Doubt; A Parable
Halifax’s
Theatre Arts Guild gets its 2014-2015 season into gear tonight with Doubt; A
Parable, John Patrick Shanley’s compelling tale of a young priest in 1960’s New
York City. Recently we spoke with the show’s director Emily Jewer about what
audiences can expect during the run.
How long have
you been involved in theatre, and in what capacity?
I’ve
always been involved in theatre, in one way or another, as long as I can
remember. My first play was in daycare, when I was maybe 4 years old, as a
mermaid in Peter Pan. I totally rocked that sparkly tail! In high school I
helped run the drama club and participated in workshops and classes as much as
possible which continued into university at Mount Allison and working at
Windsor Theatre and the local professional theatre Live Bait. I’ve done just
about everything you can do, acting, costumes, stage management, set design,
producing and now directing. I love how collaborative theatre is, you can’t
create a show with only one person.
How did you get
involved with this particular production?
I’ve been
around TAG for a few years, first as an actor and then was asked to join the
Board as newsletter editor and the Artistic Committee to help choose the shows.
When the committee looked at Doubt as an option I knew had to be involved
somehow so I put my name in for director.
What are the
challenges in putting this work together?
For me it
was simply being a first time director. I often knew where I wanted to go with
something but didn’t know how to express it, or sometimes I actually didn’t
know what to do next. Luckily I had a great cast and crew who were very patient
with me and weren’t afraid to voice their own ideas that helped me through the
tough spots.
What are the rewards?
Overall
it’s been a wonderful learning experience. It was nice to be on the other side
of the table for once and I think directing has given me a new perspective and
respect of the process that I can use as an actor.
What can
audiences expect during the run?
A tense,
character driven drama that will leave you with questions and interesting
discussion. We are also having a Q&A session each week during the run,
where audiences can ask questions about the play and the theatre process to
members of the cast and crew. September 18th, 27th and October
3rd are the dates.
What are your
thoughts on the state of theatre in Halifax, and Atlantic Canada?
I
recently read the interview with Ann Doyle on Arts East and I think she says it
quite well, there are more talented people than there are jobs, making it very
difficult to make a living in theatre here. But not only do we need more
jobs we also need more training opportunities. So much value is placed on
training in our field but there are very few options for Atlantic Canadian artists
that we lose a lot of our talent to other provinces that can provide the
education they need to succeed in theatre. I would also love to see more
continuing education in the form of workshops and classes for those theatre
artists who do choose to stay here, so they can hone their skills. Halifax
often has short spans of time where workshops are offered, such as during
DaPoPo’s Live-In in October, but it would be nice to see these expand to year
round opportunities to learn.
What's next on
your own theatrical agenda?
Next I am
working with Up the Hill Theatre Productions to write and put up a new version
of our show Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind (or 30 Plays in 60 minutes).
Keep on the lookout for more info about that!
Doubt; A Parable
September
18-October 4
Pond
Playhouse, Halifax
