Sunday, July 25, 2011: CANADIAN TALENT WEARS A UNIQUE INSIGHT
I'm always fascinated to talk with actors or musicians after a performance - the wind down, the honesty, the inside on the performance.
This week, I visited Soulpepper Theatre in Toronto and Stratford Festival in Stratford, Ontario to see a couple plays. One was Russian "A Month in the Country" at Soulpepper and the other was Shakespeare's "As You Like It" in Stratford. Both plays were exceptional and a unique experience for me - one: to see a Russian play brilliantly acted and two: to see Shakespeare performed at the world renowned Stratford Festival Theatre with my daughter who is an actor and a student of Shakespeare.
After the play "A Month in the Country" at Soulpepper Theatre in Toronto's Distillery District, we met with actor Jeff Lillico who played the young Russian tutor Belyaev and the romantic interest of the character Natalya played by Fiona Bryne. The Weekly Eye called the performance "a revelation ... a truly invigorating experience" with a five star rating. Jeff is now enjoying the performance run. A Russian play is intense. So much of what we see onstage in the characters is unspoken, so much is expressed in "what lies underneath and in the spaces between".
Jeff was masterful onstage - so was the entire cast. He thoroughly enjoys his time at Soulpepper Just last month, he was awarded a prestigious Dora Award for his acting in "The Light in the Piazza". Next month, he begins rehearsal as Romeo in Chicago Shakespeare Theatre's production of "Romeo & Juliet". Jeff Lillico is an actor who does his homework - he travels to research characters, he reads and expresses it honestly onstage in character.
After the performance of "As You Like It" at Stratford, we talked with actress Andrea Runge who plays Rosalind. The Toronto Star reviewed, "Ms. Runge has proved herself a sparkling leading lady, a mooning and mischievious Rosalind." Andrea is originally from Regina, Saskatchewan - a girl from the prairies. She is rooted, knows what she wants and gets it done. I like that. And I also enjoyed her sincerity and honesty in easy conversation after the show.
Canadian talent wears a "unique insight". We can embrace that proudly!