Q&A: A George F. Walker Double Bill

L to R: Matthew Olver, Sarah Murphy-Dyson and Dana Puddicombe. Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann.

Prolific Canadian playwright George F. Walker takes aim at the crumbling education system in his new plays Parents Night and The Bigger Issue, the first two installments in a four-to six-play cycle named "After Class." He has teamed up with former Royal Winnipeg Ballet soloist and actress Sarah Murphy-Dyson and actor/director Wes Berger to create CrazyLady, the new Toronto-based company presenting the double bill at Theatre Passe Muraille's Mainspace this spring.

Here, we chat with Murphy-Dyson about her dual role in these two powerful social comedies.

Theatromania: Tell us about George F. Walker’s Parents Night and The Bigger Issue. How would you describe both shows in a few sentences?

SMD: Parents Night gives you a glimpse into a grade three teacher's struggles to deal with aggressive, uninformed parents. It's funny, sad, and truthful. I talked to a teacher who saw it last night and she said that the sometimes frightening interactions between the teacher and the mother in the play exactly mirrored her own experience with a scary mom. Wow. We're hearing more and more of that from teachers which is both fascinating and terrifying. The Bigger Issue is about a middle school principal and a young teacher trying to deal with the parents of a troubled student after an incident between the teacher and the student. It is also funny and painful and honest. Both plays deal with real issues: addiction, poverty, mental health, family,the crumbling education system, love... I think they're very, very special. (George will roll his eyes at that and make fun of me for crying. Hahaha! He's the best.)

Theatromania: How did you prepare for these roles?

SMD: I sat in on my stepson's grade three class for a day and I tried to shadow a principal but he never got back to me... I also put myself back into my own school experiences and probably drew from that on some level. It certainly made me aware of how lucky I was to have had the teachers I did. I can remember the name of every teacher I had and they were all GREAT and a few were truly exceptional. Mostly though, it came from the text. That's what is so wonderful about these plays. They let you live what many (most? all?) teachers have to deal with on a regular basis. It opened my eyes to the maddening circumstances in which our teachers have to work and I bow down to them all. They are underpaid, un(der)appreciated, overworked and no one is looking out for THEM. The abuse they face from uniformed, fearful, overprotective parents is real and if they don't have a principal willing to stand up for them, then they are completely on their own. If anyone has babysat a child or two or three... Imagine doing it five days a week, all day with lots of kids, some with major issues, dealing with restrictions, board directives, parental interference... It's terrifying.

Theatromania: What are some of the challenges you’ve encountered during this process?

SMD: I struggled early on in the rehearsal process for The Bigger Issue, with too many "ideas." I was trying to create Irene, the principal, from the outside in and it ended up paralyzing me. I was so concerned about differentiating the two characters (I play Nicole, the teacher in PN), that I began imposing my ideas of how a principal walks and talks. But of course everyone is different. It sounds so simple and so obvious but it's amazing how your mind can convince you that something completely contra to your intention is necessary to achieve it. I had to strip that all away and as George always says, trust the text. It's all there. Once I rid myself of any ideas about the character, Irene was just there. It's a lesson I keep relearning: the more of me that is there in the character, the more honest the portrayal can be. It's humbling and terrifying but definitely worth it.

What have you learned from this experience so far?

SMD: Well as I mentioned earlier, I've learned a hell of a lot about our education system and how dire the situation is. I really hope that as people see these plays they will start to understand what our teachers are dealing with and empathize with them and ultimately demand change. From working with George, and being lucky enough to play different characters from different plays, I have learned that my voice, my power as a woman, as a person, isn't "too loud" or "too much." His characters are incredibly empowering. We are taught as women to be nice, and polite, and quiet, and small. Why? I was that and it hurt me. I did things I didn't want to, had things done to me I didn't want. I didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings or make them feel bad or make a fuss or be rude or whatever. Well, fuck that! Ha! My opinion is just as relevant, my voice is as strong and if I don't like something, I will tell you or I will change it. George and Wes have helped me step fully into that power. It feels great and it has informed both my acting and my life.

Theatromania: What’s next for CrazyLady?

SMD: Well, there are at least two more plays in the cycle which is very exciting and we've just started talking tours and such. So nothing concrete yet, but some terribly exciting possibilities!

See Sarah Murphy-Dyson in A George F. Walker Double Bill: Parents Night and The Bigger Issue, on stage now until May 17 at Theatre Passe Muraille's Mainspace. Visit crazylady.info for more information and to buy tickets.