Making her Lighthouse debut, Evelyn Wiebe is playing an iconic Canadian role. Mary’s Wedding is a play that tells a story that will make you think about first loves, about the sacrifices of war, and the triumph of the human spirit. Before Lighthouse, she played Cindy in The Darkest Dark, which was nominated for a Dora for best TYA ensemble at Young People’s Theatre, Phoebe in The Judas Kiss at Talk is Free Theatre, and as Janice in Murdoch Mysteries on CBC. We sat down with Evelyn to talk about the challenges of bringing this script to life on stage, why she wanted to be involved in Mary’s Wedding, and how she continues to learn and grow as an actor.
Lighthouse Festival (LF): What sort of person is going to love this show?
Evelyn Wiebe (EW): Anyone and everyone who has ever fallen deeply and helplessly in love will love this show.
(LF): What’s challenging about bringing this script to life?
(EW): This show isn’t any easy one – it’s a huge wave that we actors must ride. There are ups and downs and turns and twists in it, and aside from meticulously learning everything I can learn about The Great War, it really comes down to just letting go and letting the text do it’s thing. It’s best when you don’t try to control the narrative so much.
(LF): Why did you want to be involved in this production of Mary’s Wedding?
(EW): Mary reminds me of Juliet. Young, in love, passionate, fiery, witty and curious. She feels everything so deeply and that’s just the most satisfying thing as an actor. To hear a woman in the 1900s being bold. A lot of folks tend to dismiss a woman falling in love as ‘typical’ or trope-like. Mary is so much more than that. She’s just a beast of a woman. It’s just the most fun to play.
(LF): How do you build chemistry with your fellow cast members?
(EW): Since it’s just dear Daniel and I, I don’t think he has any choice but to build chemistry with me. We laugh a lot, poke fun at one another, grab teas and coffees and lunch breaks when we can, and are enjoying exploring Dover together. So even if he can’t stand me, he’s really just stuck with me.
(LF): How do you continue to learn and grow as an actor?
(EW): Oh boy. It never really stops does it? Even if we try. I think the heart of growing as an actor really comes down to practice in trusting oneself. Self doubt is a part of it, curiousity is a part of it, and passion is always there too. It’s often messier than we want it to be, growing that is, but little by little over time, you see small, but wonderful habits that form. Like when I feel, “wow, today I feel like a horrible actor!” (as one sometimes does), you learn that that feeling comes and goes, but the growth is really knowing that – it will do just that: it will come and it will go