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An Interview with Diego Matamoros
By Merika Ramundo
Diego Matamoros is a founding member, Associate Artistic Director and Head of Training &
Professional Development for Soulpepper Theatre Company. He is a Gemini & Dora award winning actor who has performed both across Canada and in the United States. Mr. Matamoros has also been a director and teacher of acting, in Toronto and at the National Theatre School in Montreal.
On a rainy Monday afternoon this is what he had to say about actors, training and Soulpepper's commitment to reaching out to young artists through programs in professional development.
Merika Ramundo: Can you tell the readers a bit about your own training experience?
Diego Matamoros: My initial training was done at LAMDA (the London
Academy of Music and Dramatic Art) in London, England. I was there for two years. I then I spent
1982 and '83 as part of the Stratford Young Company under Michael Langham and Kristen Linklater. In
1986, 1988 and 1991 I took part in post-grad actor training programs, the latter two being the
Advanced Actor's Program in Banff, Alberta. These later programs were critical to my development as
an actor. They were centered on the study theatrical process rather than on 'putting on a show.'
MR: Have you stopped training as an actor?
DM: No, never. I think actors should always be training. If you are
serious about the art form you should have the desire to work with people who can offer you new
experiences and new tools all the time. You should look for people who are specialists in certain
areas or with certain material. It's also important to continuously develop the physical in your
work as well: Alexander work, mask work, clown, etc.
MR: What is your definition of training?
DM: Training is the practical word for the philosophical idea of
artistic development. One of the most powerful training experiences for me occurred over the course
of just two days with Joseph Chaikin in the early 80's. The trainee's mindset is what can allow
change to happen?if you are ready to open up, you can be affected both profoundly and quickly;
just like at the theatre when the show's good.
MR: What makes Soulpepper's Training
different than the rest?
DM: Soulpepper training
initiatives follow the aesthetic of the Soulpepper productions: If you like what you see at a
Soulpepper show, then the training you take allows you to get closer to how that work sometimes
comes about. Some of our teaching format is different than other places. I don't know of a lot of
institutions that offer intensives. Soulpepper offers masterclasses for actors who are already
working in the profession. Our Masterclasses are centered around the classics, more specifically
classical text?the starting point for us is always the text and the question "Why?". Why
did the author write this? Why would we perform this today? Why in this theatre as opposed to that
one? Why in Toronto? Why...? And so on... Soulpepper training places the emphasis on the
relationship between the actors as well as the witnesses of the work, the audience.
Simply put we start from the obvious but easily and often overlooked supposition that the drama
takes place in the mind of the audience - their hearts and minds. The repertory experience is
another specialty for Soulpepper . Every year we get more focused on what we want to be teaching.
Our teaching staff (Mark Christmann, Diane Pitblado and Kelly McEvenue) are working together better
than ever. A cohesive team who help us keep the idea alive that what we emphasize most is the long
term development of the actor's movement (physical connectedness) and voice. The body needs a long
time and a lot of care to understand and then to accept change. It takes a lot of commitment and
this work becomes extremely important of course in the scene work. You could say it is the basis for
the next step which is the scene work.
MR: What do you see as the biggest obstacle for the actors you work
with?
DM: Tension habits. Unwanted tension restricts artists from opening new
doors. If you are physically and vocally locked it will be difficult to listen to and/or to
understand how your body and your voice might behave when entering into the dramatic situations of a
given text. Our classes work on the transitions between voice, movement, and textwork. The first
three hours of everyday in workshops and masterclasses are devoted to getting actors to connect to
themselves physically and vocally before asking them to then take all that to the 'acting' place.
MR: What do Soulpepper acting students come out with?
DM: A clearer sense of themselves as actor, as theatre artist, and
hopefully farther along in the ability to use given tools to accomplish some of the goals of
theatrical performance. Also, hopefully as well, a better understanding of how an actor puts the
drama in the mind of the audience?allows it to live most there... this is very hard for some
performers to grasp and years to effectively achieve. As a teacher, I observe what's coming across
and what happens within me as the actors perform - If I feel something, if I'm engaged with what I
see, if I'm 'hooked' so to speak, then the actors are doing it right.
MR: What do you learn from your students?
DM: How to act. They teach me, on a daily basis, where we can and often
do go wrong. Talent is the ability to discover a moment, technique is the ability to repeat it. I
take everything apart. I make up exercises that flex acting muscles. If you teach, you can also
learn a great deal, as an actor. I have also experienced great acting moments in classes; I've had
the privilege of being in the room when some extraordinary things have happened - often better than
you'd ever see in a given night of 'professional' theatre.
MR: Do you have any recommendations for actors when trying to find the right type of training for them?
DM: Yes, look for teachers whose philosophies and personalities are
compatible with yours. I would encourage actors to meet teachers and find someone they like on a
personal level because once that happens, a lot of the work can come easier. When you find teachers
you like, stick with them if you can.
Soulpepper Theatre Company
P.O. Box 199, 260 Adelaide St. East
Toronto, ON M5A 1N1
Fax: 416.203.1531
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