The Cherry Orchard is now on at Jericho Arts Centre until May 19th.

Under the direction of William B. Davis, The Smoking Gun Collective (who brought you An Inspector Calls last season) will present the last play by Anton Chekhov. They are thrilled to bring you this play, considered one of the masterpieces of the twentieth century.

With John Prowse, Lesli Brownlee, and Chris Walters (An Inspector Calls), Corina Akeson, Tim Bissett, Matt Loop (Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Jersey Lily), Douglas Abel (A Man for All Seasons), Jack Rigg (Hay Fever), Bronwen Smith, Martha Elisabeth Ansfield-Scrase, Christine Iannetta, and Sean Anthony.

Tickets are available at BrownPaperTickets.com

Recommended Reading The Perfect Stage Crew
2nd Edition Click a cover for more details Empire of the Son Ignite: Illuminating Theatre
For Young People

The post The Cherry Orchard at Jericho Arts Centre appeared first on Biz Books.

Her newest project is YVR Screen Scene, a brand new site and podcast platform that represents the next evolution of her commitment to bringing the inside stories of Vancouver’s entertainment industry to life.

We spoke to Sabrina Furminger about YVR Screen Scene, the ever-changing entertainment media landscape, and what her work means to her.

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Can you start by telling us a little bit about you and YVR Screen Scene?

I’ve been covering the Vancouver film and television industry for more than five years now, mostly through Reel People, a weekly column I wrote for The Westender from March 2014 until the paper shuttered in December 2017. I love writing stories about storytellers; I’m not interested in gossip or box office receipts. I love the substance of screen stories – be they web series, shorts, television shows, documentaries, animation, or feature films – and I am forever fascinated by the people who nurture them from concept to the screen. Film and television is a people-powered, storyteller-driven endeavor, and through YVR Screen Scene, I aim to pull back the curtain on the local industry and reveal its beating heart: the people who power it.

What can readers expect from YVR Screen Scene?

I’ll be publishing two interview-driven feature articles per week (at least!) featuring insights and anecdotes from artists who work in the Vancouver screen scene, be they established or emerging actors, directors, writers, producers, or crew. I feel like we really set the tone for YVR Screen Scene in its first few weeks: interviews with Amanda Tapping, John Cassini, Agam Darshi, Lee Majdoub, Christopher Russell, Vincent Tong, Christina Sicoli, and the filmmakers behind Adventures in Public School and Scout & the Gumboot Kids. Every single interview went beyond the “I made this show and here’s what it’s about” level that permeates entertainment journalism, whether it was Amanda talking about the sexism she faces as a director, or John talking about his troubled teen years and finding his purpose through acting. I want to appeal to fans, industry insiders, and people who just love reading about other cool human beings.

Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be introducing our first columnist (I’m keeping his name under my hat for now, but I’ll tease that he’s a well-regarded film, TV, and stage actor and playwright who will be writing on social justice issues; I’m next-level excited to share his work with YVR Screen Scene readers). And in March, I’ll be launching the YVR Screen Scene podcast, which will bring listeners into my funny, revelatory, engrossing, inspiring, and illuminating conversations with Vancouver’s shining stars.

I’ve developed trust and genuine relationships with many people within the film and television industry. This isn’t just the industry I cover; this is my community, and I take my role in the community very seriously. I follow careers; I celebrate milestones and seek to understand and contextualize challenges and setbacks. What this means for YVR Screen Scene readers is that they’ll find insights into the business and the work that they won’t find anywhere else.

How did you get started in the media and what inspired you to cover entertainment?

I’ve always been a writer, and I’ve always been a storyteller; I “published” my first magazine when I was 8-years-old, writing articles about my family and dogs on my grandma’s old typewriter and then begging my dad to photocopy them at work. My journey to this particular moment in my life has included stints as a student journalist, an evenings-and-weekends reporter at Canada’s oldest daily newspaper, a jack-of-all-trades freelance writer, a 5-year detour into arts publicity, and then to what I consider my calling: entertainment journalist. Entertainment journalism found me.  My husband works in the industry (Paul Furminger of Fish Flight Entertainment), and the first person I ever got to observe working in the film industry was his best friend, actor and stunt artist Darren Shahlavi, who died in 2015. Through Darren, I saw how thoroughly unglamorous a life in the ’biz can be; how many times people usually hear no before they hear a single yes (and how much time can pass between those yeses); how much resolve and chutzpah is required to stay the course and build your skills. My Westender column was called Reel People, and Darren was the first reel person I ever knew.

I started writing about the industry in earnest during the dry days of the #saveBCfilm campaign, when studios were sitting empty across the city and other media outlets were cutting back on their film and TV industry coverage. But – and here’s where I must give credit to Martha Perkins, my first editor at The Westender who green-lit Reel People and pulled me to this next level of my career – I pitched and wrote story after story about the film and TV workers who were creating their own work, who were compelled to create in the hungry moments because they’re artists, and their work matters, even when there’s not a ton of money behind them. My admiration for these artists is endless. Sharing their stories is my raison d’être.

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“I’ve developed trust and genuine relationships with many people within the film and television industry. This isn’t just the industry I cover; this is my community, and I take my role in the community very seriously.”

_________________________________________

 What’s the most rewarding thing about your work?

I love the interviews most of all, especially those hour-plus conversations where we go deep and a portrait of an artist begins to emerge. They’re the part of the work in which I feel most inspired, and they don’t feel like work at all. While I do prepare questions in advance (and conduct an appropriate amount of research in the process), the questions are more of a suggested roadmap than anything else. My interviews are often difficult to transcribe because they’re organic and free-flowing. Sometimes, they’re even true heart-to-hearts where we both share something of ourselves (as happens with dear Amanda Tapping every single time. Every. Single. Time).

I love drawing attention to film, television, and digital projects that deserve more eyeballs. I love exploring social justice issues, whether they’re the driving theme of a film or someone’s off-screen life, be it poverty, sexism, racism, post-partum depression, body image, grief, or the challenges associated with being an other or staying true to who you are. I love when I’m telling someone about an article I wrote, and they exclaim, “That was you?! I read that!” Writers need people to write about, and they need readers. I cherish both.

Which career highlights are you most proud of?

I’m most proud of the numerous articles I’ve written in which the interview subjects have trusted me with their deeply personal stories, including Amanda Tapping, Nicole Oliver, John Cassini, and Attiya Khan.

I’m proud of the cover story I wrote in October about the #metoo movement which featured several brave women – Chelah Horsdal, Enid-Raye Adams, Sarah Deakins, Jacquie Gould, and Lisa Ovies – speaking out about sexual harassment and violence they’d faced on set and in the industry. I am proud of those women, full-stop. Also: interviewing Star Trek icon Nichelle Nichols and broadcasting legend Peter Mansbridge were dreams come true. Oh, and interviewing the OG cast of Degrassi Junior High! And Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer! Yeah; I’m a nerd. I’ll cop to that.

I’m proud to have hosted the Q&A after the screening of Rachel Talalay’s film On the Farm, about the women who were preyed upon by serial killer Robert Pickton. I was changed by the presence that night of so many brave family members whose lives were forever changed when Pickton stole their mothers, daughters, aunts, and sisters from them. You can read more about the film here and watch it here.

I’m proud to have been the first recipient of Women in Film and Television Vancouver’s Iris Award for shining a spotlight on female filmmakers, performers, and storytellers in my column.

What’s the best thing that someone can do to be prepared for an interview with you?

Don’t be scared! I’m not looking for a “gotcha!” moment, or to make you look bad. It’s not a test; you can’t fail an interview with me. Trust that you have something to share. Be prepared to have a conversation with someone who is genuinely interested in your work and ideas. Be flexible to go with the flow of the conversation.

Recommended Reading You Can Act On Camera Click a cover for more details The Art of Voice Acting Secrets of Screen Acting

From your standpoint, where do you see the future of the entertainment media going and how does YVR Screen Scene fit in with that?

We are in the midst of a seismic shift. Traditional media (print, radio, and television) is scrambling to adapt in the age of social media, smart phones, and limited attention spans, and we are losing some important media outlets in the process (my previous employer among them). But it’s also an exciting time, for me and other independent journalists and podcasters looking to own our content and reach a wider audience. I’m looking at my numbers for these last couple of weeks, and at least half of my readers are located outside of Canada. So while our stories are hyper-local – because they’re about Vancouverites, and work created in Vancouver – there’s an interest in these stories that extends around the world.

I’ll also add that I’m not the only journalist covering the Vancouver film and television industry, but I’m one of the few covering it from the inside and centering it on the people who push it forward.

What’s the biggest misconception about entertainment journalists?

There are many misconceptions: We’re all interested in gossip and red carpet fashion. We value big names over working actors, and films and network television over web series and indie projects. We’re ignorant and superficial. We’re not Serious Journalism.

How has the Vancouver film and television industry evolved during your time covering it?

When I started covering the industry in earnest, it was during the #SaveBCFilm campaign, and obviously the service side of the industry has bounced back since those hungry days. What I’m noticing now, however, is how difficult it’s becoming for independent filmmakers to make their projects. The service side is almost too busy. Indie productions can’t crew up. They can’t secure locations or talent. They can’t compete with The CW and Hallmark, and they shouldn’t have to; in a perfect world, the service side would feed the indie side, but there’s almost no time for that to happen. This should concern those of us who care about local stories. Local stories matter. They need to be valued and celebrated and nourished as much as the service work. For the culture!

In your opinion, why has Vancouver remained a successful industry hub?

It begins and ends with people – the reel people. Yes, sure, Vancouver has killer natural beauty, top-notch studio infrastructure, and tax benefits, but our most important feature is our concentration of industry professionals.

Do you have any favourite books and authors relating to the film and television industry?

Unsurprisingly, I love memoirs. Favourites include Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher; Lauren Bacall’s By Myself; Beyond Uhura: Star Trek and Other Memories by Nichelle Nichols; Bryan Cranston’s A Life in Parts; Where There’s Smoke…: Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man by Vancouver’s own William B. Davis; and Which Lie Did I Tell? More Adventures in the Screen Trade by The Princess Bride screenwriter William Goldman.

Where can we find out more about you and keep up with YVR Screen Scene?

Oh, I’m all over the place! YVR Screen Scene can be found at YVRScreenScene.com. I’m also on Twitter (@sabrinarmf and @YVRScreenScene) and Facebook. And if anyone would like to join the YVR Screen Scene Patreon community, they can find information here.

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Thanks to Sabrina Furminger for speaking with us! You can read her amazing work on YVRScreenScene.com.

The post The Biz Interview: Sabrina Furminger appeared first on Biz Books.

Just ahead of the Vancouver screening at The Rio on Sunday, July 9th, we spoke with Rusty Nixon about the film and his creative process along the way.

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Can you start by telling us about you and your newest film as a writer/director, Residue?

My name’s Rusty Nixon. I got my start making documentaries about twenty years ago. I’ve spent years doing as many favours as I could for all the film people I knew in hopes of cashing them all in – if I was ever lucky enough to make my own film. That’s kind of what Residue is – years of hard work coming together.

What can you share about your creative process in making the film – from the earliest concepts writing it all the way to directing and release?

I wrote the first draft about fifteen years ago. Over the years I’ve reworked the story to take advantage of things I have available. An example being the Mr. Fairweather character. He was originally written as a shady pool hall owner. Well, I don’t know a whole lot about pool and I don’t know anyone who owns a pool hall. But I did spend years making wrestling videos for ECCW. Not only did I learn a lot about filming and editing action scenes but by changing Fairweather to a crooked wrestling promoter I was able to show a unique side of a world I knew quite well. So my creative process is all about stopping and smelling the roses. I always tell aspiring filmmakers to take a good hard look at the hand they’re holding when they’re coming up with story ideas. Look at Kevin Smith who wrote about the place he worked at and filled the story with the talented people he knew. He saw the potential that was right in front of him and started an amazing career out of it.

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“Write a lot. You need at least three scripts to compete in today’s market. Give yourself the gift of time. Took me twenty years and I’d give twenty more to get to make a movie. “

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What rewards do you get from being able to direct a film that you’ve also written?

It’s a lot less stressful. I don’t have to worry about hurting the writer’s feelings or having conflict if I need to change the story on the fly. And because I’ve worked so long and hard on the script I have the whole thing committed to memory – meaning if I change something I can mentally work out all the other elements of the story that I need to change for it to work.

That said, I love collaboration. I really enjoyed working with Elizabeth Engstrom on the movie Candiland. And when I asked her about changing a few things to tell a more visual story she’d be like “Go ahead, I’ve had my fun with the story now it’s your turn.” I aspire to be like her when I sell my scripts. I’ll be there for rewrites or suggestions if they want but it’s their story now and I’m honoured they let me provide the rough blueprint.

What was the biggest challenge for you in making the film and how did you handle it?

Money. We had a healthy budget but we were a pirate ship for sure. You’re navigating the same seas that these Hollywood juggernauts are in. They’re like these huge cruise ships full of people who’s solution to every problem is to throw money at it. And there you are on a much smaller ship with a lot less crew and extremely limited rations to go around. But somehow that becomes your greatest strength. You don’t have mistakes – you have happy accidents. The small crew creates a more intimate family atmosphere and the lack of resources promotes creativity and an opportunity to really shine at your job. I have a cast and crew that can sit and watch Residue and be really proud of themselves for all the things they did to hold that ship together. It’s a fun and intense ride.

You also directed Candiland. What were the differences for you as a director in making Residue?hat’s the most important lesson that you’ve learned in your career?

James Clayton was the lead in both films. But he lost over fifty pounds during two months of filming to play Peter in Candiland. He looked like he was about to drop dead at any moment. It’s crazy, in a world in which I can watch someone have their mouth sewn to someone’s rear end in a horror movie I actually had to cut scenes from Candiland for being too disturbing. Including James’ nude scene. But people had a hard time seeing someone that deathly thin for real. On top of that James was supposed to have a chipped tooth so he went and got his tooth shaved down. I remember Gary Busey grabbing James by the shoulders at the end of their last scene together and telling him how much he’d inspired him as an actor. It was a huge compliment for James.

But I had a hard time watching a friend of mine do that to himself. I was so worried about his physical – and mental health. There were a couple of times towards the end that I snuck off to the bathroom between takes to puke my brains out. You haven’t lived until you’ve stress puked. It’s like your body isn’t sick or anything but it just needs to do something drastic so you can feel relief after.

So it was an absolute joy to work with James on Residue and to watch him play a healthy character. He still did all his own stunts and phenomenal work – but I didn’t see the shadow of death standing in the corner checking his watch this time.

What are the three most important things that a director needs to keep in mind while making a film?

Safety first. That’s always number one. Every day is different of set. There’s a lot of moving parts all coming together. Safety meetings, safety talks make sure everyone feels comfortable speaking up if they’re worried about something.

The second is to pay attention to the clock. Writing is all about preparing for the future. Editing is about living in the past and taking all those pieces you’ve shot and putting them together the best way possible. But directing is all about ‘now’. It’s about being in the moment so pay attention and be on.

Third is to worship the story. A story has a beginning, a middle and an end. It’s so simple that it’s easy to screw up. Learn how to write and learn how to edit or at least respect the hell out of both of them.

What advice would you have for aspiring writer-directors?

Write a lot. You need at least three scripts to compete in today’s market. Give yourself the gift of time. Took me twenty years and I’d give twenty more to get to make a movie. Writers can get paid as much as doctors. A doctor is expected to spend over a decade educating and learning their craft. Expect that from yourself. If you luck out and make it with your first project then I hope you don’t let it go straight to your head and turn you into someone who doesn’t appreciate what people do for you. I love hearing success stories from people who fell on their face, got kicked several times when they were down but somehow for the strength to get back to the pirate ship, fell again, got kicked again, then somehow got that shot and made the most out of it. People who crawled their way to the top tend to know how to stay there, appreciate being there, and love to help others get there with them.

What film-related books and authors have been influential to you in your career so far?

That’s a long list but I guess at the top is Donald Maass. I love Donald Maass’ books – recommend all of them. They’re about writing novels but can easily be applied to screenwriting.

What other projects are you working on right now?

I’ve got four scripts for projects in development. Eight more I’m trying to find a home for. About a dozen more that I’m dying to find time to write. My first film Down the Line is getting released soon. I’m really excited for that.

Where can we find out more about you and Residue?

Check out Residue Film and Motorcycle Boy Productions on Facebook.

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Thanks to Rusty Nixon for speaking with us!

You can see Residue at The Rio on Sunday, July 9th, 2017 at 3:45PM. The filmmakers will be in attendance. For tickets, please visit riotheatretickets.ca.

After that, watch for it on VOD and iTunes on July 18th.

The post The Biz Interview: Rusty Nixon appeared first on Biz Books.

We asked James Clayton to take us inside the dangerous world of Residue and tell us more about his career.

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

Residue is a supernatural action horror written and directed by Rusty Nixon and will be released on VOD and iTunes July 18 in North America. The film is produced by Blaine Anderson & myself through our company Motorcycle Boy Productions. It’s being distributed by IndustryWorks Studios and Xlrator Media.

I play a private investigator named Luke Harding who accidentally reads a demonic book that unleashes an evil force in his apartment. It boasts incredible ensemble cast which includes Leo Award nominated Taylor Hickson (Deadpool), Gemini Award nominated Matt Frewer (Timeless, Orphan Black), Alika Autran (Altered Carbon), Elysia Rotaru (Arrow), Costas Mandylor (Saw series), Blaine Anderson (Scary Movie 4), and William B. Davis (The X-Files).

What can audiences expect from the film?

Fun. I had the privilege to watch the film at the Academy Award-sponsored Sunscreen International Film Festival in St. Petersburg, Florida back in April of this year. The film is a thrill ride. The audience loved it and the biggest question we received afterwards was, “When is the sequel?” The film creates a very lush world and although it delivers a satisfying conclusion, it leaves the door open for an entire universe of discovery.

In terms of tone, it very much has elements of H.P Lovecraft, The X-Files, and a dash of Evil Dead.

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“Never stop. Be yourself. Enjoy the process.

Enjoy the people. Create your own work.”

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What kind of preparation did you do for this role?

For all my roles I do intensive preparation on the psychology and physicality of the character.

The previous film I did, Candiland with Gary Busey, I lost 55 lbs from my normal weight of 185 lbs. I’m just about 5’11 and I was 130 lbs during filming so it was a real challenge. We went into Residue next and I had to build myself up into a muscular but out of his prime detective. So I worked out quite a bit, ate a lot of burgers, and bulked up to 190 lbs. The physicality of a role really informs the psychology and I love the challenge. I also write an entire backstory for my character.

What was the most challenging part of making this movie and how did you handle it?

You know, there wasn’t anything exceptionally challenging about making Residue. Everything always came together, we had an amazing crew & cast, and post production was seamless. From pre-production to delivery it was only 12 months. It really flew by.

Recommended Reading You Can Act On Camera Click a cover for more details The Art of Voice Acting Secrets of Screen Acting

How would you describe the current state of the film and television industry in Vancouver?

Busy! I think it’s great how many productions are in town and it’s inspiring that the local indie filmmaker scene is expanding every day. There are some great filmmakers in this city and the international market will become very aware of our indie scene as time goes on.

You’ve done a lot of acting in both the film and television worlds. What do you enjoy about participating in each one?

I really enjoy the collaboration. You have to like people to be in the film industry because that’s what it’s built on. Great people. And I love meeting new people everyday and sharing stories. When crew and cast are in sync, that’s when magic happens.

What’s the most important lesson that you’ve learned in your career?

Never stop. Be yourself. Enjoy the process. Enjoy the people. Create your own work.

What film and television-related books and authors have been influential to your professional journey so far?

For the craft of acting: Lori Triolo who studied at The Neighbourhood Playhouse taught me how to act. She resides in LA. She should write a book because there is no one better. But I have read great books about the craft by Susan Batson, Larry Moss, Ivana Chubbuck, Stella Adler, Sanford Meisner, and Uta Hagen. Those are all essential reads. Linda Darlow, who also appears in Residue, is an awesome teacher and local to Vancouver. I encourage young actors to read her book Auditioncraft for some amazing practical advice.

What other projects are you working on?

I’m currently in preparation for an action thriller called High Caliber. The film is written by Niall Cassin and Rusty Nixon and will be directed by Rusty Nixon as well. Blaine Anderson and myself are producing it through Motorcycle Boy Productions and it will be distributed by IndustryWorks Studios. Think Die Hard meets Lethal Weapon. We begin filming late September of 2017.

Where can we find out more about you?

For updates on all the film work I do people can check out:
JamesClaytonActor.com
MotorcycleBoyProductions.com
Instagram.com/jamesclaytonactor
Twitter.com/jamesclaytonactor
IMDB

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Thanks to James Clayton for speaking with us!

You can see Residue at The Rio on Sunday, July 9th, 2017 at 3:45PM. The filmmakers will be in attendance. For tickets, please visit riotheatretickets.ca.

After that, watch for it on VOD and iTunes on July 18th.

The post The Biz Interview: James Clayton appeared first on Biz Books.

An Inspector Calls
A play by J.B. Priestley
Directed by William B. Davis

With John Prowse, Keith Martin Gordey, Sarah Arnold, Julie Lynn Mortensen, Jordon Navratil, Chris Walters, and Lesli Brownlee.

Produced by Emmanuelle Davis.

At Jericho Arts Centre (1675 Discovery Street, Vancouver)

December 26th – January 7th at 8pm
(no performance January 2nd)

Matinées at 2pm:
Saturday, December 31st
Sunday, January 1st
Saturday, January 7th

Special theme evening on December 31st at 8pm in White ties and 1910 dress (Come to see the play in your more elegant outfit: white tie, Tuxedo, gala dresses and period dresses for the ladies – or you can also come as you like!)

Tickets:
Regular Adults: $25
Students/Seniors: $22
BrownPaperTickets.com

Recommended Reading The Perfect Stage Crew
2nd Edition Click a cover for more details Empire of the Son Ignite: Illuminating Theatre
For Young People

The post An Inspector Calls at Jericho Arts Centre appeared first on Biz Books.

Here’s a recap of some of our best Biz moments in 2015.

MOVIES

Among the films we supported this year were The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, Project Almanac, Hot Tub Time Machine 2, Miss Julie, The Riot Club, Mr. Holmes, Terminator: Genisys, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension, Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse, Daddy’s Home, and The Big Short.

Thank you to our loyal customers for dutifully entering contests and attending advance screenings.

INTERVIEWS

2015 brought us more interviews than we’ve ever had before!

We spoke to Nimisha Mukerji, Brendan Taylor, Jonny Weston, Tom Kenny, Crazy8s 2015 filmmakers Caitlyn Byrnes, Jem Garrard, and Mo Soliman, S. Siobhan McCarthy, Evan Frayne, Christina Wells Campbell, Pamela Wise, Jay Brazeau, Rachel Peake, Jeff Seymour, Lochlyn Munro, Michelle Muldoon, Lori Triolo, Peter Skagen, Lisa London, Rebecca Coleman, Peter New, Esther Cohen, Tyler Labine, Julie Casselman, Brandon Bate and Joel R. Butler of Eurydice, Morgan Churla, Riley Qualtieri and Mark Vandenberg of Hunger Games: The Musical, Emilio Salituro, Shauna Johannesen, Katherine Monk, Angie Burns, Kim Larson and Matthew Simmons of Smoke on the Mountain, Christopher Chacon, Rebecca Lee, Sara Bynoe, Martha Ross, Tiarra Sulyk, Jessica McLeod and Athena Russell of Bitchpop Productions, Chris Lam, Anita Adams, Sam Mitchell, Byron Abando, and Jamieson McCormack of Love Musically, Robyn Wiener, David C. Jones, and Christine Quintana.

EVENTS

We were also out and about supporting industry events such as the Crazy8s 2015 Gala, our own May Play Sale and Pop-Up Store and Where There’s Smoke: An Encounter with William B. Davis, the launch of Crazy8s 2016, and theatre productions like Laburnum Grove, Glengarry Glen Ross, The North Plan, and Heathers: The Musical.

All in all, we had a blast sharing all of this with you and we can’t wait to see what 2016 brings!

Happy New Year from all of us at BizBooks.net!

The post The Biz Books 2015 Year in Review appeared first on Biz Books.

Our sincere thanks to William B. Davis and his team for making this happen along with the excellent group of students, actors, and fans who joined us for a thought-provoking discussion.

For anyone who missed the event, here’s a clip of the Cigarette Smoking Man himself reading an excerpt from his book, Where There’s Smoke…

Watch for more industry events in the near future from BizBooks.net and SchoolCreative!

The post Where There’s Smoke… A Look Back at Our Event with William B. Davis appeared first on Biz Books.

Where There’s Smoke… An Encounter with William B. Davis!

Book Signing, Interview and Q&A!

One of the most iconic villains in the history of television, the enigmatic Cigarette Smoking Man fascinated legions of fans of the 1990s’ hit TV series, The X-Files. Best known as “Cancerman,” he was voted Television’s Favourite Villain by the readers of TV Guide. The man behind the villain, William B. Davis, is a Canadian actor and director, whose revelations in this memoir will entertain and intrigue the millions of X-Files aficionados worldwide.

But there is more to Davis’ story than just The X-Files.

William B. Davis’ extensive acting experience began when he was a child in Ontario in the 1950s, and grew to encompass radio, theatre, film, and television. At the University of Toronto, where he graduated with a degree in philosophy, he turned his hand to directing, a move that took him to theatre school in Britain and a directing career. There, he reconnected with his undergraduate colleague, Donald Sutherland, and worked at the National Theatre, with such notables as Sir Laurence Olivier, Dame Maggie Smith, and Albert Finney.

Join us as William B. Davis discusses his career, reads from excerpts from his book, and answers audience questions. There may even be a few insights about the highly anticipated return of The X-Files!!

Here’s William B. Davis on Breakfast Television Vancouver talking about The X-Files and our event!

When: Sunday, November 15th at 7PM.

Where: SchoolCreative – Institute of the Arts (210 – 112 East 3rd Ave, Vancouver BC, V5T 1C8)

This is a free event.

The post Where There’s Smoke… An Encounter with William B. Davis appeared first on Biz Books.

We spoke with William B. Davis to get his insights into Where There’s Smoke … Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man and the various musings that we can expect to see.

Can you walk us through the process of writing this book – from the early stages to publishing? Why was now the right time to make it happen?

To write a memoir one has to be a certain age; old enough to have a story to tell and not too old to tell it. Early seventies seemed about right.

I had often thought about writing a memoir, my idiosyncratic background surely of interest to aficionados of Canadian theatre if no one else. It was Jerry Wasserman from UBC who first suggested it and directed me to Fred Euringer’s memoir, A Fly on the Curtain, that dealt with a similar period from my early life, summer stock and University of Toronto in the late fifties. I also read my friend David Helwig’s memoir, The Names of Things, also about the same period.

Would the book be about early Canadian theatre or about my life as a late blooming celebrity? I decided on both. And added my life in the British theatre in the dynamic sixties.

Not only is the book a history of theatre and film, it is also a social history spanning the early postwar period to the present. And I am far too candid about my personal life.

Of course my X-Files experience is important and has many fans, but equally important was the light I could shed on the development of theatre in Canada.

In the book, you discuss how chance factors into the career of any actor. What can today’s actors do to increase their “luck” in the hopes of having a more successful career?

I suppose I should suggest all those things I hate doing and rarely do. Going to the right parties, meeting the right people. Being a first rate actor is all that you can control. Whether you are the right size or look is out of your control.

What kinds of discoveries can your fans expect to learn about you from reading this book that they might not know already?

Few fans of The X-Files, few producers of The X-Files, were aware of my long career in Canadian and British theatre. They will learn more of my personal life than I should have revealed. And they will learn of my personal history with the show and my thoughts about it.

You mention that Bill Davis has had many different lives. What are the accomplishments that you are most proud of as an actor and also as a person?

I am proud of my early career as something of a boy wonder in the theatre – as a director, not an actor.

I am proud and surprised to have become a successful actor, a career path I had abandoned in favour of directing when I was 20.

My short film, which I wrote, directed, and performed in, Packing Up, is still especially meaningful for me.

Founding The William Davis Centre for Actors’ Study in 1993 which continues to this day.

I am pretty pleased that at age 74 I can still climb the Grouse Grind and water ski competitively.

How influential do you feel that The X-Files was for science fiction, television, and also the Vancouver film and TV industry?

No doubt the success of The X-Files has brought attention to Vancouver as a location for science fiction projects. Many have followed, notably Supernatural and Fringe and more recently, Continuum.

How do you handle the challenge of being closely tied to one character without being typecast? What steps can actors take to avoid that and what can they do to also further their enjoyment of playing the same character on a regular basis?

Of course I am typecast sometimes. But I’m fine with that. Fortunately I am quite a different person than the character I played on X-Files so frequently I play very different roles. I don’t know how one deals with playing the same character for hundreds of episodes – I only did 35 episodes of X-Files. For me the character kept changing in subtle ways and deepening.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given in your career and what’s the most important thing from your own experience that would share with today’s actors?

On my first day as an acting student at LAMDA in London, the principal told us all to be happy, to accept that we had talent or we wouldn’t be there, and allow our work to grow. For me, beating young actors into submission is to risk destroying their talent to say nothing of debasing them as people. Talent is to be nurtured like a plant, provided with nutrients and a healthy environment. If you pull it out of the ground every week to see how it is doing you will surely kill it.

You’ve been acting at many different points in your life and have been able to witness a lot of different actors come and go throughout the industry. Which actors really stood out for you in your earlier years and which ones impress you with their work now? From your vantage point, what are the elements that make someone a legitimate talent?

There were many actors in my early years, Michael Redgrave, Joan Plowright, Paul Newman, Geraldine Page, Albert Finney. Now, Ian McKellen, Judi Dench, Anthony Hopkins.

Is there a difference between a talent and an actor? There are many film actors with amazing talent but limited to a narrow range of film and television work. To be a major star one needs training and experience in both theatre and film.

But any actor must be able to put herself in imagined circumstances and live truthfullu.

What books have been important to you throughout your career and were there any that inspired you when it came time to write your own?

I have read widely on subjects such as evolutionary biology and climate change that have influenced my thinking about life in general. I read many memoirs when I came to write mine. Peter Hall, Judi Dench, Amelia Hall, and Fred’s and David’s mentioned above. I read Christopher Plummer’s and William Shatner’s but felt I wanted to write a different kind of book.

Theatre books – Larry Moss, Hart, Uta Hagen, and, of course, Constantin Stanislavski.

What other projects are you involved in right now?

I have a small but key role in the new series Continuum. Tall Man will be released at the end of August. I shot a new Steve Austin action movie, The Package, and a low budget science fiction feature, The Singularity Principle. A lovely docudrama, The Mountain Runners has just been released. I am looking at other writing projects, a new book on acting and a new translation of Feydeau. And some directing projects are being discussed for 2013.

Where There’s Smoke … Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man is available for purchase at WilliamBDavis.com.

The post The Biz Interview: William B. Davis for “Where There’s Smoke… Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man” appeared first on Biz Books.