Fighting Chance Productions

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/.