Inspired by the 1991 film, Dogfight takes audiences into a story set on November 21, 1963, when on their last night before deployment, a chance meeting with a waitress changes the lives of three Marines – offering newfound lessons and perspectives for everyone involved.

Jessie nominee and Ovation winner Chris Lam directs this adaptation with musical direction by Peter Abando (Off Key Musical Improv), along with lighting design by Jonathan Kim (The Amish Project) and set design by Carolyn Rapanos (Common Grace).

In a unique choice, this presentation of Dogfight includes double cast leads, who will play on alternating nights: Stuart Barkley (Les Miserables), Sara Vickruck (Love Bomb) Justin Lapena (King and I), and Amanda Sum (Vancity Idol).

We spoke to the four leads to find out the inside story on Dogfight.

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What is your involvement with Dogfight?

Stuart Barkley: I am performing as Eddie Birdlace, as well as Gibbs, on alternating nights.

Sara Vickruck: I am playing the part of Rose.

Amanda Sum: I will be playing one of the Rose Fenny’s, an awkward girl who doesn’t get out much. Accurate description of myself, come to think of it.

Justin Lapena: I play alternate playing Eddie Birdlace and Gibbs.

What drew you to be a part of this production?

Stuart Barkley: When I saw Dogfight a year ago, I remember watching the performance of “Come Back” and thinking “Wow, I wanna do that!” Lo and behold, here I am!

Sara Vickruck: My initial interest was mostly the opportunity to work with Chris, and meet others in the musical theatre community in Vancouver. I had seen some plays that Chris was in, and met him many times at different events around the city. He seemed to be a mover and a shaker. This is also the first traditional musical I have been in in a while, so I was excited to ‘Get back on the horse’ or perhaps the Dog in this case.

After looking more into the script and listening to the music, I was really excited about the great songs that the character of Rose has, she goes on quite an interesting journey throughout the script. I love the music in Dogfight.

Amanda Sum: I had not actually heard of the show or the movie prior to being approached by Chris Lam to audition for the part. After doing some research I immediately fell in love with the score. Seeing the way the men treat the women in the show is appalling, and the discomfort still sits with me. I think that the misogynist aspect to the show drew me in even more, it is so interesting to work with ideas that don’t settle quite right with you.

Justin Lapena: I love the story and I love the score just as much so it was a no-brainer. I’m drawn to humanity of it all and more so that it’s not afraid to delve into the ugliness of being young; the awkwardness, cockiness, ignorance, vulgarity, yearning, vulnerability, frustration and a deep longing for acceptance and understanding underneath it all.

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

Stuart Barkley: The process has been interesting. Justin Lapena and I share the lead role (Eddie) and Gibbs, as previously mentioned, so we’ve been taking turns playing as one or the other during rehearsals. Needless to say, learning the blocking, lines and harmonies of two different characters with little repetition has been a challenge.

Still, it’s a two-sided coin. Being able to share the role with a friend allows me to see some of his character choices or thoughts that I hadn’t considered which motivates me to think outside of the box.

Sara Vickruck: Lots of subtext work. Lots of singing and entertaining my neighbours while practicing in the Library at the coop where I love. I like to begin analyzing a script by plotting my characters journey using Joseph Campbell’s work on the 17 steps of a heroes journey. Not ever characters trajectory fits this model perfectly, but it has helped me to identify some major shifts and big moments for Rose along the way.

I have never been in a play where I was double cast before, so it’s interesting to see the struggles and triumphs of this process. It’s cool to have, like a ‘twin’, who I can talk to about what we think is going on for our character at this moment, and to watch someone else interpret the same lines and characters completely opposite of me, but equally truthfully. The struggle comes with the amount of time in an already short rehearsal being halved, and not comparing yourself to your talented counterpart. It’s humbling.

Amanda Sum: Learning the music was the first step for me, just getting familiar with the songs before the rehearsal process started. I’ve watched snippets of the movie and the musical, but haven’t watched them all the way through, to avoid comparing myself to existing versions. We are midway through rehearsal now, and I’m in the midst of textwork and analysis, which I know I will continue to dive deeper into up until closing night.

Justin Lapena: I read the script the first time as an observer. I take in the story make notes of any striking scenes or moments that I particularly enjoyed or found interesting. Then I read the script again paying attention to my character and his journey through the show researching things that he says that I don’t understand and I try to pay attention to what kind of a person he is without being judgmental about it or labeling him as just one thing. For example, is my character a chronic liar, are there subjects that he is uncomfortable talking about, how does he relate to the people around him and how is he perceived by them, etc. Then I memorize what I can of the text in anticipation for rehearsals and then when we get to rehearsals the fun begins and you get to play around with staging and get to see how chemistry between characters and different actors affects the delivery or emphasis of the text or your objectives in the scenes. Then you keep playing and collaborating and offering new ways to do the scene until it feels right and the director approves and it falls into a rhythm but not so much so that the performance gets locked into a cookie cutter way of performing. That’s the best thing about live theatre, it can be completely different every night because we know where we start and where our characters need to be by the end and as long as we hit certain cues and checkpoints the journey to the end is always a series of new discoveries which keeps everything fresh and fun.

What should audiences expect from this show?

Stuart Barkley: Oh, man. Expect to see a roller-coaster ride of a show.

Sara Vickruck: New faces, who you haven’t seen a lot of in Vancouver yet. Catchy tunes. Some aggravating realities. A well told story.

Amanda Sum: The audience should be prepared for an intimate, up close and personal telling of a beautiful story and some mean harmonies!

Justin Lapena: A night of honest, intimate repertory storytelling that just happens to have some seriously killer tunes.

Dogfight is based on the 1991 film of the same name. In what ways is this production different and which elements are similar?

Stuart Barkley: I won’t lie, I haven’t seen the movie. But, seeing a live show beats a movie any day.

Sara Vickruck: I haven’t seen the original movie, and have avoided it, because I don’t want to let that movie affect my acting choices.

Amanda Sum: The interracial couples definitely give the story some depth, in both casts. I’ve not seen the full movie, but whichever cast you come to see, our production does not stray too far from both the vulgar and endearing moments that the movie has.

Justin Lapena: The movie is very similar to the Musical at its core. The themes, timeline and the message are the same, however one major difference being the story focusing on “three bees” in the musical as opposed to “four bees” in the movie. Some scenes have also been cut, abbreviated or changed around to accommodate the songs and a general adaptation to the stage but largely, the important scenes are there almost verbatim.

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

Stuart Barkley: 1 book comes immediately to mind – The Mastery of Love by Don Miguel Ruiz. To supplement it, The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle and The Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman. No three books have furthered myself as an individual or a performer.

Sara Vickruck: Of course. Here are a few.

The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell. I read this book along time ago, but from it I still work with the structure of the 17 steps to help flesh out my characters journey over the course of the musical.

The Tao Te Ching as interpreted by William Martin – this just helps to remind me to have compassion for myself and shift my perspective as I go about my days.

Audition by Michael Shurtleff – I just picked this up again the other day, wanting to be continually learning and challenging and trying new tactics as an actor.

Amanda Sum: Lately, I’ve been really into reading contemporary Canadian plays. Stephen Massicotte has been high on my list, as well as works by Daniel MacIvor.

Justin Lapena: That varies for me from project to project. Each project is a different beast entirely. That being said I really enjoy Mitch Albom and Don Miguel Ruiz’s books when I want to work on some self betterment or trying to understand myself more as a story teller, an artist and a person.

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

Stuart Barkley: Be kind to everyone. As the saying goes: “Do onto others as you would have them do onto you.”

Sara Vickruck: Everything is connected. This is a lesson I learn over and over again, because I always seem to forget it. Opportunities come your way that seem to lead you down one path, and all of a sudden something else comes along that takes you in a different direction, but eventually those things come together again, some how.

For example. I am currently in another play called Love Bomb, produced by Shameless Hussy Productions. A few years ago I stopped acting for a while. I needed a break and decided to focus more on my music, I released my first album last summer. At the time I thought, ‘Sara you are so silly leaving acting to go work on music, you should stick to one thing.’ Then, a friend of my room mates, who happens to be on the Board for Shameless Hussy Productions and has jammed at our house a few times, mentioned they needed a musician for a show they were producing and I should audition. I got the role. Which has led to me getting an agent and being part of Dogfight. Had I not taken the time to work on my music, I would have been capable of being in Love Bomb. To add to the craziness, Love Bomb deals with the subject of sex trafficking and about 6 years ago I became interested in this topic and wrote a song about it. Everything seems to tie together in the end.

Another lesson I continue to learn, is that everyone’s journey is unique, and there are many ways to get where you are going. As a result, there is no point comparing yourself to others – I still struggle with this of course – because their journey will be different from yours.

Amanda Sum: When in doubt, make a fool of yourself.

Justin Lapena: The success of others does not automatically equate personal failure. Stay hungry and willing to learn. Don’t take casting personally and remember perseverance is paramount because if you’re in this career for the long haul, rejection is an old and familiar friend you’ll run into more often than not.

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

Stuart Barkley: During rehearsals, I have been wrapping up my BCRPA Personal Training Certificate program at Douglas College. Performance-wise, I will be performing this Summer in Chemainus in the upcoming production of Footloose as the priest’s daughter’s boyfriend, Chuck.

After that, I am considering going back to school full-time for a Sports Science Diploma, then finishing my Performing Arts Degree.

Sara Vickruck: We are continuing to re work and re mount Love Bomb, which we are currently touring as a work shop along side WAVA (women against violence against women). I am playing musical gigs around the city often along side a friend of mine Brian Africa, and in another all girl band The Bandwagon. You can check for updates at SaraVickruck.ca

Amanda Sum: I don’t have any projects lined up yet, but I will be focusing on school for the next few years. I’ll be continuing to fill my life with the theatre and music as per usual. Hopefully some new covers and originals will appear on my Youtube channel, but we shall see.

Justin Lapena: Just a few auditions and some things up in the air in the works but I don’t have anything else officially lined up after this just yet.

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Thanks to Stuart Barkley, Sara Vickruck, Amanda Sum, and Justin Lapena for speaking with us!

For tickets to see Dogfight, please visit PacificTheatre.org.

The post The Biz Interview: Dogfight appeared first on Biz Books.

We spoke to Luke Kirby to find out more about his preparation for his emotional role, what the film will mean for audiences, and what else he’s working on right now.

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Can you start by telling us about Touched with Fire and your involvement in it?

Touched with Fire is a movie about two people, Carla and Marco, who meet and fall in love.  It so happens that they meet in a psychiatric ward and are both bipolar.  Together they make sense of life in a way no one else could fathom.  They are bound by destiny.  But there’s always a come down, and with them it is fast and hard.  The movie is about the fight to overcome this massive obstacle.

What drew you to be a part of this production?

I was very struck by how raw the script felt.  It was naked and was screaming to be heard.  It wasn’t easy to look at but hard to look away from.  When I met Paul Dalio, our director, I learned just how close to him the story was.  He was seeking, and his yearning was voracious.  That appetite is infectious and so, the die was cast.

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What should audiences expect from this film?

Audiences should relieve themselves of expectation.  I think that’s the best recipe for being surprised by a story and the work that goes into telling it.

Touched with Fire is a film that touches heavily on manic depression, especially your role. What kinds of preparation did you do for your role?

Paul Dalio was so resourceful in the preparation.  His own experience was a very reliable barometer for our work.  There is also a lot of great literature on the subject of bipolar and depression. Kay Redfield Jamison and William Styron are two writers whose work was invaluable to the process.

Your co-star in this film was Katie Holmes. What did you do to build an on-screen rapport and chemistry with her to make the relationship of your characters as believable as possible?

Working with Katie Holmes was fantastic.  She’s a very hard worker and also endlessly curious.  I knew very quickly that she was going to lock in and expected the same of me.  She also has a great sense of play which was great for finding Carla and Marco in their heightened states.

You’ve enjoyed both film and television credits in your career. What do you enjoy about each of these mediums?

Working on a movie seems more finite than a TV series.  You knows its beginning middle and end.  Television is a little more like life.  You’re always anticipating what will happen next but when you get the script it’s usually quite different than those darned expectations would have you believe.

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

I think all books have great guideposts for life hidden within them.  John Fante helped me appreciate palm trees. Kurt Vonnegut has helped keep humor alive through horrific times. Barbara Ras wrote a poem called Washing The Elephant that guts me every time I look at it.  Reading is a great source of inspiration but also a kind of communion. It also helps me get to sleep at night.

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

Get lots of sleep.  Drink lots of water.

You were born in Hamilton, Ontario. What’s your take on the current state of the Canadian film industry?

When I was growing up in Guelph, film and television seemed so far away from any reality I knew.  It was another planet in some far off dream galaxy.  I’m always impressed by how much that has changed and am increasingly encouraged by young artists forging their own paths.

What advice would you have for emerging Canadian actors?

Find people to work with. Work. Go out dancing often.

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

I’m shooting Season 4 of Rectify in April.  It can be seen on Netflix.  It’s really good.

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Our thanks to Luke Kirby for speaking with us!

Touched with Fire is now playing in theatres. For more information about the film, please visit TouchedWithFire.com.

The post The Biz Interview: Luke Kirby appeared first on Biz Books.

Martha Ross is the creative architect behind a riotously fun and supportive workshop called “What’s the Big Idea?”, which will bring your blocked idea into a place of playful freedom. You will discover a creativity that you had no idea you possessed. And you will discover what to do next. You will remember why you had the idea in the first place.

“What’s the Big Idea?” is happening at Playwrights Theatre Centre in Vancouver on November 7th and November 8th and on November 14th and November 15th in Victoria at the Victoria College of Art. We spoke to Martha Ross in advance of the workshop to find out more about her and what the big idea is behind “What’s the Big Idea?”.

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Can you start by telling us a little bit about you?

I grew up in Burnaby and like a lot of people in the early ’70s, if you lived in Burnaby you went to SFU and if you lived in Vancouver, you went to UBC. SFU was tremendously exciting at that time. I did a lot of modern dance and then in my last year, I did drama. But although I loved this new experience of theatre, I was a really bad ‘method’ actor. I assumed this meant that I should get out of theatre entirely.

After I went to Toronto to visit a friend, I quite by chance ended up taking a Clown Workshop offered by a Jacques Lecoq grad, Dean Gilmour. He convinced me that I suited the Lecoq school so I saved up my money working in a fish plant and went off to the Lecoq school in Paris for two years. It changed my life. After leaving Paris, I began Theatre Columbus in Toronto with another Lecoq grad, Leah Cherniak. Over a 30 year period, we created countless pieces of theatre that were primarily all ‘serious comedies’.

Our company is now run by Jennifer Brewin, who has renamed the company Common Boots Theatre. I now teach in universities and in private studios across Canada. Teaching has become a passion for me, but I still miss BC like crazy. Every time I fly into Vancouver over the Fraser River, I cry.

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What can you tell us about “What’s the Big Idea?” and what participants can expect?

I was proposing a project for a Canadian Stage Festival that was called “Ideas and Creation” and so I did research on the word root for “Inspire”. I knew that it had to do with breath and spirit, but further research showed me that the word ‘spire’ goes back to Old Norse and Sanskrit and is connected to the words ‘whistle’ and ‘passing wind’. This got my mind racing and before I knew it, my Big Ideas Workshop was born.

Why I keep offering it is that number one, it is so much fun, and number two, time and time again I hear people say to me “I have this idea for this new theatre piece but I just can’t seem to get writing”.

Or “I am writing a new play but I seem to be stuck on page 30.”

A lot of people get stuck on page 30. Why is that? I can only imagine it’s because we get stubborn with our ideas or worse, precious with them! Or we try to copy “good play writing” techniques; we try to emulate other writers. Which is fine for a while, but ultimately you have to bring your self to the page and the stage.

So this workshop is designed to shake you up, stretch your imagination muscle and bring you back to you. Even if Pinter had wanted to, he couldn’t have written like Ibsen. He maybe found Ibsen inspiring but in the end, Pinter could only write like Pinter. The workshop does other things as well – like I help you find out more about the characters, the conflict, the style, the perfect design elements, etc. I can’t say too much or it ruins the surprise of the workshop. In a nutshell I get you on your feet and you play with your idea and then you’re inspired to get back to writing.

What’s the biggest misconception about writing for theatre?

The biggest misconception about writing for theatre is that there is one good method. It took us forever to realize that plays don’t need monologues for example. Sure, maybe we need beginnings, middles and ends, but one writer’s arc is going to be very different than another writers.

In your opinion, what is the current state of the Canadian theatre community and how can it be improved?

The alternative scene across Canada is alive and well and contributing enormously to all levels of theatre. How can it be improved? I’m not sure. I’m very positive that it is improving. We challenge the discipline more than we did 30-40 years ago. Having said that though, we have to keep making our theatre vibrant. That can mean any number of things. We have to let it keep changing. And we have to keep looking for virtuosity. Virtuosity can be achieved in performing, staging, writing but also just in the ability to astound. If you are a clown, be a brilliant clown. If you do minimalist theatre, then do it like no one else has done before.

What have been a few of your career highlights?

A career highlight was when Theatre Columbus managed The Poor Alex Theatre in Toronto with Theatre Smith-Gilmour and Crow’s Theatre. The theatre was a 100-seat venue complete with rats and pipes that banged and audiences that hooted and cheered. It was a special time in Toronto. And some of our best plays came from that time: The Anger in Ernest and Ernestine; Paranoia; Dr. Dapertutto; Cooking with Columbus, etc.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received about writing for theatre?

Best advice for writing for theatre: I wish I could find the exact quote. Harold Pinter said something like ‘get your characters started and then get out of the way’. But the idea is that if you allow your characters to really talk, and then talk some more, you are going to be surprised. Allow yourself to be surprised.

And of course Jacques Lecoq. Everything that Jacques Lecoq taught was brilliant and I can’t sum it up here. But basically he talked a lot about force, dynamic, rhythm and space. I always tell my students to allow your characters to suddenly move across the whole expanse of the stage and to leave, for example.

What plays and playwrights have been influential to you in your career so far?

Henrik Ibsen, Samuel Beckett and Harold Pinter. But my writing has absolutely no resemblance to them. But I do love how Samuel Beckett and Harold Pinter ride the fine line between comedy and drama. I thrive on the connection between those two territories. And I love how Henrik Ibsen makes us gasp.

Where can we find out more about you?

Common Boots Theatre has a new website.

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Our thanks to Martha Ross for speaking with us! To register in “What’s the Big Idea?” or to get more information, please e-mail Martha Ross at marthaross.ross@gmail.com. Costs for her workshops are $200 in Vancouver and $190 in Victoria.

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The post The Biz Interview: Martha Ross appeared first on Biz Books.

Hunger Games: The Musical takes the ever-popular book by Suzanne Collins and film series and spins it on its head with a very ambitious (and very musical) parody. With the opening just a few days away, we spoke with actors Morgan Churla and Riley Qualtieri and writer/co-director Mark Vandenberg to find out more about the production.

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What is your involvement with Hunger Games: The Musical and how did that get started?

Morgan Churla: I am playing the role of the ever-so-wonderful Effie Trinket. I saw the audition posting and knew it was love at first sight.

“I have to be in this!” was actually what I screamed at my laptop. I went through the auditions, received two noise complaints from my landlord – the audition song was “Chandelier” by Sia – and then a miracle happened… I was cast!

Mark Vandenberg: My name is Mark Vandenberg and I am the writer and co-director of Hunger Games: The Musical. I wrote the musical two years ago for my high school and it has sort of evolved from there. It has now been ‘adult-ified’ for the Fringe Festival. The idea came from my wondering what kind of dark scenario would singing happy songs seem humorously inappropriate. Kid-on-kid violence peppered with bouncy pop tunes seemed disturbing and very funny.

Riley Qualtieri: In April of 2015, I performed the lead role of Eddie Birdlace in Dogfight The Musical with a company named Awkward Stage Productions. The show was a critical and financial success for its short run, and Frank Nickel, our director and producer, saw the show. He liked my performance, and somehow, I don’t really know how, he saw the silly, adorkable Peeta somewhere inside the loud, arrogant marine character I played in Dogfight.

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What should audiences expect from Hunger Games: The Musical?

Morgan Churla: They should expect to laugh, a lot, and maybe cry. The writing is incredibly witty, the music is so catchy and fun and the cast is superb.

Mark Vandenberg: Audiences should expect have a great time at the theatre. It is very accessible and will make you laugh, smile and maybe even pee a little. It’s mostly family friendly and is filled with pop songs from the past three years. If you’ve read the book or seen the movie, this will be right up your alley. If you haven’t, you must be a hermit or something, but I’m sure you’ll still enjoy the story and songs and be able to follow along.

Riley Qualtieri: Prepared to be blasted in the face with non-stop energy for 70 minutes! Catchy pop songs and wacky performances abound. We just want to have a big party.

The Hunger Games is a very recognizable property as a book and movie series. In your capacity, what did you do to make this incarnation stand on its own?

Morgan Churla: This was tough because everyone knows these characters, especially Effie. She is already an exaggerated character and then to throw her into a parody setting…well you need a lot of coffee. I didn’t want to mimic what Elizabeth Banks did in the movie, but I also knew I had to make her recognizable for those die hard fans of the movie and books (like myself). So I really tried finding the truth in who she is and why she acts the way she does to make her a little more dimensional. I’ve also dreamed of playing Effie since I read the books so I am just in my glory.

Mark Vandenberg: This production is a parody. While it makes fun of some of the serious and silly aspects of the book and film, it also hopefully makes one think about what the book/film has to say about the nature of violence, appearances, classicism, and reality television. Also our pop song parodies definitely set it apart. Katniss not only belts out alternate lyrics to Taylor Swift, she also tackles Adele, Foster the People, Gotye and Mumford & Sons.

Riley Qualtieri: Our production goes full parody. The plot line of the first movie is still followed, but that is where the similarity ends. We want to have fun, and make people smile. Lot of inside jokes about the movies, lots of campy sight gags, and we aren’t afraid to go of script. We have put together a cast that just loves to dance and have fun. Almost too much! Our directors have trouble reining us in to learn choreo because we have a tendency to just want to party. I’ll admit, I may be an little bit of an instigator…

What are the creative challenges and rewards associated with creating a live musical?

Morgan Churla: Musicals are so much work that sometimes its hard to see the end. Choreo, singing, acting, more choreo, more singing, repeat. They take so much energy but the pay off is like nothing else I have ever experienced.

Mark Vandenberg: Live musicals are all about precision. All the singing has to be timed and tuned, choreography has to be sharp and the music has to be perfectly equalized. It’s no easy task, but when it works, it works. We can’t help but applause when we see our actors perform an amazing musical number. It’s breathtaking, especially when 14 actors are in sync with each other.

Riley Qualtieri: Music connects people unlike anything else. As a young male, I might find it hard to connect with children, or an older audience, or women, or people who don’t speak my language, because we have a lack of shared experiences. We don’t look at the world the same way. Music transcends that. It can bring a diverse room together. Adding music to a production gives you a whole new way to connect with an audience member. While logistically it presents so many new problems, and requires a demanding skill set, when it hits, it hits hard. That is why I love musicals. When a musical is done well, it hits me in a way that a traditional stage play just can’t.

What are three things that every live musical needs in order to be successful?

Morgan Churla: 1. Coffee 2. Coffee 3. Coffee

Mark Vandenberg: The three things a musical needs are: 1. Fun memorable songs that you can’t get out of your head when you leave the theatre. 2. The perfect synergy of voice, music and dance. 3. An emotional impact that might take you by surprise.

Riley Qualtieri: 1. Guts. You can’t do a musical well if you’re scared. 2. Concentration. Rhythm, choreo, pitch… so many things can go wrong. You need to be locked in when you hit the stage. 3. A great band / music director. 99% of the time, the most talented people in the room are the ones playing the instruments. In our case, its our boy Oker, who is running the DJ kit. The show doesn’t go without him.

Why does the world need musicals?

Morgan Churla: The first musical I ever saw was Annie on Broadway when I was just a wee one and I sat on the edge of my seat from the moment the curtain went up and I’ve been hooked ever since. It transported me to another world and sucked me in emotionally whether I wanted it to or not. I will never forget that day. The world needs musicals. Music affects people on a different level emotionally. It tugs at those heart strings, awakens new emotions and usually makes you laugh. We need more laughter and love in the world.

Mark Vandenberg: Music has a longer impact than mere words. Musicals give the audience a time to suspend their disbelief that all the characters happen to know the same song, and just go with it. There’s a sense of freedom in musicals. Musicals are ‘life in extreme’. Emotions are amplified and the audience gets to go along for the ride.

Riley Qualtieri: Music speaks to people. There is a reason why all the buskers on Granville Island don’t just stand there with a microphone and say their lyrics. In our case, it says “Hey! Come Be Silly! Have A Great Time!”

What are some of your favourite musicals?

Morgan Churla: I have so many. Newsies, Wicked, Les Miserables, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Oklahoma, Little Women, Title of Show… I’m going to stop there.

Mark Vandenberg: Some of my favourite musicals include Les Miserables, Wicked, The Book of Mormon, Chickens (by Lucia Frangione) and The Unfortunates (by Jon Beavers and performed at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival a couple years ago.)

Riley Qualtieri: Les Mis is the one that turned me onto musicals when I was in high school. I also have a 5 tattooed on my ankle from my experience with The Last Five Years, so that musical is somewhere in the top 5 as well.

What’s the most important lesson you have learned so far in your career?

Morgan Churla: To never give up. You need to hear a hundred no’s before you get a yes. I use my rejection letters as proof that I am out there trying. My dad made it to the NHL and has been my biggest role model. Our industries have surprising similarities which has been so helpful, he has taught me the importance of hard work and determination.

Mark Vandenberg: Theatre may occupy every waking moment for a few months but it is so worth it.

Riley Qualtieri: Riley, don’t be selfish. A cast is a team. As a younger actor I always would worry about when my time to shine would come. Sometimes you’re job is to be a rock for someone else.

What books and authors have been influential to you?

Morgan Churla: I know I should say something intelligent like Shakespeare or Uta Hagen. Honestly, books like The Hunger Games or Harry Potter have helped me the most as an actor because they open my imagination and allow me to create these complex characters in my head as I read. The last show I did was called Welcome to Thebes, I played Talthybia, and I actually used Effie Trinket as a starting point to help me find who that character was. I have also enjoyed reading other actors biographies such as Mindy Kaling and Lena Dunham because they tell the truth, and I appreciate that.

Mark Vandenberg: I guess The Hunger Games, since I wrote a musical about it. I also learned some story writing techniques from the fantasy writer, David Eddings.

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Our thanks to Morgan Churla, Mark Vandenberg, and Riley Qualtieri for speaking with us!

You can find out more about Hunger Games: The Musical and everything else at the 2015 Vancouver Fringe Festival at VancouverFringe.com.

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As he finds himself in another busy summer of acting, Lochlyn Munro took some time to talk about his career and his new partnership with New Image College.

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Why don’t you start by telling us more about you and what projects you are involved with right now?

Well, let’s just say that I am a very fortunate person who get’s to make a living doing what I love: ENTERTAIN! The projects I have coming out in the next little bit are Badge Of Honor; which is a gritty crime drama starring Mena Suvari, Jesse Bradford, Martin Sheen and myself. I have a project for Lifetime Films called Driven Underground; which stars Kristy Swanson and myself, and I have the TV series Beauty and the Beast starting up its fourth season where I play the lead character’s Uncle.

One of your new initiatives is a partnership with New Image College in their Elite Acting Conservatory Program. Who are some of the mentors that you’ve met in your career and what wisdom do you look forward to sharing with students?

Wow! I have been so lucky to work with many amazing and talented actors so far in my career. I have worked with the late/great John Candy in Wagons East, Leslie Nielsen in Camouflage, Dennis Hopper in The Keeper, Peter O’Toole in Global Heresy, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman and Richard Harris in Unforgiven, Sir Anthony Hopkins in Go With Me, just to mention a few. This is why I am so excited to partner with New Image’s Acting Conservatory Program. Throughout my career I have always been like a sponge for knowledge and insight when it comes to working with people I admire and who have that “creative spark” within them. I feel that with my wealth of experience and knowledge regarding what it takes to becoming a working actor, I can help lend that knowledge to the next generation of performers.

What was the moment that you knew you wanted to be an actor?

I think that moment hit me when I first saw the film, Midnight Express. The movie was amazing and when I couldn’t stop talking about, I figured that maybe “I” could be the one who gets to tell these amazing stories.

You’ve been active in film and television roles filmed in Vancouver. What do you think it is about Vancouver that makes it an attractive location?

Well, other than the fact it is such a beautiful place to film, it also has world class crews. What New Image College and I want to achieve, is to prepare our actors to also become world class. We want the American film and television industry to know that Canadian actors are getting the training that prepares them to become leads on these American projects. I’m very excited to aid our already incredible faculty in achieving this goal.

Do you have a preference between acting for film and television?

No, I don’t really think about if it’s television OR film. The key is to whether or not you feel the character has dimension and if the story speaks to you. Trying to create character arcs whether they be for TV, film, or stage should all stem from the same place…making solid character choices.

What are a few of your most memorable experiences as an actor?

Boy, that is a tough question. I have been so fortunate to be part of a lot of amazing productions. I just finished shooting a project called, Go With Me, with Sir Anthony Hopkins. Working with him was a dream come true for me. An amazing person and an amazing actor. Of course, my first western was Unforgiven, and getting to work with Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Richard Harris and Gene Hackman was also an actor’s dream.

What was your biggest career challenge and how did you overcome it?

The biggest career challenge for me is to remember that the only thing I can control is doing the best work I possibly can, all the time. Having a career in such a competitive business means that you have to work your “balls” off. I overcome these obstacles by being as prepared as I can for each role that I take on. This is the work ethic I plan to help instill in our student body at New Image. I want to help give them all the tools I can to prepare them for success as an actor in whatever medium they choose – film, TV, stage, etc.

From your standpoint, what is the current state of the Canadian film and television film industry and how can it be improved?

I think the state of the film industry in Canada is strong and vibrant. I still believe that we can create a stronger indigenous film community, though. We have the writers, directors, producers AND actors to compete with the worlds best storytellers.

What books and authors have been influential in your creative journey?

You know, I have read plenty of books on acting, and I can tell you that for the most part, they all reiterate pretty much the same thing – be in the moment. I would say that probably my favourite is Ivana Chubbuck’s The Power Of The Actor. There are a lot of things in her book that I really relate to. I would highly recommend it.

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

Well, I suppose one could always come over for dinner and rapid fire questions at me! Ha! You know, it’s a pretty small world out there on the World Wide Web and people can pretty much perform due diligence to garner any type of info these days. I guess if you want a pretty accurate account of what I am up to business wise, I would recommend the old stand-by – IMDB.

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Our thanks to Lochlyn Munro for speaking with us!

For more information about New Image College and the Elite Acting Conservatory Program, please visit NewImage.ca.

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Opening June 6th at the Beaumont Stage, it features a new twist in the form of a talented all-female cast, including our own Catherine Lough Haggquist of Biz Books. We spoke with Rachel Peake to find out more about the process of developing and directing such an ambitious production.

What inspired you to take on this production?

I have always thought of Glengarry Glen Ross as a “man’s play” – about men, for men – so I never imagined tackling it. But when I was asked to direct an all-female production I began to wonder about that idea of a “man’s play.” What did my labelling it that mean? What did it say about my own compartmentalization of how men behave versus how women behave, and what men are driven by versus what drives women? That, combined with my interest in separating notions of “feminine” and “masculine” from “female” and “male”, began to get me really excited about what could be unearthed in hearing these words come out of women’s mouths. Not altered. Not made into female scenarios. But presented as-written.

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For Young People Recommended Reading The Perfect Stage Crew
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For Young People

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

The process was a bit unusual for me because it was an extended rehearsal period and our designers came on after our actors had been cast. However, this scenario allowed me to really focus on the text: the ideas, the language, the arguments, the rhetoric, for a large chunk of the preparatory time, and then to bring design and aesthetic conversations into the discussion. Once in rehearsal we spent a good chunk of time on the dense text, and then got on our feet, pushing relatively quickly to a first run in order to give us all an overview of the story, and then breaking in down into detail to rehearse again. We have been rehearsing half-time for a little over seven weeks, and we will go into full time rehearsals for tech leading up to opening.

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

All the glory and all the trials are in the text. It is dense text about a world very few Vancouverites in 2015 know much about, so negotiating the realities of the business and how it works are extremely tricky. Also, of course, there is the added challenge of women taking on male roles and understanding what that means in terms of tactic and intention. When it comes to the second point we have sought outside advice, techniques, and counsel. For the most part, research, analysis, and our detective skills with some imaginative problem-solving thrown in seem to have been our guide.

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

I have read a lot of David Mamet. His plays, his theories, his rants. It is interesting to see both how his writing and opinions have changed over his career, and how differently I come to it all than I did last time I read it when I was in university! I also read A Practical Handbook for the Actor by Melissa Bruder, Lee Michael Cohn, Madeleine Olnek, Nathaniel Pollack, Robert Previto and Scott Zigler. It was not written by David Mamet, but it was in essence endorsed by him and seems to espouse his directives to actors playing his text. I also read some critical essays that form part of “Gender and Genre” and “David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross: Text and Performance” as well as some articles on sales from the era.

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

I’m thrilled to be heading to Newfoundland again this summer to work on an interarts project there with Dark by Five at the Liminus Festival in Corner Brook and Gros Morne National Park. I will am developing two new works here in Vancouver: Mata Hari with Single Line Theatre (debuting in February), and Point Counterpoint with the Elbow Theatre (debuting in Montreal in January). I am adapting the main stage opera Stickboy by Shane Koyczan to be toured in high schools by Vancouver Opera in Schools next January. I’ll also be heading out of town to direct Miss Caledonia at Western Canada Theatre in Kamloops and The Snow Queen at the Globe Theatre in Regina.

Where can we find out more about you?

RachelPeake.com

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Glengarry Glen Ross runs from June 6th through June 27th at the Beaumont Stage. For ticket information, please visit TicketsTonight. You can also support the production through its Indiegogo campaign.

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Can you start by telling us a little bit about you and your film?

Caitlyn Byrnes: I am a production designer and writer/director based in Vancouver BC. My film is called One Last Ride. It tells of an unlikely friendship between a young soul singer and a taxi driver.

This is the synopsis:

Tired of being ripped off by entitled hipsters, taxi driver Inderjeet Dhaliwal is prepared to call the cops when his latest customer, a boisterous young soul singer named Maggie, can’t pay the fare. Desperate to get to her audition, Maggie attempts to find some common ground between them, and uncovers an unexpected shared love of deep soul music.

Jem Garrard: I’m a Writer and Director from London, UK and Vancouver has been home to me for the past six years. In that time I’ve been directing and shooting music videos, commercials and documentaries. My film is called The Wolf Who Came to Dinner and it tells the story of 8 year old Bea Barkley who imagines her Moms dinner date to be a werewolf and she makes it her mission to get rid of him over the course of the evening.

Mo Soliman: I’m Mo Soliman, writer/director for the film Under A Glass Moon. UAGM is both a mystery thriller and a character-driven piece, where a world of secrets unfold as the story is told.

Can you tell us about how the idea for your film came to be and what your creative process was like in making it come to life?

Caitlyn Byrnes: My film was inspired by my own experience as a struggling artist, my love of fleeting moments of human connection, and more than anything the soulful music and wild spirit of my friend Colleen Rennison who stars in the film. I wrote it for her.

I had the idea for some time but it wasn’t until I was talking to a friend about Crazy 8’s that I thought it might be a viable way to make my film come to life. Then I pitched it and the rest is history!

Jem Garrard: I grew up in a single parent family with my Mom and two sisters and we were always creating characters and monsters. I’m a big fan of monster movies and horror and a lot of my stories are about family dynamics so I decided to mesh the two. It’s part autobiographical I guess. The script was developed over a period of about seven or eight years. The six months leading up to the crazy 8s pitch deadline was when the script really started to come together for me.

Mo Soliman: I’m a big fan of the genre, especially Hitchcock and I wanted to create a story which uses these elements of suspense storytelling. I also wanted to explore how the medium of film can evoke the very primal emotion of fear. Essentially it is a film about coming face to face with your worst fear. So it’s kind of an experiment in story telling that I wanted to undertake. There are surreal elements and very subjective visuals in this film aimed at creating a visceral experience for the audience

What was the most memorable moment for you in the Crazy 8s process?

Caitlyn Byrnes: The first time Colleen sang on set for the camera – it was in that moment I really realized that the film I had in my head for so long was actually being made!

Jem Garrard: The most memorable part, there are many. Production went really well – seeing the wolf and these characters I’d had in my mind for so long come to life was surreal. Post was insane. I learned a lot about myself. I can pull four all-nighters in a row (and I don’t drink coffee!). But probably getting the call that I had made it to the final 6 is up there with memorable moments. I was with family and friends and it was a great celebration.

Mo Soliman: When I got the phone call at 11 p.m from the Crazy 8s producers telling me I got selected!

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

Caitlyn Byrnes: On the Road by Jack Kerouac. I read this book right before I left on a trip for India was I was 18. It has really informed my view of life every since. Particularly my view of art.

Jem Garrard: I read a lot of everything. I’m a big sci-fi geek actually so Isaac Asimov and Ray Bradbury are up there. I’ve also been heavily influenced by J.D. Salinger’s work.

Mo Soliman: I think reading is imperative to what I do. My favourite film books are Hitchcock: The Definitive Study by Francois Truffaut, The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film by Michael Ondaatje and Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex, Drugs, and Rock ‘N’ Roll Generation Saved Hollywood by Peter Biskind. Non-film books include everything by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Milan Kundera, Albert Camus, Kafka and Naguib Mahfouz.

What other projects are you working on and where can we find out more about you?

Caitlyn Byrnes: I just finished designing a feature called Unseen and will likely be going on to design a few more projects soon! You can find out more about me and my team at scopitonefilms.com or the-herd.ca.

Jem Garrard: Currently I have three short sci-fis in post, nearing completion. My feature documentary Guns to Mics is being released in April and I’m jumping into pre-production on a comedy TV show called The Switch. I’ll be directing the first season beginning in April.

Mo Soliman: Currently I’m producing a video series for Government Canada as well as TV spots for the United Nations Development Program. You can check out my website at bigredfish.co

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For more information about Crazy 8s, please visit crazy8s.cc

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Best-known as the voice of the title character on the long-running family favourite, SpongeBob SquarePants, Tom Kenny has also contributed to animated shows like Ultimate Spider-Man and Futurama.

Tom Kenny finds himself on the big screen in The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge out of Water, which opens in theatres on February 6th, 2015.

In our Tom Kenny interview, we learned more about the voice acting process, his journey into the SpongeBob realm, and his advice for aspiring voice actors.

Do you want to start by telling us a bit about the movie and how you became involved with the role?

Sure, I guess I’ll start at the beginning.

I got into animation (and) voice-over through the backdoor of stand-up comedy. I had made a living as a stand-up comedian for eight years. That was all I did. I was doing well enough with it that I didn’t have a day job or anything during the comedy boom of the ’80s. But I really wanted to do voice-overs and it was hard to break into and then somebody saw me at The Improv in Los Angeles doing my stand-up and I did a lot of characters – not so much celebrity impressions but people in my family and people I knew… So he said, “Hey, have you ever thought about doing cartoon voices? I’m with Hanna-Barbera Cartoons.” and I said, “Yes. Weirdly enough I’ve thought about it every day since I was six years old.”

Not only have I thought about it, but I’ve probably thought about it way too much. So they said, “Come on down and audition for this cartoon” and I did and the occasional voice-over turned into a lot of voice-overs and auditions and then before I knew it, I was almost exclusively a voice-over actor and stand-up was something that I didn’t do anymore. I was glad to leave it behind.

Then next thing you know, 15 years later, we’re making the second SpongeBob movie, the first SpongeBob movie in 11 years. So this thing has just kept on going. It’s not like a resurgence or reboot. There’s always been the Spongebob being made. It’s never really been out of production. I’ve always done SpongeBob stuff, but the movies are 11 years apart.

For people who are already familiar with the Spongebob character and the show and the first movie, what can they expect this time? What’s going to be different about this one?

Well, when you’re doing the 11-minute TV episodes, I tend to prefer the stories that are small stories. I tend to like those ones better… I tend to like the ones where SpongeBob just is learning to tie his shoe for 11 minutes or he’s trying to come up with an idea for an essay that he has to write for his boarding school class and the whole other minutes are him just having writer’s block. Those are really simple shows, but you can’t do that in a movie. Movies have to be an event now and the first Spongebob movie in 11 years has to be an event, so it’s a much bigger arena and a much more epic-scale story, I think.

Having seen it finally last week, I think that the director Paul Tibbitt and Stephen Hillenburg and the writers did a really stellar job of keeping the characters true to who they are, but put them in this big Guardians of the Galaxy meets Mad Max meets JJ Abrams Star Trek movie, where there’s time travel and alternate versions of the characters. It’s really pretty heavy and complex of a plot and really weird. Like really weird and odd in a way that I really loved and I think kids – at least my kids – they love oddball stuff and this movie, I really enjoyed that it was trying to not be like every other kids movie and I think – no matter what one thinks of the movie, I loved it, but I would think that you would have to give it points for at least taking great pains to make it not like every other movie,when it probably would’ve been easier to make it like every other kids movie… It’s a whole new visual way to experience Spongebob…

I thought it was a perfect marriage of those two schools. It’s gotta be an event. It’s gotta be 3D. It’s gotta be big. But you don’t want to lose track of the characters – especially with cartoon characters. You want them to be the same comfort food you eat. You don’t want Bugs Bunny to change or Popeye the Sailor Man to change. You want them to be the same as they ever were. You don’t want the new, improved Bart Simpson. You want Bart Simpson. I think comedy archetypes in general are like that.

What is it about animated movies and cartoons that make them so long-lasting?

I think part of it is that they’re drawn. There’s all these psychological reasons, I think. The characters that I grew up with, that I had an affection for as a kid – like Rocky and Bullwinkle and Popeye and Betty Boop – I totally loved those characters.

Animation – people just have a special relationship with it that’s different from live action and I think part of it is that the characters don’t change. Bart Simpson is always a 10 year-old boy. SpongeBob is a sponge of whatever indeterminate man, boy, age he is. And Mickey Mouse is always Mickey Mouse. I think that’s it. I think it’s kind of a connection and I think also even though SpongeBob has been on for many, many seasons, you can turn on any SpongeBob episode and know who everybody is. It’s not like Breaking Bad or something where you go, “I have to watch this from the very beginning.”

It’s the over-enthusiastic guy and his not-too-bright friend and the greedy boss and the cranky neighbour and the scrappy squirrel friend. I think it’s very easy to get and I think it helps with the global embrace that SpongeBob has been lucky enough to enjoy.

Are there any books in voice-over or comedy that you studied?

There’s a book called The Last Laugh that was one of the only books about comedians that you could find when I was a teenager and that blew my mind…

I think the best book written on animation was Creating Animated Cartoons with Character written by Joe Murray, the guy who created the first animated series that I was ever on, Rocko’s Modern Life. It’s about what you need to know to sell a show in the animation world. It’s one of the most useful books about what it’s like to work in animation right now in the here and now and what you’ve got to do to, what you’ve got to watch out for, what not to do, what to be careful of, and I think it’s really great.

What would your advice be to someone who wants to get into voice acting?

Voice acting in particular, I would say it’s more about your ears than your mouth. Just listen to people. Listen to accents… One dumb skill that I’ve gotten good at is being able to take disparate voices and kind of mash them up into something else – like kind of mix and match some weird character actor from the 1930s that I saw in a movie and then you mix that with some guy that you overheard talking on his cell phone to his wife at the mall… or some weird regional accent that you heard on the news while they were interviewing some guy and you mash things up.

I think if you’re a listener, then you can be a good voice-over person. Being able to make funny voices is the least important aspect of it and people think it’s the most important. Also, that child-like sense of play of being able to just – the theatre of the mind – get into the oral creation of these characters. Just let yourself go. It’s kind of a weird out-of-body experience. It’s kind of goofy and stupid, but it’s also the only reason that I have a house.

The post The Biz Interview: Tom Kenny appeared first on Biz Books.

How did you become interested in the entertainment industry and what steps did you take to get involved?

My passion for entertainment started at an early age when my father began showing me some of his favourite films and this helped to nurture my love and fascination of movies, TV, music, books and pop culture. I didn’t have a clear vision of a future in broadcasting but I distinctly remember always loving performing in front of people and making speeches at a young age.

How would you sum up what you do as a film critic and television personality? What’s a typical work day like for you?

My typical work day consists of combing the social media networks to find breaking and developing stories in the film and TV world as well as funny bits that allow for ‘water cooler’ chat topic moments. As a movie critic I have the distinct opportunity to see several new release films each week for my various Friday review segments on TV and radio; this can be exciting and exhausting given the varying degrees of quality movies these days.

What’s the biggest misconception about film critics?

Many people tend to think film critics can’t have guilty pleasures, as in film’s they aren’t afraid to admit they liked but are generally panned in the critical universe. I embrace all my guilty pleasure movies and as long as a movie critic can back up their opinions there can never be a right or wrong answer. We aren’t always in the mood to watch Citizen Kane but sometimes a situation just calls for a clichéd Nicholas Sparks romantic drama!

How would you sum up the films of 2014 so far?

Big awards contenders tend to get release dates late in the year so they are fresh in the minds of the voting bodies but I was surprised at the calibre of some of 2014’s blockbusters including The Lego Movie and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Other notable titles include: Under the Skin, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Gone Girl and Foxcatcher but my favourite so far has to be the jazz drummer ‘thriller’ Whiplash with J.K. Simmons and Miles Teller… with Richard Linklater’s masterpiece Boyhood a close second.

In your opinion, what are three elements that every film needs to be effective?

Original story, engaging characters and a unique visual aesthetic.

What is the current state of the Canadian film industry from your perspective and how can it be improved?

The Canadian film industry continues to grow exponentially by cultivating homegrown talent and launching careers of men and women in every facet of film and TV production. The vast number of projects shooting in Vancouver alone on any given day is a testament to how strong the current industry is in our country.

What is one of the most memorable moments of your career so far?

Celebrity interviews are always a treat and some of my favourites have been Spinal Tap, ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic, Michael Buble, Chris Cornell, Alice Cooper and the cast of Fringe for the series finale. I also had the pleasure of interviewing my ultimate crush Dame Helen Mirren via satellite and covering the 2009 Juno Awards in Vancouver was… well… quite the party.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to become a film critic?

Always stand by your convictions, back up your opinions with thoughtful analysis and try to see as many films as you can, good or bad!

What books have been influential to you in becoming a film critic?

Roger Ebert’s poignant memoir Life Itself is a must-read and I always enjoyed Leonard Maltin’s annual Movie Guide (his latest edition will be the last one unfortunately). Also, John Carter and the Gods of Hollywood by Michael D. Sellers is a fascinating look at the risks in today’s big studio ‘tentpole’ era of filmmaking and the current movie marketing landscape.

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

You can watch my entertainment reports weekdays and movie reviews Fridays on City’s Breakfast Television in Vancouver between 5:30am and 9am, listen for my reviews on News1130 radio or check me out on Twitter: @thordiakow

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