It is 5 days from opening night of BENT.  Today is the last day of rehearsal in the studio.  We load into the theatre on Monday to prepare for tech week, opening night is November 5. For this play, I took out old “one upon a time” skills that I thought I wouldn’t use again.  I sewed banners & costumes, and made & painted props.  It’s been fun!  As we prepare to move into the theatre, I am slowly taking off my Director’s hat and putting on my techie cap.  It isn’t so difficult for me to let go as the Director.  The actors and crew have been very supportive.  They’ve helped make my job effortless and uncomplicated. 

Let me tell you a bit about the actors; a great bunch of guys!  I am blessed to work with 6 - yes, count them six, wonderful actors – all men (a challenging combo of experienced and not-so-experienced actors). I thoroughly enjoy the challenge of mixing up the talent levels; it’s another point in Altera Vitae’s mandate where we offer people whose careers are not necessarily aimed at professional theatre the chance to be onstage. Their life experiences make it real. It would be easy for me to use a roster of trained and experienced actors…and why not?  They are trained professionals after all. But there are certain life experiences that people have that make it so interesting for me to take someone who is not trained.  Working with an actor is an intimate exercise and one eventually gets to know their inner workings.  There are habits formed when working with the same actor.  They are formed from both sides to and from the director and the actor, some good…some bad, but habits are always formed.  I am not saying that it’s a bad thing but personally, I like the challenge of the new and unexpected.  I like to find what makes a person tick and then finally get the message, the vision and the delivery of the lines that I want out of him or her. But don’t get me wrong, I do like working with talents in a roster but mixing it up with other talents is even better.

Here are the wonderful actors that I’ve been spoiled with: Christopher Moore, Vance De Waele, Adam LeBlanc, Serge Turcotte, Mark Waters and Yves Jacquier.  They will deliver you BENT from the bottom of their hearts.

The amazing crew I have consists of Anne-Marie (Stage Manager), Scott (TD and Light Design), Dan (Sound Design), Janis (Media Relations), Oliver (Fight Choreographer) and Litratista our photographer and poster designer who also helped build the props and the set.  These are the folks who can almost read my mind and finish my sentences.  As a Director, they have been my security blanket.

For BENT, I am proud to have found GRIS-Montreal to honor with this production.  This year marks their 15 year servicing the community.  They demystify homosexuality to the youth by going out into the various schools and educating the students in a non-lecturing environment.

As the cast and crew moves from the production process into performance, I find myself humming the song “Heroes” by David Bowie.  Come see the show and…

“We can be Heroes, just for one day"