Q&A: A Damn Fine Nite of Actors

Members of the Monday Nite Actors. Photo by Peter Ivaskiv.

Actors often do more than just act. They sing, they write, they direct, they produce. And they need a place to flex their creative chops. This is where the Monday Nite Actors comes in. This group of Canadian actors has been meeting every Monday night for about 25 years, and this week (from October 16-20), more than 20 members of the group will come together to present some of their work in A Damn Fine Nite of Actors, a variety show of short one-act plays at the Storefront Theatre.

We caught up with the show's producers, Andrew Faiz, Andy Fraser and Michael Ripley, for a behind-the-scenes peek at what this night of storytelling is all about.

Q: Can you give us some background on the Monday Nite Actors? How would you describe this group in a few sentences?

A: Monday Nite Actors is a jam session for working actors; an opportunity to test themselves, try new things, hone their craft within a safe environment. It is not adjudicated; it is not a class or even a workshop though the participants will often test-drive things they are working on. Actors find scenes from TV shows, movies and theatre, rehearse them, and present them to the rest of the group. There are also cold reads; short scripts not seen previously by the actors which are distributed by Chris Owens (X-Files, The Uncles, The Line), the group's leader and guide. He pores through hundreds of scripts from a wide variety of sources and pulls from them scenes he hands out every week. (Having done this for so many years, Owens is a walking encyclopedia of theatre.) The group has been running for at least 25 years. It is known within the community of actors in Toronto but not outside. (Owens received a Harold Award for nurturing Monday Nite.) The current group of active participants numbers around 100, ranging from 40+-year actors with dozens of Equity and Actra credits, to some who weren't born when the group was first formed. (Where else can actors ranging from age 20 to 80 work together?) There are probably another few hundred alumni who have participated in Monday Nite Actors over the years. In short, it is a support group of actors, run by actors. But it's not just about acting; they also write, and sing and dance and produce and direct. This production is an opportunity to showcase this diversity of skills and talents.

Q: Tell us about A Damn Fine Nite of Actors. What inspired this project?

A: It seems a pity to keep all this talent to ourselves. We've long talked about doing something like this and this was as good a time as any. Week after week, over the years, we have watched our fellows perform in iconic scenes from theatre or film, or their own fresh scripts, or completely inhabit a cold read, and we have thought how wonderful it would be to share that with others. The work and the talent have always been the inspiration and continue to be.

Q: How did you decide which plays to feature?

A: About 25 people from Monday Nite Actors are involved in this production; we could easily have had other groups of equal size and presented an equally fine night of entertainment. Choosing from amongst the talent was not easy. Any typical Monday Nite lasts over three hours, sometimes exceeding a dozen scenes and performances. We have for this production a bill of seven original short plays with interstitial cabaret performances. As I write this I can think of at least two other bills of equally brilliant short plays, with equally talented performers. So, to answer the question, we decided on this bill of plays by using 'no' too often.

Q: What do you hope audiences take away from this experience?

A: This is a full night of entertainment. All of the short plays are intelligent, well crafted, funny and thought provoking. There's a lot of funny and a lot of smart. Pure entertainment. Shine, written and directed by Ted Atherton (Sue Thomas F.B.Eye), starring Atherton and Adele Gigantes (young up and coming actor and singer), is a meditation on the intricate subtleties within a simple commercial transaction. Cheat and Snoop, written and directed by Allan Cooke (currently in Tempo; The Weaker Vessels), with Cooke, Michael Ripley (Mr. Viral) and Carl Bauer (Defiance) is a mock-noir. Daytime in Moose Jaw, written and directed by Chris Owens, with Patricia Casey (2005 recipient of Alberta's Centennial Award), Courtney Deelen (Defiance), Joan Gregson (hard to pick just one credit from a stellar career) and Jillian Rees-Brown (recently off a two year tour with Billy Elliott), is humorous peek into a nursing home. Father and Son, written by Mark Forler, with Shawn Lawrence (over 50 Equity credits, over 100 film credits) and Chris Owens, proves you're never too old to learn about sex. Lunch With Cassiopeia, written and directed by Michael Ripley (Nine Types of Ice), starring Chelsey Marie and Nicole Maroon, two young but scarily talented women, takes us to the disturbing world of high school. Near Life Experience, written and directed by Sarah Michelle Brown (just returning from a successful New York City Fringe), with Victoria Murdoch (Dairy Free Love) and Ash Catherwood (Microwave Porn), is a meditation on death. Polonius At Play, by Andrew Faiz (Aromas, opening Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace, February 2014) with Kris Truelsen (Anne of Green Gables, PEI) and Dan Fox (Guidestones) is an ode to actors. In between scenes are cabaret performances by Jim Codrington (The Border) and Adele Gigantes.

Q: What's next for this group?

A: We go back to Monday nights, continue to work on our craft. We hope to emerge again within the next year or two with Another Damn Fine Nite of Actors!

A Damn Fine Nite of Actors runs from October 16-20, 2013 at the Storefront Theatre (955 Bloor Street West). Visit damnfineactors.com for more information and to buy tickets.