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Can you start by telling us a little bit about you and The Merry Widow?

I am a Vancouver-based TV, film & theatre actress and filmmaker, as well as a soprano, dancer, and pianist. I have a voracious appetite for learning new things, and the thing that thrills me most is getting a full new script and juicy role to sink my teeth into. Most recently, I have discovered how much I love to sing, dance, and act at the same time! So after doing straight plays for years, I’m debuting with my first operetta, in the title role in The Merry Widow. It runs May 19th-29th at Presentation House in North Vancouver. Here is a 1 minute audio clip that I sing in the show with ensemble and orchestra:

The Merry Widow is a comedic operetta, with gorgeous music by Franz Lehar, and internationally loved since it premiered in 1905.  North Shore Light Opera Society (NSLOS), which has produced 68 years of musical comedy on the North Shore, placed the show in their season after Stage Director, Edette Gagné, and Music Director, Stephen Pickett, were inspired by a 2015 production starring Renée Fleming at The Metropolitan Opera.

How did you become involved in this production?

Last year, I started studying opera with my incredible voice teacher, Marisa Gaetanne. I sought her out because one of my theatre roles (Angelique in Moliere’s The Imaginary Invalid) demanded that I sing a couple of numbers. One day, on the fly, she mentioned that North Shore Light Opera was doing a production of The Merry Widow and were still looking for a Widow. I watched a YouTube production of the show and was enchanted! I auditioned without expectations and was thrilled to be offered the role of the Widow. I have been in sheer heaven ever since.

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For Young People Recommended Reading The Perfect Stage Crew
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What should audiences expect to see on stage?

Audiences can expect a great energetic show with a huge cast of twenty-six and a live orchestra – all with immense talent!  There’s some stellar singing in this show!  There’s a moving romance set amidst the clashing of cultures, political intrigue, marital affairs, gender wars and money issues.  We’re using Jeremy Sams’ very witty and snappy English translation, and our fabulous Stage Director, Edette Gagné, has created detailed, motivated and entertaining staging.  Oh and original choreography!  My co-lead, Carlos Vela-Martinez, and I have been training in Viennese Ballroom Dance with choreographer, Dominic Boyer, for the last couple of months.  And with my background in Ukrainian dance, I choreographed the folk dance numbers.  Lots of variety and family friendly, with a few subtleties for the adults!  It’s a lovely show and I am super proud of it.  Tickets can be found at nslos.com.

What was your creative process like for getting into character?

As a second generation Ukrainian prairie girl, I can relate to the character of Hanna!  She is an Eastern European farm girl who suddenly becomes one of the richest women after her 70 year old ultra rich husband dies on their honeymoon.  OK, maybe not the last bit!  But Hanna is definitely a fish out of water in a new environment, as she tries to navigate the unfamiliar high society world around her.

As Hanna spends nearly 80% of her time onstage with her romantic interest, Danilo, it has been fun mining every moment with my equally passionate colleague, Carlos.  We have put a lot of thought and effort into getting deeper with motivations, psychology, tactics, objectives, and subtext to bring Hanna and Danilo and all of their exchanges to life.  It has been a thrilling ride!

What was the biggest challenge for you with this role and how did you deal with it?

When I was first offered the role of the Widow, I went through a period of self-doubt about whether I could pull it off.  This was my first operetta role, and the role of Hanna is huge!  Could I get through a two week run of singing eight vocally demanding numbers?  Also, five months ago, I was a mezzo-soprano, squeezing out Gs and As.  Hanna is a soprano role with many As, Bs and even a couple of high Cs.

So what to do?!  I accepted the role! Then I plunged into a daily practice of body and vocal exploration and working on my role.  I ramped up my kundilini yoga and studies with my opera instructor, Marisa.  I was vigilant about getting to bed at the same time each night, and eating healthy food.  I felt as though I were training for a marathon!  And I still do, as it’s not over yet, thankfully!

Bit by bit, my range opened up.  My voice shifted into soprano territory and is literally growing by the day – I have recordings of my lessons over the months to prove it!  And now, with the show opening a week away, I am confident in my role and cannot wait to share it.  This brings to mind a quote by Lemony Snicket: “If we wait until we’re ready, we’ll be waiting for the rest of our lives.”

I was extremely lucky to have this opportunity, and that Edette and Stephen believed in me the whole way.  I could not have done it without my amazing family – my husband and two preschool daughters were champions with their busy mama.  And it was also great to have an extremely supportive and awesome agent, Esther Cohen, at Carrier Talent.

What’s the most rewarding element for you about performing?

The most rewarding element of performing is feeling the energetic magical exchange between performer and live audience – when I am so fully present in my role and can feel the audience right there with me alongside my character’s journey.

What’s the most important advice that’s ever been given to you about your career?

A few years back, one of my acting teachers said to our class -“Everyone has access to their own unique personal charm, and there is nothing holding one back from finding it except oneself.” It took me years to figure out exactly what that meant!  But last year, inspired by the book A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle and after increasing my own self worth and self esteem, I was finally able to give myself permission to be myself without apologizing to myself.  My attitude towards people and the world changed for the positive.  My career took off and I was booking professional TV jobs one after another. I made a decision to let out my voice, literally, with singing.  And here I am today singing this incredible role!

What books, and authors have been influential in your career so far?

So many books have been influential on my artistic career and life!

My most favorite are:

Gandhi An Autobiography by Monhandas K. Gandhi

The Art of Time and The Return of Courage by Jean-Louis Servan-Schreiber

The Story of Art and A Little History of the World by E. H. Gombrich

The Power of the Actor by Ivana Chubbuck

Story by Robert McKee

Self Management for Actors by Bonnie Gillespie (she is a wonderful person and has set up an incredible supportive community for actors)

What other projects are you involved with at the moment?

The Merry Widow has consumed nearly every spare moment at the moment! Though, a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to work on the NBC pilot, Miranda’s Rights, directed by Mad Men director Jennifer Getzinger. Once the operetta is done, I will go back to auditioning for TV and theatre (and likely musicals now!). I will pick up where I left off with some personal screenwriting projects. I have a short film (that made a shortlist for the Hot Shot Shorts Competition last fall) to shoot, and am working on a feature film as well.

Where can we find out more about you and The Merry Widow?

Olesia Shewchuk – Olesia.ca, IMDB, Facebook, and Twitter.

North Shore Light Opera Society – NSLOS.com and Facebook.

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Thanks to Olesia Shewchuk for speaking with us!

The Merry Widow is on now until May 29th at Presentation House in North Vancouver. Performances are on at 8PM Thursday to Saturday evenings along with matinees on Sunday afternoons at 3PM. Tickets are $20 to $30 and are available from PHTheatre.org

The post The Biz Interview: Olesia Shewchuk appeared first on Biz Books.

A graduate in acting and producing from Langara’s Film Arts program, Esther Cohen works with some of Vancouver’s brightest stars as part of the Carrier Talent family.

We spoke to Esther Cohen about her journey into the talent agency realm and some of the dynamics that go into the actor and talent agent relationship.

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Why don’t you start by telling us a little bit about you and what you’re up to these days?

I’m Vancouver born, and I grew up in a very artistic family. I’m trained in music, theatre, dance, the whole lot. These days, I’m spending my time riding my bike on the sea wall; in ballet classes; playing guitar and singing in Rock & Roll bands; competing in karaoke competitions; watching live music; painting abstracts on canvas; learning how to cook; doing photography; picking and eating berries; and watching a lot of sunsets. Aside from all that, I am a Talent Agent at Carrier Talent Management. Do I have to talk about work?! Work consumes 90% of my life, though as you can see, I make time for plenty of other interests.

What is a typical day like for you as an agent?

I arrive at the office, tea in hand. I open the blinds to sunshine pouring in through my windows and spilling all over my desk. Sounds nice, doesn’t it? Just wait.

Then I turn on my computer, where I am promptly bombarded with a hundred or so emails from clients, casting directors, breakdown notifications, actor submissions, etc. I spend the day responding to said emails, and the hundreds more that come in throughout the day. I answer phone calls, from all of the above mentioned. I submit my clients on breakdowns, and make my pushes to get them auditions. I phone & email out said auditions.

Then my associate and I have a pow-wow, where we discuss whatever the heck we want… work, or non-work related. Let’s call these ‘therapy sessions’. And I drink some more tea. I update my client resumes & sort through their new headshots. And I take meetings with new potential clients. But my day doesn’t end there.

After work, I’m usually out scouting talent at showcases, or at theatre shows. Or I’m out meeting industry folks (Directors, Producers, Actors and such) at events like Tuesday Night Live, Celluloid Social Club, Cold Reading Series, Raindance Vancouver, and going to Canadian film premieres hosted by the First Weekend Club. It’s all non-stop really. But I love it. It’s fun.

For actors who are seeking representation, what are the three most important things that they should look for in an agent?

Someone who they can trust enough to communicate openly and honestly with.

Someone who can share their vision & be on the same page with in regards to their career.

Someone who is excited about working with them… enough that they take the time to go out and see all their shows!! (I go to see all my clients whenever they’re performing anywhere!).

What do you look for in a potential client?

I look for all sorts of things.

I look at every submission that comes in. I’ll look at their resume to see what sort of credits and training they have. For me, someone who is continuously training in acting classes is my favorite. Because I know they are working hard, investing in themselves, and they’re constantly learning and improving their craft.

Other things I take in to consideration is what type of ‘look’ they have, and can I ‘sell’ them? And do they conflict with any of my current clients on my roster?

I’ll also take on people that have special skills. I’ve got a magician. As well as several musicians, who I’ve managed to get some really exciting roles on some major productions. This year I’ve gotten a couple musicians working with George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Crowe.

What’s the most rewarding thing about being an agent?

Helping actors achieve their dreams. When I was training as an actor, I remember thinking “If only someone would just give me a chance, I know I could do it!” It can be tough for some people to find an agent who believes in them. But I might see something special in someone that nobody else sees, or that nobody else is willing to take a chance on. And now I am that person who is giving these people those chances. It feels good. I get just as excited as they do when they book a movie or TV show. It’s team work. It’s a win for both of us.

What’s the biggest misconception about being an agent?

That we’re all old stuffed shirts. Well, maybe some of them actually are – I don’t know! But it’s funny, when people ask me what I do, and I tell them I’m a Talent Agent, I always get the funniest reactions.

People are like “Really?! But you look so young, and you seem so cool! I always thought agents were like stuffy office people!”

Whenever I meet with new potential clients they always tell me I’m so down-to-earth and easy to talk to. And I am! I’m just a regular person like everybody else. I like going out and doing fun things. Just because I’m an agent, doesn’t mean I’m not allowed to have fun too!! But I work my ass off at everything I do. Including work.

What made you decide to get involved with the agency side of the entertainment industry?

Oh man, I get asked this question all the time.

Long story short, I was working part time in an agent’s office as an assistant, because I figured, as an actor (I had just graduated from theatre & film school), it’d be beneficial to learn what goes on behind the scenes with agents & casting directors etc.

So I did that for a year, at which point the company I was working for at that time (a different one than the one I’m with now), asked me if I’d be interested in working full time as an agent with my own roster. By then, I had seen enough behind the scenes to know how tough it can really be to make a living as an actor. And I’m not talking about having to work hard –I’m ok with working hard. I’m just talking about the nature of the industry. It can be done, but the industry is different now than it was 20 years ago. I was seeing people who had been at it for 15 years still struggling to make a steady living at it.

So at that point I decided to take the other route and become an agent. I have no regrets. I love my job. Ask me for the long version of the story when you see me in person. It’s much more interesting! Hahaha.

In your opinion, what is the current state of the Canadian Film & Television Industry? And where do you see it going in the future?

Well, we’ve got some pretty big productions in town right now. A lot of Hollywood A-listers are bringing their projects here. It’s pretty wild. That said, I wish we didn’t lose so many roles to U.S. actors. There’s plenty of great talent in this city.

As for the future, I hope I only see it grow. I feel like everything in this biz is somewhat unpredictable. It’s like gambling, really. But that’s what makes it exciting, I think. It’s always changing. But yes, I hope our industry here in Canada continues to grow. We have such a hard-working, passionate community of people in this industry. We have a lot to offer.

What books have been influential to you in your career thus far?

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. It’s about resistance, and breaking through those blocks that a lot of artists and creative people face.

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron is another good one. It’s more of a workbook.

And then, all the plays I’ve read… there have been hundreds! Shakespeare, Neil Simon, Samuel Beckett. I love reading plays and scripts.

I’ve also done a lot of reading from Deepak Chopra & Eckhart Tolle, which helps with finding balance, calm, and peace, (amongst so many other things) which is so important, especially amongst the craziness that this industry can bring.

Where can people find out more about you?

Carrier Talent. Twitter. IMDB. Facebook. Instagram. MySpace.

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Our thanks to Esther Cohen for speaking with us!

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Recommended Reading

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Waiting for Godot
Samuel Beckett

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The Odd Couple
Neil Simon

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Hamlet (Illustrated)
William Shakespeare

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The post The Biz Interview: Esther Cohen appeared first on Biz Books.