Fighting Chance Productions

A graduate of Langley Fine Arts, Braedon studied at the American Academy for Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles.  He stars in bare: a pop opera as Peter, who is engaged in a long and heated love affair with his boarding school roommate, Jason.

Braedon Cox (L) and Lucas Blaney (R) in bare: a pop opera

FCP:  Tell me about Peter.

BC:  He’s the centre of the story, along with Jason.  He’s the clandestine, innocent character who is stricken with the perils of being born gay in a very Catholic family that is not accepting of him.  It feels so natural for him to love Jason, but everything he’s been taught is that it is wrong.  This conflict drives him to the point of having insane nightmares.

FCP:  Can you relate to what Peter’s going through?

BC:  I went through a stage like that, being gay myself.  I come from a community and family that is very accepting and loving, thank god – but I can imagine what it would be like if my family was like Peter’s.  In order to prepare for this role, and get myself into that headspace, I think about other young gay people, those who have been driven to suicide, and I put myself in their shoes.  It’s not hard to to – I can definitely empathize.

FCP:  This show is an emotional rollercoaster for you, every night!

BC:  It is!  It’s hard to go there, over and over again.  Act 2 is a whole storm of emotions.  The entire cast goes through so much, by the end we’re all crying and hugging, and we have to dance around after the show to blow off some steam.  It’s definitely a challenging role, but it makes me delve deep.  It’s part of why we do what we do – these are the characters that we thrive to play.

FCP:  Did you know the show before you were cast?

BC:  I didn’t – I had heard of it but once I auditioned, I heard the songs, I really became a fan.  I love the storylines – all of them, not just Jason and Peter’s love story.  The music is beautiful.  I know there will be fans of the show in the audience who are expecting a lot, and I definitely feel some responsibility to them, but I’m bringing my own original spin to the character.  I hope the fans really love our show.

FCP:  What do you say to people who write bare off as a “gay” show?

BC:  It’s a show about loves, and some of those loves happen to be between gay people.  We’re not jumping around singing Britney Spears and waving rainbow flags (laughs). It’s much deeped than that.  It’s about the real, true emotions of what actual students and youth are going through.  What many of us have gone through.  It’s important for as many people as possible to see it – bring your mom, your dad, your grandparents.  bare is about the side of being a young person that the meda doesn’t often portray.

Braedon Cox stars in bare: a pop opera at the Waterfront Theatre on Granville Island, August 4 – 13, 2011.  Tickets are available at http://www.ticketstonight.ca

Lena Dabrusin, a graduate of Capilano University’s Musical Theatre program, stars in bare: a pop opera, as Ivy, one of Saint Cecilia’s rebellious schoolgirls, who finds herself in the middle of a very complicated love triangle.  We sat down with Lena to talk about Ivy and the show.

Lena Dabrusin (with Stewart Yu) stars as Ivy in bare: a pop opera.

FCP:  Tell us about Ivy.

LD:  Along with every other imaginable teenage problem in the show, Ivy deals with teenage pregnancy.  She goes through the feeling of being completely alone and not knowing how to deal with the situation.  It goes against everything she’s been taught and preached to in her religion.

FCP:  Did you have any experience with religion before being cast in bare?

LD:  Yes, I went to a francophone school that happened to be Catholic, and I remember the sexuality classes – they would separate the boys from the girls, and we’d put out questions in a little question box… (smiles) We got diagrams about what puberty looks like – sexuality seemed to be something not to celebrate, but to keep hidden.

FCP:  Ivy has a number of great songs, including “Portrait of a Girl.”  What’s been your favourite scene to rehearse so far?

LD: It’s hard to decide – I have fun with all of it!  Probably my favourite scenes to rehearse so far have been those where Ivy is playing Juliet in the school production of “Romeo and Juliet.”

FCP:  bare’s message is such a powerful and important one.  Do you find that raises the stakes in rehearsals?  Is it still a fun show to be a part of, despite its serious themes?

LD:  I’m really proud to be in a show like bare precisely because the message is so relevant.   We are all affected by intolerance and religion and judgements and difficult upbringings. I am so proud and so moved by the show.  I think it is a big responsibility that we’re bringing this show to the public – as much fun as it is, it is a great responsibility and I think we all realize that.  But we’re having a blast bringing it to life.

Lena Dabrusin stars in Fighting Chance Productions’ bare: a pop opera, August 4-13, 2011, at the Waterfront Theatre on Granville Island.  Tickets are available at http://www.ticketstonight.​ca/.

Emma Leigh Hillier and Matt Parsons in bare: a pop opera

Although the central storyline of bare: a pop opera revolves around Peter and Jason’s love story, many of the other students at St. Cecilia’s are dealing with heart-wrenching conflicts of their own.  Among them is Nadia, Jason’s twin sister, a “big girl” who feels like an outsider, as she laments in the song “Plain Jane Fat Ass.”  Nadia is played by Emma Leigh Hillier, who has recently returned to Vancouver after studying Musical Theatre at the Canadian College of Performing Arts.

FCP: What’s Nadia like?

ELH:  Amazing!  She’s very strong willed, and has a lot of insecurities, despite the hard exterior.  She’s just a girl who’s scared and doesn’t love herself at all.

FCP:  How are you like Nadia?

ELH:  Well, I do relate to a lot of what she’s doing through.  I was a big girl in high school.  This show really mirrors that experience for me, which is hard sometimes.  And I think we can all relate to being in love and not being noticed.

FCP: I hear you learned how to play the cello for this show!

ELH (laughing): Yep, I did!  I emailed Ryan (Mooney, director) after I was cast and realized that Nadia played the cello, to say I didn’t know how to play, and should I learn?  He told me to go for it, so I rented a cello and got a teacher.  I’ve been playing for about two months now, and my teacher is great, but it’s not an easy instrument to learn and my playing is a bit rough – we’ll just say Nadia is learning at the same pace as me!

FCP:  Nadia’s story really represents a secondary message in bare, as the central conflict revolves around Peter and Jason’s struggle with their sexuality.

ELH: Yes, it’s secondary in a way, but I think the central message of bare is really that all stories are important, and everyone’s story needs to be heard.  But absolutely, the central theme about accepting who you are, and accepting your sexuality, is central and still something that needs to be heard and addressed.  I have so many friends in the theatre community who are gay, and if you don’t accept them – well, I don’t accept you.  Plain and simple.

FCP:  How do you let the serious parts of the show go after a rehearsal?

ELH: Well, even though I have a lot of fun in Act One, I cry alot in Act Two.  You leave rehearsal and your heart hurts.  I let it go by meditating, and I physically shake it off.  Nadia’s pain is still always there, but it doesn’t hurt as much.

FCP: bare has a real cult following.  Did you know the show before you were cast?

ELH: I did, actually.  A friend in college introduced me to it and told me I needed to sing it, so I knew of the show and really loved these characters.  There’s some pressure, given that we’re the Canadian premiere of bare, but I think we’re doing a phenomenal job, and we’ll do it justice.  We’ll make the bare fans proud.

Emma Leigh Hillier stars as Nadia in Fighting Chance Productions’ bare: a pop opera, at the Waterfront Theatre, August 4 – 13, 2011.  Tickets are available at http://www.ticketstonight.​ca/.

Caitlin Hayes is a multi-talented music director and performer renowned for her positive attitude and unlimited energy.  Classically trained in piano, Caitlin music directed her first show at 18 and hasn’t looked back.  bare: a pop opera is Caitlin’s first engagement as Music Director for FCP, after performing as Assistant Music Director for our award-winning production of “Sweeney Todd” last season, and she’ll be back later this season to music direct Cathy Wilmot, Celia Reid and Lucas Blaney in Grey Gardens.

Caitlin Hayes

FCP:  So how does a classically trained pianist become a music director for Broadway musicals?

CH:  While I was studying classical piano in university I was performing in a lot of musicals.  Someone asked me to music direct Nunsense, which I was happy to do, without really knowing what being a music director was all about.  I jumped in with both feet, and had a lot of fun doing it. Slowly my focus shifted from classical music to musical theatre – I just found I was more passionate about it, and so I followed that passion.

FCP:  Your first show with us was Sweeney Todd.  bare seems about as far away from Sondheim as you can get…

CH:  It’s the polar opposite of Sondheim, in some ways, but it some ways it’s not.  bare is very challenging from a musical point of view, as the show is almost completely sung.  There are very few breaks for dialogue, and even when there are, there is music underneath.  The plot is carried forward in song. (Smiles) I don’t ever get to stop playing the piano.  I’ll be glad when we get to work with the full band, which will take some of the pressure off me playing all 36 songs!

FCP:  How would you characterize your style as an MD?

CH:  I try to work really fast, to get as much done as quickly as possible, while still having a lot of fun and trying to maintain a positive atmosphere.  I like to put the focus on getting a lot done so we can feel that we’ve accomplished alot – that really helps the rehearsal process – and we fine-tune as we go.  The faster we learn, the faster the magic starts to appear.  I’ve never found a lot of value in being negative or a stern taskmaster as an MD.  I’ve found staying positive and encouraging means I can get excellent results while still ensuring that we all have a good time.

FCP:  You’ve worked as a performer in the past, but your focus in recent years has shifted to music directing full-time.  Do you miss performing?

CH:  I just performed in APPLAUSE! Musicals in Concert’s The Unsinkable Molly Brown, but I don’t perform much anymore, no.  I like performing, and I’m pretty good at it, but I’m a quirky character actress, which can sometimes limit my opportunities to perform.  As an MD, even if there’s not a part that suits me as a performer, I can still do the show – all the shows I want!

FCP:  Do you get the same satisfaction MD’ing a good show as performing in a good show?

CH:  It’s definitely different.  I get a great deal of satisfaction from music directing a show, and it’s delightful and gratifying when people appreciate my work, but it’s not the same, as most of the audience won’t even recognize you after a show.  But I get the most satisfaction from the feedback I receive from performers who enjoy working with me and feel I’m a positive person to work with.

FCP:  What would be your dream show to perform or MD?

CH:  Don’t ask me that, it’s such a difficult question! (Thinks hard) The entire Sondheim canon!  My number one dream role to perform would be Dot in Sunday in the Park with George. Or Sweeney Todd in a gender-reversed Sweeney Todd…it could happen right?

Caitlin Hayes music directs bare: a pop opera, August 4 – 13, 2011 at the Waterfront Theatre on Granville Island.  Tickets are available at http://www.ticketstonight.​ca/.

The cast of bare: a pop opera

Stephanie Liatopoulus, Arlie Worthing, Kate McQueen, Imelda Gaborno, Arielle Tuliao, Morgan McTaggart and Katie Purych play the naughty schoolgirls of Saint Cecilia in bare: a pop opera.  Here’s what they had to say about the show…

FCP:  So, in bare, you all play Catholic schoolgirls…

KM:  There was a lot for us to work with in the script to help us build those characters.

MM: It’s fun building the history between these characters who have been together for four or five years.

LS: What’s interesting is that we’ve developed a social hierarchy.  There’s cliques that have really developed…

AT:  That happened quite naturally, actually.

LS: Tanya and Kiera are the popular girls.

MK: My character, Diane, is really the bottom of the heap.  I pretty much play the screw-up.  Diane trys really, really hard.  But she has no friends.  And no skills.  She’s totally tone deaf.

AT: you do a nice responsorial psalm!

FCP:  How close is bare to what you actually experienced in high school?

LS:  I went to a Catholic high school, and it was very similar.  We went to raves, we did drugs, there were closet gays.  We dated each other, we partied, we made fun of each other.

IG:  It’s like any high school experience, really.

KM: In any high school you have the sluts, the nerds, the in-betweens.  The fact that bare takes place in a Catholic high school just raises the stakes for the protagonists.

FCP:  There is hardly any dialogue in this show, it’s sung right through…

AT (with a straight face): That’s exactly like my high school.  (Singing) I have the answer… (The girls laugh).

MM:  Singing through the whole show made it much easier to block.  It all felt very fluid, you could feel it with the music.

LS: You memorize songs faster than scenes, so it’s been very free flowing – it’s easy to remember everything.

MM: It’s one big long rock concert.

KM: Each song takes a story.

AT: As a director it must be harder, because you can’t cut anything.

FCP: Did any of you know the show before being cast?

KM:  I did.  I found it a year ago and I listened to it constantly.  Before I even auditioned I could sing through the whole thing – I was so excited when I found out I was going to be in the show.

FCP:  Do you feel a sense of responsibility to all the bare fans that will come to see the show?

LS:  Well, it is the Canadian premiere, so expectations are high.

AT: We have a super talented cast.  I feel like we don’t have anything to worry about.  We’re all very good singers and talented actors. so it’s all good.

KM: There’s no weak spot.

LS: Talent aside, we’re also really passionate about the story we portray and the message it is sending.  Even if we were just really passionate, and not talented, it would be breathtaking.

IG:  I didn’t know about bare before I auditioned, but I am so in love with the story now.

MM:  It will be the highlight of everyone’s resume.

FCP: In speaking to all of the cast, the importance of the message of this show seems to be a huge part of all of your experiences…

LS:  The only thing I regret about this show is that we don’t have more performances.  The more we rehearse, the more I realize we need to reach out to more people.  I want more straight people than gay people to see this show.  I want mothers of gay children to come to this show.

KM:  bare deals with sexuality and drugs and peer pressures – there are just so many messages.  It’s about growing up, really.  Even just liking someone and not being liked back.

MM:  Simple stuff – like, wanting to be the lead in the school play and not getting the part.  There is something in this show that every single person can relate to, that’s why I love it so much.

See the girls of Saint Cecilia go wild in bare: a pop opera, August 4-13, 2011 at the Waterfront Theatre on Granville Island.  Tickets are available at http://www.ticketstonight.​ca/.

The cast of bare: a pop opera

Jeremy Fornier-Hanlon, Stewart Yu, Cameron Dunster, Hal Rogers and Max Friesen play the boys of Saint Cecilia’s in Fighting Chance Productions’ bare: a pop opera.  We caught up with the boys to talk all things bare and beautiful…

FCP:  So, unlike the ensemble in most shows, you all play just one character in this show.  That must be a different experience, as you get to create a whole history for this one character as opposed to playing “Partygoer Number 1″ or other minor walk-on roles.  Is it difficult, trying to develop that backstory?

HR:  Each time we run through the show, you build the character, as opposed to making one quick choice with a small role.  I know for myself, every time I go through the show, different relationships seem to develop further (laughs), like my character cheats on his girlfriend while he’s high and then makes out with Cameron’s girlfriend…

JGH:  Having the ability to develop that character and give it depth gives me a lot more freedom.

SY: I guess my character is a bit of a nerd…

CD (laughing): We’re all such bad kids!  We all go to raves and do drugs!  There are no good kids at Saint Cecilia.

JGH: Yeah, my high school experience wasn’t like that.

FCP:  There are often politics to being part of a big ensemble.  In some ways, does that mimic what’s going on with your characters at Saint Cecilia’s?

MF:  Well, I guess the social aspect of being in a show could be compared to high school, in that we’ve become friends out of a shared experience.  We’ve all become really close.

JFH: Yeah, I hang out with Arlie (Worthing), who plays my girlfriend in the show, almost every day!

FCP:  Did any of you have a religious background to bring to bare?

SY: I grew up in a Protestant church, but I had a lot of the same issues that Jason and Peter have in the show, being gay in a church that didn’t accept that.  I couldn’t come out myself until I’d been away from my church for over a year, to process what was going on with me outside of that influence.

FCP:  Do you feel a sense of responsibility about portraying bare‘s message of acceptance?

MF:  Yes, especially right now – the cultural mindset around sexuality, and freedom from and of religion – it’s ever more present today, thanks to politics and the media.

FCP: It’s a heavy show…

CD:  It is, but the ensemble is the comic relief in a lot of ways.  Every single lead character is going through hell – it’s an emotional rollercoaster, drama, drama, drama – and then we come on and get high and party.  Although the final three songs in the show pull everyone, including the ensemble, deeper into the heart of the show, where the message is.

HR:  It’s been interesting during rehearsal to watch every single person in the room tear up every single night when we reach the finale.  I wonder if that will change once we’re in performance?  Right now it’s happening to all of us every single time.

JFH: It’s an intimate show…and an emotional show…

HR (laughing): It’s so damn depressing!

JFH: Yeah it is – at least at the end of Grease, Rizzo wasn’t actually pregnant.  (The boys laugh).

FCP: What do you think the audience reaction to the show will be?

CD:  To be honest, I hope there are some people who are shocked or offended by it…

JFH: …because if they are, at least it further the discussion.

CD: Every show should have a message.  That is what art is about.

HR:  If we do shock the audiences, and people talk about it, then we’ve done our job, and that’s good for the show, and the whole idea of the show.

CD:  Even if we end up “preaching to the choir” so to speak, and our audience is already accepting of Bare’s message, it’s how we portray that message that will be remembered.

MF: The point of art is to create conversation.  My family came from a strict Mennonite background, and we left the church.  That side of my family isn’t coming to see the show, because they researched the show and decided it wasn’t appropriate for them.  But at least the issue surfaced, and we talked about it.  That’s what it’s all about, really.

Check out the boys of Saint Cecilia’s in bare: a pop opera, at the Waterfront Theatre on Granville Island, August 4-13, 2011.  Tickets are available at http://www.ticketstonight.​ca/.

Jenn Suratos is Sister Chantelle in bare: a pop opera

Jenn Suratos is one of Fighting Chance’s resident divas.  She’s been there since the beginning of Fighting Chance, in a production and performance capacity, and has starred in Side by Side by Sondheim, Rent, The Wedding Singer, and most recently, as the title character in The Wiz.  She stars in bare: a pop opera as Sister Chantelle, a wise-cracking nun who the students of Saint Cecilia’s turn to in their hour of need.

FCP:  Jenn, you’ve played diverse roles in so many shows – from Oprah to a nun!  Where did you get your training?

JS:  Well, I have a Master’s Degree in Theatre Studies, but my area of focus is Shakespearean tragedies – pretty far removed from musical theatre!  I had a year of vocal training, but really I learned by doing shows – you learn pretty quick when you’re not supposed to bump into things!

FCP: So tell me about Sister Chantelle.

JS (smiling):  I never thought I’d be so happy to play a nun! Sister Chantelle is 1 of 3 adult roles.  She’s the  most     accessible adult, the one who interacts with the students.  She has one great solo number – “God Don’t Make No  Trash”, which is more of a credo, really.  Peter is so scared to face up to his sexual orientation and so she does it for him.

FCP:  You went to Catholic school.

JS: I did!  I was raised Catholic and my family are practicing Catholics, but like any religion, you take the parts you like and agree with, and leave the parts you don’t.  My upbringing laid a really good groundwork for this show.  We open the show by singing the Act of Contrition – which of course I knew all the words to – to Catholics it’s a very sombre thing.

FCP:  Were you taught by nuns?

JS:  We weren’t taught by nuns but the teachers at my school were very influential and I have lots of fond memories of them.  The woman who taught me drama in Grade 11 and 12 was a huge influence and so key to what I’m doing with my life now.  Years later, she came to see me in a show at Theatre Under the Stars and that was really special for me.  In my last two years of high school, the priest at our school was a young priest, Father Gary, who was maybe only a few years older than us, and he was so cool.  He made his sermons and homilies so accessible, which was great – he was in no way an older figure who was a stick in the mud.  He’s still around, too – he’s the priest at my niece’s school now.

FCP:  Your husband (FCP alumnus Chris King) is also a performer and music director.   Do you sometimes clash having two artists in the same house?

JS:  It’s awesome having two!  We have the same interests, and never have to explain anything to the other about what we do.  He helps me so much.  Sometimes there’s a clash of ideas, but really, it’s more like a collaboration.  He’ll direct me, vocally, and usually he’s more right than I am, which I can fully admit to!  But I like that I never have to explain why I’ve just spent eight hours in rehearsal and then am going for a drink with my castmates.  That’s great.

FCP: What’s up next for you?

JS:  I’ll be a roving performer at the Maritime Festival in the first week of August – that’s it…so far!

Jenn Suratos stars as Sister Chantelle in Fighting Chance Productions’ bare: a pop opera, August 4 – 13, 2011 at the Waterfront Theatre on Granville Island.  Tickets are available at http://www.ticketstonight.​ca/.

The cast of bare: a pop opera

Jeremy Leroux returns to Fighting Chance Productions as the Priest in bare: a pop opera, having starred in The Lieutenant of Inishmore for FCP last season.  He recently appeared in Blue Surge for Twenty Something Theatre, and Doubt for North Vancouver Community Players, where he played Father Flynn, a young priest accused of improper relations with a male student. bare marks Jeremy’s first musical since appearing in Sweet Charity for Pipedream Productions.

FCP: The Priest is one of three adults in bare.

JL:   Yes.  He’s the heavy.  He represents the views of the Catholic church, and that’s a hardline view against homosexuality.  I wouldn’t call him a villain – he doesn’t see what he’s doing as wrong – but you’re not supposed to  like him.  He represents the source of the conflicts for the adolescents in the show, who are all trying to reconcile their faith and belief with what they’re going through.  He’s not very helpful to them.

FCP:  Did you have a religious background to draw from in developing The Priest’s character?

JL:  Yes. I went to a seminary for two years, so I can draw alot from my experiences there.  In real life, the Catholic church is unwavering on its hardline views, and so I felt it was important for The Priest to reflect this.  To suggest the Catholic church isn’t so strong in its beliefs, right or wrong, would do a disservice to the church.

FCP:  So The Priest isn’t sympathetic to what the kids are doing through?

JL:  He’s compassionate, yes, but he believes what he believes.  For him, homosexuality is not OK, and he’s not going to tell Jason and Peter it’s OK if it’s not.  The Priest needs to show some compassion, to round out his character, but again, it would do him a disservice to let that compassion outweigh the beliefs he has devoted his life to.

FCP:  Since this is a pop opera, does The Priest rock out during the show?

JL (laughing):  Most of what I sing sounds pretty liturgical, although there is a duet with Jason in Act Two that is more contemporary.

FCP:  Did you know the premise of bare before you auditioned?

JL:  I knew a little, and having played Father Flynn in Doubt I feel like the priest role fits me -as well, I was looking to do another musical, so that was what initially drew me to the show.  But after I was cast and I began working through the script, I realized what a powerful story it was and how very important the message of the show was.

FCP: Given how important bare‘s message is, do you feel like the stakes are higher?

JL:  Yes, I feel like we definitely have a responsibility to do the show justice – everyone needs to bring their A game.  But the story itself does most of the work.  If people aren’t crying by the end of the show, well (laughs) … then they have no feelings.

FCP:  In all seriousness, though, do you think that there might be some audience members who aren’t so receptive to bare‘s message?

JL:  I don’t know.  Devoutly religious people may feel a certain way about the show, but I can’t relate to that.  I guess there is potential for people to hate what the show stands for but that’s more to do with them than the actual content of the show.  bare is not about sex, it’s about love, which really is the central theme of Christianity, so – practice what ou preach.  I hope it will open some eyes.  bare has a message that the world needs to hear.

Jeremy Leroux stars as The Priest in Fighting Chance Productions’ bare: a pop opera, playing August 4-13, 2011 at the Waterfront Theatre on Granville Island.  Tickets are available at http://www.ticketstonight.​ca/.

The cast of bare: a pop opera

Nancy Von Euw is returning to her craft after a 25 year hiatus.  Classically trained in an American conservatory program, Nancy took time out to raise her children but had a life changing moment last year during a family crisis, and decided not to wait any longer to return to the stage.  She appeared in Footlight’s The Sound of Music last year, and has been steadily working in film, voiceover and theatre since then.  In bare: a pop opera, Nancy plays Peter’s mother Claire, who must come to terms with her son’s revelations about his sexuality.

FCP:  Claire is one of only three adults in bare.  Tell us about who she is.

NVE:  Claire is a single mother who is trying the best she can to raise her kids.  I think deep down she knows Peter is gay – it’s never been said, but truly, secretly, she knows.  Later, when Peter comes out to Claire over the phone, it’s very emotional for her.  She feels anger, shock, disbelief, and also relief that it’s finally been said out loud.

FCP:  Do you feel a responsibility to real-life parents of gay teens out there who may be struggling with their kids’ sexuality?

NVE:  Absolutely.  In a way Claire is the archetype of the parental response, while the Priest, for example, is the archetype of the religious response to his coming out.  Claire is a busy mom, but she could just as easily be a busy father.  One of the reasons I did this show is because I feel very strongly everyone needs to hear bare‘s message of acceptance.  I was raised in a very religious home in a small rural community, and even though I knew gay people, we were taught that this was wrong.  It wasn’t until I was older, and was in college, that I started to realize that some of my best friends were gay, and that God wouldn’t possibly condemn by best friends.  It was where I drew the line between my parents’ beliefs and my own, and that is something that the characters in bare struggle with as well.  But at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter.  A person is just a person, and it’s no one else’s business who you’re sleeping with.

FCP:  Obviously as a real-life mom that is something you have passed on to your own kids as well…

NVE:  We’ve raised our kids to be very accepting, and from a very young age we visited gay friends on our holidays.  I remember my kids asking whether two particular friends were a couple.  ”Yes,” we told them.  ”Do they love each other?” my kids asked.  ”Yes,” we said.  And that was that.  It’s no big deal.

FCP:  bare takes place within a Catholic school and the clash between Catholicism and homosexuality is a strong theme in the show.  Do you have a religious background?

NVE:  My husband was raised Catholic.  I think there is a huge disconnect there that doesn’t sit right with me, as I’m very accepting.  But the scene where the Priest is so hardline with Peter – it’s difficult to watch.

FCP:  What’s it like being one of the older members of such a young cast?

NVE (laughing): I’m the absolute oldest person in the company!  So that’s a different experience for me!  And Claire doesn’t get to rock out as much as some of the other characters.  Still, I feel very fortunate to be a part of this cast, and it’s so nice to see the strong emotions that this show has brought out in our young cast – they really believe in the show and its message.

FCP:  Are you still having fun, despite the show’s serious themes?

NVE: Absolutely there is still a sense of play and fun, as we’re all trying to find the best way to portray who we are.  Claire is a bit of the comic relief in this show – it’s a small but important role and I’m trying to strike the right balance between being serious and being funny.  For some people, being the parent of a gay child is the end of the world.  I’ve got to do respect to their feelings while trying to show how important acceptance is.

Nancy Von Euw perfoms in bare: a pop opera at the Waterfront Theatre, Granville Island, August 4 – August 13, 2011.  Tickets are available at http://www.ticketstonight.​ca/.

Artistic Director Ryan Mooney has chosen two Catholic-themed shows for this summer, NUNSENSE, and BARE: A Pop Opera, which takes place in a Catholic school.  We got Ryan out of chapel early to chat to us about NUNSENSE.

FCP:  How did you choose NUNSENSE?

RM:  We went through so many shows! We were looking for something with strong parts for women – we knew that NUNSENSE was a phenomenon, and that it had 5 female leads, so it fit the bill for us.

FCP:  Do you ever get stressed out by FCP’s short n’ sweet rehearsal process?

RM:  I don’t feel the pressure!  I think no matter how long the rehearsal process is, one week before the show, everyone’s concerned, because everyone puts things off to the last minute.  We always pull it off, no matter what.

FCP:  How much did you know about nuns before doing NUNSENSE?

RM:  Not much, and I can’t say NUNSENSE is really a very educational show!  I went to my first Catholic wedding this weekend, but NUNSENSE has taught me a little bit more about what nuns wear, and about saints.  We’ll be doing a lot more Catholic prep this summer for BARE.

FCP:  How different is the directing process for a big show like BARE compared to a small show like NUNSENSE?

RM:  It’s a much different process.  For something like NUNSENSE, there’s not a lot of preparation on my part.  I let the women – I call them my “sisters” – play a lot off of each other – it’s not so choreographed, like, “and then hit her with the pie in this bit” – it’s about serving the laugh and doing the most honest thing.  When you have a big cast, with 19 people on the stage, you have to plan more and you can’t take in as much feedback.  You have to think big picture: are there enough people on this side of the stage?  To be honest, I prefer the bigger shows, because of the energy, but these small shows can be really fun, too.

FCP:  Are you doing anything special for your first show in White Rock?

RM:  We’ve taken a few liberties with the script, in terms of changing the setting to Surrey, but really, we have no idea what White Rock audiences will be like.  We just know they love their theatre, and that they love to laugh.  NUNSENSE will be really fun, and we hope it will encourage them to come out to other FCP shows.

FCP:  It’s been quite the year for FCP…

RM (laughing): It’s always been “one hulluva year” for FCP.  People’s expectations of us get higher and higher every year, and hopefully the quality of the performance, even if we don’t have the money for the sets and costumes we might want, meet those expectations, and is a testament to why people’s expectations are so high.

FCP: …and in October you’ll be playing Pseudolus in FCP’s “A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum.”

RM: Yes.  That is very, very scary.  And exciting.  I haven’t performed in years.  I hope it goes well, because there are other roles I’d really like to play.  I won’t be reading reviews the way I would as a director…

FCP: Why not?

RM:  Because once a show opens, as a director, there’s nothing else I can do. I can’t change anything.  But as an actor, I can let that review get inside my head, and start messing with my performance.  As it is, I always have nerves.  It’s always scary to get out onstage.  I can’t let reviews be part of that, too.  Anyway, I’m really looking forward to it and I think it will be a lot of fun.

FCP:  What’s your favourite show that you’ve directed so far?

RM:  That’s such an unfair question!  They have all been special to me for different reasons.  Out of all the shows, Sweeney Todd was the one that ended up looking onstage the way it looked in my head, but I could name so many shows for so many different reasons.

FCP:  What show would you most like to direct?

RM:  Parade.  I want do to it, badly, and it will be a show that we do someday.

FCP:  Who’s your favourite saint?

RM (laughing): I don’t know any!  OK, I’ll go with Saint Paul, because that hospital is near my elementary school.

Ryan Mooney will direct NUNSENSE and BARE this summer, and then play Pseudolus in A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM this October.

Ryan Mooney directs Nunsense at the White Rock Playhouse (1532 Johnston Road) from July 6-23, 2010. Wednesdays-Saturdays at 8pm, with matinees on Saturdays at 2pm and Sundays at 3pm. Tickets are $20 – $25. Tickets are available at the door, at the White Rock Playhouse box office from 1pm – 5pm, Tuesdays to Saturdays, on the White Rock Playhouse website at http://www.whiterockplayers.ca or at 604-536-7535.