#44 – Vivian Hisey
With over 20 years in the theatre and 15 years as a professional voice over and television actor, Vivian Hisey made the leap to Director in 2010. Vivian brings both her life and performance experiences to her interpretation of every play she directs. She looks for opportunities to bring today’s real world messages forward in her plays so audiences can, not only enjoy the play for itself, but can think beyond what they see and feel they have something in common with the characters.
While her directing experience lies primarily with comedies and farces – Don’t Dress for Dinner, Love’s a Luxury, Office Hours and Rumours, the play that brings shivers to her skin is Conspiracy. “Set in an historic church hall with amazing actors and the audience truly being on the stage with us, this interpretation became a lesson for every performance.”
Vivian continues to perform on stage in musicals and plays in community theatre companies throughout the GTA. As a performer her most cherished roles include Elsa, in the Sound of Music, for which she won an Adjudicator’s Award, Lina Darling in Nine, Wilhem Kritzinger in Conspiracy and Sandy in Bedtime Stories.
Scarborough Players:
http://theatrescarborough.com/sp-show-1.php
@ScarbPlayers
Stageworthy:
http://www.stageworthypodcast.com
Twitter @stageworthyPod
Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod
Transcript
Transcript auto generated.
Phil Rickaby
Welcome to Episode 44 of Stageworthy, I’m your host Phil Rickaby. Stageworthy is a podcast about people in Canadian theatre featuring conversations with actors, directors, playwrights, stage managers, producers and more. If you’d like to be a guest on Stageworthy or just want to drop me a line you can find stage with me on Facebook and Twitter at stageworthypod, and you can find the website at stageworthypodcast.com. If you enjoy the podcast, I hope you’ll subscribe on iTunes or Google music or whatever podcast app you use and consider leaving a comment or rating. My guest is Vivian hissy director of Scarborough players Barefoot in the Park opening October 7 2016 in Toronto.
Vivian Hisey
Directing Barefoot in the Park, I am Scarborough Playhouse
it’s called Scarborough Village Theatre. Yes. And I’m there are three groups that use that theatre space. Scarborough players, Scarborough musical theatre and Scarborough Theatre Guild.
Phil Rickaby
And what is there anything in particular that drew you to? Barefoot in the Park?
Vivian Hisey
Wow, good question. You know what, I have never seen Barefoot in the Park. And that’s probably one of the reasons that drew me to direct it. Because I don’t like to direct things that I’ve already seen. Well, yeah. Because so I want to put my own flavour on things as much as I can. It’s Neil Simon. And it’s a great pleasure. It’s funny. And there’s an opportunity. I was talking to somebody about this the other day, that there’s opportunities to because the script is so great. And the characters are so great. You’ve got opportunities to put your own side into it. You don’t you’re not stuck doing absolutely what’s been written and done all the time and things. So what took me there thinking
Phil Rickaby
I’m trying to think of the last time that I saw or heard about and Neil Simon play be formed. And for a while it was there, we’re ready to turn around. There’s a Neil Simon play. I think that we haven’t seen him for a while.
Vivian Hisey
Yeah.
Phil Rickaby
Which is, which is kind of busy, you know, you need a break from him saying the same thing. Yeah. It’s interesting to think about him coming around again. And coming back into vogue.
Vivian Hisey
Well, you know, when I first put my proposal in for this, as I read through it, and any number of times, I thought, you know, all the stuff that’s going on here is exactly the same thing that’s going on today. So just because it was written in the 60s, or takes place in the 60s, it doesn’t matter, because the issues that the characters are dealing with that everybody’s still dealing with that all today. So because Neil Simon’s such a great writer, you can apply it all. So I originally thought I would try to hold it in today’s in the 2016. But there’s a lot of references to the early 60s and the within the scripts, and you don’t want to change the script. So we came back to move it back to the 60s and it’s taking place when when it was supposed to. But when I went through, I went wow. You know what people are dealing with this all the time? Yeah,
Phil Rickaby
sometimes you don’t realise how ingrained a the references to a time and a script might be. Right. If you think of it in the abstract, you know, this would be a good joke as the story and not think about the specific references that are there in there.
Vivian Hisey
Yeah, yeah.
Phil Rickaby
What, what’s your theatre, your theatre background? When when when you were like, how long have you been doing theatre for? When did you start?
Vivian Hisey
So I actually started doing I did the in, in high school. I did like the variety shows, right? So I did a bit of singing, and did a bit of singing. And then when I went to university, I thought, well, yeah, maybe I’ll audition for a play. So I auditioned for musical and got in. And so I started at university, and then and I was doing musicals, and did that for four years and then finished university and had to get on with my life. And, you know, lived in that environment where acting probably wasn’t a good route to go and anyhow, so then, how many years ago, almost 20 years ago, I guess I was working with somebody who was doing a play at Scarborough music theatre. And he said, Dave, you got to come and do this audition, I’ve done anything. And I want to blah, blah, blah, and on my way there, so I signed up and on my way to the audition, my parents place was on Route. I thought, Ah, forget it. I’m not gonna go, I’ll go visit my mom and dad. So but anyway, in the end, I went and auditioned and got in. And it was an amazing, amazing show. It was Secret Garden. The director was amazing. The whole show was fabulous. So I got sucked in. Right, right back into it like that. And then I did a couple of shows out there back to back. And a friend of mine lived in Richmond Hill. And she said, why don’t you come up in audition for just a regular play? Forget the musicals come in audition, and I’ve never really done a play before. Anyhow, so I go up there audition. And when I got in, and I have a lead role. So I got sucked into that. So I’ve been doing pretty much I’ve done some musicals, but since then, I’ve been doing plays, mostly. There’s a lot of I think there’s a lot of women my age who sing much better than I do. So I’ve been doing plays, and I’ve been directing probably. I’ve probably directed eight or 10 shows now, I guess. Yeah.
Phil Rickaby
Did you ever work with the idea of being a full time actor full time theatre person?
Vivian Hisey
Absolutely. Absolutely. One of the things so I do full I am a professional voiceover artist. And I do camera like I do TV commercials and things like that. So yes, I do that. And that’s only been in 10, the last 10 years. The professional theatre? Boy, it’s one of those regrets you have in life. You know, I was one of my regrets. You know, everybody says don’t have any, but I kind of wish I hadn’t done what I thought I should do. And and I made an attempt to do some theatre or more theatre.
Phil Rickaby
Well, how many people? I mean, I think that that that’s a really common thing. People go and they think they should do it. And then something common sense or something? Yeah, tells them that they shouldn’t. Yeah, it’s not a bad thing to regret it. Because then you can go on and sort of look at, you know, what, you what, what you’ve gotten, now you can do?
Vivian Hisey
Well, and in the end, you know, if you the philosophy of life thing, if I wouldn’t be where I am now, if I had gone and done that. So you know what, whatever the path was that I was supposed to be on, I’m on it. So and I ended up going and living and working in the UK. And it will not instead but that was one of the options that came available when I didn’t go the route. You know what? I just talked myself out of it. Yeah. And it’s scary. Because it’s totally scary. You have no, where am I going to get my income from? How am I going to survive? You don’t know the industry? You know, at that time, you’re young, I hadn’t. And I hadn’t come up in a theatre family. I didn’t have theatre people around me. So you know, it’s a big thing. But the big scary unknown. Yeah, it’s really hard.
Phil Rickaby
You don’t I mean, I know. I talked to occasionally I will talk to people who are just at a theatre school. And I’ll tell them the most it’s not that you can’t do this on your own. Oh, you have to surround yourself with people who do it too. If you don’t have that support network, you’re just going to
Vivian Hisey
Oh, absolutely. I do not know like that. Still to this day. When I go to auditions for cameras for camera stuff. I do sit there and go wow. How do you guys make a living like this? And you must have you must be surrounded by people who are doing the same thing. Yeah. Because you’re you’re you would lose your energy and your confidence and your, your drive. If you’re around, you know, people who are not embedded in the industry. Yeah, absolutely. You know, like, they’re your they’re your they’re the people who keep telling you you’re doing the right thing. And reinforcing that. You know what, you’ve made an okay decision. Yeah. And try
Phil Rickaby
you challenge each other. For sure you challenge each other and you you know, you’ve gotten people who you also get to commiserate with people. You know, when you have that show that isn’t quite is what you thought it was going to be or Yeah, people that can understand
Vivian Hisey
that. Yeah, and yeah, and you push each other You’re right, like why don’t you get that and I didn’t get that yeah, okay, so maybe I gotta do something different. Maybe tell me you know, tell me what happened and and you can get your it’s a constant environment for ideas. And and you watch I think you watch life differently when you’re in the performing business.
Phil Rickaby
It but it’s it’s hard to sustain a especially if you don’t if you’re if you’re going it alone, because everybody you know, has things. Yes. Everyone you know, has a gorgeous apartment or all kinds of things. They’re not like shopping at Goodwill, they don’t live in a bachelor apartment, it’s hard to sustain the life when, if everybody around you is is, is doing their own their own thing. Well,
Vivian Hisey
plus, on top of it, you know, you’ve got I don’t know what they say the pretence of percentages, but you know that your chances of really making it big, are so minimal. You know, and you’ve got so you do have that hanging over your head a bit, right? Yeah. And when. So when you all when everything gets crummy, you haven’t had a gig for a while or you and you don’t feel your confidence is enough. And you’re, you’re looking at what those other people have and don’t have. And then over your head, you know, somebody else is sitting there saying or something else is saying, you know, I’m really short of the chances of me really making a big deal at all. There’s so many times that there’s forces on you to get you to stop. Yeah, and go somewhere else, right and try another route, but then learning
Phil Rickaby
exactly, exactly. Especially if you devoted your life or your life to it. You have to figure out how to take those skills and put them somewhere else. Yeah, it’s interesting to think that I know people who have this, they went to theatre school, and they came over to the theatre school. And again, they had about five years of like, solid work, like just like working at work. And then they gave it up. And they gave it up in for the most part because partially because they hit their 30s. And we’re no longer interested in that bachelor department or happened. Yeah, things like that. Yeah. But also, their life had become not the art. But the business, right, in terms of space spent all of their time researching who’s the artistic director of this, who’s casting for this? All of their time was doing all that support work? And not enough of it was was it the art? Right? Right. She’s really hard.
Vivian Hisey
Well, you know, and I, I never asked him why. But I had a friend of mine from high school, who was in The Phantom of the Opera here. And, and did well wrote a musical did some stuff. And you know what? He did the Phantom. Yeah. And listen, that Kingston or somewhere out there, yeah, my kids and he has, has had no desire to go back into a stage into stage production. Yeah. And he was young when he when he did it. And he was he wasn’t, I don’t even think he went to theatre school. He just had this great voice, and presence on stage, right, and then gets into this experience. And every, like any actor would be like, dying to be in there.
Phil Rickaby
Do you know how long he was with the show for?
Vivian Hisey
No, do you know what I can’t? Because I was in the UK. While he was there. For 10 years. Yeah. So he would have been for a while, but I don’t know for sure how much but it did surprise me. Did this great show. And never and has never had any desire to go back onto the stage again. In that structure.
Phil Rickaby
Yeah. Right. I think about there, I think if you’re not prepared for it for how many times we’re going to do a show like that. Yeah. After a certain point. If you’re not, if you’re if you’re just not if your head isn’t enough, you’re just going to
Vivian Hisey
where’s the fun? Exactly. Where’s the challenge? Like, the big thing for me in this industry is the challenge, because you’re never perfect. And there’s always there’s always a different take on something or a different way to do things or you know, you get a chance to play right. Yeah. Whereas if your head’s not in it, why, and you’re doing it day in, day out day in and day out. That challenge must must go away. Yeah, I think. I don’t know.
Phil Rickaby
Well, I mean, there’s the challenge of doing the same show that many times, absolutely, yeah. But all you have to challenge yourself,
Vivian Hisey
you have to find something. Find, but I don’t know how you do that. I mean, I haven’t gone that route. So I can’t talk to sustaining over and over and over and over a performance for
Phil Rickaby
years. In some ways. I think it must be harder in a show that says franchised as the Phantom of the Opera was because for a lot of those big franchise shows, everything is set in stone. So yeah, get to explore No. Whereas if you’re, you know, in the you’re creating a show, you’re rehearsing the show, and it’s not just rehearsing the show, and oh, here’s what the last person did. Yeah, you’re actually building the show. There’s a little bit of play that you can, yes, you can, you know, at a certain point, when you’re getting bored, you can say what’s my challenge? For this show, what is my goal this show? And you can set yourself that sort of thing to keep it going. Yeah. But you wouldn’t have that opportunity to show like,
Vivian Hisey
no, no. And even some, even the singing and everything’s recorded and stuff, right? So you have no, there’s minimal opportunity to really do something, maybe change your face to fit in a certain situation. I don’t know.
Phil Rickaby
What what is it? So as somebody who went in from a performing point of view, yes. But are you doing more directing? I am. So what is it that made you or that you wanted to direct?
Vivian Hisey
Well, you know, what, a lot of reasons, I think part of me, I like, I have a creative side to me. And I like to be able to bring that creativity to light. And when you’re acting, you’re doing something for somebody else. So yeah, you can put your own, you can ask, well, you know, I have a conversation around, well, I kind of saw it this way or that way. And, but in the end, you’re bringing the director’s vision to life. And when you’re on stage, you don’t get a chance to see what that is. Right. And I like being able to go to sit back and look at the whole big picture, and see, what’s all of this look like. And when you’re on the stage, you don’t get a chance to do that, you know, when you’re doing dress runs or something like that, before you open sure you’re allowed to watch and see, but you never see the whole thing. And I wanted to have the opportunity to do that. Plus, the directing for me is a challenge. I like to I’m a my real business is a training consultant, a corporate training consultant. So I like to to guide people, I guess. And I like to help people improve themselves. So I see and I, maybe I’m naive, maybe I’m whatever. But I’m thinking that anybody who comes out to do a play or do something, they’re trying to do something for themselves. And I like to be able to think that I’m helping somebody get better at whatever it is that they’re
Unknown Speaker
doing. Remember the first
Phil Rickaby
time you directed know, is there one that stands out? That was an early one
Unknown Speaker
for you. The first one but
Vivian Hisey
wow, what was the first one that we did? Direct first. I’ve always ended up doing comedies and farces. So you know what it was? It was? It was a farce. Canadian who’s the big Canadian first writers? Was it? No, it was, it was? No. Who’s the other guy from Orangeville? Oh my gosh, that’s terrible. Oh, that’s bad. Take this out. Take this out. Everybody. Oh, I know. They are totally. Um, it was a rumours. Okay. I think it was rumours. Now I have to get my my want to get my phone out. We go who wrote rumours? Oh, my gosh, Canadian writer too. Bad. I’m just gonna, that’s really bad. I’m
Phil Rickaby
gonna do it. I’m just gonna pull out the phone.
Vivian Hisey
That’s really bad. So it was rumours. And it was with a very small company. And most of the people I knew, and the stage so we had the stage. It was the upstairs of a dining living dining area was at a club, like a country club. And we changed the stage or the the card not the conference room, but the room where the lounge, the big honking lounge upstairs into a theatre. And they probably there was 100 seats for 150 people maybe. Okay, and we ran for three nights. And so this theatre group had been there at the club for a number of years. And I did a couple of plays with them, and they needed and everybody kind of just we moved rolls around. Yeah. So I said, You know what, okay, I’ll try all direct. And so we did that. It was good. And there was that and the goal of this club is to try to bring brand new people in all the time. So we always have had and have a couple of at least two new people for the stage. So you’re bringing newbies right in and trying to introduce them so that they get it’s not the same people all the time playing all the roles. So we have a lot of fun. We had a lot of fun. And and they still do stuff. I haven’t done anything for them for for a while.
Phil Rickaby
Aside from buyers foot in the park. Do you have a favourite play that you’ve directed? Now
Vivian Hisey
The favourite play, I directed, you know, I’ve had stuff go on. I did don’t dress for dinner last year, and it another comedy. And then of course, and it was a lot of fun to do because I had a great cast, I had a really creative cast, there was no prima donnas in it, everybody was in just to have fun. And the set, we sort of pushed the envelope on the set a bit. And we and I watched the play evolve as it went. And we actually ended up somebody did something and we had to get rid of them partway through the run. But the person who stepped into to replace this person was off book within a day. And so that everybody like, but I guess I loved it, because everybody just came right together and went, let’s help this person as much as possible. And it was just such a great team doing everything behind stage on stage, it was just the ultimate, there was no game playing. There was no it was, it was it was hard, like we had issues, but because everybody was willing was letting everybody do their their job, and, but brought their own things to the table and got all together. It was an it was a great play, to to direct and watch.
Phil Rickaby
When when something like that happens when you have to when an actor comes in. And in a lot of a lot of situations. I don’t think I’ve ever been in a situation where there is an understudy. Oh, we have no understanding, of course. And I work in indie theatre a lot. There’s there’s no understudy, you either go on sick, or, you know, you do whatever. And so,
Vivian Hisey
Norman Foster there, Nora
Phil Rickaby
Foster?
Vivian Hisey
I was listening to you, I was sorry. I’m not gonna wake up at three o’clock in the morning. Sorry, you were telling me about?
Phil Rickaby
Like, how do people come together in that in that situation and support each other is that instant team, you have a team, but then as soon as you bring in that one person who’s like, got to take over how everybody comes together to support them in a way that that is unique to that situation?
Vivian Hisey
Yeah. Like it is. And you really find out who are the reasons why people are doing what they’re doing. Because I’ve been in other shows where that did not happen. And you can tell what makes people when they when the pressures on and they either respond or they don’t. And the I had another play. And we had an issue with the one of the key actors on opening night. And he had a health issue. And one of the other actors had to step in on that, like during opening night. And ended up continuing a lot throughout the, during the roll for a lot of the rest of the run. And a one a couple of the people were just not what I would have hoped for, in a team environment trying to help this person be what they could be. So the play would be as great as it could be. Because because the audience doesn’t know of course, right? They have no idea. And and the person who ran into trouble was one like was the star of the show. And, and everybody in the audience knew him. So it was it was a real, you know, you needed to step up to the plate. And we had some challenges with that. So it kind of takes away and you sort of sit there and go, Oh, you know, it’s not what I wanted it to be. Yeah. So the play that last year is dreaded don’t dress for dinner was was for sure. It was what I wanted it to be. And that’s probably why I remember it the best. Yeah.
Phil Rickaby
So a lot of things that you we’ve been talking about. They’re there. I don’t have the word that I like for them. Community Theatre, amateur theatre, non professional theatre, which I think kind of gets shut off. Oh, a lot.
Vivian Hisey
Absolutely. 100% 100% And that’s, you know, I actually did an audition I should the other the other day for a commercial and they said, you know, what’s the thing that really gets you? And even though I didn’t say this, what really gets me is how much community theatre is just like frowned upon and like poof, you’re no good. And a lot of the people who We’re in community theatre, our x professional actors are a professional X professional whatever’s right and or professionals. Yeah. So the it is, it’s remarkable to me how much it gets poo pooed. Yeah, exactly. And I see it. From my perspective, I use community theatre is a training ground for me. Yeah. Because I’m learning. It’s giving me the opportunity to direct For Pete’s sakes, who the heck is going to let me go? This is that chicken and egg thing, right? Yeah, you want to be you want to direct? You could be like, I think I’m a pretty good director, you have to go ask the people I’m working with, you know what, I think I’m a pretty good director. And, but nobody’s going to going to even take a look at me. If I go in a professional world and say, you know, what, can I come and direct this first? Because I have no experience. So where the heck am I supposed to get my experience from? And then the and then everybody, like, as you say, shits on community theatre as being not whatever. And you know what, I think it’s great. And I honestly, I think value for money for 25 bucks for a ticket for what usually is a great show. You know what you can I don’t think you can beat it. I think it.
Phil Rickaby
I mean, it gets you out in a lot of places, not just in the professional world. But you know, there’s always you know, amateur theatre and film and television doesn’t get a lot of respect. Oh, yeah. Here you have a situation where you’ve got people who are doing it for nothing more than the love exactly theatre. And what is more pure than that?
Vivian Hisey
You know, I had some friends of mine who came to see the first show I did, which would have been secret garden. And they didn’t, they never came back to see another show I was in because the theatre, we were in the seats, they had to line up to get into his seat. And I went really? Oh my god, that is what you are assessing the value of a show for Yeah, are you kidding? So anyway, they like people just have weird, I don’t know people do. They have they have, and they don’t stop for a second and think about the fact that everybody is doing this for the love of it. And because they are doing for the doing it for the love of it. They are, you’re going to get the best that they can give you is true and nobody and while we’re bringing new people on like for this particular show. We’ve got someone who’s never done ASM before. And we’ve got a new assist. I’ll say assistant stage manager in a different way. So we’ve got an any new ASM backstage, but we’re training somebody to be a stage manager. So and I think there’s somebody new doing hair. But they’ve all done things, one of them straight from school, and from theatre school, and it’s a great like they’re there because they want to, and they’re learning real stuff. It’s not like you’re you’re you were teaching them different techniques for doing anything.
Phil Rickaby
It was just really the proving ground for what, especially for people who come out of theatre school. It’s like, now to take all those things that you spent three, four years learning, right, and put it into real practice. Right? Right. And for those people who didn’t go to theatre school is how many people who are doing it, for the love of it the thing they’ve always wanted to do. I think I get the sense that in England for a long time, there’s been a more robust community. The amateur theatricals situation
Vivian Hisey
Yeah, I don’t know I did when I was over there. My my hubby and I we bought we met doing Guys and Dolls at school. And we never did any theatre stuff over there. We went watched a tonne of theatre. Yeah, but we never actually I don’t know why. We just it never. It just never clued into us. Why don’t we go find a community theatre and see what they’re doing? So I missed that.
Phil Rickaby
Yeah, I do think that it’s the most people don’t go searching for community theatre. They find out about a show that they haven’t seen before one of the big wanted to see, I don’t think people seek out amateur amateur theatre, but it is definitely the opportunity to see things that that maybe don’t get done as often.
Vivian Hisey
Yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah. For sure. Yeah.
Phil Rickaby
There’s also I mean, I think about you know, if I hear interviews with with Patrick Stewart and other English actors who talked about the years that they spent in amateur theatre that taught them so much before they went on Yeah, it’s such a it’s such a it’s such a great thing that doesn’t get a lot of, of respect here.
Vivian Hisey
Well, and you know, when I when Alan Rickman who loved to death, know when he passed away the stories that you heard about him supporting all of these actors who, you know, were up and coming, or were just doing different things. His support for the industry was, you was unbelievable. And you never heard any of that. Right? And who, you know, in what we see, who would think that he would be there down at a commute? I would see I could, when I listen to this, I could see him coming to a community theatre, like a show. Yeah, to see the new people coming up. Yeah. Or just, you know, got a, you know, some, some, somebody’s son or daughter is in the show, or has done something this show, just by the way, they described what he was doing and how supportive he was of everybody. I could see him as being somebody who would just show up to a show. Absolutely. Absolutely. And, yeah, and that’s the whole that’s the bigger community. Right. And that’s what you you wish for. When I think Well, that’s what I think you wish for and kind of need in order to keep your momentum moving forward.
Phil Rickaby
I think that some of the work that theatre Ontario does in terms of with the community theatre initiatives, they have
Vivian Hisey
yet to be able to link those together. Yeah, really great thing. Yeah. Oh, yeah, for sure.
Phil Rickaby
The ACO awards and things like that. Just to bring How often does that does a community come together? In that way with like a party? And I’m just an award ceremony? Yeah, party afterwards? Yeah, yeah. Just to come back to Barefoot in the Park. For some reason I every time I say I have to think because I want to say something the perfect George and I have to think it’s not that he’s barefoot. And so just every time I pause before, I just want to come clean. That’s why I’m saying Did you go into it with a particular you said you were talking about how you thought you might set it in a modern setting? Yeah. Aside from that? Did you approach it with a particular vision?
Vivian Hisey
So my vision for Okay, and tell me if I’m going down the wrong path, in answering your question. So my vision with Barefoot in the Park is that every character in the play has a path to follow. And including the telephone guy who has a very minimal part. But he I said to him, you’ve got your own path to play to patent path to follow in this and there’s all for each person, there is a is a significant life lesson, life journey, whatever going on for all of them. And it’s not just about, and the story is not just about Cory and Paul, what it’s about are the life journeys that everybody goes on. So, so Cory and Paul are just the vehicle through which all of this all of the everybody else is, including Korean, Paul are living there. They’re going through their transitions, when
Phil Rickaby
you’re approaching it from from that point of view, from the point of view of the positive following? Do you have a path in mind for the characters? Are you asking the actors to decide what their path
Vivian Hisey
is? So I it’ll be both. So I have in my own head, what I think each of the characters is going through, but I’m very collaborative. So I will ask the actors to what do you think is going on? And and before we do any blocking of any kind, we have, like I had a whole rehearsal upfront before anything started to say, Okay, let’s go through everybody’s what we see everybody’s lives to be, who are you? How’d you get here, and they are all in there together. It’s not an individual rehearsal. Like it’s, we are all talking about everybody so that everybody knows what the other guy’s going through. So, and they bring their own ideas into it, I actually gave them i, which I don’t think happens often in community theatre. They had their scripts in July. So I did the casting in June. And we started rehearsing in August. So they had a chance to go through and get a read earlier, and a little more time to digest and think about what they wanted to do and and what they wanted to bring to the table then I think happens, the more like, usually, I think, in community theatre, you do the auditions and yeah, you almost start rehearsing in a couple of weeks, a lot of time, you know, so
Phil Rickaby
I never I’ve ever when I was when I was doing that, when I was doing the community theatre thing. It was definitely like that. Yeah. Rehearse. And then, maybe a week, two weeks later, you were in it.
Vivian Hisey
Yeah. Yeah. So they had a bit of time. And you know, once the summer it’s a hard time to if I tried to audition during the summer, I wouldn’t have got a great the great cast that I have. So that’s why I push it and say okay, why would it said I want to do audition in June. So that’s what I I’ve got my own vision of things, but it’s pure it is for sure a conversation and a collaborative discussion process with everybody who’s in the play.
Phil Rickaby
Was there any kind of pushback on during the auditions so early?
Vivian Hisey
I wouldn’t say it was pushed back. But they didn’t understand is because I had to, I had to put my vision forward. And I go in and get interviewed. I don’t know if anybody else put in a put into direct the play or not. But I did my interview, I think it was like maybe April. And as part of the interview, I said, I want I would want to audition at this point. And then we can start rehearsing in August. And I had to, it took me a while to get across the point that it’s okay for them to have space in between when the audition is and when we start rehearsing. Oh, absolutely. And so it so I wouldn’t say that there was pushback, there was just like, really? Oh, we’ve never we’ve never done that before. So I I think was pretty successful. And they we had a lot of people come out and audition, we wouldn’t have done if we’d done it in the summer, I don’t think
Phil Rickaby
but there is such a such a lot of potential that you have for when you have time with the scripts to be able to come into the first rehearsal and with more knowledge than if you just sort of shut up got handed the script and read coal. Yeah. That discussed it, you come in with questions. Yeah, thinking about it for a while.
Vivian Hisey
And I’ve had it even myself, I’ve had times where I’ve been in the play, and I get the script on the first rehearsal. And nothing’s highlighted. Nothing’s whatever. And, and you really don’t have any idea what everybody else is going through. So you kind of miss, you miss a lot of opportunity, I think, to really start to bring the characters forward. Because you’re so focused on what the whole play is about anyway. And it gives you it doesn’t give you the 10 chance to speak clearly doesn’t give you the chance to even think about anybody else. Right? Because you’re so focused on who the heck am I? What am I doing, and you haven’t had a chance to go through the reel to get at least the big picture of what’s going on in the place? I like it. I haven’t ever I haven’t asked the cast if they liked it or not. But
Phil Rickaby
as an actor, I think I would be surprised if I didn’t have if I didn’t like the opportunity to be familiar with the play before I go to that first
Vivian Hisey
person. Yeah, I’d like to be able to, there’s so many different with it, whatever character you’re in, if you’re really thinking about it, there’s 20 million different ways to take the character. Right. So it’s nice to have some options on the table, just in case, you’re totally off base with what the director is thinking about, right? And if you can’t have those options, if you don’t have time to sort of think about things and it gives you
Phil Rickaby
the I mean, you’ll get a sense in that first read if maybe they are off date. Yeah, you sort of get an idea of where are we going from when we started really working? Where is each person right, which is nothing you can know when they haven’t haven’t read, you
Vivian Hisey
know, and and having been an actor myself, I know it takes time to get there. And in community theatre, you don’t have a lot of time to
Phil Rickaby
theatre, you don’t have a lot of time to get there. No, just kidding. Yeah. I mean, a lot of cases, you know, two weeks and not a lot of time to get there. And full production or equity production. So if ever, there’s any kind of time that you can give somebody is an asset to them, right. Is there anything that you that you learned during rehearsal for Barefoot in the Park that surprised you
Vivian Hisey
about what I mean? I’ve learned everything. I have all the you know what? This is the first time that I’ve had a real is not fair. As the stage manager I have is amazing. And is very organised and has been doing this forever. So I and she’s teaching this this other person who hasn’t, right? This is the first time I’ve been able to sit side by side with the stage manager and watch the notes that they’re taking and how they manage how they are keeping track of everything that they are doing. So so that has been very interesting for me because I haven’t had that opportunity. I’ve been sitting beside the stage manager before, but they haven’t been as it hasn’t been that intimate in terms of, you know, figuring out what we’re doing, I guess or you know notifying So now I see Well, there’s symbols you use there, I didn’t know that.
Phil Rickaby
They were just doing it. And now they’re showing somebody do it. So now becomes more
Vivian Hisey
visible. Yeah. So I’ve been learning that for sure. I’ve had to have somebody come in to help with the physicality of pieces, so people won’t hurt themselves. So I’ve done that in a couple of places before. But you know, every time somebody comes in to start teaching about lifts, or teaching, whatever, you learn something new in all of that I have. With Scarborough players, they build they’re set. Like I almost have a complete set now. And we don’t open for a few weeks, and we haven’t even gone into the theatre yet. So to have the set there, yeah, at this point in time, is like, so great. So I probably will, if I do this again, for these guys, if they want me back. I’m sure they will do that again. But if I go and direct for anybody else, I will make an effort. Is there some way that we can get not just the the tape on the you know, you get the tape on the on the floor? But can we have some stuff actually built? So people can actually
Phil Rickaby
take this to the door is not the same as actually?
Vivian Hisey
No? Well, if you can’t get the timing, right, so and especially with a a comedy like this, or a forest or something like that, with the doors slamming all over the place, and people coming and going, it’s all about timing. So having the tape on the floor doesn’t help with that having the set there, they at least get a little bit closer to Okay, I need to be here there and we can tell where things were the timings not right. And we can go back and then get really retentive, anal retentive about making sure that you’re here at this point in time or whatever. So yeah, you know, I learned something for me, uh, plus, the actors always bring a different perspective than what I have, of course, right. So I learned from them. Well, that sounds really hokey. But, but it’s true. It’s like, oh, my gosh, I didn’t read that that way. Right. They’ll bring a different whatever I went, you know what? You’re right. I kind of like that better than the way I survived. Read it.
Phil Rickaby
I mean, it might sound hokey, but I mean, what’s the inner without hope? We like? We all come into it with this, but it’s so true.
Vivian Hisey
Right? Yeah. Like, I think I’ve read it like, Okay, this is this is what it is, this is what’s going on, this is whatever, and then the actor will come back. You know, I’m thinking this. Okay. And they’ll think for a second go. Yeah, you’re right. Okay. So we know we need to be doing a better job. And I but I love that’s, I think part of what I love about directing. Yeah, it’s because I’m never 100%. Right. And I love everybody bringing the stuff in, as long as it’s not a free for all, of course. Right? Yeah. So. And this particular cast is great at doing that. They’re all experienced, they’ve all they’ve all got stuff to bring to the table. But they’re not going over the line, they’re not going over the line to to I think we’ve got a pretty good balance, let’s say. And let’s try it this way that. So yeah,
Phil Rickaby
I would I am good to interview somebody. I’ve interviewed people that I know. And I interview people that I don’t know. So I’ll do you know, do a Google search or Google somebody. I just want to throw out the show. See if it’s one that you did work on. Conspiracy?
Vivian Hisey
Yes, I did. Yes. With Lehman Catholic gonna make me cry.
Phil Rickaby
No, not intentionally. I didn’t think I did. First or set first reading of that. Did you?
Vivian Hisey
Did you come last? Did you go and see it last year? Last time?
Phil Rickaby
I saw I did the first one with Lehman. It’s hard to do. I don’t remember the character that was hard to do. For some, because because we were talking about the comedies you’ve, you’ve done it. Seriously.
Vivian Hisey
How did I forget conspiracy? I kind of directed that to
Phil Rickaby
conspiracy. I mean, it oh my god, it’s great sage version of a movie about basically the decision for the Nazis to for their final solution. Right. And it was chilling to perform. And I think, I mean, I couldn’t have gone but I think if I thought about going watching it was something that having performed and knowing what’s coming, I think I was a little because I know how how it is. And as somebody whose grandfather was a Polish Jew in that era. It’s sort of really resonant. resonated with me that particular show.
Vivian Hisey
That’s giving me chills right now. I can’t believe I forgot about that. So here’s what we did. If you don’t mind? No, absolutely. So you did the read. It was all guys. Right? Yeah, you did all men. Absolutely. So after that read my friend Danielle, who’s a friend of Lehman’s said, you know, wonder if this would work with all women. So one day, we went and did a read with all women in the back of the, in the back of the church, one of the rooms in the church, and we had a discussion about it afterwards with all these women. And of course, I pipe up being the business person, I am say, you know, if you step back from the content of this play, this is just like the boardroom. Right people making decisions every day. Is this is the kinds of discussions that go on in the boardroom. And, and I said, you know, I don’t at all of us, we kind of all agreed doesn’t work with all women. But I bet it would work with a mix. Yeah, so the version we did was a mixed board was it was a mixed group. So we went through and identified who we thought had to be male roles, and who we thought could get away with being female roles. And we changed the location of the the show, I think you were in a different part of the church, we were in the main, the main sanctuary. So we weren’t, we were in a room. That so we the way and I say I kind of directed it, Daniel and I sort of played around, and Lehman sort of played around to the three of us. But what we ended up doing, we put the table, the boardroom table, in the centre of this hall in the community in the church, and the audience was around us. So it was kind of like they could sit almost anywhere they wanted, except the front. So we they were it was it was almost like a thrust stage. Okay. But we’re in this room with stained glass windows, high ceilings. And it was somebody walked in and said, This is exactly the kind of house that this meeting would have been held. And we ran it during Holocaust week. So we did I think we did a couple of shows. And, and the audience was like right there watching this meeting happening. And it was great. Well, oh my gosh, I loved it. No wonder
Phil Rickaby
it was you have goosebumps because we did it. We had this that Fresenius separation, we were on the front of the altar, there’s the steps down and then the people watching. Whereas to do it like that, you’re in it here. It’s really intense. Oh my gosh, doing material to be intimate with
Vivian Hisey
it was, it was just so great. It was really, really good. And the audience, we had a couple we had like talkbacks. And the audience just loved it. It was and I don’t know how many people came maybe 40 In total or something over the, but you know what? It could be sold. To do that. It was it was just so great. Yeah, everybody that we we had a great cast, we didn’t audition. So we selected the people and and and it was it was just really God. It is a great play. It really is. It is a great play.
Phil Rickaby
It’s I think the thing that we found that we talked about the first time I saw it, or the first time I did it was the banality of evil. how these decisions are made like literally like you said, you can see this in the boardroom and these are the kinds of
Vivian Hisey
people made. Yeah, just totally just unemotional. This is like disassociating. From the people. They weren’t like the fact that these are human beings who are making decisions about Yeah, right. There’s just total total like no emotional, no, whatever, is just like they were a cargo in whatever. And we got a they were a product that we were trying to deliver somewhere or not, you know, like it was just but the whole environment of that was amazing. Yeah,
Phil Rickaby
to take it into that small space would have been would have been incredible. Just yeah. Just to I mean, I think that’s the staging that works best for that. Because if you I think with that particular play, if you put it on a on a proscenium stage where you can’t have that separation with the audience, it will seem you the audience is able to separate themselves in a way that they can’t if they’re sitting around that
Vivian Hisey
right and they were around us like there was if you the so that we had the big table, and the audience was as close as like I pushed my chair out. And the audience was right there. So it was like you’re in a dining room, dining hall or whatever. And you’re right. Like if you’re in a Praesidium they they’re, they’re dead. The audience is definitely not getting the emotional impact of what these guys were doing No. Back there, but it was. Boy, we really liked it. Yeah. And now Lehman’s gone. He’s gone back down to the scale. How dare he do that? How dare he? How dare he do that? But we had it was. That was an amazing experience. Yeah.
Phil Rickaby
Interesting. Because I went,
Unknown Speaker
Oh, my God. For me, like I was bringing that up, because we were glad you did. I’m glad you did. So
Phil Rickaby
interesting to take all the stuff that you’ve learned as a director from doing all these comedies and take that to something that is most definitely not a comedy.
Vivian Hisey
Oh, not at all. Not at all. And like the pictures I hope they I hope when you go did you Google it? I hope my picture wasn’t Oh my God, because the pictures that were taken for I played the lawyer. And the pictures that were taken of us are as creepy as the the the script journal that it’s all the way the photos were all taken. We all like look like we are. I don’t know. Wicked, like we look wicked and like someone you would definitely not want to meet. Not even in a dark alley, but on any street should be looking at going what the Who’s that person gonna go after next? Yeah, they were they were very creepy. Really, really creepy. Great. Um, but really creepy, right? Like it was absolutely not when you want to go and see if you want anybody else to say. Yeah, I’m not pacing it. I’m not putting it up on casting workbook. Although, you know, maybe I should because it’s like, on made up on whatever. She can look pretty bad. So yeah, yeah. So
Phil Rickaby
I’m glad that was you. Because it would
Vivian Hisey
have been Yes, it was me. Oh, no. Danielle was ever is ever listening to this. She’s gonna heal it hate me.
Phil Rickaby
I think it’s one of the definitely one of those places it needs to be seen. Oh, really does need to be seen.
Vivian Hisey
I never saw the I didn’t I haven’t seen the movie either. Right. And I want to see it before. No. And you know what, now that I’ve done it? I’m not sure I want to see it anyway. Because that was such an emotional. An emotional piece for me at the end, like I’ve cried at the end of it. Because you just can’t believe these people know, make decisions like that. They did. Yeah, of course.
Phil Rickaby
It’s just it’s, again, an important play that people should think, to see it. staged in an intimate way. Yeah. So you can’t escape it in a
Unknown Speaker
way you could. Yeah, it was. Yeah.
Phil Rickaby
So I mean, we’re, I’m almost at the end of everything that I was hoping to talk to you. But I wanted to to just take it back to Barefoot in the Park. Okay. Just for one second. And so you were talking about the great people that you got to be in it. Yes. And how, if you’ve done that the auditions, I think it’d be done the audition, probably in July. Everybody will be fronting and difficult to get people. Yeah. I think in terms of in terms of casting, this this show, was there anything in particular that you were were there any? Was there anything you were looking for in the people that
Vivian Hisey
came to did I roll my eyes? The casting was hard. The people who were called back were just as good as the people who I ended up casting. Well, so I can’t stand I can’t say oh, let me think about that. I wanted to make sure that I could differentiate, this is going to sound really weird. I think that I could differentiate the characters. However, they grouped together. So Paul and Cory have their own distinct personalities. But Korea’s personality is kind of like the Lascaux so I needed to be end and Paul’s personality is kind of like Korea’s mom. Right? So I needed to have people who I could see their own distinct characters in themselves, but who also could who I also could see playing having the same some same characteristics. Can I talk Barclay, who have the same characteristics and traits and As the other, the other person to whom they kind of related to, does that make sense? You were able to play more than just yourself. Right? Right, you needed to I need it to be able to see that you had some characteristics that would match to the other person who I saw you teamed up with, in the show, right? So that’s was part of what I had to bring to the, to the, in my mind. I had no, I didn’t want to go. age wise, I mean, they’ve, you know, young couple, you know, that kind of stuff in there, as mentioned of the ages in the in the play, so I couldn’t go way off. But I wasn’t coming in saying I had to have to 20 year old kids or you know, that kind of stuff. So I put that on the back burner to say to so I so I could say to myself, get the right people, and, and then go to and deal with whatever you have to deal with. So. So I did that. And you know what I needed to I think I was looking for people who were prepared to challenge themselves, you know, and because there’s some stuff in here, that’s very funny. And so there are some fears. I think I started off by saying there’s some physical physical elements to this play. So I needed somebody who I thought could who would be comfortable with the physical elements that they need to do? So play like, I just wanted somebody who would be comfortable playing. Yeah, you know, and, and in my answer in the auditions, I usually say you know, what, do what you want, go and do what you want. And if I see somebody doing the same thing for if they get three reads, do a call back or whatever. And they’re doing the same thing for the three times I’m going, Yeah, where what are you bringing to the table? Yeah, absolutely. And, you know, part of the challenge with that, as well as some people can do that. But they need to be directed to do it. Yeah. Right. So it’s not good to say, you know, just do it feel like doing, because they can’t do that they need a bit more. What do you mean, do you know, like, give me a little more guidance. And so that’s the hard part, too, when you’re when you’re doing auditions. That kind of vocabulary? No, no. But, but you know what, we saw some really great people, some really great people. And I had I had to cast in the auditions, I had to cast so
Phil Rickaby
hard, hard to make
Vivian Hisey
that decision. It’s hard. It was really, it was really, really hard. Yeah, it was really hard to find. I think we got I think, I think we got a good one.
Phil Rickaby
But that I mean, having to make the difficult choice. That is, that’s honestly a great position to be in, oh, I need to know that whatever your choice is going to be, you got a good thing?
Vivian Hisey
Well, it’s way better than not having anybody and I’ve been in that position before too. And, and not having somebody who could play the lead. And having people come in think they could play the lead. Yeah. And then not be able to, and I’m going I don’t want that person because they can’t carry the show. And then and then it goes back to my original thing around. I like being able to see of course they see everything together, of course. Right. And then if you don’t have the right person who you feel is the right person, even if they may be in the end. It’s hard for you to get to that. to that place, right? I think so. Yeah.
Unknown Speaker
Good. It’s been great.
Phil Rickaby
Thank you so much for being my guest today.
Vivian Hisey
Thank you very much. Do I need to
Unknown Speaker
trouble if I don’t
Phil Rickaby
do that? I do that. Absolutely. Can
Vivian Hisey
I do that? Oh, please. Just I don’t want to read everything. I just want to say I just want to the important bits and they might get I might get in trouble for not saying anything. Okay, so we were talking about Scarborough Village Theatre. Yes. Right. So it is a thrust stage. Okay. So if, which is makes it great. That’s pretty,
Phil Rickaby
pretty rare in a community. The greatest
Vivian Hisey
stage it is. I love that. I think that’s why I love being doing stuff at Scarborough because I love that it’s a great theatre. It’s a great theatre itself. So they’ve been around, at least, Scarpa players is this is their 58th season. Okay, I’ve been around so they’ve been around for a while and they’ve they’ve got a couple other shows happening for the rest of the season. So we are starting the season with a Barefoot in the Park. So they’ve got for three other plays the drawer boy, have you heard of that? Michael Healy? See the names of the people who are instead of not getting instead of me having guests, tonnes of money, which I haven’t seen before. That’s by Alan Ayckbourn. Have you ever seen that? It’s a comedy. Okay. I sound so there’s, there’s a million people in it, too. So Oren
Phil Rickaby
is one of those great English comedic playwrights is like I used to I remember reading his stuff and I loved it so much.
Vivian Hisey
I don’t know that one. So it sounds funny. I haven’t read it. But there’s 25 million people in it. So it might be really good. And then the other one is death trap, by I live in, and it’s a comedy thriller. I gotta tell you, I read by it because I thought maybe I’ll direct death trap. And I read it. And I went, I don’t think I could direct it. So it’s a great story. It’s a really, really, really good story. So I will definitely be going and seeing that one too. But it’s, it’s I can’t wait to see how they tried to figure out how to actually make it happen. Because it’s hard, but it’s a really, it’s, it’s, it’s a bit of a creepy thing to but it’s really, really good. What else do I need to tell you? Everybody’s volunteers? We all know that. And all of these Scarpa players, Scarborough, musical theatre and Scarborough Theatre Guild are all part of Scarborough theatre Scarborough. So the three of them, they all do two or three plays, or I think it’s three. I’m not sure if SMT does three or whether they do two, but they all alternate throughout the season. So you go a players show a guild show a musical show, and then that’s how they run the run theatre. I think that’s all I need to say, I guess. I don’t know. We’re, we’re being adjudicated, and I go, I’ve never been, I’ve never been adjudicated? Well, as a director, I’ve never been I’ve never been adjudicated before as a performer I have been. But so I don’t know what
Phil Rickaby
kind of pressure to do. Like, do you feel that differently?
Vivian Hisey
Do you know why? I try to ignore it. I think the powers that be probably feel there’s a different level of pressure on it. But maybe that’ll change after I’ve been adjudicated once? I don’t know. But I’m trying to just do what I do you know, what
Phil Rickaby
the company has been?
Vivian Hisey
Oh, no, no, it’s just me, me as me as a director is the first time I’ve ever been, but you know, what? It’s got to be, we’re to to catered all the time in this business. So I just have to, you know, and and they’re gonna like some things, they’re not gonna like some things. And at least I think when you’re adjudicated, at least I get the opportunity to respond to a question, you know, why did you choose this? Yes. Whereas when when you’re auditioning or something like that, you never get that right. You just don’t get the gig.
Phil Rickaby
I’ve been I’ve been adjudicated by the door committee before and you don’t you just know that they’re there now, okay. It’s like, when they come through, and they all come through, there’s like, 20 people, so you know that they’re gonna be there. And then you never hear from them again. Oh, really? Maybe we don’t get feedback.
Vivian Hisey
So when I went to in the shows that I was adjudicated, for or out in Mississauga, and they did a whole talkback, where after they feedback, everything, after the adjudication. So maybe I’m not going to get any feedback after these guys come in. I don’t know.
Phil Rickaby
It can be helpful to get it though.
Vivian Hisey
I would love it. I would love it. Because how many other people well, you got to think that they’ll they’ll give you the truth ish, right? How many other people really give you the truth, right? So it would be kind of nice to have some feedback. Do I want to hear the truth? Sure. You know, what, there I know, there’s stuff that’s great in the show, there’s going to be other stuff. I also know there’s some stuff that we have done, as in in the staging of stuff. And I laugh and I go, You know what, nobody in the audience is going to get this, but we will. So okay, I think
Phil Rickaby
that the feedback that you would get from such a situation is going to be you know, it’s going to be constructive. There’s, there’s no tearing you down.
Vivian Hisey
Yeah. Yeah. And, um, you know, what, I had to get better if no, if you don’t get any constructive feedback.
Phil Rickaby
It’s true. It’s true. So, I mean, that’s, that’s one of the reasons why reviews are kind of helpful. I mean, some people won’t read their reviews during the show. Yeah, you have to always read the review and then decide because sometimes you have to choose whether or not you’re gonna take it right. Right, either. But you reviews at least can challenge you. Right. You know, so it took to get kind of feedback that that is at least constructive but is is always helpful.
Vivian Hisey
Absolutely. Well, again, thank you so much. Thank you. This has been great. Thank you so much.