We spoke to Medina Hahn to find out more about her process in writing the play with Daniel Arnold and the fascinating true story that inspired it.

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Can you start by telling us a little bit about you and Any Night?

I am an actor, writer, singer, producer, wife and mother who has worked in theatre, film and television. Born in Edmonton, I have bounced back and forth between BC and Alberta for much of my life – earning a BFA from the University of Victoria and a BFA from the University of Alberta (where I met Daniel Arnold) in the process.

Any Night is a play about a troubled young dancer who moves into a new basement suite and finds herself drawn into romance with the charming young man living above her—until she starts suffering strange behaviour in her sleep. It’s a romantic mystery about privacy, trust, and the power of the subconscious. It’s a play that Daniel Arnold and I co-wrote, performed and toured for four years (including a production in Vancouver presented by the Cultch and Touchstone Theatre, and a run Off-Broadway), and now Pacific Theatre is producing a new production through their apprentice program.

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What was the inspiration for the story?

There were a couple things that inspired us to create this story… The first was the true 1987 story of Ken Parks, a man who got up in the middle of the night, drove to his in-laws house, attacked them and woke up in his car with blood on his hands. He had slept walked. We began to study somnambulism, dreams and night terrors in great detail – talking with specialists, visiting sleep labs, etc… and we became fascinated with how much the medical industry still can’t explain about our sleep/dream world. The other inspiration I can’t really tell you about without giving away some of the play! But it definitely made us want to explore the themes of fear and trust.

Can you share some of your creative process in writing the script?

The development and creation of Any Night was super unusual . We started writing it while we were touring our first play, Tuesdays & Sundays. Then our first draft got optioned into a film by a company out of  New York, so we stopped writing the play and started writing the screenplay! And then once we had a draft of the screenplay, we went back to the play, and then we back to the film and so on… for many many years. We were often on the road and in different cities. I think the play started to really come together when our director Ron Jenkins came on board, the Vancouver Playhouse helped develop it, and we did a workshop production at the Belfry Theatre in Victoria. We were able to see what worked and what didn’t. And we just kept tweaking it until it all fit into place. I actually remember us finding an entirely new storyline and writing it hours before premiering it in Toronto at the Summerworks Festival. One of the challenging and exciting things about the creative process spanning so many years, is that through those years, we were changing, the world was changing and as a result the play continued to expand and evolve.

What should audiences expect from this show?

Well, I have never been lucky enough to see someone else’s  production of it so I’m super excited to see what these young creators do with it! The great thing about this play is that it keeps you guessing and thinking. It jumps timelines and as an audience you really get to be present and go on a pretty wild ride. It’s edgy. A little scary. And it’s the type of play that gets people talking and debating with one another afterwards.

What are the three most important ingredients for a successful play?

Oh wow, if I knew that, I’d never have been involved in an unsuccessful play! There are so many aspects- only three ingredients? Okay if we are saying a successful play on paper, the first thing that comes to mind for me is a solid interesting structure, strong relationships and good dialogue. And little bit of risk. And heart. Ugh see that’s five!

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

I want to sit here and say that a bunch of technical books have been really helpful, and some definitely have – like The Intent to Live by Larry Moss, A Practical Handbook for the Actor  and Story by Robert McKee.  But it’s the books and stories about people’s journeys navigating through life that have had the most influence on me. I’m a bit of an auto-biography junkie. I love to learn of people’s ups and downs and their willingness to get back up and fight when they have been told “they can’t” or “that will never happen.” I really enjoyed Goldie Hawn’s, A Lotus Grows In The Mud and Sidney Poitier’s The Measure of a Man.

What is your most important lesson you have learned so far in your career?

Since I was a little girl, I always knew that I would be an artist. I started as a dancer and then added singing and acting to the mix. Writing and producing soon followed. I always had a strong idea of where I was heading and the arts were always a major part of me. A few years ago, I had a child and stepped away from the artistic world I knew to focus my energy on him. I remember worrying that if I was out of the creative arena for too long I might lose it or be really rusty, but when I returned, I found that I had actually grown. I’m a better actor and a better writer now than I was before. What i have learned is that when you continue to grow as a person, you can’t help but grow as an artist. And sometimes, doing something else – changing your patterns and comforts – allows for a new perspective and more openness. And those qualities are nothing  but a gift to your artistic endeavours.

What other projects do you have coming up and where can people find out more about you?

In the fall, I will be onstage at the Firehall Theatre in a remount of the fantastic new musical Miss Shakespeare, which just won a Jessie Award for Best Musical  and our feature film script of Any Night, which won the nation-wide CFF Super Channel Screenplay Award, will hopefully be going into production this winter.

You can find me at DualMinds.com, Facebook: DualMindsCanada and on Instagram: @mhahn111.

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Thanks to Medina Hahn for speaking with us!

You can see Any Night at Pacific Theatre until July 16th with nightly performances at 8PM. Tickets are “Pay What You Think It’s Worth” Cash Only after the show!

For more information, please visit PacificTheatre.org!

The post The Biz Interview: Medina Hahn appeared first on Biz Books.

With the demand for animated programs and voice actors higher than ever, we spoke to Peter New to learn more about his career and the art of voice acting.

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Tell us a little bit about you and what projects you have on the go right now.

I’m doing voices on Littlest Pet Shop, among other shows, and I’ve recently finished shooting a fun turn in Electra Woman and Dyna Girl for Legendary Pictures.

What was the moment when you knew you wanted to be a performer?

I was maybe 5. I had a menagerie of animal characters I played. I used to put on shows curated by Ruff Ruff the Talking Dog.

Who were some of your greatest influences early on?

Terry Gilliam. Samuel Beckett. The Frantics. I just realized that Samuel Beckett and the Frantics sounds like a terrible band.

You’ve enjoyed a variety of roles on stage, on television, and on film. What creative rewards do you get from each of these three platforms and do you prefer one over the others?

Each individual job has its own challenges and rewards. I don’t really see the forms as being altogether different. Each has its joys and limitations. Indeed sometimes the limitations themselves are the source of the joy.

When you look at your career, what have been the most memorable moments for you?

I have to say chatting idly with Terry Gilliam while on the set of The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus about one of my all-time favourite shots from any movie – the epic pullback from The Adventures of Baron Munchausen when Baron Munchausen is surrounded by the Turks army. To have this casual moment with someone whose work I’ve long respected was the kind of perfect moment that can sometimes happen in film.

As someone who has been inside the Vancouver film industry for a long time, how do you think it could be improved?

I think the main improvements – and this is nitpicking to an extent – would have to be at the political level. There are rules around distribution and citizenship which I read as grossly skewed. I have eked out a fine career despite this, however, so I’m not sure how wise it is to bite that feeding hand any harder.

You are getting a lot of recognition right now for your voice acting on My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and Littlest Pet Shop. What does it mean to you at this point in your career to have a large fanbase that you’ve gained specifically through voice acting?

It’s incredibly humbling. That anyone at all would call themselves a fan of me or my work is deeply touching. Let alone a group of people. It’s incredible, regardless of whether it’s from voice work or whatever.

How does your creative approach change when you are preparing for a voice role vs. a live action role?

It doesn’t really. I mean you have to memorize a live role, so that’s a change, but every scene is a conflict featuring a character who wants something. Deciphering that and then rendering it is the job of the actor, regardless of the format.

What advice would you give to an actor who wants to specialize in voice acting?

Start by acting. Voice is not the operative word. Acting is. Get on stages, join improv troupes. Use the audience to learn how to make fast, bold, successful choices.

You won a Leo Award for your writing on Point Blank. What are the three most important elements that every screenwriter needs for a successful screenplay?

I disagree with this question. Each screenwriter needs to serve the story being told. Each story requires different things, has variable needs. Writing is a process of discovery, like any art. Understand that everything will be wrong before it feels right. But I disagree with the approach that there are specific creative fundamentals. I think that’s a recipe for pat stories and dull screenplays.

What books have been influential in your creative journey so far?

True and False: Heresy and Common Sense for the Actor by David Mamet.

A Practical Handbook for the Actor by Melissa Bruder, Lee Michael Cohn, Madeleine Olnek, Nathaniel Pollack, Robert Previto & Scott Zigler.

The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark by Carl Sagan & Ann Druyan.

Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss.

Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum.

Where can we find out more about you and keep up with your projects?

My website PeterNew.net or follow me on Twitter @ActorPeterNew

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Our thanks to Peter New for speaking with us!

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Recommended Reading

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A Practical Handbook for the Actor
Melissa Bruder

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True and False
David Mamet

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The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark
Carl Sagan & Ann Druyan

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The post The Biz Interview: Peter New appeared first on Biz Books.

Can you discuss the creative process of your involvement in Lawrence & Holloman from the earliest days all the way to release?

Yeah, I grew up as an actor and writer in theatre and so I’d seen three productions of the stage play Lawrence & Holloman (written by the amazing Morris Panych, winner of 2 Governor General’s Awards for Drama). So when Matt asked if I wanted to do the play, I looked at it again, and went: Wait, this would make an awesome indie feature. Like the cult hit Withnail & I or Labute’s Sundance hit In the Company of Men. So we brought producer Paul Armstrong aboard, who had seen and loved the play at the Arts Club in 1999, and we got development funding from Corus Entertainment and then the Harold Greenberg Fund and BC Film (now Creative BC). After 3 years of adapting it into a screenplay, we then attached Exec Producers Mary Anne Waterhouse and Andrew Currie, then Telefilm came aboard with production financing, then we raised the rest of the money, got Super Channel involved, and made the thing. It sounds easy, but that’s only the Coles Notes. It was a humungous learning curve on me and Matt’s part. We had made a 35mm short together (The Janitors) through the NSI Drama Prize and he had made a few other shorts, but writing this feature, securing the money, and making the movie was a mind-bogglingly complex thing — and if you strive towards it being the best it can possibly be, it’s all-consuming. Oh, I co-wrote, am on the producing team, and play Holloman.

From your experience in co-writing the film, what are the most important elements that a feature film screenplay needs to be successful?

I guess I found that it needs to be able to excite the people with money or who are going to make it. That’s what it comes down to. Sometimes people wouldn’t jive with the script and you have to just say “Okay, they’re not going to help us make it.” It doesn’t mean it’s bad (necessarily), it just means the fit isn’t right. So what are the elements that attract that interest? Again, it depends who you’re talking to and pitching to. I’ve heard some producers say they want something that will sell in foreign markets, which usually means a genre picture with a bankable name actor. Story is less important. Other people, the ones we were dealing with, mostly look for that fresh idea, a different spin on a universal theme, a story that compels. But again, the alchemy is so important … really it’s all about finding partners who grab hold of what you’re writing, and how you’re writing it. So you’re always writing with an audience in mind, and then trying to find that audience. That’s what I do. When I’m structuring a story, I’m always thinking two things: Where is the character at in their journey/what would they do next? And 2: What is the reader/audience feeling now? What emotions am I invoking, where to do I take the audience next, and why should they care? Writing a story is a very manipulative exercise. I picture it like sitting around a campfire telling a story to sleepy people: it’s got to have twists and turns and take them on a visceral, emotional, and intellectual ride, and keep them awake! And hopefully, if it’s really good, also ignite in their dreams.

What was your most memorable moment from the making of Lawrence & Holloman?

Actually the moment that sticks out the most is being on the phone one-on-one with Karynn Austin, who at the time was the regional director at Telefilm Canada, and hearing her tell me how much she enjoyed the script. No major notes, just “I loved it.” I still remember where I was, what time of year it was, and the inflection of her voice. That moment was the culmination of me, Matt, and Paul’s 2-3 years of work thus far, and is what spurred the eventual greenlight towards production. In my mind it was probably the most important moment in the film’s history; without it, it may not be in front of you today nor getting all the awards and accolades. Thank you, Karynn.

You’ve worked in both film and television projects. How are they different as an actor and how does your preparation change?

This is an interesting question because I’ve been in TV but never made TV. But I made Lawrence & Holloman. So when I work in TV it’s very different than this. TV gigs for me have usually been like being a small cog in a big machine; you show up, do your acting, commit to the moment, and then go home and collect the cheque. Whereas for L&H it was all-consuming. That said, I’ve been in other films where I wasn’t making the thing, so they’ve been a lot more like a TV set too. Everyone knows their job, and the actor’s job is to act in the part. When it comes to doing that, both TV and film are the same to me. And even though every project is different, the preparation is pretty much the same: learn the lines by learning the moment to moment beats, while also making choices about character, intention, motivation, and stakes.

What books have been influential to your creative journey as a writer and actor?

Awesome, love to answer this one. Cuz I read books like this all the time! As an actor, the most thumbed-through ones on my shelf are True and False by David Mamet, Michael Shurtleff’s Audition, Larry Moss’ The Intent to Live, and A Practical Handbook for the Actor. As a writer, Robert McKee’s Story, Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat series, The Eight Characters of Comedy, and Syd Field’s The Screenwriter’s Problem Solver. Oh, I also loved the book The Activist Screenwriter and I keep a copy of One Less Bitter Actor on hand!

What advice would you give to aspiring actors and screenwriters?

Read the books above! Actors, if you want to act, act. Whether it’s classes or making your own stuff, just do it. Learn. I started getting paid to do theatre when I was 12, but I still went through a conservatory acting program, and that helped solidify a career for myself in the theatre. Screenwriters, I hear a lot of people say to develop a database of story ideas, and sure that’s important, I have that … but in my experience nothing beats sitting down and wrestling those one or two projects into the best they can possibly be in order to get them made. Writing is rewriting, I’m a firm believer in that — and you must listen to your audience. Oh, and if you want get paid to act or write, you have to treat them like crafts, but also businesses.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your career and what have you done to overcome it?

Biggest challenge has been and continues to be transitioning from a theatre-only actor to an actor who works on screen as well. What am I doing to overcome that? Making my own movies! I should probably do more to overcome it, but this is a start.

What would you like to share about your upcoming projects?

Well beyond the theatrical release of Lawrence & Holloman — which is already amazing — and the fact that it’s won 11 awards in 11 festivals, received “must-see” reviews, 9 Leo nominations, and is currently nominated for 4 Canadian Comedy Awards (all right all right all right) — I’m also thrilled that my other feature script Any Night just won the nation-wide CFF Super Channel Screenplay Award, which means it’s on Canada’s It-List of the best as-of-yet-unproduced screenplays and receives a pre-buy offer from Super Channel, worth $30K-$50K or more depending on budget. So hopefully that one will get made soon!

For more information about Lawrence & Holloman, please visit LawrenceandHolloman.com.

The post The Biz Interview: Daniel Arnold of Lawrence & Holloman appeared first on Biz Books.