Becca Strom is the other half of the Matt & Ben pairing and is also a newcomer to Fighting Chance Productions. She recently finished school at Douglas College and is definitely an asset to this (and any production.) She answered a couple of questions for us:
What was your first theatre experience?
When I was in 3rd grade, my class was slated to perform a play in the Christmas recital at our school. Being the most nervous and shy person in the class, I was cast as one of 8 angels, so I didn’t have any lines or responsibilities. All I had to do was stand there and flap my glittery crepe paper wings with the rest of the angels. My parents even borrowed a friend’s video camera to capture this “once in a lifetime event” (as the LAST thing I ever wanted to do as a kid was to be an actor). Needless to say, my stage fright left me vomiting in the boy’s locker room while my parents waited expectantly in the audience. I never made it onstage.
What is your Dream Role?
I’d love to play Lady Macbeth. Though I’d also love to do The Syringa Tree…it’s such a beautiful and powerful story–and gosh, what an impossibly wonderful challenge it would be.
Had you seen Good Will Hunting before auditioning for Matt & Ben?
I’ll be honest, before auditioning, I’d only seen bits and pieces of Good Will Hunting. I’d always wanted to see it all but had never gotten around to it. But I’ve watched it a good four or five times in the last couple of months to make up for that.
What is the best experience you’ve had in the theatre?
I was in a production of Legoland a couple of years ago that was really the pinnacle of my theatre “career” to date. I have never had more fun or been more connected to a character, nor have I ever felt so in control of myself as a performer. Plus the script is brilliant, and so, so funny. During one performance, a man in the audience was laughing so hard he nearly fell over out of his chair. That was a great feeling.
Do you have any theatre role models?
Not specifically. I really admire people who take risks and believe in what they’re doing. People who are passionate about their craft and who commit and strive to be the best that they can be, and people who don’t let negativity hinder them.
List the four theatrical people you would have around your dinner table in an ideal world.
Oscar Wilde, Judy Dench, Daniel MacIvor, and Sarah Bernhardt. I’d be nervous as hell. But I’d probably take them to somewhere like Arby’s so they wouldn’t be intimidating. Nobody can be intimidating in an Arby’s, it’s a known fact.
If you couldn’t perform, what would you do?
Write, direct or produce. It would have to be arts related, or I’d go crazy.
What do you think is missing from the Vancouver theatre scene?
Opportunities for more independent artists and smaller companies to produce their shows. Some of the best theatre I’ve ever seen was done on a shoestring budget–and unfortunately, there was hardly anybody in the audience to appreciate it’s brilliance and innovation. I think there should be more opportunities for new and original works by local companies, and for people to be able to take more risks and challenge themselves creatively. Other than money, I’d say the one real thing missing is the audiences willing to support the smaller things that are maybe just a little bit “out there”. Oh and puppets. There could definitely be more puppets in the Vancouver theatre scene.
