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Theresa Tova appeared as Yente in Fiddler on the Roof (2000) and as Lady Jane in Patience at the Stratford Festival, home of North America's largest repertory theatre company. Theresa, a veteran Canadian actor and singer, has graciously agreed to share her Stratford experiences with Canadian Actor Online.
Page Two: April 20 • April 23
April 26 (Yenta's notes from her musical theatre audition class)
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Yenta Feedback: yenta@canadianactor.com
April 20 -- Truly love this Stratford experience... I have been taking one-on-one
voice classes with Nancy Benjamin. Unbelievable but the last time I actually took a class (other than singing) was over 20 years ago, in my university days. Nancy is so supportive. We worked about three sessions on freeing my natural voice... letting things settle and now we have moved on to working on Shakespearean text. Rhetorical rhythmic devices... trokeys?
Hermione from A Winter's Tale is becoming accessible. What a bonus this kind of work is for us. You never know, Queen Margaret may just be waiting around the corner.
Fiddler scene work is being done in the rehearsal hall as we get ready for a new phase this coming week. First two days on the Q-to-Q and then the much anticipated Zits-probe. Can't wait to see the full realization during the tech runs. Off to run ACT 2 this afternoon and..... to boil the gefilte fish for Friday's Seder.
Ruth (our Mennonite/French trained chef) has been a gem. We met yesterday to grind and spice Arctic Char in preparation for today. Matzoh balls and Paschal Lamb yet to come. What a feast this is going to be. Am I just a bit excited?
The buzz around the theatre is contagious as all the shows are creeping towards preview openings in early May. Fight rehearsals for the MUSKETEERS, a shaved head for ELIZABETH REX, Rabbi Elyse Goldstein coming in to talk to the ANN FRANK folk, fabulous costumes pouring out of the wardrobe shops are now hung lining the hallways. The word in the cafeteria from other actors in other showsis always so positive. Every day someone comes up to say how they've heard the show is going to be so good. A true sign that our company is a happy one.
Also looking forward to next week when Susan Schulman and Michael Liktefeld are going to teach an audition class. I'll pass on any insights.
CHAG SAMEACH
(HAPPY PASSOVER)
Yenta Tova
April 23 - First, let me report on the company SEDER we threw Friday night. The Seder was INCREDIBLE! An amazing coming together. Everyone embraced the event so fully. As it was, we ended up being 76 strong. Thanks to Sharon and the SM team who added to their already full responsibilities the task of coming to get me as I was needed downstairs on stage. While the Q-Q continued I snuck upstairs every chance I had to boil matzo balls and guide Ruth's kitchen staff and other volunteers....
In the afternoon, my family arrived from Toronto and with their help we transformed the greenroom. The tables were set in a large U-shape with white tablecloths. Thanks to Roy Brown (head of props) every few feet of the table had lovely candlesticks and Sabbath candles. Matt (head of front of house) sent up wine glasses. Every 8 people had a centre setting that included a ceremonial Seder plate. (Charoset, maror, parsley, burnt egg, etc.) Red wine and matzo wrapped in linen cloths... salt water and Chrain...
Everyone arrived to the strains of blaring festive klezmer music. This was the first Seder I had ever conducted. But I was not alone... We read the Hagadah (the story of Passover) and prayed as a congregation. Keith Dinicol our Fiddler rabbi graciously led us through the Brukha's. Sam Strasfeld (a member of the tribe) found appropriate readings which he asked Maggie Blake and Michael Therriault to share. Little Jake and Amelia (as the youngest present) read the FOUR Questions. My children sang the same in Hebrew. Fred Love took it upon himself to be the keeper of the wine. Bruce Dow brought his family's menorah (a lovely touch).
The Seder ritual includes traditional foods and customs which must be performed in order. For example, every participant must drink four cups of wine... (no complaints heard) ... eat parsley dipped in salt water, bitter herbs and even a Hillel sandwich, which consists of a mixture of matzo, apples honey, nuts and hot radish (don't ask). Once ready, Craig Ashton, Christina Gordon, Mellisa Veal, et al.
The fire brigade of volunteers served up the most amazing Mennnonite/French/ Jewish feast... We started with eggs in salt water, Gefilte Fish, (a big hit) matzo ball soup, platters of lamb, chicken, brisket, and tongue. A medley of asparagus, beets, potatoes.... Cheese noodle Kugel, salad... And topped it all off with two kinds of flourless chocolate cake drenched in strawberries and sauce.... Thank you to Ruth and her amazing Greenroom staff....
Once the feast was eaten, we waited for young Sophie Dinicol to find the Afikomen (the ceremonial bit of matzo was hidden earlier) and then we finished up the prayers and two more cups of wine. At the end we sat arm in arm and sang together. I was truly amazed at the gathering. Voices rose in chorus to sing ancient tunes.... Lisa Horner even got us to sing a prayer Dayenu again at the end of the night. Faces glowed with the joy of sharing. The love of community and commonality. Yes, the first ever Stratford Theatre Seder was a blessed event. The theatre was all a buzz the next day. Folks kept coming up to hug me and thank me for as many commented, "Giving them such a gift." Richard Monette (who was busy doing a lighting session) even apologized for not being able to make it because he heard it was so special.
Sunday our day off and I am just back from my husbands family's farm...where we had EASTER dinner today ... and it was good too. A bit anti-climactic after the energy of our Seder but the weather was so nice, and it was lovely to be with family.
Oh yah, Fiddler...
The Q-Q went off without a hitch. Cindy was so concerned she reminded us half way through that this was our chance to solve any safety issues we had. And to not let things go. This was our time to adjust glow tape where needed and LED's. We even started with a 20-minute Blackout session.
Years ago there was a very serious accident at the theatre. During a dress rehearsal an actor got turned around in the dark. She needed to exit during the blackout and in her confusion actually walked off a balcony and dropped 15 feet to the stage floor. So it's safety first. If we ever get disoriented in a blackout we are to stop take our time and calmly look for the glow tape and the safe way off stage.
Cindy informed us she will have her eyes trained on the infrared monitor and will send a stagehand on to get us if needed. We spent the last hour Saturday placing the curtain call on the stage. What a feat! Imagine 34 actors taking initial bows and then leaving through vomitoriums and exits and all having to crisscross each other back stage, on stairs and in the underworld in order to surprise the audience for one last incredible moment.
The off stage traffic patterns took more time to adjust then the on stage moves you will see. This week we get to finally sing with the 27-piece orchestra... stay tuned. I'm looking forward to getting this puppy up on its feet.
Regards,
Yenta-Tova
April 26 (Yenta's enlightening notes from her musical theatre audition class are on a separate Web page)
May 3 - Days away from our first preview audience. We are now through a series of tech runs with orchestra and our first real dress is tonight. What a leap of faith it is getting all the pieces together for the first time. Each time we are on the stage another element appears. The top of the Chagall world is now hung. The masking up stage, which includes a town relief, looks magical. Sound, orchestra, lighting, costume pieces, the actual theatre, the revolve.... All the elements make for a bit of a tough slog the first few times through.
Alex and the entire costume shop are furiously toiling away at last minute adjustments... New Boots, Babushka adjustments, hems needing shortened, etc. Peter and crew are adjusting monitor levels and balancing sound. Bless their ears! Every department is in high gear. The show is in its final stage of metamorphosis. Every time one thing adjusts another three things are affected. Tech dress consisted of 34 actors all trying to figure out their own track backstage ... dressers and actors finessing quick changes. Our dressing room was particularly alive with Christina Gordon and Barb Fulton quickly applying grey ghostly dream make-up and then timing the removal of same all the while Robin Hutton was being primped into her wedding dress. It is exactly at this point in the process that patience and cool heads prevail. Thanks to Cindy and the whole back stage team at our tech dress we only had to stop twice. The problems were identified, solved and away we went.
The theatre is so big ... it envelops you. And it can be misleading. I know myself, I am working too hard. As actors, we try not to get overwhelmed and hopefully remember some of what we found in the rehearsal hall. The sure thing is that each time we get out there we are a little more certain. Note to myself "relax and trust the work"
We are only at the beginning of the season and are already seeing a few injuries. Steven Lilly's knee is bothering him. Too many impressive flying Russian moves? Stephen Beckon (trusty swing) has stepped in and done fabulously. My back is out as well. Started hurting after a few days spent in show shoes that don't quite fit. I am seeing the Stratford physios and bless Fred Mike in the cobbler shop. He has promised me custom boots by next week. Here's praying my Gluteus Max doesn't let me down.
May 6 - This is it folks. Let the games begin. Hamlet was the first show to preview two days a go. We came up the stairs from our rehearsal to hear a full house of teenagers cheering at the top of their lungs during the curtain call. What a way to start the season!
We had our first invited dress yesterday... It was soooooooo much fun. The Stratford schools were enjoying a PD day and so Jake and Emillia's classes were in attendance. So were the orchestra's families. Over 500 people, all laughing, applauding and giving as much as they were getting. It was great.
All of a sudden the stuff I remember being funny three weeks ago in the rehearsal hall was again (thank god). Love those times in the process when you aren't sure yet how an audience will react to a moment. I even stepped on a few laughs I didn't expect.... may all my actor friends have such problems. The energy of the run was infectious... At one point I ran back stage to the monitors to watch the boys sing and dance the big production number L'CHAIM to find almost a dozen of us all had the same need. We stood there grinning from ear to ear watching our boys fly though the
number. Paul Guitard ha a sore glut muscle and Steven Beckon stepped into his shoes. Swings blow me away. Especially good swings like Steven. The audience would never know he was sweating bullets. Bravo Steven!!
On Thursday, Michael and Susan made a number of last minute changes in choreography and spacings and the show took a huge leap forward yesterday in every department. Kevin's lighting is magical. Sound has settled in so that I don't even notice the amplification. I was given a new costume for the dream, a new babushka for the wedding, Tevya's girls wigs were reworked and are even prettier now. Everything is coming together as it should. It is now time to relax and have fun. Having said that we have a 4 hour call/rehearsal tonight after out performance.
Yes, today is our turn...we have our first public preview this afternoon and the show is sold out. What a treat it will be having over 1800 folks reacting all at once. That's what we live for.
Having fun in ANATEVKA.
Regards,
Yenta Tova
May 10 - No one said being a working actor was going to be easy. I consider myself one of the lucky ones who actually spends more time working than not ... but alas there is a price to pay. Today is my son David's 16th birthday and I am in Stratford practicing my craft in front of 1800 school kids bussed in for our second preview. Do I feel guilty? In one word? YES
We have had two public previews since last I wrote. They have been both 100% SRO.
Exciting doesn't cover it. The first audience was so with us. They were with us from the first violin line...they laughed and cried ... they GOT every nuance, every bit I remembered being so funny three weeks ago in the rehearsal hall. We were a very happy cast back in the rehearsal hall later that night.... And Susan and Michael seemed very pleased as well. We spent time cleaning up the bows and setting a new move in the Dream. We were also given more notes...3 by 5 cards.
Today we went up in front of 1800 kids. What a different show. They were with us but in a very different way. As the lights went down the violin strains were completely drowned out by the screams and whoops of the kids. We came out in the opening number TRADITION to see a sea of private school uniforms. As we sang and danced the opening number you could see their eyes widen. They got the spirit of the piece and by the second or third scene we were all confident we had their attention. They laughed at all the comical BITS, the big stuff ... especially anything sexual ... loved the young girl's, listened intently and responded with our second standing Ovation. Two shows so completely different? Thank g-d for previews.
Ah the magic of live theatre! Had me wondering about the vastly different audiences we will play to over the next 7 months. Imagine an audience of all seniors? Or groups of Yiddish speakers from Montreal or Chicago? It will certainly keep us hopping. I'm sure tonight's rehearsal will remind us how to stay true to intent and not play into the hands of lopsided audiences.
The streets are crowded as we go to and from the theatre. Allergy season is upon us. As singers we are all concerned. Laura is leading a company vocal warm-up before every performance and Philip continues a dance warm up as well. (My back is much better but not ready for a class yet.) The press is descending for a number of interviews next week. Life is full and we have much to be happy about.
L' chaim
Yenta Tova
May 14 - Here we are gearing up for our second week of previews. We have had four sold out shows to date. Each one a delight and one step closer to finding our rhythms as a company. Saturday afternoon was especially exhilarating. Susan Schulman sits out in the middle of the house every performance and tells us in our note sessions about feeling the collective energy of the audience all around her. She really loves the show, and I love that she still gets that excited about the magic. She told us about after one show seeing three private catholic school girls leave the theatre arms waving in the air and singing the Yiddish nign: "dai dai dee dai dai." What an image?
So what do we do during a four week preview of a show we already love doing? Susan and Michael continue to tweak the show in 3 to 4 hour rehearsals every other day. Michael took eight bars out of the boys L'CHAIM dance this week. And he continues to play with the end of the DREAM sequence. I think I now have four versions in my little brain. Bert raised Michael Therriault's song Miracle of Miracles a half tone. Way to go Michael.... It's a brighter key and suits his performance to a tee. We are finding the pace for the show both on and off stage. Barb Fulton's and Christina Gordon's dressing room track is a performance in itself. Both gals are in and out of grey face paint for the ghoulish DREAM sequence and then stripped washed and back onstage in a flash looking normal for the WEDDING.
It's also amazing to watch Brent Carver find his stride. He holds the audience in his hands from the first words out of Tevya's mouth ... so gentle, so spiritual, so precise.... To begin with, he doesn't have a false bone in his body and the audiences are drawn to his honesty ... as is heard when they cheer him effusively every night. On a personal note may I add we truly are negligent in this country not to celebrate our stars such as Brent. It saddens me that, even though he has won Tony awards and nominations, Geminis and Genies, very few outside the theatre world actually know who he is.
Susan was so pleased with our Saturday afternoon run she actually gave us the evening off. Now that's a confident, morale-building move. Yeah Susan!! Tomorrow we have our first of five previews this week, and a 4-hour call tomorrow night. Susan is leaving for a few days to get a perspective on the show so have no idea how many rehearsals we will have this week if any. If we don't this will be my chance to actually get through the script and music of my next Stratford show PATIENCE. We start rehearsals the Tuesday after our FIDDLER opening.
BTW, I have started studying with Bruce Dow. He has graciously agreed to try and teach this old dog how to read music. About time? I have promised myself I would learn to read music for years but always find I am too busy actually singing in shows to study.
Friends are starting to descend. Two last week and believe it or not 11 friends booked in to see the show this week. You can fool most of the people most of the time but I find performing for family and friends who really know me well very nerve wracking. Wish me well.
L'chaim
Yenta Tova
May 24 - The theatre has been packed every performance. We are getting totally spoiled. Saturday's matinee was probably one of the best we've done to date. Everyone was thumbs up at the end. Even the dressers back stage applauded as we came running off. Just goes to show you ... even through tanoids a good show is a good show.
Just back from a Wednesday afternoon senior's matinee. A lot of blue rinse out there today. And today's audience was quieter then most we've had. Actually heard watches beeping at the top of the Anatevka scene... Time for a little medication? I prefer mixed audiences where the kids go for some stuff the adults for others. It's a little weird to say the least, being in rep and not doing the show for 4 days.
Cindy called in Barb Barsky and I for an Italian of our scenes. Thank you Cindy... Susan came back today and was so pleased to be here. Hope she still thinks so after seeing our efforts. We should find out tomorrow. I'm actually excited to see what she has up her sleeves for us as we gear up for opening.
Big lesson learned today re the media. I did a newspaper interview last week and spent a long time giving the press my colourful impressions of just how fabulous our production is. He also asked about the Canadianactor.com connection and we talked at length about the discussion board for kids... The interviewer then told me he asked to see me after being refused his first choice and I sweetly and politely said "Bless You." He then went on and made some comments about the illusive nature of some talent in the show. I asked him to turn off the tape recorder (which he did) and also told him my comments were off the record and then went on to talk about my perceptions of the star system orl, the piece ran and he started the article by quoting me as saying "Bless you for wanting to interview me." The whole article is a rant about not being a star and paints me as being upset? GIVE ME A BREAK!!
And you wonder why some smarter ones of us don't give interviews?
And to top it all off there was NOT one word about Fiddler, or this site, or the discussion board.... As Tevya says "when you spit in the air it lands in your face"
L'chaim
Yenta Tova
June 4 - Opening week in Stratford...what a week this has been! I am exhausted.
We started last Saturday with the annual FESTIVAL EXPRESS preview. A train load of patrons wined and dined on the way in to see us. All black tie and very moneyed. We even had to stay in costume after the performance to meet and greet in a receiving line. Felt a lot like shaking hands at a bar-mitzvah reception. Only thing missing was the envelopes of money.
Sunday it was off to a grand Garden Party on the grounds of the Jackson's' mansion. Much schmoozing and drinking. Don't they know some of us have to sing?
The grand opening of Hamlet was a spectator sport. The lawns and foyers bedecked with tuxedos and jewelled gowns. My personal favourite was Kate Trotter in a diaphanous pink chiffon number. When Richard Monette caught a glimpse of me in black sequins he smiled, "My girls have done very well tonight." The show itself was a solid, truthfully told story, wonderfully directed and acted. I was so proud and happy to be sitting in the audience loving every moment. I saw scenes and heard lines I swear I have never heard before.
Paul Gross is so smart, so true and as always appealing as hell. My heart went out to him from the first moment he sat down on the floor and tearfully began to pour his heart out. Joe Zeigler is a great young director. A great talent.
The opening night party moved from the grand Festival Theatre foyer to the company bar called DOWN THE STREET and lasted until the wee hours of the morning. I admit it... I got back home just in time to say good morning to my husband who had to drive back to work in Toronto.
The next night was the first AVON opening. A smaller affair with folks milling outside the theatre on Downie Street. I still thought it appropriate that night to pull out my concert/opening duds and had a ball. (Felt like a Jewish Julie Andrews) So many familiar faces in the crowd... At one point, I was chatting in a group of five Toronto theatre agents.... Introduced them to some new talented blood and they actually thanked me for it.
I loved seeing how far AS YOU LIKE IT had come since the first dress. Lucy Peacock, Donald Carrier and Brian Tree were especially impressive, I thought. A little too late again that night at DOWN THE STREET. Night three and I was back at the Festival for the swashbuckling THREE MUSKETEERS. What a romp! The energy that night was infectious... Richard Monette and crew have given a gift to young audiences in this exciting adventure story. Huge, unwieldy, boisterous, totally entertaining, and just plain fun.
Had a sip of wine at the party in the Marquis and had to go home... Two more openings to go. Night four and I was back at the Avon to see the remarkable Al Waxman production of ANN FRANK. Having done a production myself some years ago, I have to say it is truly the best ANN FRANK production I have ever seen. A show about being cooped up in an attic for over two years and it was constantly in motion. Every moment so full of life.
The next night was Fiddler's turn ... and the show was a huge hit. The audience went wild. They loved this Fiddler with the amazing Brent Carver at its helm. The cast was elated. The mood at the party was incredibly buoyant. I have to admit I got out there in the first number Tradition and found my heart beating a mile a minute. I surprised even myself... I normally don't get nervous ... and so I got off to a bad start and somehow the night got the best of me. I felt off and ended up pushing too hard in moments instead of enjoying the ride... The only thing that makes me feel any better about it all is that the next afternoon I went out for our matinee and had a fabulous show. Ah, the magic of live... You never know?
But for the show as a whole, it was a blessed event. The audience was in awe of Brent and our dancer boys, our fabulous girls and the sense of joy and community on that stage. It looks like we are definitely one of the hits of the season.... And hell, I have another 6 months to get it right...
Saturday night was the final bash of opening week. No press, no sponsors, just a few hundred actors, carpenters, sound folk, designers, wardrobe, props, painters, office staff, marketing, grounds folk.... With A live band, free drink chits, lots of snacks and a hell of a party. Heard some of the musketeer guys planning a junket to Las Vegas but I suspect they would have woken up and thought better of it in the morning.
I am now relaxing on our only two day weekend of the season. Watched the Tony's tonight with Christina Gordon and AMY dancer/bartender.... I start rehearsals for Patience Tuesday. It has been quite a time this Stratford experience. I respect the work done here immensely and love the support one gets in a large company where so many are risking so much. Not even on Broadway will you find one company risking five openings in one week...
I am actually meeting Yenta-Tova e-note readers occasionally at the stage door and am glad some of you have found these ramblings the slightest bit insightful. I will let you know how different my next show is as we get going. Gilbert & Sullivan? It's gotta be brutal... but its also gotta be fun.
Yenta/ (soon to be Lady Jane) Tova
Theresa Tova: Honoured with a Gemini nomination as BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, Theresa was a regular for 5 seasons on the award-winning CTV series, ENG. Since then she has gone on to write, produce and star in the theatrical musical STILL THE NIGHT which won four Dora awards and a nomination for the prestigious 1999 Governor General's Award for excellence in Literature. Recently, Theresa starred as EMMA GOLDMAN in the National American tour of the Broadway Musical RAGTIME and will next grace the boards in the 2000 Stratford Festival season as Yente in FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. Theresa's Yiddish Jazz CD titled "Telling Stories" will be released this spring.
An ACTRA and Equity member, Theresa has been active on a political level in pursuit of children's rights and clear protective regulations at ACTRA. A past National Council member and part of the IPA negotiating team, she helped clearly define the Children's agreement for Independent Production in Canada. She is also the mother of two Biz Kids and the volunteer CAO Kidz in the Biz Discussion Board Moderator.
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