A Midwinter’s Dream Tale: A Very Serious Conversation with AL Connors*
*AL and HM are married, and as such are completely incapable of having a serious conversation
Photo courtesy - Andrew Alexander
HM: AL Connors. First of all, I would like to thank you for joining me in the house that we both live in.
AL: It is a pleasure to be here, as always, Heather Marie.
HM: I wanted to ask you a few questions about “A Midwinter’s Dream Tale”, opening this week at the GCTC, very big deal…
AL: Yup.
HM: Can you give me your basic 140-character summary of what the show is?
AL: #GCTCmwdt is about two clowns on a quest for ice cream who get wrapped up in a Shakespearean mash-up of the characters from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and some of the storylines from “The Winter’s Tale”.
HM: And the two protagonists in this story are…
AL: Two clowns, named Pomme Frites and ‘Restes, played by Scott Florence and Margo MacDonald.
HM: Right. And this isn’t the first time that audiences have seen Pomme and ‘Restes – I wonder if you could talk a bit about the genesis of those two characters.
Photo courtesy - Andrew Alexander
AL: Pomme and ‘Restes were first seen on stage at the 2001 Ottawa Fringe Festival in a show called “The Danish Play” (later re-made as “Shakespeare’s Danish Play”)…but rehearsing Danish Play in 2001, I don’t remember Scott or Margo ever ‘workshopping’ either Pomme or ‘Restes.. I just remember them being Pomme and ‘Restes, and, me trying to keep up as the clown named Landis in that play. So, yeah, Pomme and ‘Restes, to my knowledge, poofed into existence in 2001.
HM: That’s amazing. Midwinter’s Dream Tale takes place in what we’re told is a winter wonderland, but it’s sort of a magical winter wonderland – can you tell me about the world of the play?
AL: Yeah, it’s a land inhabited by fairies. Presumably if you’re familiar with Shakespeare, you’ll start to place the setting in reference to a “Midsummer Night’s Dream” because we’re talking about Oberon and Titania, the King and Queen of the fairies. Oberon suspects Titania of being unfaithful, which is one of the stories from “Winter’s Tale”, and he suspects that she’s been with a mortal, which is presumably Bottom from “Midsummer Night’s Dream”. And it’s been about nine months since that play, so, I guess we’re outside the Athenian woods in a crazy snowy Canadian winter? Kind of? Really, it’s fairyland.
HM: Um, do we want to address the fact that our cat is meowing incessantly?
AL: That depends on what you intend to use this recording for…I was told you were going to transcribe this. But if it’s going to be released, the cat clearly has opinions.
HM: I think she wants to be included.
AL: Yes. There is no reason why she shouldn’t be.
HM: This is the first ever co-production between a Company of Fools and the GCTC – how did that happen?
AL: I don’t really know, honestly. When we produced the show in 2009, Lise Ann and a whole bunch of folks came to see the play. I know that immediately following, Scott or Margo or both had conversations with the Great Canadian Theatre Company that were ‘hey wouldn’t it be great if we could do this big silly show at your house’. And then…14 months of nothing…and then I found out through Scott Florence, who was doing all of the actual wheeling and dealing on behalf of the show, that it was happening. Then we had to hold our tongues (that was in November/December) and not tell anyone about it until April, when the GCTC announced their season. So, that was hard. I told all kinds of people. I was pretty excited.
HM: Well, you are the director of this show…
AL: Yup.
HM: …and you directed it in 2009, and for that work you were nominated for a Rideau Award…
AL: I suppose I was.
HM: …what’s it like to be working as a director at the GCTC?
AL: I’ve had nothing but very positive experiences working at the GCTC – first as sound designer for the Lawyer Play, for Mr. Pat Gauthier’s “The Crucible” – and I feel very fortunate for the opportunity to work on that show; to get to know everyone in the theatre and get to know how that building works, before having to come in as a director. So that experience was great for all sorts of reasons. This time around, yeah… I could totally work there, just, forever. Or at least, I don’t hate it yet. It’s still all fun and exciting and new, and a novelty for me. Everybody’s been very supportive and, I’m sure it helps that the show we’re working on is a big, inclusive, ridiculous affair that is easy for people to get excited about. You know, all the stuff gets moved into the building, and you know that there’s clowns on site, all the time.
HM: So…let’s talk about the fact there are clowns on site all the time. What is it like to direct clowns?
AL: You have to resign yourself to the fact that…um, they’re gonna want to do what they want to do, and so…sometimes you have to ask Pomme and ‘Restes what they want in a scene. It’s great. It’s truly…look, let me put it this way: working with clowns, in real life, as a professional, you’re basically just in a somewhat state of make-believe, all the time. There’s always some play happening when Pomme and ‘Restes are in the room. Period. And you can try to overthink it, which is what I just did – but the bottom line is: when clowns are in the room, at some level, no matter how hard you’re working or how frustrated you are, there’s still some play happening.
HM: Right. So, Midwinter’s Dream Tale is a comedy…
AL: Yeah, I hope so.
HM: …you work a lot in comedy…
AL: I enjoy working in comedy, yes.
HM: Tell me about directing comedy. Who are your influences when it comes to your own brand of comedy?
AL: I have never been asked who my influences are…in any situation…before…
HM: Inquiring minds want to know, AL Connors.
AL: Yeah, well, they’re about to find out. And you know who most of these influences are: I’m a fan of Judd Apatow movies, big fan of Will Ferrell…growing up my folks showed me Monty Python, so, British comedy stuff…um, lately, Stephen Colbert is probably my favourite comedian…that type of political satire is fun…I don’t have it in me to do that kind of comedy, but I enjoy it.
HM: So what kind of comedy are you thinking about when you’re directing Midwinter’s?
AL: I guess if I had to put a label on it, the kind of comedy I’m thinking about is Company of Fools.
HM: Nice.
AL: ‘Cause I’ve worked with them for over 10 years now, and over that time I’ve really come to respect and understand that flavour of comedy – it is pretty unique to that company. And I’ve watched other people try to do it, and have it be a struggle, ’cause it’s a really difficult style of comedy to pull off. Partly because… it’s in the bones of that style of comedy to be accessible. It has to be accessible to the whole rainbow of ages, and, basically we’re forcing ourselves to work within that box – to come up with ways to get the most out of not breaking all the rules. (to the cat) Isn’t that right, kitty?
HM: (to the cat) Kitty, we are doing a very serious interview right now, and you need to respect that. Now be quiet.
So, back to the topic of inspiration…
AL: You really told our cat off. And she listened…is the most impressive thing…I just had to comment on that.
HM: You just have to reason with her.
AL: I guess I didn’t give the cat enough credit.
HM:<ahem> Inspirations.
AL: Yes.
HM: How much have I inspired you, during this creative process?
AL: Um…well…okay…the writing process for the play started in August of 2009, and throughout that Fall, the Fools would have these writing meetings, where we’d get on our feet for some bits and we’d pitch story ideas…we’d get homework where everyone would have to come up with a scene and bring it back. And so I’d come home from some of these meetings, and like, toss ideas around with you, in a similar manner. And, in memory, because I love you, some of those ideas get mishmashed together, and I can’t remember whose idea some things were…
HM: That’s okay. I am just surprised you came up with an answer to that question, cause I was just kidding.
And finally, AL Connors, opening night is this Thursday night…what will you be wearing?
AL: <Sigh> I don’t know. Probably this pinky, pinstripey shirt I have that matches, or at least ties in with, some of the costumes in the show, and then with that, maybe a white tie.
HM: Thank you for this.
AL: Hey, it was my pleasure. I am happy to talk about myself.
A Midwinter’s Dream Tale, a Company of Fools production, opens December 1st at the GCTC and runs until December 18th. Family pricing is available, please see gctc.ca for all the details.
Tags: A Midwinter's Dream Tale, AL Connors, clowns, Company of Fools, GCTC, Hather-Marie Connors, Holiday theatre productions, Ottawa theatre, Ottawa Tonite, Shakespeare, The Great Canadian Theatre Company
December 2nd, 2011 at 1:35 pm
I think all arts interviews should be conducted by their significant other.