1.What is your role in this production? I play Jack in The Weir. He is a mechanic in a rural Irish garage. Jack is one of the local lads who frequents Brendan's (Justin Deveau) pub. He has a best mate Jim (Kieran O'Callaghan), a rival Finbar (Gavin O'Toole), an unwilling protege in Brendan, and a new and interesting acquaintance Valerie (Gwyneth Kellii). I suppose you could say he, like many of the characters in the play, leads a complacent little life in a small sphere. The kind of existence where a seemingly minor change in the ordinary course can create a huge ripple effect in their experience. The thing which might distinguish Jack most of all is his ability/desire to “take the piss” out of everyone and everything (himself included), and his ability to use the lens of his limited perception to extrapolate greater truths about the world at large. He is a big fish in his little pond, but it may not be a mantle which sits well on his shoulders.
2. What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? I started doing theatre in high school. Coming from a small town in Saskatchewan (Carnduff) there wasn't a horde of willing participants to perform in plays. That being said, I did get several chances to tread the gymnasium boards. I enjoyed that so much that I decided to apply to the University of Regina theatre program, and after auditioning I was accepted. A few years later I auditioned for and attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York. When I came back to Canada I moved to Edmonton and started acting here in 2004. The first show I was did in the city was Our Town at the Walterdale. Since then I have been acting rather steadily, primarily on independent and fringe stages. I have been quite active with (Walterdale Artistic Director) Sarah Van Tassel's independent company Guts&Guile, also with the Other Theatre, and Forces of Chaos. Aside from acting I have written and directed a few shows over the years. I have done a decent amount of Walterdale shows as well including: Swimming with Goldfish (one acts), The Cripple of Inishmaan, Antony and Cleopatra, and You are Here.
3. Since The Weir is a bit of a spooky play, do you have a favourite scary movie or play? I don't know if I really have a favourite scary play, movie or story. I am a real fan of the thriller/horror genre and I would say there is a certain type of story that resonates more with me as an audience member. In these stories the characters are not attacked by monsters, ghosts or aliens but rather serve as conduits for malevolent forces. I am most interested in the effects of misanthropic behaviour on our social constructs, whether made manifest by contagion, vampirism, zombies, possession, isolation or simply psychological dysfunction. My favourite stories use these devices to create parables about the sometimes dark and brutal nature of humanity. I like to think, as most of them conclude, that our baser natures can be overcome.
4. Why do you think audiences should come and see The Weir? I have a very big place in my heart for Conor McPherson. His ability to tell simple, honest, and evocative stories is second to none. What on the surface looks like a bunch of lads getting together share some “small ones” and tell a few “old cod” stories, ends up whispering some much larger themes. Anne Marie Szucs has put together a crack team of people for this one, and the world that is being created is as haunting, rich and nuanced as the best of Irish folklore. The premise is deceptively simple for this show, but as you immerse yourself in this dark little place and commune with these characters you may find that the experience creeps in and lingers with you long after the lights go up.
* photocredits: Headshot - provided; Photo of Cody from You Are Here by Douglas Dollars Stewart
