James Strecker: To start, please give me a few reasons why a Canadian audience of today should see a production of Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People from 1882.
Laura Condlln: I think this story and this production will especially resonate with a Canadian audience right at this very moment because we are right in the thick of a Federal Election. I think the play has the potential to provoke and politicize an audience, and the themes invite the audience – both figuratively and literally – to debate about our society.
JS: What to you is noteworthy about this specific production at the Tarragon?
LC: It’s a stimulating and thrilling piece of theatre that explodes through the ‘fourth wall’ in a way I’ve never experienced before.
JS: An actress who once did an Ibsen run on Broadway later told me something like this: Ibsen can be a difficult playwright to act because his plays have a lot of dialogue and are inherently weighty in atmosphere, thus they have a somewhat claustrophobic effect on all concerned. What would you say to that?
LC: I’m sure that’s true – Ibsen even reads that way off the page. However, our production is an extremely free spin on the original Ibsen text, and so it allows for great freedom and flexibility.
JS: Speaking and acting Ibsen……what adjustments and new approaches, if any, does each require on your part for this production?
LC: Our text is a translation by one of Tarragon’s playwrights in residence Maria Milisavljevic, based on an adaptation by Florian Borchmeyer. The original production was directed by Thomas Ostermeier at the Berlin Schaubühne Theatre. Our production is directly adapted from, and inspired by, that production. I mentioned before that this is an extremely free spin on the original Ibsen; the story, themes, rhetoric and relationships have roots in the original Ibsen, but this production is very contemporary. The text, the set, the costumes and the concept catapult us directly into 2015.
JS: In that vein, which playwright’s lines do you enjoy speaking most and which playwright has given you the most rewarding characters to act?
LC: It’s so difficult to choose a favourite! When I’m in a classical piece, I’m so happy and I think it’s the best; when I’m in a contemporary piece I’m so happy and think it’s the best. I’m easy to please. I love what I do, and feel so lucky each time I get to go on a journey inside a story. I’ve never met a character I didn’t like: some have darkness, and some light, and some are much more challenging to understand and get inside of than others, but ultimately it’s all rewarding.
JS: One thing I’ve appreciated about your acting in the past is how you can present a richly textured character to an audience as, at the same time, you imply a character’s inner world and thus make the audience come to you and be involved. Could you say a few words about what you try to achieve as an actor in a role?
LC: That’s so kind, thank you. I only ever want to do my best to represent what, and who, the playwright has written in the most real way I know how.
JS: Okay, the inevitable question. You’re a woman playing a guy, Doctor Stockman, indeed the main character, so is that a big deal? Or is it simply a case of sex-blind casting as we see in colour-blind casting elsewhere?
LC: Absolutely a case of Sex-blind casting. And why not? The play can absolutely support it. I am so grateful for the challenge and the opportunity, and must thank Richard Rose, the Artistic Director at the Tarragon and the director of the show, for having the idea and the faith to put a whole new lens on the production; and for inviting me to be a part of it.
JS: What do you bring of a woman’s physicality and sensibility to your role and what of a woman do you suppress or downplay in order to do Doctor Stockman?
LC: In this production, the character of Dr. Stockmann is a woman. It hasn’t occurred to me to heighten or hide anything to do with my femininity. For me, her gender is not the focus, the Dr.’s brain is my main focus because it’s her centre. She is ultra-focused – obsessed in fact – on her research and her work. She is thinking, thinking, thinking all the time. For me, she’s just a human being on a quest for the truth.
JS: In these difficult times for serious arts, could you tell us why theatre matters to you and why you give your life to it?
LC: Wow. That’s a big question that I’m not sure I can give proper due diligence… but I think that theatre is an expression of a basic human need to communicate, to connect, and to create meaning through narrative -we all do it, instinctually, as children – and this need brings people together. People – often strangers – gather together in one place for a couple of hours to share, witness, and contemplate a story – and hopefully are changed or affected in some way. In an age when most of our communication happens in front of a screen, when we are becoming more and more isolated and individualized, I think that this gathering function is, in and of itself, something that matters.
JS: You’ve worked in a number of theatrical companies, so please tell us what one tends to learn from other actors while performing with them. How does acting with others change an actor?
LC: Each time I join a new ensemble, there are always actors in the room by whom I am immediately humbled and inspired. I am constantly learning about generosity, rigour, patience, play, humour, empathy and compassion -which I hope makes me not only a better actor, but a better human.
JS: If you had to describe three people or situations that helped you to develop most as an actor, who or what would they be?
LC: Seana McKenna, Albert Schultz and the love of my life, my wife Jane Gooderham.
JS: Are there any mistakes that younger actors tend to make and, if so, what can they do about these?
LC: I think that sometimes the hunger for work can easily take a turn into ambition for success. I feel it’s important that all actors stay wide awake in the world and keep entitlement at bay, but humility and generosity close.
JS: You have a long list of credits at Stratford and I wonder several things: How does it feel to be an actor in this renowned company? Does the Festival’s past matter to you as an actor? How does an actor make life easier while living for a good part of the year in a small Ontario town with a demanding schedule to fulfil?
LC: I loved my time at Stratford, and will always have a deep affection for the company. And we love the town so much, we make our home there!
A repertory company is my favourite structure to be a part of, and though the schedule is indeed very busy and demanding, it is terrifically fulfilling. It’s great to have all the characters and narratives bouncing around in my head, begging for attention, and to juggle so many things at the same time. Not only that, I’m very happy rehearsing – I could rehearse forever – so rehearsing shows from March sometimes through until September was never a problem for me. And yes, the Festival is rich with history and tradition, and I feel very strongly that we should honour what came before us – not to be stuck in the past, but to know it and respect it. Especially with Shakespeare’s canon. He only wrote so many plays, so when they come around again and again, and you look back to see who played those parts before you, it feels as if you are part of a beautiful and hearty family tree.
JS: I missed your episode of Murdoch’s Mysteries and am now seeking it out, but what is it like doing a guest gig in this popular program?
LC: I had a wonderful time. And Yannick Bisson couldn’t be nicer or more welcoming.
JS: What does life in theatre have in store for you after this run at the Tarragon?
LC: Not sure exactly, but I look forward to the adventure.