Yulissa Campos (she/her) is an Ecuadorian theatre artist and founding artistic director of Ay, Caramba! Theatre, the first Latin American theatre in Saskatchewan. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Saskatchewan and works with the Newcomer and Indigenous community when she is not writing, acting, or producing. Yulissa has been invited to be part of the CBC’s Q with Tom Power to talk about diversity in the prairies. She celebrates her Latin American heritage in her plays and her work has been presented internationally such as at the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival and across Canada. Yulissa is now debuting in the biggest role in her life: motherhood.
aycarambatheatre.com
Instagram: @yuliecampos
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Transcript
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Phil Rickaby
Hey listeners, Phil here. I just wanted to let you know that this January Stageworthy, will be seven years old and I can hardly believe it’s been that long. If you wanted to celebrate with me, there is no better way to do that than to help spread the news about Stageworthy by leaving a rating and review, especially if you listen on Apple podcasts, I would be so grateful if you did that. But I’m even more grateful that you’re listening. Thank you for seven years. I’m Phil Rickaby. And I’ve been a writer and performer for almost 30 years, but I’ve realised that I don’t really know as much as I should about the theatre scene outside of my particular Toronto bubble. Now, I’m on a quest to learn as much as I can about the theatre scene across Canada. So join me as I talk with mainstream theatre creators, you may have heard of an indie artist you really should know, as we find out just what it takes to be Stageworthy.
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Just a quick note before I get to the intro, I’ll be taking a couple of weeks off for the holiday but I will be back in the new year with new episodes. Yulissa Campos is an Ecuadorian theatre artist and the founding artistic director of I Karumba theatre the first Latin American Theatre Company in Saskatchewan. In this conversation, we talk about diversity in the prairies, the decision to study theatre in Canada, which led to the decision to stay becoming a mother and the challenges of continuing a theatre career and much more. Here’s our conversation.
Well, Yulissa, thank you so much for coming on the show. We’re speaking it. You’re in Ecuador currently. And I’m here in Toronto, but normally you would be in in in Saskatchewan. And so just to get things rolling. Could you tell me a little bit about Aye Karumba theatre
Yulissa Campos
course and thank you for inviting me. I am very honoured and excited to be part of this podcast. Yeah, I’m currently in Ecuador. I’m originally from Ecuador. I was born and raised there. And I moved to Saskatoon. Around nine years ago, I wandered for school. And you know, like, I stayed, I went, you know, I met my partner and the rest is history. But along the way, part of my dream was to be able to create stories that represent the under the minorities, the underrepresented communities in the province of Saskatchewan. So that’s where the idea of creating icon theatre came. Because when I finished school, I saw that there was a lack of representation, especially in the in Saskatoon in the prairies. And I just had this idea of, if I could make it work, maybe younger generations will still represent and maybe we’ll like to go to school and do theatre because they can see themselves on stage. So I Graham was was born with the the, because of the need of acquiring stories that were not usually seen on the main stage. And I started creating my own story called I Frida, which is a coming of age story and community coming of age story about this immigrant girl coming from Ecuador, moving to Saskatoon dealing with a whole weather and culture shagging everything. And little did I know the show had a big success and became the debut of I ground law as a theatre company. And yeah, then the front that it was just a starting point to many other projects.
Phil Rickaby
I was going to ask about I mean, there’s certainly a number of things that could be a considered culture shock coming from Ecuador, and going to Saskatchewan. But I imagine that your first winter in Saskatchewan may have been something that you would remember for a while.
Yulissa Campos
Oh my goodness, it was the worst experience ever. I am from the coast from the coastal city of Why kill so it’s like 35 degrees. Humidity of 80% Right now I’m like, I’m so hot. Meanwhile, like you guys are like winter. And yeah, it was very shocking, because I could kind of took it for granted. I was like, Oh, it’s fine. I just have like a light jacket and just like, just get hard. And that’s it. And I almost froze myself. I remember like running asking for help. Because I was having a pro spy I kind of got lost and I miss my boss. And you know how the system the buses that works in Saskatoon. So it was just horrible. At that point. I was like, you know, what went it’s a serious thing, and I will never take it for granted anymore. That was horrible.
Phil Rickaby
No, no, when what should never take it for granted? For sure. Um, so you went to you, you came to Saskatchewan to go to the University of Saskatchewan to get your bachelor of arts and enacting bachelor of fine arts and acting, um, was there anything in particular about that programme that made you choose Saskatchewan, of all of those schools in the world that you could have chosen? I honestly,
Yulissa Campos
it came down to scholarships and money. I got accepted to a few universities in Canada. And obviously I dream to go to Toronto or Vancouver when it came down to how much the international tuition was. And scholarships. University schedule was the most affordable one for me. And I will say, You know what, at the end of the day, my dad always says that it’s not all about the school, it’s about the student. So it’s up to the student what you make with your degree. So I was like, you know, I’m gonna go to the city. I’ve never heard of him, there are a few interviews place. But let’s just take the chance at the end of the day, it’s, it’s an opportunity for education, I get to the country and get every opportunity. So I took it as in as a substitute group grew on me.
Phil Rickaby
Now, I’ve, I’ve not been to Saskatoon, I’ve not been I’ve been through Saskatchewan, but I’ve not been to Saskatoon. So I don’t have a sense of what the theatre scene is like there. Because you have i Karumba Theatre has a very specific focus. I would love to hear you tell me about not just your own theatre company, but but about the theatre scene in in Saskatoon.
Yulissa Campos
Well, when I started school, and that was nine years ago. The only thing there’s, besides the original one that’s perceptually was Shakespeare. And then GTN t, which is the indigenous stay there. And the fridge there, let’s hope is your and then we have different independent their company. So they had this group called Life five, where whoever has an independent show will apply for the season and get to live among although all of those theatres the only one that I saw that, you know, was focused on something like different from the Western shows was GD and t which is the border to disease theatre. So, in that moment, I always felt that when if I go and audition for Shakespeare for Persephone, I was never going to be able to get a roll. Because all I saw was white actors and stories were white characters. So when I finished school, I was it was a bit disappointed. And I kinda like start thinking like, what am I going to do with my life? Do I have to move to a bigger city and try their? Or can I open my own Pellegrino like carve my own path in here and make it work? Because during those five years of school, all I saw was Western stories and white bases on the stage most.
Phil Rickaby
So in seeing all of that, how long did it take before you decided that you needed to create your own company?
Yulissa Campos
It took a year for me because when I graduated, then my next big challenge was to find a job that will help me to get my permanent resident status or was I will have to come back and as an immigrants as something that you had to like hustle through the orange to stay in the country. So I also have a psychology degree and I decided to work for a year in that area. I kind of like push aside theory because I thought it’s kind of impossible to get your PR as an artist because you’re a self employed person. You’re on and off all the time. But during that time, there was something in me telling me just keep auditioning sounds, it’s gonna come up and it did. I had had a show where I had a leading role called printers. Actually, I was one of the nurses, but in those in the Saskatchewan production, and that kind of like pushed me through continuing with their and thinking, you know, maybe really, this is the start of something, maybe I can keep going. During that time after printers, I had this desire, you know, I need to tell a story. I feel like if I don’t make my own show and put myself on stage, no one’s gonna do it. And that’s how I breed I was born. And yeah, after that, it’s just like, I think it opened many doors, because I felt that many people turn their eyes on me is that, okay? Well, you exist, and you can do things. And this is actually important.
Phil Rickaby
I think the realisation that you have to make your own work is something that a lot of artists eventually make. You might try to do when I was in theatre school a very, very, very long time ago, because I’m an old man. They basically prepared us and told us that our career was going to be you go to the audition, you get the job, you prepare for the next audition, it’s just audition, job audition, job audition job. And that would be it. And there was really not a whole lot of talk about self producing. Once or twice, somebody said, Well, maybe you know, if you’re you might do something in the fringe or something like that. That was like the extent of of it. But it’s become such an integral part of an acting or to theatre career. Did your the programme you were in? Did that prepare you at all for self producing? Or did you have to learn on the fly?
Yulissa Campos
No, no, I had to learn it all on the fly. So you’re correct. You’re right. That’s exactly what happens. So
Phil Rickaby
what how did you prepare? Like, how did we all sort of go into like, when we sell producing, if we, if we sell produce for fringe? It’s like producing, because there’s so much support, you’re not like completely renting a theatre and all that sort of stuff? It’s like producing with training wheels on outside of that. It’s a little bit harder, a little more complicated. Did you have resources that you were able to lean on? Or people or mentors that were able to help you as on your producing journey? Or did you have to? Did you stumble through that and try to find your own way to success with that, too?
Yulissa Campos
No, I have to say that I had pre support that some of this via artists in the community, and also mentors, who are my professors. And I did stumble through and at the beginning, I did not know what I was doing. And I should have had brunch was the first. You know, it was the place where it tested the waters. And what I realised was that you don’t, there were professors that became my friends, my colleagues after I graduated. And the ones that I really built a really close relationship were the ones who actually supported and helped me and believed in my ideas and my stories. So I’ve actually worked on port my knee, used to be my boys professor. And I told him this idea of you know, I want a great story about this girl who’s coming statuette and just stay, you know, combine a little bit of magic realism, which is very common in reading American literature and my story and the story of many immigrants. By then I was working at the opener society, which is that organisation that helps immigrants settle into the community. So I kind of borrow from all the stories that are the people that I used to work with. And he, you know, I didn’t know how to write. I mean, I knew how to run in English, but I didn’t know I didn’t have any experience at play, right. So basically know how to write plays. And yeah, he mentored me everything. He said, You know what? I’ll, yeah, I’ll take your more. And I was like, I have no money. I just graduated, says I am doing it because I believe in your idea. I’m not doing it for the money. And actually, he was the first person who gave me a hand and took me on board. took me under his wing. Yeah, the rest is history.
Phil Rickaby
That’s great. That’s great. Was it at the Saskatchewan the CES, the Saskatoon friends that you did? I freaked out the first time.
Yulissa Campos
Yes, it was.
Phil Rickaby
Nice. And so after fringe that did that show went on to have another life after that.
Yulissa Campos
Yeah, so after fringe because we got a really great reception. Honestly, I was like, Well, I’m gonna get one star. I don’t know. I don’t know why I’m doing any of it. It’s one person. I don’t know what VR thing and and no brands were like, Yeah, we will support you and you know, you start creating your own your own crew and do I just want just you love the art that money. The show got four out of five stars, and they would that I was a springboard to fly to the Singapore Fringe Festival, which is the biggest one in Asia and we got in before COVID hit. But yeah, so the play went international.
Phil Rickaby
Wow, that’s cool. Right. That’s great. So did you actually get to Singapore before COVID hit? Or were you did COVID sort of stop you from going?
Yulissa Campos
We went virtually. So the dream was to go in person at the festival, continue. But what we did is that we had to record in the theatre and send the file. So I was like, Yeah, digital, see their version I live recorded version.
Phil Rickaby
Certainly less satisfying. You didn’t get to see Singapore in the way that you had imagined that you would.
Yulissa Campos
Yeah. So the future hopefully would show?
Phil Rickaby
Yeah, absolutely. One of the things I’m curious about is, is as an artist, we all have our own way that we like to work our own way that we, that we do the work our own, like mandate for want of a better word. What is your what drives you as an artist? And why do you do the work that you do?
Yulissa Campos
I would say that what drives me is that feeling that rush of creating something new, and get to know new people, and create meaningful work? When I did my first show, like I said, I didn’t know what I was doing. And then having a lot of people comment onto me and being like, you know what you did, it’s amazing. I never seen a story like that, you know, and congratulating me for, for putting something like that it was different. It, it made sense to me, in my mind was like, This is what art is about. It’s about telling a story telling things that people don’t really see. Or if they see, they don’t really pay attention until they see in the stories, it’s, it’s telling the truth, sugarcoat it, or like undercover, covered with like, comedy or drama or something. It’s, you know, it’s being in the skin of somebody else. And for me, that was that was the, it was very, for me a lot of like replication, because I felt that I was understanding why I wanted to be an actor. And they kind of like, open a new path for me to fall in love with writing and producing and directing because they I understood that you need a whole village to put up the show.
Phil Rickaby
Absolutely. Absolutely. Nobody can do any of this alone. Yeah. Now I free to as a show. Is that? Is it a solo show? Or is it a full cast show?
Yulissa Campos
It’s a one woman show. It’s the only show by any that. And midsize crews who put a ticket?
Phil Rickaby
Yeah, I mean, every every show does. From one solo performer to another was I take it it was your first one woman show your first solo performance. In doing that, what did you learn about performing that made you want to keep performing in that way,
Yulissa Campos
I learned that doing solo shows was the hardest thing I ever done on stage. And I didn’t know until I was on stage by myself. It was terrifying. And I’m still like kudos to you know, people who does it every year, the French because it’s, it’s insane. You’re like by ourselves learning that 80 page script. But that gave me a lot of motivation and respect for the craft that we do. And that motivated me to continue writing more stories and then thinking the future like oh, you know, I can get hands and add more people on stage I can be bigger, you know, I make bigger shows and dream bigger with productions that we could be producing in actually bigger sceneries and not just the French.
Phil Rickaby
Now I don’t know if you found this my first time performing a cypher the first performance where I pretty much was sure I was going to vomit. I didn’t but I was pretty sure that that was going to happen. But after that, once I’d finished the first the first run, I really felt a real desire to keep doing to perform solo. It’s it was quite a rush to do it. It was very, very motivating and to take an audience on a journey like that. I just kept wanting more Did you feel anything like that? Or were you like I don’t ever have to do this again and I don’t want to
Yulissa Campos
actually feel what you felt. I was like This is amazing. You know that adrenaline the rush I just felt like I was invincible in that moment. Of course after that, will you go through all that you’re like oh my god just a lot of work and but you know, I will do it again. Because it’s it’s undescribable feeling of being able to just do hello be by yourself on stage and take it alone. Oh,
Phil Rickaby
no, absolutely, absolutely. Um, I know you’ve been on on CBC is Q with Tom power and you, you’ve talked about diversity in the prairies. I think that for many of us, who don’t live in the prairies, we don’t we don’t imagine a lot of diversity in the prairies. And I don’t know if that is a correct imagining, or if that’s completely false. But you described a theatre scene that was mostly white, has there been more diversity in the theatre scene and in the prairies are you finding that it’s much it’s as wide as it used to be,
Yulissa Campos
is changing, and it’s more diverse. And I don’t know, if it has to deal with the whole, you know, like, we’ve been through in the past couple years, you know, pandemic and Black Lives Matter and everything, you know, everything’s going on in society, that push people to be more open and start accepting, more diverse, more diversity on stage. But it is changing. And now I’m starting to see that the other leaders are bringing actors if we don’t have them in province on giving priority to the actors that were in the province, because what was happening is that partners of colours were moving to bigger cities to get the Big Shot. Because in our, in our community, there weren’t there wasn’t much going on. So now you see them coming back to do a show. And that for me, that’s, that brings a lot of hope that things are changing. So yeah, so you see more diversity, you see more opportunities now and more acceptance. So to me, that just gives a lot of hope for the new generation. Because when I went to university a few weeks ago, I saw more students there more diversity in the genre bourbon, when I was there, it was like Well, we’re just a small group now so bigger, a bigger group and asked like this is great changing
Phil Rickaby
that’s great because that a community that is a pretty calcified in that it’s it’s doing a certain kind of thing, like you mentioned that the Shakespeare the other way, white theatre, the only really Theatre Company of colour being the indigenous one. You end up telling people who are other people of colour that there’s no work for you here and so they leave all of the all of the colour and life and diversity just leaves because you’ve told them they’re not wanted. Yeah. And it’s good. You really do you’re cutting off your, your community’s future in the route and that in that way. I don’t know if the if you can even speculate on this. But what do you think, aside from the pandemic is, is behind people coming back and, and and more diversity in the scene? Why do you think it’s so high? Like, I think more like what do you think is the cause of all of that happening?
Yulissa Campos
I think is I think COVID and being you know, everything shutting down, you know, Broadway turning their lights off, and the arts struggling everything, I think he created a new new way of empathy, people. I don’t know how to describe it, but I just feel like, we had the time to sit down when we’re forced to sit down and watch the world, from the passenger seat, where you can actually witness what was happening. And people were like, I remember people messaging me being like, wow, I didn’t know you have to go through this. And I was like, really, because it happened while you were there. But okay, thank you happened three years ago, you know, situations where there was racism and stature in the community, or like shows that were not sexual, but people still enjoy them, you know, and, and I remember like, sometimes advocating for land, complain and be like, That’s not correct. Before. We’re like, why it’s funny, you know, whatever. So I think people were forced to sit down and kind of like, really have an insightful conversation with themselves to be like, what are we doing is wrong, and how can we make it better? I think that’s, I think that was a cause of pushing for a change and people being flexible, like people accepting because I feel like the push for a change has been there before, way before and this is why, you know, like theatres in in Toronto, were created in a theatre and the factory is the, you know, obviously doing theatre. You know, there are people who started like The ground breakers right granting the community where there wasn’t. But the reason why I think people now are more open to accepting it’s because they were forced to see, like it was in front of their eyes like this is what’s happening you have to change there’s no way. I think that’s what things are changing right now.
Phil Rickaby
You’re certainly right about about the, the these, this was not the first time that those kinds of issues came up, I’m reminded of, of the multitude of, of panel discussions about diversity in the theatre that I had seen in Toronto, usually with the same panellists making the same points about what needs to change in the scene. But never anybody actually willing to make anything happen in the scene. Because I think when theatre companies are on the treadmill of production, and even not just the companies, but everybody who’s in the theatre, you’re always like, going forward, the next thing, the next thing, the next thing, and nobody’s taking the opportunity. We could, it’s almost like we could do that. But gosh, we’re like, just we’re so busy getting this next season going, maybe we can do that later. And then the theatre is shut down, and everybody has to deal with it. For the first time. Like there’s, we don’t have any excuse. We’ve got to actually have these conversations. And I think that’s, that’s definitely a good thing. That finally happened. Yeah, totally. Did you see Yeah, you saw that? You saw that there as well? Yeah, exactly. And,
Yulissa Campos
like, like you said, it’s, it’s always been there, because three, throughout the years, I’ve seen people always advocate and be like, This is what we need. This is what needs to change, but no one would do anything. And it became something very frustrating because you’re like, Well, nothing’s changed. And so then people just don’t want to listen, like you just feel very, you feel kind of defeated in terms of like, well, no one wants to listen, you just have your way and up to whatever the world is doing. And however the industry is rolling. So when that happened is a wow, people are listening for the first time, how come people are listening. So it was very interesting and exciting to see how people were out of the out of the blue people were like, oh, no, I listened to you. I agree with you. Now I want to help you change things. Why don’t we was like, why now when it’s been? It’s always been there. But at the same time, it’s like, you know, you’re never add, yeah, that how do you say like, it’s like, met Better late than never or something
Phil Rickaby
better than ever? Yes. I think that one of the terrible things that that we as a theatre community as a, as a white theatre community did was essentially forced people of colour, black indigenous people of colour to advocate for themselves and to have have to fight alone. Yes, without a whole lot of support, and not really listen to them. Like when they when we’re told, this is sort of a thing. And this is this is not a great situation. Basically singly, yeah, we can fix that one day, but we can’t right now. Meanwhile, we’re doing actual harm. So I think that there’s some positive that has come out of the of the pandemic. Yeah,
Yulissa Campos
definitely. I totally agree. Yeah, you’re right.
Phil Rickaby
Now, you mentioned that you were getting ready to go to the Singapore fringe when the pandemic hit. Aside from that, what, what did you have? What did you have going? Was that the the main focus and what have you been doing? During the pandemic? How have you kept yourself busy creatively as, as it’s gone on? No,
Yulissa Campos
it was very interesting to do the whole pandemic thing, you know, shut down live theatre, but it opened a new opportunity of online shows and theory and everything, right. So I just, I just felt like, out of the Southern, I was threw into, I was thrown into this new world where we’re like, okay, let’s do some readings, or, or let’s do record replays. And I think I karamba got a lot of a lot of opportunities during that year that boosted the theatre. And like I said, when I created I’ve read, I never had an expectation, so I Kurama becoming something relevant in the community. It was just it was just a theory that I had to grade to put a friendship. That’s it. And it was like, I want to say this story, because I’m mad at the community and the world for not giving opportunity. So I’m gonna put myself on stage. And that’s it. I just wanted to do it. That was my main goal at that moment. When I saw the effect of AD AD, you know, how the show being well received and going to Singapore, the CBC Q or you know, inviting me to talk about it as like Wait, wait, wait a minute what’s going on, like, I just wanted to do the show to put myself on stage, I had no other intention. And COVID happened. Then brands, you know, some grants were on hiatus where you couldn’t get any money for producing like there. But then you started getting money to produce all my theatre. That’s where I’m a star girl went and new players started to come up, I had no unnecessary writing, I started creating plays that were like suitable for zoom platforms for just video platforms, audio plays, and setting same idea that I Grandpa has the vision is to welcome diversity and great stories that represent that the minority. So we kept creating stories like that, but in a new format. So I karamba actually, it was a good year for my grandpa, because it was just like a new world for us, where we just started rolling with the new, the new normal.
Phil Rickaby
Yeah, I think that that, that there were a lot of opportunities in that both for, like, producing plays digitally. Something that I actually hope that theatres take note of I know there’s a few theatres that have really committed to continuing to live stream their shows. And I think that that’s, that’s really commendable that they’re able to do that. And also, new avenues. Like I created a couple of of audio dramas myself, just because I needed to do something. And so just like struggling through to try to like figure out how to how to write it and edit it. What was what was the what were the audio dramas that you created? And? And how did you did you assemble the team to put those together? Or did you do those by yourself?
Yulissa Campos
No, I work always with a team I. As much as I want to think of myself as a jack of all trades, I can’t do everything myself. I like to just, you know, spread the work to whoever it’s good in that area. So for example, during COVID, I had I wrote this show a 10 minute play called trapped, which he was inspired by a true story that happened in Ecuador. I think a year before or something like that, where there was a femicide situation, and the whole xenophobia towards Venezuelan immigrants come into the country running away from the situation, Venezuela. So that play got accepted into this festival called shortcuts. And then Kobe hit. So then they were the first ones. In that time hole, instead of like stopping everything, they decided to actually change your resume, like, you know, let’s try something new. We don’t know how it’s gonna work. But let’s do online, digital lives. And they use YouTube as a platform. And yeah, so then it was the first time that I was writing a play that I had to be adapted for a live stream of Baniel per se, and then they reacted and use all these things. So that was the first one I thought, you know, what, it’s not bad. If we don’t know how long this is gonna take, like, we hope and anything so until that left there opens, let this take this opportunity. I saw that as an opportunity for me to grow as an artist and also to, to keep telling stories, because I was like, if I stopped right now, what me well, I already got the opportunity and the reception from the community. I know that handles that. Right. So just just take any keep, keep flying with it. So after that, I started planning to order grants. And you know what, if anything, is like the grants for bipoc artists, BK multiply so much sounds just like holding into all of them. Like, you know what, I’m gonna use a viper card and just roll with it and get as much money as I can so I can start creating more work and give opportunity to other coworkers too. Yeah, so another place came by and grateful immigrant and band trap was a transform into a YouTube live stream into audio play that was presented at LUNA theatre last year. The newcomer was digital and also live show. Because last year, they just decided to see and taste and test the waters. And yeah, that’s so far, what are we doing? And then I jumped into doing cultural festivals, but that’s another story.
Phil Rickaby
Now, one of the things that I’m always the thing that I really love to learn about people is why they chose the theatre. Every every performer, every person in the theatre has what I refer to as their theatre origin story, that moment, that thing that made them fall in love with the theatre and start the journey towards becoming a maker of theatre for you. What was that moment? How did you decide that this was going to be the thing that you would do?
Yulissa Campos
It was very odd because I will I was 12 years old and I was watching Gone With the Wind. And I just fell in love with the whole melodrama. And I don’t know why I love that, you know, it’s just like it’s a long wall the very melodramatic. But I think it kind of resonated with me because I grew up watching talent availa. So I just kind of like that whole passion, dramatic thing. And I just thought, you know what I would like to do that for a living, I would like to see myself on stage or on screen. And of course, at the beginning was more like God, it’s just a silly dream that every kid has, eventually you grow out of it, because you realise I’m working on do me a starving artist. And brands were like, no, no. But after that, my parents saw that I was really into that, because I started taking, I started taking acting classes back home. And then I started thinking, what if I go abroad to continue my education. And when they saw that I was like, so serious and looking for opportunities and scholarships, everything they were like, okay, you know, maybe she wants to work for a living. So we’re gonna just, yeah, let her follow her dream, under the condition that you also fall on our degree that will give you another opportunity to survive against acting doesn’t work. So that’s when psychology came into the game. Yeah.
Phil Rickaby
Now for most people, because a lot of people get that theatre bug when they’re young. And the majority of people, like you said, they grow out of it, or they something happens where they stop. And they say, Okay, this is not what I’m going to pursue. But for a small minority of other people, it they come to the realisation that, oh, wait, no, you this can be something other than just a hobby. Do you remember when you realise that? It could be more than just a hobby?
Yulissa Campos
Yeah, you know, it think when I started university, I was very convinced that that’s what I wanted to do with my life, you know, being actor because I loved the whole feeling and adrenaline and everything and being on stage and being able to be a different verb people say, should not be in body a different character. Like, you can’t do that in any other profession. Here, you can be a doctor, when they you can be a lawyer, you can be anything, you know, I know shape, that’s the, it’s the character, you know, it’s, it’s the actor work. With, then when I finished school, and I hit the reality of wait, I looked different, I sound different. I’m not here. You know, that’s when I was like, you know, I think this is just a dream. And I don’t think that’s gonna work. Now, after the whole journey that I’ve been going through with, with I karamba, and being a playwright, producing everything, I got the feeling, again, of this is what I want to do with my life, because I love being able to create stories and, and put on stage and see that people’s reaction and know that my work has a meaning, or meant something to someone, and even, you know, one person or two or 300 people left their, you know, left the theatre feeling like, it did something for them. That to me, that’s, that’s all. It’s worth, you know, all the matters. And, yeah, that’s when I thought, you know, I wanna I want to keep doing this, because this just makes me feel happy and alive. I’ve done office jobs. And honestly, it’s kind of, to me, it’s boring. I feel like some part of me dies every time that I’m in the office all day. But then when I go to, you know, go to rehearsal and stage, I just feel like, that’s when I’m the most like, the happiest.
Phil Rickaby
Can I ask you a little bit about that? That feeling that you had you were talking briefly about that, when you graduated? And how you started to wonder if there was like, a place for you? And was that a? Is there a place for me here? Or is there a place for me in the theatre at large? Tell me about that? And was it? What, it’s hard to go from feeling like that to creating something so I want to know about that journey to like, what made you go from feeling like, almost depressed to starting to create I free to,
Yulissa Campos
um, I think, I don’t know, some people believe in destiny. I do. Sometimes, because there are instances in my life where I felt like giving up, and then somehow something happens that puts that, you know, moment in my life. You know, it puts me in a situation where things work out. And I was working full time as a settlement worker to another social worker. See, there was like a, I’m not gonna do any more product. Drama structured, if I want to. And I see this casting call. And I was like, Well, sure. I try me. It’s very unlikely that they choose me. They’re gonna bring actors. And then the director decides to say, You know what, yeah, talk to the playwright. They’re okay with you because you relate with the story. Yes, you’re not you’re not I’m Filipino background but you understand the story of the nurses. So yeah, we like you so we’re gonna bring you into the production now. So when a man is this is like, you know that was an opportunity when I was like so like I was gone I was like no I don’t I don’t want to do see anymore to me that was I took it as as a wake up call I took it I go SOS sign from above telling me Don’t give up, you know, maybe this is something that you can keep continuing. After that I was like, well now watch it. It’s one show. It’s over. And then another Virginie cops, you know it, I feel like every time that I just feel like, I can’t do this anymore, because that’s how theory goes. You know, that’s how art is. It’s just a friend of mine said it’s a very ratify and an ungrateful degree profession. It’s gratifying. But it’s also ungrateful because as soon as you’re done, it’s gone. So every time that I feel like it’s gone, something happens, you know, and that keeps my my desire of continuing. It’s weird. It’s weird, because it’s not about the money. And my partner always says to me, I just don’t understand why you have so much passion with something that doesn’t give you much money. And I say, I don’t know why there, but it makes me happy. Don’t ask me why. But it’s just every time I want to heat up, somebody comes up and keeps me going. And I don’t know, how long is this gonna last? But I’m gonna take it until the last.
Phil Rickaby
I mean, absolutely. I think that I think, you know, I think many of us have had somebody ask us why we would do something that doesn’t make us it doesn’t make any money. But then of course, there’s, there’s more to life than financial success, there’s happiness, there’s like, really loving what you do. And that, in many ways is more valuable than, than getting rich doing something, it’d be nice to be getting rich or something. But it’s more valuable to your soul to be able to be happy doing what you do
Yulissa Campos
exactly what you just said. It’s the fact that it makes your soul happy. And I think that many people don’t understand that. I think artists are the ones who mostly understand that. And yeah, that’s what keeps me going.
Phil Rickaby
Absolutely. Now, you recently became a mother, in your bio, you describe it as debuting the biggest role of your life, motherhood as a theatre creator, How has being a new mother affected your your theatre, creativity, the time that you have? How has how has that affected that,
Yulissa Campos
um, it has affected in many ways, like my world just turned upside down. Many, many different things I had to learn and to manage journey. But one thing is that I, I never stopped. And this is another thing I thought that because I got pregnant, I had a baby things just gonna stop people weren’t weren’t gonna be very, like, kind or offer me roles. But honestly, that was was the opposite. When I was pregnant, I was still working as their community, I was outside doing an internship or to become an artist director, like I got a I was part of a programme where they allow you to do internships that get paid and learn from, you know, other people was like above and has more experience. And also I when I was like, huge, like almost ready to pop I was doing a show and filming, you know, things like that. You know that? You know what, yes, I might be pregnant, I’m gonna have a baby. But I think I could still do things and keep me warm. But before that, I was very determined to just stop for a while because I thought you know, who’s gonna give me opportunity. And then after that, as soon as my baby was born, again, you know, you had this bug. It’s like, kind of like to get that edge of like, I want to do something. And yeah, audition, and then I was like, You know what, if I get a good night, it’s a good way to keep practising. I might be away for a year, I might leave. And I’ve got a role. So I’m like, I have a job for next year. And things like that. So to me, it’s been hard to, to manage the time and the energy because I’m always tired. I’m always trying to find a way like, Yes, I can do that. Even Even right now. I’m going to interview I had to plan in a bit. Okay, I’m gonna prepare baby to be happy so my mom can watch babies. So I can come and do the interview, right? Because I’m visiting my family right now. I’m a clerk. But I have to always time things and be super organised. It can’t just be like, Oh, I’m on myself. I’ll do whenever I can do. I can Yeah, I can meet at any time. As long as you need to know now I’m like, I’m on a schedule. Because I have a little one always, you know, wanting me meeting me. So that’s the hard part. And that’s a part of that I almost it almost made make me give up again. But I have people surrounding me saying that you can do it. And then role models as moms, I’ve seen them being artistic directors, and then coming around, like, if you can do it, I can do it. So that’s it’s been very, it’s been a journey have full of learnings. And in a good way. I don’t I don’t have bad experiences so far as being a mom and trying to juggle work, I would say it’s I make brains is that it’s been harder and creative wise. It’s been extremely grateful, because I can’t write anymore. So I feel like I’m gonna, yeah, I put a pin on many places, I have three plays that I just had to stop writing, because I just don’t have the time. Hope, hoping that maybe I will find a way to, to, you know, balance that a or find a way to make it work. But for now, I’ve been just working on producing things or grading things where I’m behind the scenes. I’m not on the stage, I’m just orchestrating the thing. We just did a photographic exhibition called restaurants, which was celebrated letting American Heritage Month. And yeah, I was planning, I was organising everything, I got the grant, I was the one behind everything. But the person who actually was celebrating there was the photographer, because he was an exhibition. And I just said, You know what, I have a baby, I can do it. But you’re the one who’s the artists, and you can you celebrate it, I’m just going to be at the back doing the money part and paperwork and stuff like that. So, yeah, I think that’s the shift that I had to do, once I became a mother is I think it took them the backstage role for now, until I can, you know, do the art part of being onstage and being needed all the time, backstage is I feel like it’s more I say, not AC going, but it gives me more time to play with things.
Phil Rickaby
I understand. Now, it is not uncommon for an actor to become a parent and to end up in some ways giving up their theatre career. And a lot of that is because of a lack of support that is given to, to mothers or and parents in, in the theatre world. If you were to imagine, I mean, having you know, you have recently had a little one. So you’re it’s all very fresh, you still have a baby. So the question that I have for you is like, if you could imagine the perfect world in the theatre of the perfect situation, what could the theatre community do either in rehearsal or just in general, to help a new mother keep performing and keep working in the theatre,
Yulissa Campos
I would say, more family friendly, rehearsal schedule. I have heard that things are changing. And some companies are adapting to this new idea, but more like Monday to Friday, rehearsal schedule, and you know, like office hours, like eight to five or eight to four, where you can actually find daycare, and you have the weekends off. So you can take care of your child or you have family helping you or friends or whoever. And also help with childcare. I remember working in this show, where the make actress was just a new mom. And this theory, that new seat independence Theatre Company decided to start a change in Saskatoon where the mom had, we had a different schedule we have, we had sorry, lunchtime, you know, break time where the mom was able to feed the baby, and then go back and do the show. So to me, that gave me hope of it is possible. And we live in that and didn’t hold the whole thing there. And it was more like you have to do this and leave everything aside your family your life, you have no life for a month or two or if you’re touring for the next year. But to me, it’s like when when do you have time to have a family to dream of also having a left besides theatre, you know, besides your theory community because we deserve that. And you That’s my dream is to have rehearsals when it’s more family friendly or even for your mental health. You don’t want to go to rehearsal Monday to Sunday, you know, that you just want to have a day to days officer one. And you don’t want to be in at times where everyone is at home and you’re still working. You know, it’s just that family friendly. rehearsal time and also take care of having the opportunity to bring the child and have so when to watch the kid when you’re working.
Phil Rickaby
Work life balance and childcare. Yeah, yeah. Yulissa, thank you so much for joining me this evening. Thanks so much for this conversation of really appreciate it. And I’ve had a good time. Thank you so much.
Yulissa Campos
Thank you so much. Yeah, thank you for bringing me into your show. I love it.
Phil Rickaby
This has been an episode of Stageworthy Stageworthy is produced, posted and edited by Phil Rickaby. That’s me. If you enjoyed this podcast and you listen on Apple podcasts or Spotify, you can leave a five star rating. And if you listen on Apple podcast, you can also leave a review those reviews and ratings help new people find the show. If you want to keep up with what’s going on with Stageworthy end my other projects, you can subscribe to my newsletter by going to Phil rickaby.com/subscribe. And remember, if you want to leave a tip, you’ll find a link to the virtual tip jar in the show notes or on the website. You can find Stageworthy on Twitter and Instagram at Stageworthy pod and you can find the website with the complete archive of all episodes at stageworthy.ca If you want to find me, you can find me on Twitter and Instagram at Phil Rickaby and as I mentioned, my website is Phil rickaby.com. See you next week for another episode of Stageworthy