Tableau D’Hote is one of few companies creating theatre in English in Quebec. As an official language minority company, there is a lot of work to be done to make sure that English-speaking artists are not forgotten in the Quebec government’s plans to support the sector, particularly seeing as how the contracts that govern our Equity productions are very different from those of our French colleagues under Union des artistes.

I’m very keen to collaborate with new artists to build relationships and longevity as a performer/actor and possibly diversify as writer, producer, and director perhaps. So, the loss of connection and the distance that Covid has brought with my peers in trying to achieve this goal has been difficult and getting the wind knocked out of me has been tough.

Our Black communities need support right now. We have to ensure that we are properly providing for them, listening to them and creating space for them, which is made that much more difficult by quarantine and isolation. I’d give anything to be able to open up our doors and invite everyone in and create a safe space for us to talk, share, vent, cry, support, hug – whatever we need. We can’t do it in person right now, so we’ll do what we can from a distance.

I am in the process of going from being a performer to a director and I’m realizing I may not have the chance to do a lot of that for many months. But in the meantime, I’m trying to learn more about the craft. I’m not wasting time.

It will be prohibitive to put on most productions with only a portion of the seats sold in order to maintain safe distancing for the audience members. There is also the very challenging aspect of the backstage area. How can you keep a safe distance from dressers and crew members running the show…

I’m turned off by reconciliation in Canada without justice or a reckoning for Indigenous communities. I’m Jewish, and we don’t believe in forgiveness without justice – that’s a Christian concept. I’m turned off by the failure in Canada to take responsibility for the genocides and atrocities of the past and the present on a systemic level.

The arts are not for the faint of heart at the best of times. But for those who have been hit hard as a result, I just hope they know they aren’t alone. We have all been hit hard. The difference lies only in the resources we each have to cope with all this.

Things won’t be the same afterward, but I don’t believe that we are out of theatres forever.  I think that the most important thing is to stay in touch with your creativity because creativity is innately hopeful.  That doesn’t mean that you need to be making something all of the time, or any of the time for that matter…

Ultimately, I trust that this prolonged pause in our being able to congregate and commune in large groups will make theatre and performing arts more vital and sought out by the public eventually. By the time theatres open again, I don’t think anyone will make the argument “why would I go out when I can watch TV at home”?

I’m hopeful that all levels of government, funding bodies and Canadians in isolation are starting to appreciate how much richer their lives are because of what performing artists do - as well as an awareness of just how many other creative and service jobs and businesses go hand in hand with that, behind the scenes and within the community. HIstorically, theatre has survived many challenges. It will survive this, too.

What advice would you give any aspiring artist during these crazy times? 

“Since uncertainty is part of the game, learning how to acknowledge and be happy where you are at this very moment is key. I think reminding ourselves, 'Where I am now is exactly where I am supposed to be’, can be very powerful.”

We’ve been putting on plays and telling stories for millennia so the core of what we do as artists doesn’t change and the core of how we experience art as an audience doesn’t change. It’s deeply ingrained in our DNA and our culture, and that is a comforting thought. We actors are resilient and we will adapt to the circumstances.

[The hardest part of Covid] is the inability to connect with peers, dancers, students, and mentors in a physical place. There is no place quite as special as ‘that’ dance studio- the one that feels synonymous with “safe place.” The same can be said for the feeling we all know of being onstage. I miss the contagious energy, the unique connection, and the special space I have come to appreciate so fondly.

Our world has been a train wreck for a long time. Our art has been reflecting the world’s panic in both healthy and unhealthy ways. Calling attention to our individual stories has been of vital importance. There have been some astounding conversations in our art of late…We are going to need truly inclusive stories coming out of this.  

“I would like you to meet Drew Gasparini! Drew is an award-winning  musical theatre composer and lyricist, a singer/songwriter, a comedian, and a teacher.  Drew is currently developing a number of new stage musicals such as the Broadway-bound musical adaptation of ‘The Karate Kid’.”

Personally, I’m not interested in online performances right now, because they haven’t made the technology watchable in my opinion. It is just a stop gap measure for now. A way for artists to stay active, and that’s good. But it doesn’t interest me at this time.

I have a ritual of reciting a little blessing with my actors just before they go on stage: “The theatre is magic; the magic is theatre. May the blessed magic begin.” I truly believe in that magic. There’s an exquisite alchemy, a sacred communion if you will, that occurs when the right script, direction, design, technology, actors and audience are blended together.

We will refer to the time before and the time after COVID no doubt. Ultimately, I think the ultimate impact will be positive: streamlining, priorities and abundant passion. We will focus on doing less, better, and with more imagination and thrill. The City of London too will learn from these things, and I do believe prosper. People will discover London is a perfect city to live in…

As actors, we have to self care first. We have to be kind to ourselves first and foremost. If it’s any consolation, we will find ways to return to story telling. It may be in a new format or medium, but the need for story telling will always be there.

What advice would you give any aspiring artist during these crazy times?

“Do whatever YOU need to do to be well. There is no "right" way to handle this.”