.
One fact remains: Musicals are some of the most wildly successful
productions to hit Canadian stages – and their popularity continues to grow.
It looks like Canada’s love affair with the musical has only just begun.
President’s
message
Hello again! My name is Allan Teichman, I work as a stage manager, and at the first meeting of the new Council I had the honour of being re-elected President. I feel privileged that I should continue to be entrusted with the
task of assisting Council in its work. And of course, I don’t do it alone – Council will also count on Kerry Davidson
(B.C./Yukon) as First VP and Advisory Liaison, Kerry-Ann Doherty (Ontario) as Second VP and Member Liaison, and
Virginia Reh (Ontario) as Secretary-Treasurer.
As with last term, Council begins with an enormous agenda ahead of it, however much of that work is already well
under way. Our first meeting consisted of three solid days of learning and review to bring us up to speed, so you now
have a board of 22 dedicated and energized Councillors just itching to get to work.
We also hosted our annual honours event on the Monday evening, which was a nice
break from the mountain of paper. Congratulations again to all the honourees (see
EQ Moves), and many thanks to all those who came out to help make the evening so
wonderful. It’s always inspiring to see members take such delight and pride in an opportunity to recognize excellence in their colleagues.
The next set of honours will be presented in Calgary in late October 2010, and now is the
time to get nominations in. Details on each of the awards, as well as the submission form, can be
found on the Equity website under Committees; Honours. Remember, although these awards
are presented by Council, they come from you and they all begin with your recommendation.
About a year ago, I resolved to start a President’s blog. It may be hard to believe, but
despite all the material that gets sent out over my signature, I actually have more to say.
Perhaps it’s a cathartic response to sitting in rehearsal hour after hour after hour, listening to
other people speak. (Before you ask, no, of course I’m not talking about you personally. It’s
just that, well, sometimes… umm… yeah.)
As with many things I resolve to do, I never quite got around to it. So, I’m sharing this commitment with 5,000 of my closest colleagues so that I can’t back out. It’s not going to be a
Facebook page; Facebook makes me break out in an uncomfortable rash. By the time you read this, I will have figured out
how to make this happen, and we’ll post notice or fire up the Bat Signal, or something, so you know where to find it.
Why a blog? It’s because I’d like to start sharing more of the thinking behind the doings of Council, and do so on
a flexible schedule. More importantly, I’d like to do it in a medium where the membership has the ability to answer
back and ask questions. Last term we put a lot of time and energy into enhancing our reporting to members, and
now I want to turn that one-way street into more of a two-way street.
Given the tendency for discussions on the Internet to get radically tangential, I embark on this experiment with some
trepidation. However, I think the risks are worth the benefit of better communication, and we’ll give it a good go.
Speaking of communication, don’t be a stranger. If something gets under your skin, your Association stands no
chance of doing anything about it if we don’t hear from you. If you need individual assistance with something, call staff
at either office – it’s why we have them. If you think the matter is a bigger-picture topic that affects a whole range of
members, get in touch with your Councillor. That’s the level that we work at. Contact information for all Councillors
appears on the website, or is available by calling either office. And if you want to bat around some ideas or concerns at a
more local level, don’t forget you also have access to your regional advisory. Their contact info is also posted online.
Finally, members are always welcome to contact Kerry-Ann Doherty, the Second VP and Member Liaison at
[email protected], or by mail via the National Office. And of course, I continue to welcome your emails at
[email protected]. Heck, you could even write to both of us.
All the best for a great holiday season and Happy New Year,
Allan Teichman
President
w i n ter 2 0 1 0 E quity Q uarterly 1
EQ
E Q U I T Y
Q U A R T E R L Y Wi n ter
6B.C. cuts arts
funding
10Can’t stop the
music
14Swinging on to
the scene
EQ
Winter 2010 – Volume 3, Number 4
Executive editor Lynn McQueen
editor Barb Farwell
DEsign & Layout Chris Simeon,
September Creative
Equity members are encouraged to submit articles, submissions and accompanying photos, notices of
births, marriages, memorial notices and letters to the editor via email ([email protected]) or on disk with
accompanying hard copy. The copy deadline for submissions is Monday, February 15, 2010. EQ reserves the
right to edit for length, style and content.
EQ Equity Quarterly (ISSN 1913-2190) is a forum to communicate to Equity members the activities of
the Association and issues of concern to the Association. With the exception of the editorial staff, the
views expressed in solicited or unsolicited articles are not necessarily the views of the Association.
Canadian Actors’ Equity Association (Equity) is the voice of professional artists working in live
performance in English Canada. We represent more than 5,500 performers, directors, choreographers,
fight directors and stage managers working in theatre, opera and dance, and support their creative efforts
by seeking to improve their working conditions and opportunities by negotiating and administering
collective agreements, providing benefit plans, information and support and acting as an advocate.
v o lu m e
3
2 0 1 0
n u m b er
4
1 President’s message
3NOTES FROM ARDEN RYSHPAN
4 letterS to the editor
5 eq moves
8EQ&A
9EQ voices
16 fondly remembered
18EQ Lives
19Backstage
20 eq classifieds
21 eq flashback
Coming issue: spring 2010
Subscriptions are available at an annual rate of $35, including GST.
Publications Mail Agreement No. 40038615
EQ is published four times a year by Canadian Actors’ Equity Association.
National Office
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Tel: 416-867-9165 | Fax: 416-867-9246 | Toll-free: 1-800-387-1856 (members only)
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[email protected]
Cover and Inside Front Cover: The cast from Sunday in the Park with George, the Shaw Festival’s 2009 season musical, breaks into song
Above (left to right): Josh Assor as Baby John, Matt Alfano as Action, Kyle Golemba as A-Rab, Brandon Espinoza as Riff and Marc Kimelman as Big Deal in the Stratford
Shakespeare Festival’s 2009 production of West Side Story
Notes from
Arden Ryshpan
“What’s the matter? Don’t you like musical comedy?”
– Roy Scheider as Joe Gideon in All That Jazz
I do. I admit that I absolutely adore musicals. It comes, I suspect, from the fact that the first
time I ever went to a grown-up theatre (at the age of five or six) it was to see my father perform in
a production of The Fantasticks.
Since it was staged at a well-known, fancy club called the El Morocco in Montreal, where children my age were most certainly not allowed, I slipped up the
back stairs with my mother where we sat at a dark table in the balcony. The wait
staff brought me a series of fancy non-alcoholic drinks with cherries spiked on
stir sticks and little paper umbrellas peeking through billowing dry ice. And I was
hooked – on the music – never could stand maraschino cherries.
I have owned the original soundtrack recording of that show ever since and it is
on my iPod now (as is the original cast recording of Hair.) I have never tired of listening to those simple, lovely melodies, played only by a piano and a harp. I can’t
tell you how many times I have stayed up late to watch Kiss Me Kate (in which
you can see a very young Bob Fosse dance) or West Side Story on television – the
filmed version of stage musicals being the easiest way to feed my musical habit.
And yet, for some reason unfathomable to me, musicals are a much maligned form. People complain that they are maudlin, but I suspect that it is because they found themselves swept up in the
emotion of the music. Folks scoff at the notion of characters suddenly breaking into song, rather than
seeing the musical numbers as a way of telling us more about a character than dialogue ever could,
or in some circumstances, actually advancing the plot. They complain that in fact musicals are lacking in plot and character development – but linear plots and complex character arcs aren’t essential
to a great drama either. Just ask Samuel Beckett. But sit in the audience at a successful musical and I
promise you – you could hardly hope to have more fun at the theatre.
There is a new generation discovering musical theatre, thanks to works like Rent and Spring
Awakening (which I was fortunate enough to see during its New York run) and In the Heights. But
the cost of developing a brand new musical work makes it probably the most risky of all theatrical
forms and therefore only within the scope of a very few to encourage and present. I only wish there
were more people prepared to make the investment.
Canada is fortunate to have some of the most extraordinarily talented musical performers you could
ever hope to see (and hear) and a number of them appear in this issue. We hope that those of you
who haven’t developed a fondness for musical theatre will take another look at it and that those of
you who already love them will develop an even deeper appreciation for the art.
Arden R. Ryshpan
Executive Director
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Letters to the editor
Setting the direction
for a national arts policy
I read the autumn issue of EQ with great
interest – particularly several articles on
the need for a national arts policy which
were thoughtful, well argued, and (in my
view) wrong. These articles, including an
extended interview with former Governor
General Adrienne Clarkson, called for a
broad discussion of government arts policy, arguing that such policy is necessary to
sustain national culture. I disagree. I don’t
believe Canadian culture in the 21st century will depend on initiatives proposed by
worthy committees and enacted by politicians. Quite the contrary.
To begin with, I am bothered by the
assumption that seems to underlie these
EQ articles: that anyone – least of all government – can usefully set directions for
national culture. As I see it, the reverse is
closer to the truth: when officials, however
well-intentioned, start telling artists which
way to go, the result is at best an expensive waste of time; at worst it is something
much more insidious. Just ask artists living
under dictatorial regimes.
But we live in a democracy. Government
doesn’t tell Canadian artists what to do.
Rather, it has them compete for grants
and lets the winners do their thing. Under
our federal system, various agencies with
fluctuating budgets and evolving priorities
decide which artists will get funding and
which won’t. The decisions tend not to be
systematic. On the contrary, they’re subjective and, let’s face it, often arbitrary. There
is no over-arching policy; nor should there
be. Art isn’t about meeting predetermined
criteria; it’s about exploring idiosyncratic
paths that often lead nowhere but just as
often open onto something memorable.
It’s not a top-down process that lends itself
to the application of a settled policy; it’s
bottom-up, hit-and-miss, organic.
As I type these words, two Equity
co-op productions of new Montreal plays,
Haunted and Duplicity Girls, are hours
away from opening on local stages. The
same thing is happening in communities
across Canada. This year, as every year,
hundreds of poor but nimble companies
will find ways to put up shows without a
penny in grant money. They don’t need
any government policies to set out the
future of Canadian culture for them: They
are the future of Canadian culture. I submit respectfully that it is from them, more
than from the musings of Adrienne Clarkson, that we have lessons to learn.
Arthur Holden,
Equity member
Note from Arden Ryshpan, Executive Director:
Mr. Holden makes an important point and one worth underlining. He is absolutely right in insisting that decisions about the future of Canada’s arts and
culture community not be at the sole discretion of a government – any government – regardless of where they are on the political spectrum. It is only with the
thoughtful, articulate and passionate contribution of artists that a viable policy
could emerge. But there is also no point in that policy being articulated without
the active participation of government in the process. Simply asking doesn’t
work. Working together does. The creation of a comprehensive cultural policy
in Canada would also mean that every time we appear before government, we
wouldn’t have to justify our existence yet again. And then we could all turn our
attention to creating, enhancing and encouraging the arts in our country.
Letters on subjects of concern to Equity
members will be considered for publication. Letters must
be signed, but names will be withheld on request for
those letters that may affect members’ employment.
Letters that include artistic criticism of Equity members or
letters that are antagonistic or accusatory, either implied
or expressed, may be withheld or edited at the discretion
of the editor. Opinions expressed in Letters to the Editor
are not necessarily those of the Association.
PHOTO AND PRODUCTION CREDITS
Cover and inside front cover: Photo Michael Cooper. Sunday in the
Park with George (2009) by James Lepine with music & lyrics by
Stephen Sondheim produced by the Shaw Festival. Directed by Alisa
Palmer with choreography by Bill Coleman.Cast: Kawa Ada, Neil
Barclay, Kyle Blair, Alix Boyd, Celeste Brillon, Saccha Dennis, Sharry
Flett, Patty Jamieson, Melanie Janzen, Gabrielle Jones, Anthony
Malarky, Julie Martell, Christine Passmore, Melanie Phillipson, Steven
Sutcliffe, Jacqueline Thair, Jay Turvey, Mark Uhre, Robin Evan Willis
and Kelly Wong. Stage managed by Meredith MacDonald assisted by
Annie McWhinnie and Erin Finn (apprentice.)
Page 2: Photo: David Hou. West Side Story (2009) by Arthur Laurents
with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
produced by the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. Directed by Gary
Griffin with choreography by Sergio Trujillo based on a conception of
Jerome Robbins. Cast: Matthew Alfano, Tessa Alves, Mary Antonini,
Josh Assor, Carla Bennett, Andrew Cao, Dan Chameroy, Lindsay
Croxall, Bruce Dow, Brandon Espinoza, Nicko Giannakos, Kyle
Golemba, Graeme Goodhall, Jessica Keeling, Chilina Kennedy, Marc
Kimelman, Krista Leis, Jacques Monfiston, Josie Marasco, Jennifer
Mote, Mike Nadajewski, Paul Nolan, Joe Perez, Jennifer Rias, Eric S.
Robertson, Stephen Russell, Marco Antonio Santiago, Genny Sermonia,
Julius Sermonia and Kolton Stewart. Stage managed by Kim Lott
assisted by Meghan Callan and A. Naomi Duncan.
Page 5: Photo: Shannon Mendes. Bioboxes: Artifacting Human
Experience (2007, 2008, 2009) by Donna Soares produced by
Theatre Replacement. Conceived by Maiko Bae Yamamoto and
James Long and directed by Maiko Bae Yamamoto.
Page 9: Photo: Cylla von Tiedemann. Mimi (2009) by Allen Cole
(music and lyrics) and Melody Johnson and Rick Roberts (book and
lyrics) produced by Tarragon Theatre. Directed by Alisa Palmer with
choreography by Matjash Mrozewski. Cast: Paul Braunstein, Tamara
Bernier-Evans, Martin Julien, Trish Lindström, Ron Pederson and Victor
A. Young. Stage managed by Kate Porter assisted by Shelby-Jai Donkers.
Page 10: Photo: Joan Marcus. Mamma Mia! (2000-2005) by Catherine
Johnson with music by Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson produced
by Judy Craymer, Richard East & Bjorn Ulvaeus for Littlestar in
association with Universal and David & Ed Mirvish. Directed by Phyllida
Lloyd with choreography by Anthony Van Laast. Resident Director
Robert D. McQueen and Resident Choreographer Astrid Van Wieren
with an Equity member performing ensemble. Stage managed by Tom
Capps, Dean Greer and Carole Macomber assisted by Claire Adams.
Page 11: Left-hand photo: Andrée Lanthier. Pal Joey (2004) with music by
Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart and book by John O’Hara produced
by the Shaw Festival. Directed by Alisa Palmer with choreography by Amy
Wright with an Equity member performing ensemble. Stage managed by
Alison Peddie assisted by Christine Oakey and Barry Burns. Right-hand
photo: David Cooper. The Drowsy Chaperone (2008) by Bob Martin
& Don McKellar with music & lyrics by Lisa Lambert & Greg Morrison
produced by the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company. Directed by
Max Reimer with choreography by Dayna Tekatch with an Equity member
performing ensemble. Stage managed by Jan Hodgson assisted by Peter
Jotkus and Susan Miyagishima (apprentice).
Page 13: Photo: Amanda Kind. Cats (2006) based on “Old Possum’s
Book of Practical Cats” by T.S. Eliot with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
produced by Drayton Entertainment. Directed by Dave Campbell with
choreography by Gino Berti. Cast: Christy Adamson, Tessa Alves, Halley
Brent, Jean-Luke Coté, Michelle DiGioacchino, Michael Donald, Michel
Faigaux, Ashley Fenster, Mike Jackson, Sheila Kaminski, Neesa Kenemy,
Michel LaFlèche, Fred Love, Lorena Mackenzie, Janet Martin, Todd Noel,
Kelly Robertson and Natalie Sebastian. Stage managed by Alan Card
assisted by Niki Poirier with an Equity member performing ensemble.
Page 14: Photo: Joan Marcus. Jersey Boys (2009) by Marshall Brickman &
Rick Elice with music by Bob Gaudio and lyrics by Bob Crewe produced by
Dancap Productions Inc. Directed by Des McAnuff with choreography by
Sergio Trujillo and fight direction by Steve Rankin. Cast: Gabriel Antonacci,
Matthew Brown, Matt Cassidy, Jennifer Copping, Jade Elliott, Élodie Gillett,
Bryan Hindle, Victoria Lamond, Michael Lomenda, Aaron MacKenzie,
Jeff Madden, Adrian Marchuk, W. J. Matheson, Alison Smyth, Grant
Tilly, Timothy Sell, Daniel Robert Sullivan, Quinn VanAntwerp and Shawn
Wright. Stage managed by Zeph Williams assisted by Melanie Klodt.
Page 16: Photo: Michael Cooper courtesy of the Stratford
Shakespeare Festival Archives.
Page 17: Photo of Neil Munro by David Cooper courtesy of the Shaw
Festival. Photo of Sylvia Lennick and Johnny Wayne by Norman
Chamberlin courtesy of CBC Still Photo Collection.
Page 19: Photo: Cylla Van Tiedemann. Dirty Dancing (2008) by Eleanor
Bergstein produced by David Mirvish. Directed by James Powell with
original choreography by Kate Champion. Choreography by Sarah
Bowden and fight direction by Joe Bostick. Resident Director was Timothy
French with an Equity member performing ensemble. Production stage
managed by John Gray and stage managed by Chris Porter and Liliane
Stilwell assisted by Kathleen Harrison and Lisa Humber (apprentice.)
Page 21: Photos: Jen Andrew.
4 E quity Q uarterlyWi n ter 2 0 1 0
EQ Moves
Onward and upward with the arts
Donna Soares in BIOBOXES, a collection of one-person shows for one-person audiences that take place in an intimate theatre: a box worn on the
actors’ shoulders. BIOBOXES was originally co-produced by Theatre Replacement and the High Performance Rodeo
Toronto-based puppeteer and designer Ronnie Burkett has been
selected as the recipient of the 2009 Elinore & Lou Siminovitch
Prize in Theatre – the largest theatre award in the country – for his
design work. Ronnie received a cheque for $75,000 and selected
Clea Minaker as his protégé to receive $25,000.
Theatre director and actor Brendan Healy has been named Artistic
Director of Toronto’s Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, which is
dedicated to the promotion of gay, lesbian and queer theatrical
expression.
Mary Vingoe won the 2009 Portia White Prize at the fourth Creative
Nova Scotia Awards Gala held in October in Yarmouth County.
Mary, an actor, director, playwright and founder of Eastern Front
and Ship’s Company theatres in Dartmouth and Parrsboro, received
$18,000 and named emerging playwright Natasha MacLellan of
Margaree as the recipient of the $7,000 Protégé Prize.
Former Port Coquitlam musical director and dance teacher Dolores
Kirkwood has been awarded the Order of British Columbia for her
contributions as one of Western Canada’s foremost experts on
ballet and musical theatre.
Performer and playwright Anusree Roy was awarded the 2009
RBC Emerging Artist Award by the Toronto Arts Foundation. The
award and its $7,500 cash prize are presented to an emerging
Toronto artist in celebration of current accomplishments and
future potential.
In the early fall, Equity Business Representative Dennis Lepsi and
Membership Coordinator Shanon Button left the Association to
w i n ter 2 0 1 0 move together to Montreal. We wish Dennis and Shanon success on
their new joint adventure. Michel Roberts, our former receptionist in
the National Office, has taken over the membership position.
Dwayne Stevenson, our new Business Representative in the National
Office, joined Equity in December. Dwayne started his career in
Saskatchewan as a firefighter before he came east to study in the
theatre program at Ryerson. After graduation, he was an apprentice
performer at the Stratford Festival before making a career shift to the
labour and communications fields. In other staffing news, Business
Representative Leigh Kerr has joined Equity on a permanent basis
and will continue her great work in the western region.
Equity gave out its annual recognition awards on November
30 in Toronto. Director and performer Martha Henry and
stage manager Nora Polley, both from Stratford, Ontario,
were honoured with Equity Life Memberships in recognition
of their distinguished careers in the performing arts. Actor
Barbara Gordon of Toronto was the recipient of the Larry
McCance Award for her outstanding contribution to the
Association and its membership, and premiere theatre,
opera and ballet designer Susan Benson of Stratford was
the recipient of an Honorary Membership in Equity. The
2009 Stage West – Equity Emerging Theatre Artist Award
winner was Donna Soares of Vancouver. This award
has a $2,000 prize and recognizes an Equity member of
three years or less who has already made a significant
contribution and impression as an artist. Visit EQUITYONLINE
to see photos from the Honours Awards evening.
E quity Q uarterly 5
D
E
due
L
L
E
C
CAN
L o o m i n g
B . C .
a r t s
f u n d i n g
c u t s
h u r t
By Lynn McQueen, Director of Communications,
Canadian Actors’ Equity Association
Truth be told, the “Spotlight” feature is my favou-
rite section in EQ. At the magazine’s inception, I nicknamed it the
“pretty pictures” pages – a dedicated space where Equity recognizes
innovation and creativity within its membership and unique people
and spaces across Canada. The content on these pages is always
upbeat and we try to illustrate it with beautiful and artistic images.
Executive Director Arden R. Ryshpan and I were excited to
hear that Hive 3 had been selected to be part of the 2010 Cultural Olympiad. I attended Hive 2 in Vancouver in 2008, and I
thought it was a project with inventive content and great photos
too, so you guessed it, the perfect Spotlight feature.
We drafted an article about the 12 Hive 3 companies working
on their different (and I mean vastly different – if 2008 was any
measure of what to expect) 10 to 15 minute performance pieces
all to be presented simultaneously in a large warehouse. The
article was intended to capture the creativity of the site-inspired,
installation-based theatre that had so originally inspired me.
But things changed.
Throughout the fall I watched in disbelief and increasing alarm
about the looming arts and culture funding cuts in British Columbia. Was a provincial government really going to cut 92% of its
funding over two years?
Funding virtually wiped out
By late fall, the human cost of the cuts became impossible to
ignore. B.C. Equity members peppered every exchange with tales
about cancelled projects, reduced seasons and jobs lost.
“Scary” is what Carole Higgins, Artistic & Managing Director
of Carousel Theatre in Vancouver called the situation. Carousel,
which produces theatre for young people, is still going ahead
with programming, but has had to put its 2010-2011 touring
season on hiatus. 2010 was supposed to be the third year of a
three-year funding grant they had received from the B.C Arts
Council. They usually received the funding by late July – but by
the fall it had still not been delivered. Then they received an email
telling them their grant had been denied.
Under pressure from arts groups, the B.C. government finally
announced it would uphold the multi-year grants, but if you were
not on a multi-year grant you were out of luck. As of December,
Carousel had still not seen the money. “And I don’t know what
will happen next year,” says Higgins. “We run our budgets so
tight to the wire. There is never any fat. Where do we cut?”
The Direct Access program, which was created to help notfor-profit charities and increase public access to the arts, was also
suddenly cut late in the year. Amir Ali Alibhai, executive director
of the Alliance for Arts and Culture, says their resource centre
is now in jeopardy and they are going to have to run a deficit.
He has also heard of galleries shutting their doors and theatre
companies cutting matinee school programs.
Alibhai says the government has not only devastated the arts
community with these cuts, it has broken a moral and social contract. Direct Access was funded by revenue from the B.C. Gaming Commission, which the not-for-profit and arts communities
were instrumental in helping to implement. But the government
has steadily been devoting less and less of the gaming revenue
for the arts.
On top of all this, The Globe and Mail revealed a “muzzle”
clause (my words) in the contracts of artists appearing in the
Cultural Olympiad. I have no idea if any of the Hive 3 companies
would have even mentioned, let alone impugned, the Olympic
6 E quity Q uarterlyWi n ter 2 0 1 0
to lack of funding
b o t h
a r t i s t s
a n d
t h e
Games or an Olympic sponsor – but this stipulation borders on
censorship and represents an unacceptable artistic stranglehold.
Suddenly, our decision to publish an upbeat Spotlight piece in
EQ felt wrong. This was not a time for pretty pictures, no matter how innovative or inspiring. This time, Spotlight needed to
shine a light (pardon the pun) on a different kind of story – the
dire situation our B.C. members were dealing with in the face of
drastic funding cuts.
The numbers get worse and worse
Although B.C. has the highest per capita number of artists in
the country, it has always lagged behind in per capita expenditure
on arts and culture – so what is happening now just makes a bad
situation even worse. The September 2009 B.C. Gaming Commission arts and culture funding cuts account for an 11% drop at best,
and a 26% drop at worst, between 2008/2009 and 2009/2010
funding. But it gets worse. Projections are for an 85% cut in next
year’s provincial budget and a 92% cut for the year after that.
These numbers come from the Alliance for Arts and Culture’s
detailed report entitled “Creativity Counts – The Case for Restoring Arts Funding in British Columbia,” which does an excellent
job of parsing out the cuts, both current and anticipated. The
Alliance has also attempted to clarify the confusion surrounding
government information released about funding, such as inconsistent numbers, changing funding sources and budget reductions. You can read the report at www.creativitycounts.ca.
Two facts seem undeniable in all of this. If the announced cuts
are approved in early 2010 – the professional arts community in
the not-for-profit sector will be devastated. And, given that B.C.
arts funding represents only 1/20th of 1% of the province’s total
w i n ter 2 0 1 0 p u bl i c
$40 billion budget, any potential savings will barely put a dent
in the existing deficit.
So why make these cuts? No one has a good answer. Calls to
B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell to rescind the cuts have so far
proven unsuccessful. In the face of platitudes about “fiscal responsibility,” could it really be that the government is looking anywhere
and everywhere to stem the ballooning Olympic deficit?
The planned cuts come in the face of a report issued in November 2009 by the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services that included a recommendation to “Make
funding of the arts a high priority in the 2010/2011 budget by
returning to overall funding levels of 2008/2009.”
A surprising benefit
If anything good can be seen from the crisis unfolding in B.C.
it’s how people have come together to let the government know
these funding cuts are not acceptable.
The Alliance for Arts and Culture has created a toolkit for the arts
community to use to deliver a strong common message to the government. (Please see www.allianceforarts.com and click on Advocacy.)
“The arts community has become united in a way never seen
before,” says Alibhai. “And we’ve learned that B.C. residents
value arts and culture.”
Even though we were unable to feature Hive 3 on these pages,
you can check out this amazing performance by 12 local Vancouver theatre companies at the 2010 Cultural Olympiad, which
starts on January 22 before the 2010 Winter Olympics get under
way, and continues through to the last competition in the Paralympic Games on March 21. Ticket information is available at
www.buzzbuzzbuzz.ca.
E quity Q uarterly 7
EQ&A
The joys of stage management
An EQ&A with Stage Manager John Gray
John Gray is a renowned playwright and performer. I am Equity’s other John Gray (known
as The John Gray.) I began as an apprentice assistant stage manager on Gyroscope at
the Tarragon Theatre three decades ago and most recently was the production stage
manager for The Sound of Music at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto.
“
One of the glories of theatre is that
it is fundamentally similar
over a vast array of circumstances.
EQ: How did you first get into stage
management?
JG: I wanted to be in lighting, was intrigued
by what light can do on a stage. To learn
more I went to the National Theatre School
and like all good theatre schools we had to
try all aspects of production. At one point I
was assigned to be an assistant stage manager (to Stage Manager Louise Guinand
who has gone on to be a first-rate lighting
designer) and I was immediately captivated
by what was happening in the rehearsal
hall. Lighting designers don’t spend a lot
of time in rehearsal halls so I changed my
focus (so to speak).
EQ: You work almost exclusively on large
scale long-run musicals. What is different
about this work than drama or short-run
theatre?
JG: One of the glories of theatre is that it is
fundamentally similar over a vast array of circumstances. The differences with large scale,
long-runs include the scope of resources –
you need an awareness of a much broader
range of potential problems (mostly technical
and scheduling) and how to prioritize them.
For instance, in dramatic theatre there is usu-
ally one rehearsal space, in big musicals there
are usually three in use at a time. The other
big difference is that on short-runs small
problems remain small so part of the skill is
assessing which can be pushed away, but
on long-runs problems grow until they are
addressed and none can be pushed away.
EQ: How do you keep your interest and
enthusiasm up over a long-running show?
JG: For stage managers on big shows
there is a surprising variety in our day’s
work. On an ideal day I will come to the
theatre, chat to some people, watch them
exercise their craft and then leave. No
day is like that and each day is different.
When my spirits flag (and everyone’s do
at some point) I depend on others. When
I lose the joy it is only for a day or two –
someone does something astonishing and
I am back.
”
is going on which can then be communicated to the PSM.
EQ: How has your job changed over the
years, especially with evolving theatre
technology?
JG: The biggest change is the speed at
which things happen. In rehearsals for
big shows I often rename the SM team
as the “rapid response team” because
when directors/choreographers come up
with ideas the consequences can entail
major reconfigurations of the space and
the schedule. For this reason planning
has become more crucial in keeping the
scrambles manageable.
EQ: What is your favourite/least favourite
part of the job?
JG: I love solving problems with others,
but some solutions depend on the flexibility and goodwill of people and the lack of
that can be wearying.
EQ: What do you see as the difference
between a production stage manager
(PSM) and a stage manager (SM)?
EQ: Any advice for stage managers just
starting out?
JG: For me the key skills of a PSM are
working in multiple time frames anticipating events; accurately assessing the
nature and scope of challenges/problems;
and having a dexterity in enlisting people
for solutions. The SM focus is precision
of execution and an awareness of what
JG: Say “yes.” There are so many events
going on all the time, many small, short (or
very short) duration, seemingly obscure,
not always in a theatre. But you never
know whom you will meet and what you
will learn. Participating is a big part of
being a stage manager.
8 E quity Q uarterlyWi n ter 2 0 1 0
EQ Voices
There we were in the audience...
By Rick Roberts
I think the tone and shape of our piece, a barely contained chaos,
has a lot to do with the fact that Melody and I were learning on
the fly. She and I running off in all directions; Allen pulling us back
on course. But not all the way on course.
A musical is more than just a play with songs. Some people will
come to see a musical even when they won’t see a play. It can
be pleasurable to see a person slipping or breaking naturally into
song. But sometimes a song bursts clumsily onto the scene. Even
people who like musicals don’t like it when this happens. To avoid
this requires hours, days, and often years of work. It involves a lot
of lying on the couch, and staring at the ceiling. It involves a lot of
pacing around, and muttering to yourself. This makes it embarrassing when people ask, “What did you do today?”
You want a song: one that flows inevitably, seamlessly out of
a scene; the natural culmination of an emotion, that moves the
Mimi, a musical I co-created with Allen Cole and Melody story forward, that rhymes, is structured, whose stressed words
Johnson, opened at the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto this September; and syllables fall on the appropriate beats, whose mood supports
the culmination of I don’t know how many years of work. I really the lyric and vice versa; one that is appropriate to a character,
don’t know. I’ve lost count. So have Melody and Allen. We had (played by an actor of a certain disposition, age, gender and vocal
been writing sporadically, over many years and many drafts, finding range), follows the rules of grammar and, above all (and harder
impossible time between work and kids. Those rare moments when than you think to accomplish) makes sense.
Sometimes you are so relieved to find an inventive rhyme after
we were all unemployed in the same city at the same time.
days of pacing the floor and lying on the couch, staring at things,
We spent many hours freezing (and laughing) in the office that
etc. that you try not to care that what you’ve written is a kind of
adjoins the Far Space rehearsal hall at the Tarragon Theatre, where
rhyming rhythmic gibberish.
some electrical anomaly forces you
In a musical comedy, the song
Trish Lindström and Ron Pederson in
to choose between plugging in
should
also be funny.
Mimi at the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto
the space heater and plugging in
There is not an inch of the Tarthe laptop. Over time we asked
ragon Theatre that we did not
ourselves, and to some degree
use over the years. We wrote in
answered: What kind of play has
that little office. We sat around all
people express themselves in songs?
the pianos. We workshopped and
What songs do they sing? How do
rehearsed in all available spaces.
these people speak when they’re
Notes in Richard Rose’s office,
not singing? What is the leaping off
conversations in all the green
point, when they stop speaking and
rooms. Many songs that never
start singing? How many people are
made the show still echo through
singing in any given song? Etc.
her hallowed halls.
Melody and I were in charge of
And finally in September there
the book. Allen was in charge of
we were in the audience.
the music. We all pitched in on the
lyrics. Often though, Melody and
Rick Roberts lives in Toronto. He
I turned to Allen for guidance in
can currently be seen in Crash and
shaping the story. Allen Cole is a
Burn on Showcase. He’ll always
very experienced creator of musibe trying to write something.
cal theatre.
w i n ter 2 0 1 0 E quity Q uarterly 9
Mu s i c al
t h eatre
arti s t s
refle c t
on
the
g e n re ’ s
Can’t stop the
The musical that changed everything. It ran in Toronto for five years, it’s estimated that over 40 million people have seen it, and it has grossed over
$2 billion. (left to right) Mary Ellen Mahoney, Louise Pitre and Gabrielle Jones are Dancing Queens in the Toronto production of Mamma Mia!
By Matthew Hays
Adam Brazier
still remembers
the phone call from his agent. The actor had been sent the script
for Mamma Mia!, then a new musical, and he’d read it. His agent
told him Brazier had been offered a decent role in the show.
“No way,” Brazier said. And then he followed up with his
assessment of the long-term prognosis for a romantic comedy of
errors wrapped around a bunch of hit ABBA songs: “This show is
going to close at intermission.”
His agent immediately quoted what they were offering Brazier
in pay to take the role. “I’ll do it,” he responded, without pause.
It’s a funny actor’s anecdote, but it’s also a telling one, reflecting the complex combination of emotions actors, directors and
others involved in the theatre have towards musical theatre.
People love the form (when it’s done well), but dislike many of
the commercial aspects that go with it (while fully understanding
that many of those are inevitable). They appreciate the producers’
investment in costly, risky musical theatre ventures (while wishing they’d diversify a bit more), and love that audiences rush to
musicals (though they also wish audiences would become a bit
more refined and broaden their tastes).
10 E quity Q uarterlyWi n ter 2 0 1 0
ev o luti o n
and
future
in
Ca n a d a
music
Above: Adam Brazier and Laurie Paton belt out a tune from the Shaw
Festival’s 2004 production of Pal Joey with music by Richard Rodgers
and lyrics by Lorenz Hart
Right: A Canadian musical hits the stage. Thom Allison and Gabrielle
Jones in the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company’s 2008 production of
The Drowsy Chaperone, directed by Max Reimer
Sound intricate? It is. Musical theatre evokes some of the most
contradictory responses of any kind of live performance. People
tend to denigrate it, while audiences flock to it. Theatre types
often look down on it, but theatre companies do put on musicals,
knowing full well that they are the cash cows.
Casting a spell on the audience
However complex the responses to musicals are, there is one
constant among the performers and directors interviewed: their
overwhelming passion for the form. “When words aren’t enough,
w i n ter 2 0 1 0 E quity Q uarterly 11
Mu s i c al
t h eatre
arti s t s
there’s music,” says Thom Allison, one of the busiest stage-musical
actors in the country, now appearing in the touring production of
The Drowsy Chaperone. “I love non-musical plays too, of course,
but for me, musicals are more satisfying. There’s that joy that
comes from the music as well as the story. It’s like a spell – you
can see the audience getting filled up with something different.”
Louise Pitre, Tony-nominated star of such musicals as Mamma
Mia!, Annie Get Your Gun, Blood Brothers and most recently The
Toxic Avenger, echoes this sentiment: “Musicals are a lot of hard
work – you’re using your voice and performing. In Toxic Avenger
I have two different roles, am singing rock and roll and there’s lots
of confrontation. But the rewards are incredible – I love the sense
of taking that bow before an audience who has really appreciated
what you’ve done. I like to work really hard and then feel that
reward during curtain call.”
Max Reimer, veteran director of musicals who is now artistic managing director of the Vancouver Playhouse, says musical
theatre holds the possibility of creating a unique frisson, due to
the connection between actor, musician, producer, director and
audience. “When a number or show is great, you feel you’re
connecting with the audience. They are audibly gasping or clapping. You can hear them, they can hear you. It becomes a social
experience, as well as a cultural one.”
For all the excitement musicals can generate, those behind the
musical theatre productions concede there are real roadblocks in
putting them on. Number one problem – the money factor. “The
costs are prohibitive,” says Pitre. “They are really expensive, and
it requires that theatres must take a chance on a new work. Everybody’s a bit gun shy, especially now with the recession.”
“Increasingly, people expect more special effects on stage,”
adds Valerie Easton, a performer and director who is choreographer for Vancouver’s Arts Club. “It’s distressing, because special
effects are getting more and more expensive, and yet they don’t
necessarily make for a good musical.”
The anti-musical sentiment
And musicals also face a far-reaching, pervasive attitude problem.
For all their appeal, musicals are often looked down upon, seen as
fluffy ways for producers to rake in some cash.
When Brazier first found himself getting cast in more and more
musicals, he recalls that “I fought it. My anti-musical sentiment
dates back to performing arts high school in Stratford, where
musical theatre falls somewhere between mime and juggling.
There’s a terribly condescending attitude towards musicals. Yes,
they make money, but they are also begrudged for that. When
Stratford began doing musicals on their main stage, some were
refle c t
on
the
g e n re ’ s
up in arms about it. And I’ll never forget one theatre critic at a
national newspaper – who shall remain nameless – who began her
review of a musical by stating that she hated musicals.”
Canadian theatre companies are in a quandary, Allison points
out. On the one hand, you need money to make great big musicals – and that’s something the vast majority of Canadian theatre
companies don’t have. “It’s still something that happens mainly in
the U.S. and U.K., where they’ve perfected it. But I’ve no doubt
it’s a high art form. If Shakespeare were alive today, he’d love the
musical, and I bet he’d be writing them.”
Allison and Brazier also point to the fact that in a country where
virtually all forms of culture receive some form of government
subsidy, there are no specific government grants set aside for
developing musicals. “It’s just another indication of the attitude
towards musicals,” notes Brazier.
Ted Dykstra, who has directed a number of pantos – musical
comedies usually presented during the holiday season – likens
attitudes towards musicals on stage to the attitudes towards
comedy in film. “When does a comic actor win an Oscar? People
like to see effort, they like to see that something’s hard. Comic
performances, if they’re good, look effortless. It’s a compliment
to the cast, but good comedies and musicals require an incredible
amount of work.”
The Mamma Mia! phenomenon
In the 1980s and most of the ’90s, musicals were performed sporadically in Canada, with the occasional success story emerging,
like Billy Bishop Goes to War. But all that changed with a phenomenon that began in Britain and found its way to Toronto. In
’99, Judy Craymer would produce Mamma Mia!, the romantic
comedy musical inspired by the pop songs of Swedish pop group
ABBA. An instant hit in London’s West End, the show spawned
subsequent productions in Toronto, Sydney, New York and on
tour. It is now estimated that more than 40 million people have
seen Mamma Mia! and it has grossed over $2 billion.
The results were great for Craymer (the show’s story is set in
Greece, and she was ultimately able to buy a Greek island of her
own with part of her earnings.) But the epic success of Mamma
Mia! led to the meteoric rise of the so-called jukebox musical, in
which the works of groups and artists like Queen (We Will Rock
You), John Lennon (Lennon) and The Beach Boys (Good Vibrations), were transformed into big-budget musicals.
And that has led to what Brazier sees as a bandwagon effect –
something he argues has been detrimental to Canadian musical
theatre. “The jukebox musicals are a double-edged sword. They
make lots of money and perhaps they bring people into the the-
12 E quity Q uarterlyWi n ter 2 0 1 0
ev o luti o n
and
future
in
Ca n a d a
Cats purred its way into the theatre scene in the 1980s. The ensemble of Cats performs the
Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat scene from the 2007 production by Drayton Entertainment
atres who wouldn’t otherwise come. My parents, for example
– they first went to the theatre to see great big musicals, and
then that led them to see other kinds of shows. But the producers tend to just want to play it safe, so they’re only investing in
either jukebox musicals or musicals based on popular movies,
like Hairspray.
“I think artists need to take the initiative. I think we need to
start demanding better work from our producers. We need to see
some musicals done that are not based on popular movies or the
music of Rush.”
Reimer says he sees something of a good side to the jukebox
musicals. “It used to be that musicals were only done in a couple
of places in Canada, like the Charlottetown Festival, back in the
’80s. Now musicals are done in far more places, and that has
created more opportunities for performers. Cycles come and go.
After Cats became so big in the ’80s in Toronto, I had many more
people coming to auditions as a result of that.”
Evolution of the musical
“Even though it has less name recognition than something like
The Sound of Music, I wanted to put it on here. We had amazing
success with it. It was so great to put on a Canadian show that
the audiences took to so strongly. I really hope that there are
more musicals like it.”
With that, Reimer notes that the Playhouse and Theatre Calgary
will be co-producing a production of Beyond Eden, an entirely
new musical based on an aboriginal storyline. “I feel really good
about the musical. There are constant shifts and trends in what
people want to see and what’s out there. What’s outside the box
this year will be inside the box the next.”
For his part, Brazier is banding together with a number of other
performers, including Pitre and Brent Carver, who are going to
start working on creating alliances with producers, directors and
other performers who wish to push the form of musical theatre
forward. “The musical theatre is too important to be allowed to
be so constrained formally,” he says.
Brazier makes the statement with such strength, force, passion
and conviction, I can feel a song coming on.
Reimer says the current trend in cities outside of Toronto (like
Vancouver), is for revival musicals like Oklahoma or The Sound
of Music. He is happy he took on the grass-roots Canadian theatre success story The Drowsy Chaperone, which went from
Toronto Fringe Festival hit to Mirvish stage to Broadway, where
it won five Tony Awards.
Matthew Hays is a Montreal-based writer whose work has
appeared in The Montreal Mirror, The Globe and Mail, The New
York Times, The Daily Beast, The Guardian, The Canadian Theatre
Review and The Advocate. He teaches courses in film studies and
journalism at Concordia University.
w i n ter 2 0 1 0 E quity Q uarterly 13
T h e
m ulti - r o le
u n d er s tu d ie s
w h o
e n s ure
Swinging on to the
By Barb Farwell
S o m eti m e s y o u s ee
them, sometimes you don’t. You might not even know they are there. But if
it weren’t for “swings” – many musicals would not be able to go
on night after night.
Swings are performers contracted to understudy more than one
role and step in at a moment’s notice to cover a sick or vacationing performer. They come to the theatre every day not knowing if
they will be on stage, and what role or roles (multiple roles played
by one performer are usually referred to as a “track”) or part of
a role they will be performing.
“It’s like you are constantly studying for the same test,” says
Stephen Cota, who was responsible for eight roles last summer
in the Stratford Shakespeare Festival’s production of West Side
Story. “To prepare, you always need to stay up to date with
your notes.”
Cota, who played four Sharks and four Jets in the production,
can’t remember how many times he had to go on stage during
the five-month run, “but it was a lot. I think the longest time I
went without being on stage was two weeks.”
He even had to go on one night in two different roles. He
started off filling in for one of the Sharks and then another got
hurt during the prologue. “So for the rest of the show I flipped
back and forth between roles.”
Taking great notes
To rehearse all his roles, Cota says he concentrated on the choreography first, then the dialogue, then the specific blocking. “So
scene
pretty much straight memorization – and I took great notes. I
made separate binders for each track I covered.”
Marcia Tratt still has the binders she used to painstakingly map
out the eight tracks she covered for two years as a swing in the
1995 Walt Disney Theatrical production of Beauty and the Beast
in Toronto. “It really was a huge job – sorting out the comings and
goings and positions of who was where and when,” says Tratt.
Beauty and the Beast had six swings. All the swings danced and
sang, but two male and two female swings covered the big dance
numbers and one male and one female swing covered the bigger
singing roles. Rehearsals were held in New York City, and as the
female singing swing, Tratt brought a hand-held tape recorder to
the rehearsals so she could tape and learn all the different individual vocal parts for her eight tracks. Happily, Tratt found out
she only had one vocal chorus part to learn no matter what track
she was covering – plus any specific solo lines.
While Tratt said she largely learned her multiple roles through
“osmosis” by watching rehearsals, the swings all got the chance
to run through the material when the understudies were being
rehearsed. They also filled in at rehearsals when performers had
to be away for costume and wig fittings.
At the beginning of the run no one was getting sick and Tratt didn’t
have to perform much. But as the months flew by it was natural that
more people needed a sick day or took time off and Tratt ended up on
stage at least half of the time during her two years on Beauty. “You
get used to it,” she says. “It’s your job to be ready. And if someone
says they are starting to feel sick you prepare for that role.”
14 E quity Q uarterlyWi n ter 2 0 1 0
t h e
m u s i c al
g o e s
o n
When the swings weren’t performing in Beauty and the Beast
they stayed backstage in a sound-proof booth and sang along
with the chorus. While that might not be the norm, swings usually
do stay for the entire performance in case something happens to
a cast member during the show.
Ready to go on
Matt Cassidy stays at the theatre every night as a swing for five
tracks (including one lead role) in Toronto’s current Dancap Production of Jersey Boys. Unless there is a scheduled day off for
one of his tracks he doesn’t know if he will be needed on stage
– but not knowing whether he will go on or not doesn’t make
him anxious. “My job is to be ready to go and maybe not go on.
That’s what I signed up for,” he says.
To mentally prepare, Cassidy makes extensive notes. “I have a
full set of notes that details each piece of direction and stage movement that each role is responsible for, as well as character details. I
“
though, and is thrilled when he hears about friends just happening to be in the audience when he plays his lead role.
A chain reaction
Although Cassidy is covering a lead, swings are often part of a
chain reaction that happens when a lead performer is away. The
understudy for the lead leaves his or her other role to fill in for the
lead, and the swing (or other understudy) fills in that track. For
example, Cota was an understudy for a lead while playing many
smaller roles as part of the chorus for A Funny Thing Happened on
the Way to the Forum last summer at Stratford. If he had to step
in to play the lead character of Miles Gloriosus, a swing would
cover his track. Depending on the complexity of the casting, one
cast change can domino through three or four other performers.
Tratt was the understudy for Fantine in the 1989 production of
Les Misérables in Toronto and says it was very different from being
a swing. The benefit is that you are part of the show every night
It’s like you are constantly studying for the same test.
To prepare, you always need to stay up to date with your notes.
have reduced these notes to ‘running notes’
on cue cards that I carry with me during the
show in case I need to remind myself of
where I need to be next.”
The swing is not supposed to mimic how
the other cast member does the role, but
he’s not supposed to put his own spin on it
either, says Cassidy. “It’s my job to perform
the role the way that it was directed. Each
actor puts their own stamp on the performance by simply being an individual and
being in the moment. It’s the goal of every
actor to convince the audience that they
are really living the role.”
Being a swing keeps him on his toes –
especially by playing parts that he would
normally never be cast in. “It stretches you
as an actor and you have to find a way to
make the role work for you.”
Cassidy also says it’s fun to see the looks
he gets from fellow actors when he is performing a track and they see him on stage
for the first time in that performance. He
would love to be on stage every night
”
in the chorus, but the pressure can be more
intense, she says.
Tratt even spent her own money on a vocal
coach to work on the role of Fantine. “When you
understudy a big lead you want to be ready to
go on and do as well – or better,” she laughs.
Even though Tratt never took on the position of swing again after Beauty, she remembers how hard she worked and how it made
a huge difference to the show by having performers ready to step in and cover positions
when people were away.
Anyone who has ever been a swing can
probably agree that it’s not for everybody,
however. Besides being able to sing, dance
and act, you need to be thick-skinned, confident and organized, says Cassidy. “A swing is
the back-up goalie of musical theatre, people
don’t always recognize the work that we do
in order to be prepared to step into the show
at any given moment.”
“You have to think fast on your feet,” adds
Tratt. “But that is part of the excitement of
live theatre.”
previous page: The show must go on. Big musicals like the Toronto Dancap Production of Jersey Boys use swings to cover when performers like (l to r)
Quinn VanAntwerp as Bob Gaudio, Jeff Madden as Frankie Valli, Daniel Robert Sullivan as Tommy Devito and Michael Lomenda as Nick Massi are away
This page: Marcia Tratt wore her Flower Vase costume no matter which Beauty and the Beast track she covered. It was hard enough learning how to
walk in this form-fitting dress without having to switch to the unwieldy Sugar Bowl outfit
w i n ter 2 0 1 0 E quity Q uarterly 15
Fondly Remembered
Douglas Campbell 1922 - 2009
By R.H. Thomson
Douglas Campbell as Falstaff in the Stratford Shakespeare Festival’s
2001 production of Henry IV, Part II
When one of the “greats” dies, I feel that one of the tall trees
has fallen. I feel there is less holding up the sky as I stumble on
my way below. The forest seems thinner and my responsibility
even greater. I do feel lonelier without Douglas Campbell on the
planet, but his death was different. He was not the towering fir or
ancient oak. Douglas was the lion in the forest. I think I still hear
his growl, his roar. It’s hard to imagine the deep woods without
him. Throughout my career his voice was present, either real or
imagined; challenging me; encouraging me; provoking me but
always summoning me.
Tissue and blood, bone and brain, soul and spirit, Douglas was
a theatre actor. The pores of his skin spoke theatre. His mentors
from the 19th century prepared him, he acted his theatre in the
20th century and I hope he influences our theatre in the 21st
century. Cameras be damned – the art of the theatre is too good,
too exciting, too visceral, too vital to ever, ever be abandoned.
Brought to Canada by Tyrone Guthrie for the wildly imagined
Stratford experiment, Douglas transplanted deep theatrical roots.
His theatre was anchored in language. His head was present but
his heart prevailed. He was forever a people’s actor wanting to create theatre for all – a beer at the Legion Hall was more comfortable
than a martini at the King Edward. The winter tour of The Canadian Players was his testament to the country and the people he
wanted to be adopted by. On both theatrical and political stages
he championed the common man, everyday Canadians. The burr
under his skin was often uncomfortable for those in authority, but
the burr was the irritation of an unrelenting conscience.
Douglas championed young actors and young companies. He
knew they were his beloved theatre’s future. How many of us
fell under his lion’s eye as we ventured out with wobbly legs
on stage with him for the first time? No doubt he saw through
me, overacting my young lungs out, yet he was forever gracious
in his “suggestions.” If only I had heeded what I thought were
dusty lessons about “the voice” I might be better placed to ride
the challenges of oak-ribbed texts. Regretfully my fixation with
being a modern actor, a style skinned with a sheen of realism,
kept me from accepting the wisdoms that lay within the lion’s
voice... until now.
Two years ago I watched him with an acting class at Ryerson.
His presence alone willed them to taste the blood of theatre. I
wanted him to frighten them alive. I wanted them to experience
the roar that can exist even at the end of an actor’s time, a roar
daring them to commit deeply, commit for life.
His voice rumbled in the forest to the end. It did not falter nor
its fire subside. Comfortable and quiet were not for him. I pray
they will not be for me.
I hear him still.
16 E quity Q uarterlyWi n ter 2 0 1 0
Neil Munro
1947 - 2009
Sylvia Lennick
1915 – 2009
By Christopher Newton
By Peggy Mahon
Like the Highland landscape
of his native Scotland, Neil
Munro’s theatrical life
seemed to range from
astonishing peaks to gloomy
valleys. The conventional,
the comfortable, the ordinary were always rejected
in favour of their opposites.
It’s what I looked forward
to, sometimes a little nervously, in his work both as
an actor and a director.
Thank goodness he made some films. Students of our period
of theatrical history will be able to guess at his qualities as an
actor but even though Beethoven Lives Upstairs won awards, our
future students will never experience the shock of Neil’s Billy the
Kid in John Wood’s magical production or his disconcerting Hamlet. Neil did one year at Stratford and then was dropped. I was in
the company at the time. I couldn’t believe it. He was obviously
so good. Lucky for me because I could ask him to join our little
company when I founded Theatre Calgary. He had real talent.
He could talk to you on stage. He was truthful. He explored. He
listened. He could take an audience with him on a journey.
I asked him to join us as resident director at The Shaw because
I wanted him to challenge and question what we were doing. He
did. And he gave us the Granville Barker series including Waste,
the production that encapsulated everything I wished for the Festival: a great play that no one had ever seen, a superb cast, beautiful
design. Something remarkable happened every night because of
Neil’s vision. And that was not the only great production. Counsellor-at-Law, All My Sons, The Circle – all created magic.
Neil Munro was an irascible, loving, loyal human being and –
make no mistake about it – a great artist.
He found this quote from J.B. Priestley when he was doing You
Can’t Take It With You. I stole the piece of paper from the call
board. I think it’s appropriate.
“It’s hard to avoid melancholy cadences in any account of work
in the theatre. We forget not only the failures but also the successes, and many of the plays themselves have vanished. It’s all
going, going, gone: a lift of a voice, a gesture, a look, that were
things of beauty in their time. So I cling to my belief that somewhere down the fourth dimension, everything still exists: that lift
of voice, that gesture, that look, they are still there.”
Sylvia Lennick was more than a very funny lady. For many years
she was the leading lady on the Wayne and Shuster television
series, and in May 1958 gained international fame by delivering the line “I told him, ‘Julie don’t go!’” in a Wayne and Shuster sketch on The Ed Sullivan Show. It was then that I, along
with most Canadians, saw her for the first time, and that phrase
instantly became part of my vocabulary.
But Sylvia was so much more than a “one-line sensation.”
Her many television credits include The Adventures of Tugboat
Annie, Cannonball, and The Trouble with Tracey. But her real
love was the theatre. She and husband Ben were part of the leftwing troupe, The Theatre of Action, in the late 1930s. In the mid
1940s they began The Belmont Theatre Company, and in the
late 40s they became regulars on the Wayne and Shuster radio
show and continued on when the show made the transition to
television. They resurrected The Belmont Theatre Company in the
1960s because they were determined to help build the Canadian
entertainment industry.
Sylvia worked in theatres across Canada and the U.S. well
into her 80s in leading roles that would defeat actors who were
decades younger. She never revealed her real age, and why
should she – she never looked it!
Sylvia and Ben were among the founders of ACTRA and were
awarded the Bunny Cowan Award for their volunteer work. Sylvia
balanced serving on numerous committees with professional performance commitments and with raising a family of three children.
Sylvia never ceased to be a fierce supporter of the arts and proud
mother of her children. She was writing her memoirs when I last
saw her, about one month before she died. She was a pioneer and
major participant for 70 years in the development of our industry
in Canada. She was an inspiration for me, and I miss her.
w i n ter 2 0 1 0 Sylvia Lennick with Johnny Wayne in the Wayne and Shuster comedy
troupe sketch entitled Rinse the Blood off My Toga
E quity Q uarterly 17
EQ Lives
Celebrating our off-stage moments
Births
Paul Rivers and Gillian Stovel Rivers are very pleased to
announce the birth of their second son, Benjamin Gray Callum Rivers, who arrived on the ninth day of the ninth month
of 2009. Big brother Samuel and cats Franklin and Charley
are also delighted to welcome Benjamin to the family.
Engagements
On May 23, 2009, on the shores of Indian Lake near
Chaffey’s Lock, Ontario, Equity member David Frisch
asked Kim Narraway to marry him, and she said “Yes.” Well, actually, having kept the proposal a complete surprise,
Kim said, “What?!” (She said it four times before saying
“Yes!”) The couple met in May 2006. Nuptials, and probably a wedding too, are expected in August 2010.
Weddings
Alberta-based stage manager Shannon Macelli is excited
to announce her marriage to long-time partner Allen Fossheim. The couple wed on December 2, 2009, at Tulum in the
Mayan Riviera in Mexico. They will be hosting a reception in
Allen’s hometown of Edson, Alberta, in the spring of 2010.
Equity members Kristie Marsden and Jeffrey Victor
tied the knot in Vancouver on August 18, 2009. Surrounded by friends and family, they wed and celebrated
at the Brock House on Jericho Beach, exactly four years to
the date they met!
18 E quity Q uarterlyWi n ter 2 0 1 0
EQ Backstage
Jake Simons as Johnny and
Julie Hay as Penny in the
Toronto production of Dirty
Dancing. Lots of lifting and
dancing in high heels could mean
trouble for performers if they
don’t strengthen and warm up
their muscles
Musicals have a minefield
of dangers – so protect your body
They make it look so effortless and easy, but today’s musical performers are actually dodging a minefield of dangers on the stage, so it’s critical for
them to learn how to protect their body.
“I have seen a lot of injuries that could have been prevented,” says Ginette
Hamel, a physiotherapist at the Artists’ Health Centre in Toronto who has
worked with performers in big stage productions such as Dirty Dancing, A
Chorus Line and Jersey Boys, as well as dancers from the National Ballet of
Canada. “My job as a physiotherapist is to help performers do their job as
safely as possible.”
Performers can hurt themselves everywhere from head to toe – with achilles
tendon damage and bunions as common complaints in musicals where dancers
need to jump and turn around wearing shoes with heels as high as three-inches.
“These shoes are not necessarily what’s best for their feet, but are needed for
the look of the character,” says Hamel. “So the dancers need to stretch their
calves and remember not to wear high heels when they go home.”
Costumes can also be a big factor in injuries. Physiotherapists have worked
with costume designers to adjust pieces of clothing like large wigs and heavy
hats that could hurt performers’ necks.
If she has the chance, Hamel likes to watch the show so she can help the
performers avoid problems before they turn into injuries. “I help them come up
with strategies to keep themselves healthy. We can’t change the choreography
– so we need to work around it.”
For example, men might not have to deal with three-inch heels, but they may have to lift their dancing partner up into the air. “I help them strengthen their upper body and their knees. If there is a lot
of jumping involved in their role they could get tendonitis,” says Hamel.
In long runs where performers can overwork their bodies it’s especially important for them to have
a support system of professionals they can see on a regular basis – such as massage therapists, physiotherapists and chiropractors, says Hamel. Performers also need to learn to listen to their bodies.
“Listen to your aches and pains. Pain is telling you something is wrong. If it goes away you are okay,
but if it stays a few days that means there is something going on.”
Hamel, who worked in sports physiotherapy with elite athletes before focusing on performers, says
she is always thinking of the worse-case scenario when she works with an injured performer. “If they
go on will they damage something? Nothing is worth a tear in a muscle – it could be career ending.”
As for the old saying “the show must go on” – “Actors know how to be careful. Most of the time
they’ll listen. Stage managers are good too. If I tell them someone can’t go on, they’ll find a replacement. Most big shows have swings they can use to fill in.”
Ginette’s top tips to protect your body:
1. Warm-up – It’s critical to get your body warmed up before you go on stage.
2. Deep core work – Don’t forget to work your “trunk” – your abdominal and back muscles.
3. Stretch after the show – Most performers just want to take their make-up off and go home, but
your muscles are warm so it’s a good time to stretch.
Ginette Hamel has worked as a physiotherapist for almost 25 years and has spent the last 10 treating
dancers, actors and musicians of all types in the clinic setting, backstage and on movie sets. To learn
more about her approach for injury prevention visit www.stabilitywithmobility.com
w i n ter 2 0 1 0 E quity Q uarterly 19
EQ Classifieds
AUDITION?
Insightful, Helpful, Creative COACHING for
your Stage or On-Camera Audition.
Monologue or Scene, preparation or polish.
30 years experience as an Actor on Stage and
Screen, Director, Teacher and Coach.
Stewart Arnott 416-466-6231
Friendly Coaching with Barbara
Gordon will help you choose a monologue
or gear up for an audition. With 30 years of
experience in theatres across Canada, film and
television. Barbara can lend an impartial eye
and ear to help you clarify your thinking and
boost your confidence. 416-535-0058
pirate voice
You’ve played a mad king, but have you
played an angry tomato?
Commercial voice-over work is a lot harder
than it sounds. Why not get the professional
instruction and one-on-one vocal training you
need to turn auditions into gigs. Sign up for
a pirate voice class or private coaching with
top voice actor and Equity member Tracey
Hoyt. Go to www.piratevoice.com or call
416-594-4357 today.
Carte-Blanche photo – Headshots
In need of a new headshot?
Professional headshots in Toronto
• In studio or on location.
• Professional make-up artist.
• Final images prepared for both traditional
and electronic submission packages.
Contact: [email protected].
647-284-9925 www.carte-blanchephoto.com
Created & Directed by Winston Morgan
Co-Directed by Janelle Rainville
Equity is a key S.M.Arts sponsor as
part of the Association’s professional
development mandate.
Hosted by Ryerson Theatre School
44 Gerrard Street East
T.O.TIX – Toronto’s One-Stop Ticket Shop
Artists! Buy your discount tickets to theatre,
dance, opera, theatre & dining packages, comedy, music events and more in person at YongeDundas Square Tuesday - Saturday, 12 noon to
6:30 p.m. or online at totix.ca anytime.
Study Directing for the Theatre in
the Heart of the Nation’s Capital
The University of Ottawa’s Department of
Theatre offers two Graduate degrees:
MFA in Directing for the Theatre and
MA in Theatre Theory and Dramaturgy
Information: 613-562-5761
www.theatre.uOttawa.ca
14th Toronto Conference
February 25 - March 6, 2010
• 25 courses led by theatre professionals
• Masterclass in opera stage management
• A broad range of topics & genres
• A
n opportunity to network with
participants and instructors
Be part of the cultural policy
debate in Canada
Become a member of the Canadian
Conference of the Arts and strengthen
our collective voice in defending arts,
culture and heritage.
Members of Equity receive 50% off a
regular individual membership fee.
Please visit us at www.ccarts.ca
to read more about our work and the
benefits of membership.
This conference is for the student stage
manager who wants to know more about
their career choice; the apprentice stage
manager who wants to hone their skills;
and the experienced stage manager who is
looking for diversification within their field.
Registration Info
Single course fee: $35/course
10 or more courses: $30/course
Full conference pass: $500
To have a brochure mailed or emailed to
you please contact
[email protected].
Check out the website
www.stagemanagingthearts.ca
welcome NEW MEMBERS
Atlantic
Bill Wood
Jeffrey Bate Boerop
Vanessa Walton-Bone
B.C. / Yukon
Kevin Kraussler
Matt Fentiman
Almeera Jiwa
Melissa Oei
Gaelan Beatty
Aslam Husain
Mike Antonakos
Tracy McMahon
Chris Kalhoon
Kevan Ohtsji
Jeff Kaiser
Yvette Dudley-Neuman
Cheryl Swan
Tetsuro Shigematsu
Raelynne Gagnon
E. Ontario/Outaouais
Joyce El-Khoury
Luke Letourneau
Eastern Opera
Adrian Kramer
David Bonneville
Sybille Wilson
Manitoba & Nunavut
Michael Nathanson
Alexandra Frohlinger
Simon Miron
Alberta N. & N.W.T.
Jamie Tissington
Tess Degenstein
Ashley McMurdo
Chloe Szakacs
Cole Humeny
Melissa McNeil
Anna Walisser
Christopher DeHaan
Stephen Cassell
Tim Hamaguchi
Anna Davidson
Ontario
Andrew Lamb
Jessica Holmes
Michael Spasevski
Jacqueline Thair
Craig Lauzon
Amber Mills
Lisa Li
Elizabeth McCallum
Shannon Currie
James Cade
Eva Avila
Eli Goree
Cynthia Smithers
Alistair Newton
Kris Siddiqi
Linda Gallant
Tess Benger
Jamie Spilchuk
Ryan Bondy
Laura McCarthy
Daniel Abadie
Billy Arthur
Paloma Nunez
Angel Wong
Cameron Baldassarra
Lesley Bowen
Evan Alexander Smith
Tim MacLean
Briony Glassco
Chris Lang
Shawn Ahmed
Kat Sandler
Illya Konstantin
Derra St. Denis
David Hein
Irene Carl-Sankoff
David Light
Carly Heffernan
Dorothy A Atabong
Rachel Eugster
Saad Siddiqui
Carolyn Mykytyshyn
Liz Campbell
Francis J. Martins
Carl Alacchi
Denise DePass
Amelia Sargisson
Christina Broccolini
Brian Wehrle
Ashley Dunn
Saskatchewan
Johanna Bundon
Kristina Hughes
Duncan Andy Fisher
Kaitlyn Semple
Southern Alberta
Natasha Nikk Barran
Cameron Gerlitz
Western Dance
Christopher Rudd
Jeronimo Forteza
Western Opera
Vivien Shotwell
Sharleen Joynt
Brent Calis
20 E quity Q uarterlyWi n ter 2 0 1 0
EQ Flashback
Phantom celebrates
its 20th anniversary
On September 20, 2009, at The Court House
in Toronto, 240 people attended a special
party held exactly 20 years to the night that
the original Canadian production of The
Phantom of the Opera opened.
Organized by Rebecca Caine (who was the
original Christine Daae) and Gretchen Helbig
(also in the original cast) with help from Barry
Burns (a member of the stage management
team) and Peter Lamb of Dancap Productions
– the event raised nearly $2,000 for the
Actors’ Fund of Canada.
“We wanted to celebrate everyone who put
their hearts and souls into the Toronto production
and the tours for 10 long years, not just those
who appeared onstage – but crew, wigs, prop
makers, costume shop, front of house, dressers,
musicians, Livent staff, everyone who had
contributed and been a part of the Phantom
experience,” said Caine.
Phantom opened on September 20, 1989, and
ended up running for 10 years, one month and
11 days. It had the largest advance sale in theatre
history at $24 million, and the longest run ever in
Toronto (excluding The Mousetrap).
above: 240 Phantom of the Opera
alumni gather around the original
Christine Daae (Rebecca Caine),
producer (Garth Drabinsky) and the
first Phantom (Colm Wilkinson)
right: All the performers who
played Christine Daae over the
years ham it up for a glamour shot
w i n ter 2 0 1 0 E quity Q uarterly 21
EQ
E Q U I T Y
Q U A R T E R L Y
Voluntary
RRSP Contribution
Deadline
It is not too late for an Equity member
to make an RRSP contribution for
deductions from their 2009 income tax.
Voluntary RRSP contributions must be
postmarked on or before
March 1, 2010.
Cheques must be payable to London
Life Insurance Company and mailed to:
Group Retirement Services
330 University Avenue
Toronto, ON M5G 1R8
Please ensure that your name and
certificate number are clearly marked on
the front of the cheque.
Questions regarding voluntary
RRSP contributions may be directed to
Colleen Didur, RRSP Administrator,
by email to [email protected] or by phone
at 1-800-387-1856
(416-867-9165 in Toronto).
RRSP FUNDS ON HOLD LIST FINAL NOTICE
ARE YOU ON THIS LIST?
Please take a minute to review the names on the list below. Are you on the
list or do you know someone on it? The following members have not opened
an RRSP and risk losing their money. In accordance with bylaw 66(c), failing
to have a valid RRSP account will result in the assignment of the money to the
Actors’ Fund of Canada. Members must act quickly to avoid losing unallocated
RRSP funds collected in 2008. To open an account contact Colleen Didur, RRSP
Administrator, by email to [email protected] or by phone at 1-800-387-1856
(416-867-9165 in Toronto) before February 8, 2010.
Abbott Renee
Acheson George
Allin Jason
Anderson Gil
Andrushuk Alyx
Armstrong
Michael
Arsenault Irene
Arslanian Araxi
Augustine Scott
Aureus Leon
Baldwin James
Ballantine Kathryn
Bartley Alex
Baruchel Taylor
Bascetta Joseph
Bateman David
Battaglini Sandra
Beaudry Anne
Bell Isaiah
Bell Mike
Bengochea
Christopher
Bentham Kim
Berteotti Naythan
Betts Jamie
Bilash Kharytia
Bosse Eric
Botnarenko Julian
Bowerman Joe
Bowie Sean
Bowles Cory
Boyajian Garen
Boyce Conrad
Braaten Heather
Bradford Chris
Brager Emma
Breen Tania
Brodland Ian
Brooks Jo-Ann
Brown Nils
Brown Ruth
Burbine Jason
Caines Liam
Douglas
Camroux Ken
Carcueva Aura
Carlsen Sarah
Carnegie Richard
Carrick Charlie
Carty Michael
Casey Julian
Cassini John
Catucci John
Cee Queen
Charles Gregory
Cheek John
Chirillo Louis
Clark Holly
Clark James
Clark Susan
Clarke Cherise
Cohen Miles
Collins Tricia
Cooper Michael
Corbeil-Coleman
Charlotte
Crews Tyrell
Cullen Jennifer
Cunningham
Amber
Cuthbertson
Graham
Dalingwater Bailey
Danyluk Victoria
d’Aragon
Marc-Antoine
Dawn Lindsey
Dennis Angela
DeSousa Anselmo
Dickey Michaela
Dorn Noa May
Doudelet Ashton
Downer Shomari
Drummond Aidan
du Toit Andre
Dudycha Danielle
Duguay Bernard
Duthie Rick
Eady Rebecca
Ebrahimi Pasha
Eichelberger Kirk
Eisner Michael
Ellett Charlotte
Elsadig Mazin
Elzinga Dean
Embree Marc
English Sarah
Falls Robert
Finn Sarah
Fisher Adam
Fisher Duncan
Andy
Fisseha Rebecca
Forman Naomi
Forsell Sandra
Fox Tom
Frank Kristi
Frary Christopher
Gagnon Pierre
Ganesh Rachelle
Garvanliev Vasil
Gasparik Jordan
Gatehouse Kyle
Gauthier-Frankel
Holly
Gemael Elie
Gillard-Rowlings
Deidre
Girard Nico
Glasgow Ryan
Gledhill Tyler
Glen Leah
Goldberg Marcy
Gordon Emmelia
Guarino Robin
Guidotti Sonia
Haber Alexandria
Hamel Valerie
Hancey Jordan
Harr Randall
Harrison Kathleen
Harwood-Jones
Rachael
Hastelow Aaron
Havey Jessee
Hawkins Gordon
Henderson Sandra
Hollingsworth
Benjamin
Holmes Jonathan
Humphreys Chris
Jacokes Peter
James Eleanor
Joffe Stephen
David
Johnson Derek
Jones Angie
Jones Michael
Douglas
Joseph Ingrid
Joy Theresa
Karemanis Aris
Kashetsky Max
Kelly Mark
Kennedy Jeremiah
Keobke Michelle
King John
Kingsley Bruce
Kook-Chun
Shannon
Koupantsis
Nickolas
La Hay David
Lake Rebecca
Lannan Marcy
Lavigne Natalie
Lee Hsi Richard
Levesque Sonia
Li Lisa
Logan Clarence
Lomness-Seely
Chantelle
Luck Tracie
MacInnis Matthew
MacLeod Kevin
MacPherson Kevin
Maes Gabrielle
Maffin Neil
Makarov Vitali
Malloch Katie
Markinson Brian
Marshall Raymond
Martin Yvette
McCallum Aaron
McCollum Robert
McCracken Devin
McKinnon
Catherine
McLaughlin
Kealan
McLeod Michael
McMurdo Ashley
McNeil Melissa
McQuaid Kent
Melendez Daria
Memisevic Zinaid
Mercier Jules
Meuser Ben
Misura Nick
Molnar Emily
Morris Elizabeth
Mutya Frank
Nakamura
Stephanie
Needles Reed
Nelson Lisa
Nichols Rose-Ellen
Norbury Eliza
Oberhofer Andrew
O’Brien Holly
O’Brien Natasha
Officer Charles
Olszewski Nicole
Ono Jay
Panther Champion
Paquette Louis
Parent Rebecca
Park Stephen
Parlee Ron
Parsons Ian
Paterson Dan
Paterson Michael
Patterson Richard
Payton Kofi
Pellerin Krystin
Perreault Guy
Peyton Annie
Pino-Hellman
Rodrigo
Podlozniuk Tanya
Poundmaker
Mitchell
Preston Jim
Prudat Paula-Jean
Rack Thomas
Rader Frank
Rainville Simon
Rankin Tracy
Rasor Jennifer
Reale David
Regan Margo
Reynolds Robert
Rhindress Charlie
Ribeiro Paulo
Riendeau Kris
Rigler Mike
Roach Bud
Robertson Struan
Rose Louise
Rudd Rachel
Rusque Tamara
Russell David
Russell Hugh
Rutka Hana
Schorpion Frank
Senior Marc
Shafajinskaia Anna
Sharpe Robby
Simmons DeAndre
Sixto Richard
Skinner Philip
Slade Robyn
Sloan
Whitney-Leigh
Smith Anita
Smith Daniel
Smith Dylan
Smith Joel
Smith Kerri
Spangenthal David
Sparrow Quelemia
St. Pierre Vicki
Steenstra Bryant
Stephenson Vera
Stevan Robyn
Stewart Ken James
Stewart Riley
Struthmann
Amanda
Sykes Scott
Taylor Shayne
Thibault Anik
Thomas Todd
Tissington Jamie
Tomlinson David
Tookey Kevin
Troxell Richard
Turner Ashley
Ulc Anthony
Vaculik Jan
Vanstone-Jerome
Kelsie
Vickruck Sara
Vincent Esther
Warburton David
Moses
Ward Ley
Ward Matt
Warshawski Kassia
Wasserman Jerry
Watson Todd
Wensel Judy
West Ron
Wiebe Julia
Williams Anna
Wueschner
Victoria
Yemen Jillian
Young Kyle
Zimbel Matt
Zukerman Arianna
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22 E quity Q uarterlyWi n ter 2 0 1 0
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