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The Biz Interview: Aleks Paunovic - Actor in "Danny and the Deep Blue Sea"

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Aleks Paunovic plays the intense title role in Pacific Theatre’s production of Danny and the Deep Blue Sea. Aleks spoke with us about how the words of John Patrick Shanley and the guidance of Larry Moss and Lori Triolo led him into Danny’s world and brought out one of his most challenging performances.


What was were the elements that drew you to be part of this production?


I was studying with my mentor Larry Moss and did a scene from Danny. I connected to Danny in such a colossal way that I wanted to know more about it and tell his story. I approached Jason Goode, our director, after we worked together on a short film he directed me in and the seed was planted. I was quite scared of the play and the role. Four years later, Jason and I reluctantly and excitedly dove into the deep end.


Can you share some of your creative process in preparing for the role from the initial planning of the production all the way through to opening night?


This is the first play I have ever done so to be honest, I’m working with one of the best actors in the city – one of the best actors I know – Lori Triolo. Most of the work I have done is asking Lori about situations and process. Jason Goode, the director of the show, has also been amazing in helping shape/shift into who Danny is. They have been great partners in guiding me through this amazing ride.


Are there any books or specific authors that have been influential to you so far in your creative journey?


One my favourites is On the Road by Jack Kerovac. There’s also The Tao of Muhammad Ali and The Tao of Bruce Lee, both by Davis Miller. The Vagabond nature of On the Road and exploring life, love and the world. Plus Davis Miller tells the story of both of these amazing physical specimens who have accomplished so much that even their unique Tao would still have made them one of the most influential people of this century. So from growing up in a boxer’s family, boxing was the first thing I knew. Also, playing in a band in junior high where music was a big part of growing up also. On top of that, my mother is a travel agent so I had the opportunity to travel and see the world. With the help of Kerovac and Miller they helped me get closer to finding myself.


What were the biggest challenges for you as an actor in preparing for this production and how did you deal with them?


One of the biggest challenges has been in finding the seams in the character, Shanley wrote a exceptional piece of work with so many layers, and it’s been the script analysis of finding the colors in the play. It’s 80 minutes of 2 people on stage. Plus getting into the Danny character who is a powerful man and the play is physically and emotionally demanding. Hitting the boxing gym and doing a proper emotional warmup before hitting the stage is a must.


What can you share about any future projects that are in development?


I’m working on developing a couple of series and a reality show. Looking forward to a second season on Arctic Air and a screening of a film I was in, This Means War with Reese Witherspoon in L.A. on February 8th – and pilot season for a few months in L.A.


Danny and the Deep Blue Sea is now on at Pacific Theatre. Visit PacificTheatre.org for details.

Posted on January 28, 2012.
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The Biz Interview: Lori Triolo - Actor in "Danny and the Deep Blue Sea"

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Lori Triolo is a fixture in Vancouver’s film, television and theatre scene. A shining light for her guidance of local talent, she’s now getting the opportunity to share some of her many performance gifts as one of two leads in Pacific Theatre’s new production of Danny and the Deep Blue Sea by John Patrick Shanley. Lori talked to us about her experience in preparing for the role and what it all means to her.


What was were the elements that drew you to be part of this production?


I am an enormous fan of John Patrick Shanley. I have been mounting productions of his plays for 20 years and I had NEVER worked on the character of Roberta. After Jason (Goode) and Aleks (Paunovic) approached me to be a part of this production we sat down to read the play together. It became clear that we needed to put this sucker up. I thought it was a gift I was being given. Not only to explore “Roberta” but to work with two talented men that I barely knew. They both have enormous hearts were so committed to telling this story that I would have been crazy not to participate. I also have always wanted to work at Pacific Theatre and thought this was the perfect introduction to their world.


Can you share some of your creative process in preparing for the role from the initial planning of the production all the way through to opening night?


For 10 years, Larry Moss hammered into my head that our job as actors was to teach the world how to be more human. That we must be willing to expose ourselves and ultimately pay a price for the work we do. That is something I understand to my core. I grew up in NY and had a theatre in The Bronx where this play takes place. I KNOW “Roberta’s”. Most of the prep came in the form of script analysis. Connecting all the dots. I love doing this kind of detective work. I have trained with many incredible teachers over the last 25 years. I always bring my practice with Sanford Meisner into rehearsals. Being in the moment, listening, staying present, always having an opinion. I also do very strong intention work.


Are there any books or specific authors that have been influential to you so far in your creative journey?


Of course I LOVE Sanford Meisner on Acting. I read it when I was 18 and decided to go study with Meisner the next year. I knew this technique was really right for me. I think it’s good for everybody. I can’t imagine any actor starting their career without this very simple and vital work. Meisner is magical and I believe the technique can change the world.


The Fervent Years by Harold Clurman had an enormous influence on me as well. I always wanted to be around in 1930 when The Group Theatre was born. I think I would’ve fit right in.


While preparing for this role I read Adler on Ibsen, Strindberg and Chekhov. Might sound like a strange choice but I love to be reminded of where we came from and what was important during the dawn of modern theatre. Nothing really changes.


I try to read a play a day (or at least a week) and I am a big fan of Biographies. My most recent read was Drama by John Lithgow who is a hero of mine. Seeing him on Broadway in M. Butterfly changed my life at 17 yrs of age.


What were the biggest challenges for you as an actor in preparing for this production and how did you deal with them?


I think my biggest challenge was/is finding the physical stamina to bring “Roberta” to life every rehearsal and now throughout the run of the show. The play is highly emotional and physical. Aleks and I really give everything we’ve got to these two broken/beautiful characters which can leave me pretty depleted…so, I try to take care of myself and get a lot of rest. BUT, it’s the price I pay to do what I love and tell the right story to help people find/remember their own humanity. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I am blessed.


Danny and the Deep Blue Sea is now on at Pacific Theatre. Visit PacificTheatre.org for details.


For more of Lori, check out her recent appearance on Urban Rush with Danny and the Deep Blue Sea co-star Aleks Paunovic.


Posted on January 24, 2012.
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The Biz Interview: Jason Goode - Director of "Danny and the Deep Blue Sea"

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Film and theatre director Jason Goode is the man behind Pacific Theatre’s new production of Danny and the Deep Blue Sea by John Patrick Shanley. As we approach opening night, Jason took some time to answer our questions and offer insight into his directorial process and the launch of the play.


What inspired you to take on this production?


Aleks Paunovic and I had a great experience doing two short films together (Ducks and The Hitchhiker). We got along really well and I think we brought the best out of each other. Not long afterwards, in 2006, Aleks brought me the script for Danny and the Deep Blue Sea and very generously suggested we do it together. I wasn’t familiar with the play, but when I read it I immediately fell in love with it. I had wanted to direct a play for a while and it felt like the perfect production for me. I would still call it my favourite play.


Can you briefly walk us through your creative process for this production, from the early stages all the way to opening?


People familiar with the play will know that it’s quite taxing for the actors: 80 minutes, no intermission, the two of them on stage the whole time. And they have to go all the way: to the lowest depths of despair, to the highest peaks of relief and joy, and everywhere in between. So I feel that part of the process for me creatively, is managing just how hard the actors go and mostly encouraging them through the process. I think it would be easy to burn out rehearsing this play and to lose the energy and joy that doing this play can bring to an actor. And it would be easy to really tax the actors emotionally and physically by over-directing it. So besides all of the usual things a director does, I’m also paying attention to that.


Are there any books or specific authors that have been influential to you so far in your creative journey?


Books have been really important for me. I didn’t get any formal training in this besides the occasional one-off class and I don’t work in film or theatre on a regular basis, so I read (and dream) a lot on the subject. Some key volumes for me:


William Ball’s A Sense of Direction
Uta Hagen’s Respect for Acting
David Mamet’s True and False, The Three Uses of a Knife, and On Directing Film


And, frankly, Pacific Theatre as a place and community for artists has been key. When I first moved back to Vancouver a few years ago, I was lucky enough to get cast in a non-professional show there. That experience connected me to Ron and the staff and the cadre of artists that hang around there. I took acting classes there and did some more non-professional shows there as well. I generally hung around there when I could and most of my films, and now this play, have some sort of connection to that place.


What were the biggest challenges for you as a director in developing this production and how did you deal with them?


Fear was our biggest challenge. Aleks and I made a number of attempts at mounting the production, but we always found a way not to do it. Frankly, we were both terrified. The material is quite daunting and neither of us had done a play before (though I had acted in some non-professional productions). So the whole endeavour was very intimidating.


Finally in late 2009 we faced our fears and decided that we were going to do it no matter what. And Pacific Theatre had an opening the last week of August, so we booked it. Thankfully, Lori Triolo jumped in with us to play the role of Roberta. With Aleks and Lori, it felt like perfect casting and the production, despite only 4 shows, was successful. (Facebook was instrumental in helping us find an audience during a one-week run.)


And people responded really well to it. Ron Reed, the artistic director at Pacific Theatre, liked the show and asked us to put it in 2011-2012 season. We jumped at the chance.


What can you share about any future projects that are in development?


I’m developing a couple of film projects with my producing partner, Dylan Jenkinson. (We work under the banner Jenkinson/Goode Productions.) I don’t have any plays in the works, but after Danny finishes its run, I’ll start dreaming and scheming again.


Danny and the Deep Blue Sea opens at Pacific Theatre on January 20th, 2012. Visit PacificTheatre.org for details.

Posted on January 16, 2012.
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The Biz Interview: Andrea Loewen of Les Petites Taquines

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Andrea Loewen is one of the performers in the new production, When I Was, Qui Je Suis. She spoke with us about how the contemporary dance work was created and the background of Les Petites Taquines.




What inspired you to form Les Petites Taquines?


Les Petites Taquines started a few years back when a friend of ours was putting on a fundraiser cabaret and looking for acts. I didn’t really know Jackie Faulkner and Linsy Rotar at that time, but we all wanted to do a dance in the show, and the organizers teamed us up. We needed to think of a name so that we could be properly introduced at the cabaret, and since we were doing a goofy/flirty version of Wilkommen from Cabaret, we picked Les Petites Taquines (French for ‘the little flirts’). We enjoyed dancing together so much that we just started getting together once a week to work on random pieces together. Then a while later I was putting on a show with another friend (Francine Dulong) and we got Les Petites Taquines on board to perform. That’s when we decided to stop messing around and create our own show together. Francine officially joined the company, and we’ve spent the past year since then creating this show as well as performing in another fundraising cabaret.


Pacific Theatre is known primarily for its theatre productions. How does the overall creative approach change when you’re preparing a dance production vs. a traditional stage production?


Well, we aren’t really doing this show as Pacific Theatre, but are lucky enough to use the theatre as a venue (it might help that I’ve been working at Pacific Theatre as publicist for the past few years!) The big difference for me between creating this dance show and other theatre projects, however, is the process. Generally with theatre you start with a script, gather a cast, and work to bring that story to life. The main focus of the process is to tell a pre-existing story. This show, on the other hand, began with a couple of dances that we were working on and then we found that we could fit them together into a cohesive whole. The story grew out of the creation of the dances, and the entire thing was a completely collaborative experience.


While When I Was, Qui Je Suis has a substantial creative element to it, there are a number of underlying themes to the story. What are the most important messages and ideas that you want to convey to the audience?


I don’t know if we have any specific message we’re trying to convey with the show, although there are some recurring themes. The overall story arc of the show follows the life of a girl through four stages, each stage represented by a fantasy and reality piece. What wound up happening is that in each phase the girl finds herself left alone, expectations defeated, and must find a way to pick herself up again. I guess that’s what life is for us – not to sound melodramatic or depressing, but with each phase of life we have expectations of what it’s going to be like. Those are the fantasy, whether it’s imagining your first love, or your first time moving out on your own and getting a “real job”, we get really worked up and excited about how amazing our lives are going to be. When reality hits it’s usually not what we expected, and that’s when the stuff life is really made of sets in: picking yourself up, figuring out where you’re at, and finding the joy in who you are no matter what’s going on in life.


Which artists and performers have been inspirational for Les Petites Taquines in shaping your vision?


I can’t speak for the other girls, but some of my top artistic crushes in Vancouver and abroad are people who make things happen for themselves: Lucia Frangione, the Itsazoo crew, and Reid Farrington. Of course, I can’t leave out my childhood hero Karen Kain. Seeing her dance live when I was 12 years old was inspirational.


What other projects are you and the other members of Les Petites Taquines preparing for the future?


That’s exactly what we’re trying to figure out! This is our first major creation as a company, and we’re all busy theatre artists in other areas as well. I have my own theatre production company (Xua Xua Productions) as well as working for Pacific Theatre, Jackie’s a busy actress, Linsy is a technical director for TWU as well as a properties manager all over town, and Francine is an actress, singer, and director. We all have plans with our own personal projects coming up in Fall, but we’ll definitely be dancing together again in the future. I know I’ve got plans to create a dance theatre show to The Five Ghosts by Stars, and would love it to be an LPT production.

Posted on November 5, 2011.
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The Biz Interview: Alison Chisholm - Director of Compassion for Killers

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Alison Chisholm is the director of the new play, Compassion for Killers, a Whirlwind Theatre production which is now on at Pacific Theatre. Alison was kind enough to take time out of her busy rehearsal schedule to speak with us about the development of the production and the challenges of directing a play that is entirely a solo performance.




What inspired you to take on this production?


Christopher Cook and I have worked together before and he mentioned that he wanted to write and perform a show. I have not directed since university so I was grateful for the opportunity to work with Chris again, especially since it was a brand new script and a great story.


Can you walk us through the creative process as a director in putting this production together from your earliest involvement all the way to opening night?


I started working as a dramaturge after a few early drafts of the script while it was still in the workshop phase. Then after a few more drafts we got it on its feet and have been rehearsing with it since.


Two of the important themes in the story are redemption and compassion. As a director, what was your approach in creating a stage experience that would allow the audience to connect with these themes?

I think Christopher Cook took care of this for me in the writing. As a director all I am doing is trying to make sure that the characters are clear, relatable, and likable and that their stories are all clearly laid out.


What was the most challenging aspect of putting this production together?


Being a solo performance involving 6 different characters, I think the most challenging aspect was making sure that we clearly differentiated the characters and their involvement in the story. We also span two very different timelines so being able to differentiate those has been a challenge as well, but I think we’ve come up with some great and creative solutions.


Which element of Compassion for Killers and your involvement in it are you most proud of?


The development of new work is by far the thing that I am most proud of. I think it’s important to provide opportunities to present new plays, so I’m honoured to be able to do that with this production.


Are there any books or specific authors that have been influential to you so far in your creative journey as a director?


I can’t think of any specific books that helped influence me in this process, but there are a lot of local artists who were huge inspirations to me, including Ron Reed at Pacific Theatre. His encouragement of emerging artists has helped me find the confidence to pull this off. And of course Christopher Cook’s writing was a huge inspiration as well.


What can you share about any future projects that you are developing?


In the future I am really hoping to write a musical. I’m not sure exactly when that would be happening, but right now I’m tentatively aiming for some time in 2012, but we’ll see what happens. Any updates on that project would be posted on our blog at www.whirlwindtheatre.com.


Compassion for Killers is at Pacific Theatre until July 30th. Visit PacificTheatre.org for details.

Posted on July 27, 2011.
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