Heather Dick, Actor/Artistic Director on OLD LOVE

Sirius Theatrical Company's Artistic Director, Heather Dick plays Molly and 6 other characters in Norm Foster's OLD LOVE

1. What draws you into the script of OLD LOVE?  What has made you want to work with this piece?

Norm Foster creates characters that are imperfect and believable and he has strong ear for dialogue that is easy to speak and very real.  I’m playing seven different women and each one of them talks in a unique way – vocabulary, speed of dialogue, phrasing, intonation.  They are clearly defined and easy to connect with – not necessarily easy to portray, but I can connect with all of them, something about each of them resonates with me.  I like to work on characters when I have strong connections to them.  There are also many layers to each scene and so many subtle nuances within the story.  Yes, this is a comedy, but beneath the humour are real and surprising truths.  It’s finding those deeper layers that is challenging and fascinating.  I also love the fact that the story is all about love the second time around.  We all want a second chance at love, I think.

 

 

2. You each portray multiple characters in this play, is there one character that you connect with over the others and why?

Molly, the character around whom the story revolves, is the person I immediately connected with when I read the play for the first time.  She’s a survivor who has never lost her sense of humour despite “crawling through some barbed wire”, as she says to Bud, to arrive at the place where she is now.  It’s her wit, and the fact that she tries not to take herself too seriously, that I connect with and love.  As well as Molly, I play six other women, all of whom are very, very different and just as much fun to portray.  I connect with all of them and have enjoyed finding the little bits of ‘me’ inside of each one.

 

3.  What for you are the biggest challenges of this work?

Playing seven very different women who vary in age from early 20’s to late 50’s is a huge challenge, especially as four of them appear back to back within three minutes and in the same scene.  I’m working to explore unique physicality and voices for each of them so that transitioning from one person to the next becomes easy and seamless.  I literally transform in front of the audience without being able to change costumes or leave the stage.  That’s a big acting challenge.

 

4. Where do you find inspiration for the characters you portray?

I find inspiration all around and within me – from personal experiences, imagination, people I observe, my director, Marianne McIsaac who is amazing, and Nick Rice who is a joy to act with.  For me, it’s very important during the rehearsal process to be as open to new ideas as possible because inspiration often comes from the most unexpected sources, if I can simply be open and aware of them.

 

5. Do you have a favorite moment so far of working on OLD LOVE?

The rehearsals have been filled with laughter and joy right from the first day so I don’t think I can say that I have a favourite moment.  I’m enjoying the whole process and I think that will shine through the performances.