1. What was life for you before you discovered theatre?
Prior to getting involved in theatre halfway through high school, I would do
some creative writing now and then and I enjoyed watching TV and movies, but
there wasn't really a personal spark for me in terms of the arts in general.
I was relatively shy and certainly lacking in self-confidence. Public
speaking was a nightmare for me. I got involved in theatre primarily
because, as an outsider looking in, I saw how much fun the casts and crews
seemed to be having during their rehearsals leading up to performance night.
The social aspect really appealed to me. It wasn't until I was in a show
myself that I saw there is also a lot of work involved in putting a show
together. Mounting a successful production requires commitment and effort.
If the audience has a good time though, it's all worth it in the end.
 
2. What was your first ever role?
Technically, my first role was as "Frank McKenna's aide" in a Hampton
community production entitled "People Power" in 1993. I had one line:
"Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Frank McKenna!" as I gestured to an actor who was
supposed to be, well, Frank McKenna. My first true stage role was a chorus
member in Hampton High's first musical, "The Wizard of Oz". I had a number
of parts. I was Joe (a farmhand), a Munchkin, a Jitterbug and a Private in
the Oz National Army. The version of "Oz" we were doing was definitely
different from the famous movie. There is a bridge that comes alive and
attacks Dorothy and her friends as well as a swarm of insects, the witch
gets shrunk to 3 feet tall and runs around on the stage, and Dorothy ends up
going back home at the end via a rocket ship(!).
 
3. What was your first directing job?
While in university, I had adapted a short story based on a novella by the
anonymous author Vercors. The plot, characters and theme really resonated
with me and when it came time to pitch the play to our theatre collective,
they felt I was ready to direct it as well. It was called "The Silence of
the Sea" and it takes place during World War Two. Before the war breaks out,
A German officer is stationed at a French man's home, but neither the French
man nor his niece says anything to the German. Through a series of
monologues, the German is revealed to be very much a compassionate human
being who does not suspect his leaders will eventually commit the atrocious
acts history remembers the German people for. We discover the German is
stuck in his situation as are the French man and his niece, but at least
they have found mutual understanding during his brief stay at their home.
 
4. What was the best era for Saturday Night Live?
Certainly in terms of material that is still being quoted to this day, the
first few seasons introduced the most popular skits and comedians.
Personally, I watched the show during the late 80's/early 90's and I guess
that was when I enjoyed it the most.
 
5. Which is the bigger hell, a play written, directed and starring
former WCW champion and Mr. Courtney Cox himself, David Arquette. Or being
forced to watch every single movie starring the Olsen Twins, Clockwork
Orange style?
I don't really have an opinion on David Arquette one way or the other, but
given the amount of films he's been in, I would imagine if he wrote a play
and starred in it, it wouldn't be that hard to sit through. I think being
forced to watch anything Clockwork Orange style, much less something
starring the Olsen Twins, would be a unique brand of hell I wouldn't wish on
anyone.
 
6. What song best describes you?
"Everything Must Change" by Paul Young.
 
7. What has been your favorite acting role to do?
I played Malcolm in a high school production of "Macbeth" in 1994, which I
am still very proud of to this day. Another role that comes to mind is Happy
Loman in "Death of A Salesman" because it is one of my favourite plays, if
not my favourite play, ever.
 
8. What has been your favorite play to direct?
I haven't had a lot of opportunities to direct yet, so this is a bit of a
tough question to answer. For starters, a safe response is that I have
enjoyed each of my directing experiences to date. I can tell you about one
of my more surprising directing successes, though. In 2001, I'd directed a
"platonic dialogue" for the deep see festival called "Acastos" with a cast
of six male actors. We'd rehearsed only a handful of times, and even ended
up having to do a run literally a few hours before the opening. Prior to
opening, we simply felt we weren't ready and needed more time, if only in
terms of the lines and being offbook. But a funny thing happened. That day,
the actors went away and came back to do the performance and did the show at
the NB Museum pretty much note-perfect. How we pulled that off is beyond me,
and the cast and I still joke about that to this day whenever we bump into
each other.
 
9. What is the history behind Saint John Theatre Company: Second Stage?
In 2000, an initiative was put in place to address some long-term needs
within the Saint John Theatre Company. Beyond its regular 3 mainstage plays
every year, there weren't very many other theatrical events going on, let
alone within the city at large. Bob Doherty helmed the organization as chair
during its first two years, which focused primarily on testing the waters.
We put together a planning committee who would select and organize monthly
activities that would help get people more involved in various aspects of
theatre. Some of our goals were to focus on short-term commitments as
opposed to long-term (usually, mainstage shows require commitment of a few
months, for example) and to provide opportunities for people with little or
no previous stage experience the chance to get their feet wet. I've been
chair for almost two years now, and we have shifted slightly by increasing
the number of public performances, but we are still committed to our
non-performance based activities as well.
 
10. What is one thing that Saint John could improve upon?
While I can think of dozens of answers to that question, I'll say that in
terms of theatre specifically, the citizens of Saint John need to support
live, local theatre more often. However, the problem is, a great deal of the
existing theatre we do have (outside of the Saint John Theatre Company) is
too expensive. We end up getting touring productions of shows that cost
between $70 and $80, or TNB, which is essentially intended to represent our
province, selling tickets for $35 for its productions. Other than high
school and dinner theatre shows, there aren't any other options for Saint
Johners to catch inexpensive theatre locally. Ideally, there should be new
shows around the city all the time. The only way to get people catching and
participating in more theatre, is to make it more accessible to the people
in our city. Cost plays a huge role. We need a 200-seat uptown theatre
facility unattached to any of the high schools. Ideally, it would be a black
box design, and could be used for plays, non-profit groups, lectures,
concerts, conventions, film crews, art galleries, workshops and countless
other applications. Currently, there are no uptown facilities available for
accessible, inexpensive local theatre, other than the 900-seat Imperial. I
don't count the museum because it lacks the technical requirements needed.
 
11. What is the history behind StuckTV?
You'd have to ask Anthony, but I believe it came from the realization that a
lot of Anthony's friends and acquaintances are creative and thus an outlet
for those ideas was hatched.
 
12. And Couch Critics?
For some time now, Anthony and I have had a soft spot for sitting through
bad movies, and it has been fun to review these atrocities in front of the
camera. We get even more fun out of making elaborate introductions that most
likely end up requiring more effort and time than the movies we're setting
out to ridicule in the first place. There will be more of these installments
in the near future.
 
13. What is your favorite episode of Couch Critics so far?
Ninja Destroyer, by far. It's one thing for two guys to put together little
montages, it's another to assemble an entire crew of actors and
behind-the-scenes folks to put together an epic. From a post-production
perspective, Anthony's outdone himself this time around.
 
14. What are your methods you do as a director?
I'm still figuring that out as I go. I want to make sure that actors have
enough breathing room to find their own characters and make choices, but
sometimes time constraints supercede this approach the way I would like.
Typically, I like to read the script a whole lot beforehand so that I know
its structure fairly well before it is cast. Format of first readthrough,
blocking, then runs with notes. Typical stuff.
 
15. If there were a movie made about you, who would you want to portray
you?
I'd like to think it would be someone who has comic skills because I tend to
be silly from time to time. I think maybe Jim Carrey? Or maybe I could play
him in the live-action film about his life. That would be fun.
 
16. What's the craziest gift that an actor gave to you after a show?
I once got a rainbow-coloured toque from a cast I'd worked with, that was
pretty special. Another time, I received a handmade wooden sceptre I had
used during a production of a Greek tragedy. For another production, I got a
set of napkins with seashells on them. Scott Marshall once made a box of
cereal during "Death of a Salesman" a la Wheaties. On the outside of the box
it said "Willy's", it was hilarious. He also gave me a spandex black cap in
February with which I will be able to practice my urban street rapping.
 
17. What does the future have in store for future shows for Second
Stage?
We will continue to develop the evening of one-act plays, hopefully always
pooling from local writers in terms of scripts. Although we've made a name
for ourselves over the years, we may have to examine the possibility of
re-naming the organization itself, as "Second Stage" isn't as catchy -- or
as appropriate -- a name as others could be. Future shows will continue to
provide opportunities for new people to act, write and direct too.
 
18. And StuckTV?
There will no doubt be more Couch Critics episodes. The summer is bound to
yield lots of mini-projects, possibly skits and so forth.
 
19. How hard was it to direct two shows for the recent evening of one
act plays entitled "Obession"?
The casts and crews of both shows did a wonderful job, considering they only
had 1/2 a director at any one point. Add to that the fact I was helping
produce the shows, and I feel it was very unfair to the casts that I wasn't
able to give them the full attention they deserved. Lesson learned, I will
only direct 1 play at a time in the future. I can't say enough about how
hard the casts worked as a result of me taking on two projects at once.
 
[Side note question... haha]-What was your initial reaction when I
accidentally blurted out "Fuck you" during the first night of "Anytime But
Now"?
I was very upset at the time it happened. I've since cooled down
considerably. My first reaction was that I ran over to John and asked if he
told you to say it, and of course he hadn't. The show had been rehearsed a
certain way, and in my own advertising of the play ahead of time, I had
promoted that play specifically to people as a show that doesn't have the F
word in it. The play works better without it, if only because it's the only
time the F word appears. No offence, but with my family in the audience and
me made to look like a liar, that incident was among the low points I've
endured theatrically. Sorry, but you asked. :(  [Side Note: Well I did ask, ha.]
 
20. Any final comments?
I've heard great things about "the kids" in "Any Time But Now", and you
should be very proud of the work you did. I hope you continue to develop
your knack and your gift for performing. It was fun being involved in a show
with you. And when do I get to read / see your sitcom, anyway?
 
Name Association
 
John Mazerolle-persistent
 
Dan Culberson-gifted
 
Brian Taylor-teddy
 
Julie Assaff-vibrant
 
Dee Stubbs-dedicated
 
Mark Driscoll-determined
 
Willow Edwards-solemn
 
Ryan Gilbert-eager
 
Jessica Larsen-searching
 
Jay Rawding-overrated