We sat down with Allan to chat about Cinderella – The Panto!, what’s the most rewarding part of his job, and what are the challenges and rewards of live theatre compared to other forms of acting.

Lighthouse Festival (LF): How do you see the role of theatre in today’s society?

Allan Cooke (AC): A lot would depend on the type of show you’re seeing. There’s still great theatre that challenges you to think and see the world in a different way and we need that. But just as important is Panto and comedy and musicals providing pure escapism and entertainment. We probably want more of the latter these days if we feel the world is getting worse!

(LF): What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

(AC): On this gig it’s a tie between having a blast with the cast in the rehearsal room; coming up with silly bits, trying out ideas; and getting on stage, connecting with the audience and getting those laughs.

(LF): What drew you to this role in Cinderella?

(AC): I knew working alongside Sal again it’d be a Master’s Degree in Subtle, Nuanced Restraint, and I’ve been proved right – so much fun. Also, Jonny always gathers a great cast and garners a generous atmosphere for these things and once again he’s pulled the rabbit out the hat.

(LF): What are the challenges and rewards of live theatre compared to other forms of acting?

(AC): On both counts it would be immediate feedback from the audience. They’ll laugh if you’re funny, clap if you;re good, and quickly bring the tumbleweed if it all goes to pot.

(LF): What do you think is the biggest misconception people have about working in theatre?

(AC): Tough one. It might be that people think it looks easier than it is. But then, that’s our job, to make it look effortless, so who’s complaining? In rehearsals, if it does feel like hard work, even as we’re pouring our hearts and mind into it as we do, we might not be doing it right, because the best stuff tends to come from knowing how to play, how to love the process as you engage with it and embracing even the steeper learning curves!

Susan JohnstonCollins played the hilarious Lady Louisa MacDrummond in The Real Sherlock Holmes at Lighthouse Festival in 2022. She’s also starred in The Last Resort and Having Hope at Home at Lighthouse as well. Outside of Lighthouse, Susan has starred in Mark Crawford’s The Birds and The Bees at Port Stanley Festival Theatre & Theatre Orangeville, Sister Act at Drayton Entertainment, and as Marilla Cuthbert & Rachel Lynde in Anne of Green Gables at Charlottetown Festival. We chatted with Susan about what role has had the greatest impact on her personally, what she loves about the character she’s playing, and why she wanted to be involved in The Sweet Delilah Swim Club.

Lighthouse Festival (LF): What do you love about the character you’re playing?

Susan JohnstonCollins (SJC): There’s alot to love about Dinah Grayson. It’s so much fun to explore her intelligence, grace, secret generosity, dry and cynical sence of humor and huge heart which she seldom reveals. Trying to harness all those facets is a tremendous and welcome challenge.

(LF): Why did you want to be involved in this production?

(SJC):  I’ve been a huge fan of this wonderful play for a long time. I was so excited to be cast in a production that was to be produced in 2020. We all know what happened then. So, when I saw that Lighthouse was going to produce the show and it was going to be directed by one of my very favorite Directors and dear friend Jane Spence, I jumped at the opportunity and was thrilled to be cast. It certainly doesn’t hurt that the company is made up of awesome and extremely talented women. This summer with Jane S, Susan, Andrea, Debra, Jane M, Laura and Ben will be one I will truly cherish!

(LF): What role has had the greatest impact on you personally?

(SJC): This question is almost impossible to answer. Each and every role that I’ve been blessed with has taught me different things about myself, life, spirituality, the people around me and the world we live in. I simply couldn’t pick just one role that has had an impact. That’s the beauty of Theatre. We experience all these different lives that we then share with our audiences and that shared experience can sometimes inspire wonderful things!

(LF): How do you prepare for a new role?

(SJC): Every Actor has a different process and each project might require something a little bit different. As a general rule, the following are the steps that I would follow. I start with reading the play over and over and over again so I can get really familiar with the characters, places and situations. Next, I will begin ongoing research into the period and locations as well as anything else that might be particular to each piece. Then I start to work on the lines and try to do some preliminary memorization. For me, the final hard work on memorization has to come once rehearsal has started and I’ve met the other actors as well as started blocking the show. Depending on the size of the role, I normally start my preparation at least a month prior to rehearsal.

(LF): What inspired you to pursue a career in theatre?

(SJC): I feel like my wonderful Mother was my inspiration…not just in theatre, but in so many aspects of my life. Mom was an incredible singer and lover of the arts. So, I was exposed to amazing theatre and music from a very young age. Each experience opened my heart and spirit to the magic of the arts and when I was about ten years old, it dawned on me that this could be my life. Nothing could hold me back! I worked as hard as I could and was blessed with many incredible people, mentors and opportunities and after almost forty years of a professional career, I’m still excited about the next show! My ninety-one year old Mom, Rosemary, is just as excited too!

Andrea Risk has graced the Lighthouse stage as Sybil/Mable/Duff/Brian/Big/Phylis in Freedom 85! and as Penelope/Mandy/Weever in Something Fishy, which was a world premiere! She’s appeared on stage in productions for Theatre Aquarius, St. Jacobs Schoolhouse, Drayton Entertainment, Victoria Playhouse Petrolia, just to name a few. We chatted with Andrea about what she loves about the character she’s playing, what her next project would be if she had a magic wand, and why she wanted to be involved in The Sweet Delilah Swim Club.

Lighthouse Festival (LF): What do you love about the character you’re playing?

Andrea Risk (AR): I love Vernadette’s resilience and her humour.  Her life is incredible and pitiful but despite all the hardships, she has an amazing inner strength

(LF): Why did you want to be involved in this production?

(AR): It’s a great role in a wonderful play.  I love the opportunity to play a character who ages over the course of the show as well as the chance to do an accent.

(LF): If you had a magic wand, what show would you do next?

(AR): Any show that would be offered to me!  Seriously, I am not even at the point of thinking of anything other than this one.

(LF): How do you see the role of theatre in today’s society?

(AR): It offers the opportunity for the audience to experience emotions and situations covering a wide range of topics.  It is a mirror.  It is representational.  It informs.

(LF): What role did mentors play in your career?

(AR): There were people who taught me about timing , particularly in comedy and farce.  My mother taught me how to breathe correctly in order to project.  She also taught me how even the smallest gesture can completely transform a character.

Susan Henley needs no introduction. She’s been in a number of Lighthouse productions, including 2022’s Halfway There and 2023’s Where You Are. Her theatre credits are lengthy and we’re so pleased she’s back for The Sweet Delilah Swim Club this season! We chatted with Susan about why she loves her character, what techniques she uses to develop her character, and how her approach to acting has changed over the years.

Lighthouse Festival (LF): What do you love about the character you’re playing?

Susan Henley (SH): How self-centered Lexie is, and how she has absolutely no idea of that.

(LF): Why did you want to be involved in this production?

(SH): Jane Spence is directing. And it is a well written script.

(LF): What techniques do you use to develop your character? 

(SH): Living truthfully under imaginary circumstance.  Also, make the scene about who you are talking to, not yourself.

(LF): How do you balance personal life and the demanding schedule of theatre productions?

(SH): As best as I can!  Easier now that my children are grown, but I consciously work towards keeping everything as simple as possible.

(LF): How has your approach to acting changed over the years?

(SH): I have found, the older I get the less I know…….if anything, I ask more questions and listen harder and take myself less seriously. I mean, look at the company I get to keep!

Making her Lighthouse debut, Jane Miller has a great deal of experience on Canadian stages. She’s appeared as Baruska in Once (Grand Theatre/RoyalMTC), These are the Songs that I Sing When I’m Sad (Solo performance, Boca del Lupo, Blyth Festival, ArtSpring), as Lucy in You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown (YPT), and in Shaking the Foundations (Buddies in Bad Times Theatre), to name just a few. We chatted with Jane about what she loves about her character, how she see’s the role of theatre in today’s society, and how she builds chemistry with her fellow castmates.

Lighthouse Festival (LF): What will the audience be thinking about in the car as they drive home after this show? 

Jane Miller (JM): Audiences will be driving home thinking about friendship; the friendships in their lives that meant the most to them, the people who were with them through tough times, and the people who made them laugh the hardest of anyone they’ve known. Deep, life-long friendships.

(LF): What do you love about the character you’re playing?

(JM): What I love about my character, Jeri Neal, is the chance to really lean into my heart with her. She lets me really indulge in what it might be like to be, as they refer to her, the least judgemental person they know. It’s a beautiful way to see the world & I get to explore that perspective.

(LF): How do you build chemistry with your fellow cast members? 

(JM): When you use the word “chemistry”, I hear “trust”, and that is crucial for any cast and team when putting up a show. While I’ve previously worked with a few people on this show, I’ve never worked with this exact group and we may never again. So with only so much time to find out who we are to each other in the world of the play, trusting each other is how we get there, to the final product that audiences ultimately witness. The challenge is that It has to happen almost immediately. And I think the way we do that, as actors, is to listen deeply, intently, to what the other actor is giving you, offering you, through their delivery. When you can see and feel that your castmates are each listening and responding anew every time you run through a scene, then you know you can trust each other to be present and make this world feel as real as possible together. And as soon as everyone walked in the room on Day One, that listening was there and so that trust, that chemistry, was deep from the very beginning.

(LF): How do you see the role of theatre in today’s society?

(JM): There’s so much story available to us in so many forms these days. Short, long, online, in the palms of our hands. But I think what theatre offers that sets it apart is a truly communal experience. Movies sort of do it, in that the audience is in a room together, but in the theatre the actors are too and we’re all going through this story together in real time. How the audience responds affects our performance and they can hear each other too. We’re breathing the same air. Just spending this time together with our attention and focus.reminds us all of our shared humanity. That can be a rare thing these days.

(LF): What’s the best piece of acting advice you’ve ever received?

(JM): When I was a very young, just-starting-out actor, I was in a summer stock production and it was during previews so we were still working things out a bit. At the curtain call, the bows basically, I was feeling like I hadn’t done good work so I was already intensely analysing my performance. Which meant I was also frowning intensely, while we were bowing, clearly quite unhappy. The director found me in the dressing room afterwards and admonished me. He said, “Don’t you ever frown like that in a curtain call! Doing that, you’re telling the audience they’re wrong for applauding, for offering their thanks. You smile and accept that applause with grace! That’s also part of your job. Then you get off-stage, go back to the dressing room and do whatever it was you were doing up there! Never let me see you do that again!” It taught me that the audience’s experience IS the point of doing this work. From beginning to the very end of the performance.

Debra Hale kept you laughing in 2022’s Halfway There by Norm Foster. She kept you entertained in Freedom 85! as the writer/performer in multi-character, 2 woman show. She made you think and care in Storm Warning. And this was just at Lighthouse! She’s also performed in numerous other productions at Theatre Orangeville, Orillia Opera House, and 1000 Islands Playhouse, plus she’s been in TITANS on Netflix! Debra was kind enough to chat with us about what she loves about the character she’s playing, how she prepares for a new role, and what’s the most challenging part about working in theatre.

Lighthouse Festival (LF): What do you love about the character you’re playing?

Debra Hale (DH): I love that my character is soooo organized! I’m a Virgo so I really get that about Sheree. 😉

(LF): Why did you want to be involved in this production?

(DH): I’m jazzed about working with the director and cast on this show and the entire team. Out of the 4 other actresses I’ve worked with 3 before and they were all fantastic experiences. I hadn’t worked with one but had seen her work, she’s awesome onstage and off! And of course being directed by the insightful, collaborative and supportive Jane Spence is the best.

(LF): How do you prepare for a new role?

(DH): I research and look for details of connection between me and my character. And in this show, I’m finding a different fanny pack for each time we see Sheree. It’s all about the fanny pack!

(LF): What’s the most challenging aspect of working in theatre?

(DH): The most challenging aspect of theatre is saying goodbye to the family that inevitably the show creates. It’s bittersweet. 

(LF): What’s the best piece of acting advice you’ve ever received?

(DH): Listen to what is being said to you in the scene. It’s not just about waiting for your cue…listen and respond. That’s ‘alive’ theatre. 

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

For his first time on stage at Lighthouse Festival, Daniel Reale chose one heck of a role! After all, Mary’s Wedding is a play that will reach deep into your soul and make you think about first loves, the sacrifices of war, and the triumph of the human spirit. Previous to Lighthouse, he’s been in productions at the Bruce County Playhouse, The Hogtown Collective, and Theatre by the Bay, plus as Dr. Bradley Wilson in DOC (Sony/Fox) and as the Handsome Man in Crave/Bell Media’s MADE FOR TV. In between learning all those lines, Daniel was kind enough to chat with us about how he builds chemistry with cast members, what’s the best piece of acting advice he’s received, and what he loves about the character he’s playing in Mary’s Wedding, Charlie.

Lighthouse Festival (LF): What will the audience be thinking about in the car as they drive home after this show?

Daniel Reale (DR): I think the audience will leave thinking about a few things. The absolutely stunning poetry and writing in the piece, the impacts of the First World War, the social constructs of the early 20th century- but mostly I hope they leave thinking about all those incredible sensations that come with first love. All of the joy, ease and excitement of finding a person that you can’t ever imagine living without. I love this show for giving me the opportunity to live in that world.

(LF): What do you love about the character you’re playing?

(DR): Charlie isn’t someone who holds back what he is feeling. It’s a gift to get to experience the world of the play through the innocent, hopeful and sometimes naive colours that Stephen has used to paint him with. He speaks his mind and wears his heart on his sleeve, something we can all afford to adopt from him!

(LF): How do you build chemistry with your fellow cast members?

(DR): Since it’s just Evelyn and I performing in the piece, it’s important and has luckily been really easy to build rapport and find common ground in the world of the play. It’s also hard to not become close friends while hanging in the DREAM of a town that is Port Dover. At the end of the day, we’re stuck with each other, so I think we’re very lucky we get along as well as we do. 

(LF): How do you see the role of theatre in today’s society?

(DR): Oof a tough one. Theatre is one of the oldest forms of art and I think there will always be a need for it. As we move towards a world where we are just constantly taking in different forms of media and watching Oscar award winning films on our phones an inch away from our faces… maybe that’s just me… I think it’s important that theatre remains THEATRICAL. We shouldn’t go to the theatre to get something we could watch on TV- but to get a real intimate experience. Something unique to the art form. That’s where this show really sings for me. It has beautiful, grounded realism, but it’s wrapped up in poetry and theatricality that you couldn’t get in another medium. That theatre “magic” is special, it’s the key to the heart of this work and I think the key to keeping theatre relevant for years to come. 

(LF): What’s the best piece of acting advice you’ve ever received? 

(DR): I think the best piece of acting advice I’ve ever received is “Acting is hard. If it was easy everyone would do it.” I feel incredibly lucky to be a part of this industry- it’s probably the most fun I could ever imagine myself having at “work”. But it’s important to remind myself that it’s hard. There is a level of athleticism and effort you need to bring to the table when working in theatre – it’s a marathon not a sprint. And without the stamina and rigour that you put into your training, you’ll never be able to perform. The other great advice that goes in tandem with that is “Do the work- work hard, then throw it away” When it’s time to perform you can’t show the audience how hard you are working. You’ve built the framework- now it’s time to live in it.

Making his Lighthouse debut, Andrew Scanlon has killed it in Kinky Boots (Original Canadian Company & First US National Tour), as Captain Hook in Peter Pan (Drayton Entertainment), and in Neptune Theatre’s production of Sweeney Todd, just to name a few. Andrew was kind enough to chat with us about what drew him to this role in Murder at Ackerton Manor, how he approaches character development for complex roles (read: his multiple roles in Murder at Ackerton Manor!), and his most memorable audience reaction.

Lighthouse Festival (LF): What drew you to this role in Murder at Ackerton Manor?

Andrew Scanlon (AS): Steven Gallagher, the writer and director of Murder at Ackerton Manor, is an old friend and one of my favourite theatre artists to collaborate with. Much like the work he creates, he is thoughtful, creative and incredibly funny. When he invited me to join the company of his joyful, original, zany play at Lighthouse, I immediately jumped at the chance! 

(LF): Can you describe your most memorable audience reaction?

(AS): After almost twenty-five years in live theatre, it’s hard to narrow it down to just one experience. I will say that over and over again, one of my favourite moment in the process of a show is the instant you come to places for the first time with an audience and hear the hum and energy of all those voices out there again. It never, ever, ever gets old. 

(LF): How do you approach character development for a complex role?

(AS): It’s easy to become overwhelmed in a big part. I always find the key is getting back to 2 fundamentals: What does my character want, and what are they doing to achieve it? When you can answer these questions clearly in every moment of the play, it’s easier to work outwards and address any of the larger, complex, more technical requirements of a part.

(LF): What are the challenges and rewards of live theatre compared to other forms of acting?

(AS): In theatre, so much work is done by so many people ahead of opening night: A completed script, decisions about characters,  relationships and staging, full design concepts. And when the curtain finally goes up, there’s no editing, no post-production, no do-overs. So, as actors, we must honour every element of that plan, in real time, ensuring everyone’s collaborative contributions come across exactly as they intended. It takes a lot of discipline, but it’s also a real honour.

(LF): How do you balance personal life and the demanding schedule of theatre productions? 

(AS): I’m a big sports fan. In recent years,  “recovery” has been accepted as a critical element of high level athletic performance. I really believe the same approach is needed for professional artists: Whether it be rest, time spent with friends and family, enjoying the outdoors, cooking, travel, reading, exercise… you just have to find time to include self-care and balance in your life, or your creative output won’t be nearly as rich or productive.

Last winter, Eliza-Jane Scott played someone we’ve all come to know, somewhat understand, and kinda love; the teenager with a smart phone! She also played in last summer’s first production, Come Down From Up River by Norm Foster. We’re very pleased that she’s back this summer, playing Ariadne Ackerton and other roles in Steven Gallagher’s comedic murder-mystery, Murder at Ackerton Manor. We chatted with Eliza-Jane to talk about the role of theatre in today’s society, what drew her to the role of Ariadne Ackerton, and what is the biggest misconception of working in theatre.

Lighthouse Festival (LF): How do you see the role of theatre in today’s society?

Eliza-Jane Scott (EJS): Seeing live theatre obviously brings people together but it’s what we learn about ourselves through sharing stories that uplift and celebrate life. I am so grateful to have had a life in the theatre as both a performer and an audience member!

(LF): What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

(EJS): The most rewarding part of my job is putting a smile on people’s faces, or a tear in their eye. I feel so connected to audiences: it’s their presence that makes me feel so connected to life!

(LF): What drew you to this role in Murder at Ackerton Manor?

(EJS):  The comedy aspects of the play definitely drew me to this role. It’s such a fun and zany comedy….it’s absurdity at its best and I so love comedy!

(LF): What are the challenges and rewards of live theatre compared to other forms of acting?

(EJS): Live theatre is like being at church for me: being with community, witnessing each other and our shared experiences. 

(LF): What do you think is the biggest misconception people have about working in theatre? 

(EJS): Perhaps people don’t understand how much work and sacrifice is involved in making theatre…but perhaps they do. I’m just very grateful that people support the theatre and the community.