The Rehearsal Hall

Akosua Amo-Adem
If someone told me three years ago that I was going to be a part of the 2011/2012 Soulpepper Academy I would have asked them what they were talking about. Until I was invited to come in for an audition I did not know that this amazing program was around. The first time I walked into the Young Centre and clumsily made my way to the Kevin and Roger Garland Cabaret I remember thinking to myself “this place is cool” not knowing then that this “cool place” would become my artistic home for the next year.

The Soulpepper Academy for me has been a place of growth and many new experiences. It was my introduction to the classical theatre world, a world that I thought I did not or could not belong to. Before starting this program I had very little experience with classical plays and I assumed that acting in them was something I would not be good at because the stories were so different from my life experience. One of the big reasons why I accepted Albert’s offer was to challenge that idea. To use this opportunity as a way to face my fears and take on this body of work that I have felt intimidated by for so long. The journey has not been easy and there have been many moments of frustration with text that felt foreign in my mouth and characters that seemed so far removed from me, but with guidance from incredible artists like László Marton, Nancy Palk, Daniel Brooks and others I was able to push past the frustration. These teachers and mentors over the past year have helped me understand that it is because of my life experiences that I can act in classical plays. That there is no separation between me and characters found in plays by Ibsen, Shakespeare, or Beckett  and that I can find just as much truth and freedom in playing a young woman from Norway as I do in playing a young woman from Rexdale.

This program has given me the tools – and more importantly, the confidence – that I need to take on classical theatre and has opened my eyes to the art world as a whole. Before coming here I had never been to Stratford or the Art Gallery of Ontario or the National Ballet. This company encourages us to go out and see and experience as much art as we can and that way of thinking is infused in the kind of training that we get. One day we are working on A Doll’s House the next day we are doing the Tango or rolling around in Dirt. Of all the incredible experiences I have had here I think the best part about being in the Soulpepper Academy is walking into the studio every day and seeing Qasim, Sarah, Justin, Courtney, Hannah, Daniel, and Paolo.

The eight of us started off as strangers and now have become inseparable. It has been a blessing and a thrill to be in a room with people who have the same love, passion and thirst for this art as I have. I have been inspired and challenged by these seven incredible artists and I could not have asked for a more fulfilling way to spend a year.

Justin Many Fingers
Being a part of the Soulpepper family is very exciting and very busy. The Soulpepper Academy has helped me find a new set of tools as a performer and creator. The Academy has opened my eyes to Western theatre in a new way and has pushed my limits in every aspect of performance. My fellow Academy members really grounded me and we feel like a family as we spent day and night delving deeper into classic texts and preparing our collective creation, Dirt. I studied at the Centre for Indigenous Theatre where Native culture is a big influence. Now that I have a hands-on understanding of Native and Western performance/creation, I feel ready to start my own path and continue learning and exploring as an artist.

This is the final Academy Notes blog. Be sure to check out the Academy’s collective creation Dirt, On stage May 18.

Hannah Miller
Last spring I was confronted with one of those questions one could only define as… well… easy.

“Hi, Hannah? It’s Albert… Schultz…. I gotta question for ya (torturous pause) Would you like to join the Soulpepper academy?”

I said YES, without hesitation. True, I was faced with leaving the country at the time – I mean that was a part of it, for sure. But I had also been hanging out in building #49 on and off for the past six years, slowly making my way westward from George Brown Theatre School through bartending at the café – it was the next obvious step (at least in my mind) to join the Soulpepper family.

And that’s what it is, really, it’s a family. The hallways are bustling with artists of all kinds, technicians, designers, administrators, educators and never without a smile. Multi-disciplinary collaborations are almost routine in this space and these “lab series” are often the most open and free artistic explorations one can imagine. The mantra here seems to be – “celebrate your voice, your art and what makes you unique.” It has made me a more confident and more generous performer.

There are few things as cool as the Soulpepper Academy. It’s a training program unlike any other: The schedule is fluid in the best possible way and the faculty slaloms between the stage and the studio. The lovely Leah Cherniak (Soulpepper Associate Artist) is our constant, our therapist, our big sister. We force her to hang out with us after hours while she forces us to try those things we can’t help resisting. We learn so much from her every day and in turn – she learns from us.

We’re asked questions like “what do you think?” and “what have you always wanted to do?” We’re encouraged to question the paradigms of the theatre form and rethink the obvious. We share almost everything (lunch is like a flying fork lazzi) and we have grown to love and respect each other in a truly special way.

Families are like fudge – mostly sweet with a few nuts (the Internet) well, now there are 8 more nuts in the Soulpepper fudge. I’m proud to be one of them.

Daniel Williston
The bar is very high. Coming to the Soulpepper Academy, I have learned a great deal. And everything I learn makes me understand just how much more there is to learn, which makes every day exciting! Our instructors tell us that they are still learning, and they are already well established in their field. To be (or not to be) just starting out and realize there is a long, fun, hard and fulfilling road ahead is as inspiring as it is scary.

Soulpepper has not only attempted to hone our talents and skills with regard to acting for classical theatre, they have opened our perceptions up to all kinds of perspectives about art. We have learned a great deal about text, but also about our physicality. We’ve written, we’ve danced, we’ve sang, we’ve learned about the history of the theatre, we’ve learned about Clown, we’ve learned about music… there are so many diverse people and talents in the organization, and we’ve gotten the chance to intensely study with a small group the things that excite and inspire those artists who excite and inspire us.

It’s been a trying experience, but one that has instilled in me a sense of wonder about this world in which we are working, a sense of duty, and a sense that what I want to put out there is important and worth contributing. With a community like Soulpepper to support the journey, as well as the seven Academites who I have grown to love and who have pushed me to be a better artist every single day, I find myself in an environment that strengthens me as a performer and helps me to understand the dedication required to fulfill the responsibility I have undertaken by becoming an actor.

I intend to carry out that responsibility in a way that will one day allow me to live up to the bar that has been set by the Soulpepper Artists. And the bar, as I’ve said, is very, very high.

How long have you worked for Soulpepper/Young Centre and what is it that you do?

I’ve been with the Young Centre since 2006 and this January I joined Soulpepper (and Young Centre) as Artistic Coordinator.  A lot my work is acting as the liaison between the artists/programming department and all other departments when it comes to artistic or artist-related activities.  A part of what I do is making sure the artists are taken care of – that they have all the info they need and follow their schedule. For our international artists, I look after the paperwork. Sometimes my job is taking the artists’ fabulous and grand project ideas and looking at them from a logistical standpoint so that it can become a reality. Sometimes it’s a lot of excel spreadsheets (which I actually like because that’s when I can get my nerd on) and other times it’s just lending an ear.  But ask me again in 6 months and I may have a completely different answer.  It’s a new position so anything is possible; it’ll bend to fill the need. I can tell you that my responsibilities and tasks as an artistic coordinator vary depending on whether or not the activity is Soulpepper or Young Centre.  I do both, but because the artistic activity can be very different, my job will differ as well.

When you’re not at your desk, what are you doing?

Movies! Films! The cinema!

Ginny! (My first bike and the best gift ever given to me) Only a few years ago did I learn how to ride a bike. I didn’t grow up with one, so now when I’m on it, I feel like my would-have-been-kid-self.  It makes me pretty happy AND she’s super foxy so… be jealous.

(Fashion blogs. Lots of them. There, I admit it!! in brackets, but I still said it. Scoff.)

Dairy free, gluten free baking… Walking around the city… Coffee… Writing… I’m pretty attached to my playlists… TED talks…

… twitter, instagram, bad reality tv (who’s going to be the last member of team Adam Levine?!?!)

I would love to say I’m also learning French and learning to play the piano, which are actual desires, but not actually things I’m doing right now. Sigh. One day. (I DO listen to French music sometimes and watch French movies, so that, of course, counts for something right? yeah I’m pretty sure it does.)

What kinds of shows/productions/events have you been involved in and what have you been working on lately?

Outside of my life as artistic coordinator, I’m an actor, playwright, dramaturge, and theatre producer. Recently, I performed in the Rhubarb Festival at Buddies.  The show was directed by Esther Jun (Janet in Kim’s Convenience), someone I have worked with a time or two in past.  She and I will be working again later this year on one of my favourite Pinter pieces.  Stay tuned.  Currently, a group of ladies and I are developing a project on the topic of mistresses… This show will have a life of some kind this November as part of TPM’s Buzz Festival.   I’m in the fu-GEN playwrights unit this season, I’m pretty stoked about that.  I also have my own company, theatrekairos, where we do a lot of work on new play development, but we’re taking a break this year so that I can process and live through this new schedule of mine.

What do you love about being a part of the staff at Soulpepper?

It’s a pretty quirky place to work.  It’s professional no doubt, but not stuffy, or pretentious.  I mean, come on, we are a theatre company, we make art, we work in the arts, and many of the staff here are artists outside of work, or have an appreciation for the arts or else they wouldn’t be here, so it would be terribly backwards if there was an expectation around here to suppress our inner kooks and eccentricities and the neuroses we all have as people and artists.  We take our work and the work we put on stage very seriously, but we do so without taking ourselves too seriously.  And, around the office, this kind of attitude breathes in room for playfulness, and interest, and randomness. I love the randomness most.

Paolo Santalucia
Eight months ago I started something that I knew would make me grow. I knew that I would be entering into a collective of eight artists. I knew I would be working with incredible theatre-makers. I knew I would be immersed in work that has always inspired me and I knew that I would be learning at a pace and level I hadn’t ever experienced before.

What I didn’t know was how much this would change me. Over the past eight months I’ve started to get a little more used to the fact that every day I discover new things about me, both as an artist and as a collaborator.

I think the best way to describe what we’re up to is that we’re being generously pushed to define and take responsibility for what it takes to be a theatre artist. One of the things that I love about this process is how invested the company is in creating well-rounded performers and creators.

In order to find that definition, Soulpepper has allowed us to go to the AGO, Stratford, Mirvish, and has funded a field trip to see award-winning films. In doing so, they’re giving us the chance to expand our artistic horizons, and they’ve shown us the importance of art in all aspects of our lives.

In another five months we will be entering the rehearsal hall with a group of actors who have been applying this kind of theatre practice in their work for a long time. It’s because of their lessons that I’ve been able to see change in myself, and continue to grow. I know going into the next phase of the Academy I’ll have another set of surprises that will challenge my expectations. I can’t wait to see what those surprises will be. Because when they come, they’ll just reinforce how truly blessed I am to be given this opportunity.

Sarah Koehn
I can’t begin to describe what a privilege it has been to be part of the Soulpepper Academy for the past eight months.

To start with, I am convinced there is something slightly magical about the Young Centre. The atmosphere is so positive and supportive, something that has stood out to me since my first visit. The atrium always smells like freshly baked muffins or roasting garlic thanks to Les Louises, which I maintain is one of the best restaurants/cafes in the district and there is never a shortage of friendly faces, whether they are from the admin side of things, the production side or acting side. It has been great to get to mingle with all of these people and support each other’s work as shows go up and events get planned.

As for the Academy, we started rigorously in June with a seven week scene study class under the direction of László Marton, one of the most delightful people I have ever met, where we dove into Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. From there we explored a variety of different approaches to acting touching on Brecht with Guillermo Verdecchia, Beckett with Daniel Brooks, Shakespeare with Nancy Palk and Joe Ziegler and most recently Clown with Leah Cherniak.

In the meantime our mornings have been filled with tango, hip hop, tai chi, voice work, movement classes, theatre studies and singing. I can’t say how lucky I feel to walk down to the Distillery District everyday and spend my days with seven of the most talented and hilarious people. I think it took us a good six months to really get to know each other, but now we are like a little family who cry together (literally), laugh together (very literally), prank each other and inspire each other on a regular basis.

We are now slowly starting to discuss the shape and content of our collective piece (a daunting task as we are starting from scratch) and thus we are entering into a new and challenging phase of work. I must admit, I am getting a little anxious thinking about this experience coming to a close, but I have learned things this past year that will stay with me forever and I am excited to see where this experience takes the 2012 “Acadepeeps.”

Qasim Khan
It’s been seven months since I began the Academy, and I have never felt this creative and inspired. My mind, body, and soul have been stretched and shaped in a way that will stay with me, and guide me, for the rest of my artistic life. I remember hearing in the early days about the plans for us: who we will work with, what we will work on, etc. and telling my friends and family that it feels like I am walking into the Emerald City. What twenty-something actor gets to work with Laszlo Marton, Daniel Brooks, Guillermo Verdecchia, Nancy Palk, Joseph Ziegler, Leah Cherniak, Mike Ross, and Diego Matamoros all in a lifetime, let alone within seven months! These are artists that I have looked up to for years, if not since childhood. Not to mention having the gift of time to study with all of these people. It might sound like I have rose-colored glasses on, but this really is a dream come true.

The past seven months have also been a lesson in patience, dexterity, and athleticism. I can see why the work that Soulpepper does is so rich and powerful – they really put you to work here. If there was a boot camp for theatre artists, I am in the thick of it. And I don’t just mean hard work creatively or emotionally, but physically – we are constantly moving. I never thought that I would be learning hip-hop twice a week on the Baillie Theatre stage, the same place where I cried watching Uncle Vanya. What makes this experience even richer is the ensemble of talent that I am surrounded by every day. This bizarre and eclectic group of artists with me is brave, supportive, challenging, frustrating, kind, creative, and talented. We have seen each other succeed and (often) fail, but having each other on the “benches” cheering for one another is a gift.

Some highlights from my notebook of lessons learned:

1. You don’t have to want to do anything (but you still have to do it).
2. Trying to recreate a magical moment will often fail. If you focus instead on how you arrived there, it might happen for you again. Or not.
3. Wonder is something that my generation does not quite have anymore – but has a timeless place in art.
4. Theatre exercises will always have bamboo sticks and soccer balls. Because they work.
5. If you click the metaphoric “mute” button on a scene, the audience should still get the story based solely on the way the actors move.
6. Take your time. Your tongue cannot be faster than your brain on stage.
7. Don’t take it personally. But remember to keep it personal.
8. You are exactly where you are supposed to be.

Courtney Lancaster
There’s been a lot of self-discovery since we started this journey together last June. The 8 of us have delved into Ibsen, Brecht, Beckett, Shakespeare, improv, clown, music, writing and more. We’ve worked with a long list of amazing teachers. There’s been sweat, and tears and so much laughter. We play together, rehearsing scenes, coming up with sets, writing songs. We’re also encouraged to delve into more academic territory, discussing what the goal of theatre is, while learning theatre history and theory. We learn how other theatre artists have tried to communicate their ideas, so that we can discover how best to communicate our own. In June, we’ll be working together to create our own piece of theatre, collectively created under the guidance of our “Academy Master” Leah Cherniak. This will be our first opportunity to publicly coalesce what we’ve learned with our own thoughts.

So much of the work has been about going deep inside ourselves, finding our own truths and bringing them out in performance. It’s been hard work, and despite the guidance of our wonderful teachers, sometimes the payoff can seem elusive. But the 8 of us are all in it together, and as the year has progressed, we’ve all become very close. Each new “subject” we tackle brings different challenges for us, but we support each other, and lean on each other, and more often than not, gently tease and laugh with each other. We dare each other to find that place of child-like uninhibitedness. And then we jump back into this grand experiment, this laboratory of communication, this training. It’s all such a great, great gift.

How long have you worked for Soulpepper/Young Centre and what is it that you do?

I’ve worked at Soulpepper/Young Centre for over three years as their in-house graphic designer. Prior to that I worked in the film industry designing and building props and as a freelance designer and illustrator.

When you’re not at your desk, what are you doing?

I’m usually in my studio working on my fine art efforts (jacobwhibley.com).

If by chance I’m not there I can be found cycling around the city, visiting galleries and hunting for various bits of ephemera that I use in my collages and sculptures.

What kinds of shows/productions/events have you been involved in and what have you been working on lately?

I’ve just finished working on my first solo show that opens February 4th at Wyatt Art Studios (wyattartstudios.com) in New Hampshire and I’m working on a variety of projects this year with my gallery here in Toronto Narwhal Art Projects (narwhalartprojects.com).

What do you love about being a part of the staff at Soulpepper?

Prior to working at Soulpepper I worked in an independent prop shop. It was extremely close quarters and had a very unique culture about it. My boss there said that after working for her I would be ruined for any kind of office job. She is more than likely right, but I like to think that Soulpepper is the exception that proves the point. We have a very unique situation here at Soulpepper – it is a very professional yet relaxed environment with a great sense of interaction and dialogue between the departments and the artists. We are all unified by our collective appreciation for the arts inside and outside of the office.

Gregory Prest is a graduate of the National Theatre School and has performed for Tarragon Theatre, Next Stage, and the Canadian Opera Company. A recent graduate of the Soulpepper Academy, Gregory has gone on to do a number of shows with the company including Death of a Salesman, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Oh What a Lovely War – for which he received a Dora nomination. Gregory plays the role of Pascal in White Biting Dog, on stage now.

Gregory Prest & Michaela Washburn on stage in White Biting Dog. Photo: Cylla von Tiedemann

I only met Judith Thompson once before the first day of rehearsals for White Biting Dog. It was spring of 2002 in Montreal at the National Theatre School. She was there teaching the playwriting students and we were working on an in-studio end of first year performance of her 1997 play Sled with Sarah Stanley. She came to watch our first run through one morning.

After what was probably a four-hour affair, Judith pauses and says something to the effect of, “I’ve written the text very specifically and when actors don’t get it right or paraphrase or add a word here or there it makes me sick to my stomach and my ears bleed.”

I knew I was guilty. I prepared to be not asked back for my second year.

Side note: I have a vivid memory of the cover of the script for Sled. It was a photo of a tall beautiful woman in a red dress with long gloves and long red hair sort of floating in a forest of birch trees. I had no idea who the woman was but the image stayed with me. Little did I know that the tall beautiful woman would be such an important influence in my life – a Ms Nancy Palk.

Cut to: Several months before rehearsals start, I open my White Biting Dog script and read this note from the playwright:

“Because of the extreme and deliberate musicality of this play, any attempts to go against the textual rhythms, such as the breaking up of an unbroken sentence, or the taking of a pause where none is written in are DISASTROUS. The effect is like being in a small plane and suddenly turning off the ignition. It all falls down. This play must SPIN, not just turn around.”

Cue: cold sweats and internal hemorrhaging.

I knew Judith would be at the first read and throughout rehearsal. I didn’t want to be the kid that crashed the plane. Nancy, the tall beautiful woman, took a chance on me. I became determined to GET IT RIGHT. I would get it word perfect. Then I looked at the text:

Pick up a copy of the play – it looks like this:

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?  What’s the difference between THIS and THIS? Or t-h-i-s and T-H-I-S, let alone th-th-th-thissssssssss?  What does it MEAN mean?  HOW doooo I-inter-interpret the…FONT…font?  How DO I, nnnnnot C-R-A-S-H this plane PLANE?

Cue: colder sweats and external hemorrhaging.

Cut to: First read around the table.  I sat down, pulled out my script and was determined – if I was going down – fired – I’d be fired giving it my BEST s-h-o-t.

The first thing Judith says is, “Everyone open to the page with my note about crashing the plane…” I steadied myself.  “…and just take your pencil and cross it out. Just cross it out.”

Cue: a sound that shoots from my mouth – something between a giggle and a painful cry.