Introducing Zachary Parsons-Lozinski, John in The Misanthrope

What is your role in the show? I am thrilled to be bringing the role of John (or, Philinte, for any hardcore fans of The Misanthrope) to life on the Walterdale stage. He is Alceste's best friend, he is infatuated by the intelligence and good looks of Ellen, and if I had it my way, he would also be the master magician of all of Europe. But I suppose he's interesting enough without magic.

What drew you to this production? Mostly the sexual magnetism of our director, Janine Hodder. I had just finished work on my Fringe production of Miss Julie, and Janine was absolutely fabulous in the role of Christine. I knew that I wanted to continue working with her; so when I saw that walk-in auditions were being accepted, I leapt at the opportunity. Janine just happens to be far nicer then I am, and gave me a role with a few more lines then Christine had; BUT, she isn't letting me do a sexy dance at the top of the show... so I think we're about even.

What is your background in theatre? I graduated from the Theatre Arts program at Grant MacEwan University, where I studied under some fabulous teachers. The majority of my theatre training, however, comes from studying the fiercest and weirdest icons of the stage and screen - everyone from Greta Garbo to Divine. I am a firm believer that you can learn everything you need to know about acting from watching Bette Davis kick the s*** out of Joan Crawford in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? I have had the incredible honour to perform with (i.e.: drink with) some of the most talented people in Canada. This is my first show with Walterdale.

This show ends with a big party, if you were to hold a costume themed party, what kind of party would you throw? I suppose if I were going to throw a costume/theme party, I would have to base it around the greatest film of all time: Showgirls. Why? Have you ever seen Showgirls? It's over-the-top, it's fabulous, it's sparkly, it's stupid, it's hilarious, and it cost way too much money to make. To make it a fabulous event, I would have strippers, lap-dancing akin to The Exorcist, a big bag of chips to be eaten by Elizabeth Berkley, Gina Gershon doing cocaine (because, hey, that's VEGAS), and a lot of walking into the wind.