JAMES STRECKER: If you were asked for 50 words for an encyclopedia to summarize what you do, or have done, in the arts, what would you say?
PETER KRANTZ; I am a Canadian actor, working predominately in theatre. I have also many television and film credits, but my main focus has always been live theatre, most of it in the classics. My first professional contract was with the CBC for a television pilot in 1978. I have been acting for almost 40 years.
JS: What important beliefs do you express in or through your work?
PK: To be an actor is a constant learning experience. We study life, and try and express, in many different ways, the human condition. We must be open to everything. Our belief is in man, his ability to create art, and to give meaning to our existence.
JS: Name two people, living or dead, whom you admire a great deal and tell us why for each one.
PK: Christopher Newton. He was my first real mentor and the father of much of what we like to call repertory theatre here in Canada. He founded Theatre Calgary, moved on to the Playhouse in Vancouver and then over 20 years at the Shaw Festival. His vision of an ensemble of actors was the real success of his years at the Festival, and was the reason I worked there for 28 seasons.
Neil Munro. Apart from being a fantastic actor, Neil also wrote plays, and then became one of Canada’s leading theatre directors. He used a different method for approaching the work and inspired many with his humanistic bending of rules, passionate and intelligent directing. I was lucky enough to be in 8 of his productions.
JS: How have you changed since you began to do creative work?
PK: I have been doing creative work for most of my life, so I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t. Beginning in high school, where I had a penchant for creative writing and drama, then Ryerson Theatre School, and then work in the arts for about 16 years straight. I took a few years off in the 90’s raising children, getting divorced and working a real job. When I got back to acting I believe I had improved having taken the time away. Don’t know why, maybe just growing up, getting knocked around for a while. At any rate, most of the great roles I was blessed with came after this time and so for me that was my big change, living in the real world, then getting back to creative work. I think it gave me an appreciation of how hard it is for the great majority of people who work in dead end jobs, or lifeless careers, trying to get ahead or just keeping their heads above the water. I like working class people and working with them and observing life away from the theatre, this gave me a life lesson I had not had early in my career. I had started working on a CBC pilot before I had even finished theatre school.
JS: What are your biggest challenges as a creative person?
PK: An actor has some of the biggest challenges as a creative being. He is dependant on many others for his artistry. Just getting hired is of course our biggest challenge. There have been times when work has been scarce for me, but I have also been one of those lucky actors to have had long-term work for a number of years. For many talented actors scarcity of work is the supreme challenge. Then after being hired we are still dependant on a script, a director, a designer and finally an audience. All of these can help or hinder our creativity. So, lots of challenges.
JS: Please describe at least one major turning point in your life.
PK: One of the key turning points of my life was in the summer of 1999. I had returned to the Shaw Festival after a six-year hiatus. I had a solid season playing Maxim de Winter in Rebecca, directed by Chris Newton and George in All My Sons, directed by Neil Munro. Rebecca was a fantastic hit, but I never felt comfortable all through rehearsal. Chris didn’t seem to know what to do with me, and I was beginning to wonder if coming back was the best thing for me. I did my best, Severn Thomson played the young Mrs. and Sharry Flett stole the show as Mrs. Danvers. My second show was a life changing event. Miller’s All My Sons. From the first rehearsal I knew somehow this was going to be different. Neil’s approach helped me relax into the part, and maybe for the first time I realized how important listening was to the art of acting. Neil gave me confidence and a new look at myself and the work. We worked together seven more times and I believe his entering into my life was one of the best things that ever happened to me.
JS: What are the hardest things for an outsider to understand about what you do?
PK: Many times we hear the question “How do you learn all those lines?” It’s a fair question, the majority have tried to memorize something and found it impossible. It’s never been a problem for me but I understand the awe we seem to inspire just reciting something from memory. No, the one thing I think outsiders wonder, and often ask is, “So do you do this for a living?” Or, “So what else do you do?” It always stumps us. Especially if we have been a veteran actor at the Shaw Festival and someone is asking this question at a talk back after the show. Did I seem that amateurish? Was my acting so seamless that it didn’t look like work? Can you regard acting in a play as work? Isn’t it just fun and games? The old “rogues and vagabonds” denigration. Sometimes we wonder if the public realizes how much work has gone into making it seem like no work. And for some of the work, how much of a cost, emotionally and physically the acting is. I don’t think many of them understand that.
JS: How and why did you begin to do creative work in the first place?
PK: I was mostly aimless in my early youth. My parents moved around a lot. We grew up in an affluent neighbourhood of Toronto, Rosedale, but moved every few years. My father was a television writer when I was young, had a few CBC hits, wrote and created Razzle Dazzle, eventually moved into news, and then producing. I met creative people early in my life, but had no spark then. In fact, I failed grade 10 entirely. Spent most of my days in the local pool hall down the street at Sherbourne and Wellesley. Was taught a mean stick by a short pool shark with a pool cue for a cane. Wish I could remember his name. Anyway, got caught up with whatever else goes on in pool halls, which ended up bad, addicted to speed and pan handling on Yonge St. This is the 70’s man. Figured it out. Got cleaned up. Then in grade 11 I fell in love for the first time, discovered literature and poetry, and wanted to be a writer. My father got a job he couldn’t refuse, heading the CBC news for Atlantic Canada so we moved to Halifax. I pined for my new love, and wrote, but then was coerced into auditioning for a play at my new high school. I got the part, had a wild success, played another part at Dalhousie University with real actors, auditioned for Ryerson Theatre School and the rest is history as they say.
JS: What haven’t you attempted as yet that you would like to do and please tell us why?
PK: I want to direct. I always have, but I always got acting parts, and it is hard to meld both. Some have, and done well, but I was too worried about keeping my acting career. Many actors who have worked with me have always asked my why I don’t direct. I had a reputation for throwing my two cents in, but always because I could see how something could be better. I think I have an eye and an ear for directing and intend to pursue it in the future. In my experience, the best directors have all been good actors as well.
JS: What are your most meaningful achievements?
PK: That is an easy one. My two children.
JS: What advice would you give a young person who would like to do what you do?
PK: Be creative in any way you can. Do it because you love it. Do it because there isn’t anything else in the whole world you would rather do. Don’t do it for the money. Don’t do it because you want to be famous. Don’t read your reviews.
JS: Of what value are critics?
PK: I think they are necessary. I think constructive, healthy criticism is good. Unfortunately, we don’t have that kind of critic writing today. Many follow agendas, show bias, and display downright ignorance of what good work is, and indeed, what their place in the creation of theatrical performance is. Because they have a place. Not as much as our respected actors, directors and dramatists, but they do have a value if they are any good. Exposing what is inferior, praising what is worthy. Help truly relevant and good work to have its due.
JS: What do you ask of your audience?
PK: Unadulterated devotion. Kidding. I guess what any actor asks for from an audience is just to listen. If you do, hopefully if we are any good, we can do the rest. If the material or our performance makes it difficult for people to do that, we expect their good grace and hope they accept at least the attempt.
JS: What specifically would you change about what goes on in the world and the arts?
PK: There has to be more of an appreciation of teaching about the arts in our education system. While I had the luck of having theatre arts courses, many institutions have scaled back, theatre, music and many of the visual arts programs and concentrated on technology and maths. I was also lucky that I had a European mother who loved classical music, and art. Many people don’t have much of an artistic bent, but there are many that do, who are persuaded that following any dream in the arts is a recipe for poverty. It is for the most part. I am one of a very lucky few who have made a fairly consistent living in theatre, for many it is a constant state of unemployment followed by some temporary work followed by more unemployment. I do think more, not less art is needed in this world. Studies have shown that kids exposed to arts early, do better in whatever chosen field they may end up in. If we do that, more kids will follow their dreams, creating more audience along the way, which will create more revenues to allow people to make a living in the arts. In turn that will again inspire those wondering what to do with their lives. One big artsy circle. Its a win win.
JS: If you could relive one experience from your creative life, what would it be and why would you do so?
PK: Play Elwood P Dowd in Harvey again. Actually I did reprise my performance at the University of North Colorado, and would do it again and again if the opportunity arose. Jimmy Stewart, who starred in the movie of course, played him on stage well into his 70’s. When we did Harvey in 2010 I really had no idea that it would be the hit that it was. I know I was probably about the 3rd or 4th choice for the part. For the first time in my career I actually asked for the role. I never liked to because on the one side if you are no good, it’s your fault for wanting the role in the first place, and if you are good, you take away the director’s brilliance in casting you. I didn’t ask for it because I knew what a brilliant play it was or had a burning desire to play Elwood, but mostly because a couple of my peers had persuaded me that I was right for the role. Joe Ziegler was directing so I reached out to him, and it turned out that he too was touting me for the role. I found out later that Joe was offered to star or direct and he chose the latter so that is how I lucked into the best part of my career. I began to love Elwood, his softness, his gentlemanly way, his inner pain but outward belief in the decency of man. Who wouldn’t want to relive a performance when a gigantic roar and an instant standing ovation greeted every curtain call!?
JS: Tell us what it feels like to be a figure who is presented somehow in the media. What effect does this presence have on you?
PK: It is kind of a mixed blessing. On the one hand we need the media to have a presence in the industry, to keep our names floating about. On the other hand, too much exposure can typecast you, good reviews can go to your head and bad reviews can hurt. Sometimes permanently. For me, I am inherently shy and so being made public in the media can sometimes be traumatic. We can also be the target for the sake of political ends. I did a production at Theatre Calgary when Ralph Klein was mayor. He had had some press for his “creeps and bums from the east” comments concerning the raise in the crime rate in Calgary. The reviewer for the Calgary Sun used the quote in his pan of our play, Criminals in Love by George F Walker. He had had an ongoing feud with the theatre management, Martin Kinch who was from Toronto and who he didn’t like. So along with the playwright and fellow Ontarians, director Bill Lane, Rolly Hewgill, Gail Garnet and myself, we were open targets. The words I remember from the review were, “So Mayor Klein was right, not only is the east responsible for all creeps and bums on our streets, now it’s responsible for what goes on Theatre Calgary’s stage.” I wrote a letter to the editor complaining that it sounded like the reviewer was comparing us to creeps and bums, not to mention criminals, which he surely was, even though we were just actors trying to do a play! I demanded an apology. The letter was printed, and I got a written response from Mayor Klein in which he apologized for his misinterpreted remarks but I never heard from the reviewer.
JS: Name two places you would like to visit, one you haven’t been to and one to experience again and briefly tell us why.
London, England. I need to go to London. One place I have never been. It being the centre of English speaking theatre. History is one of my passions. I had an inspiring history teacher in Grade 9, and it was all about the Kings and Queens of England and feudalism, the middle ages. First time I actually enjoyed school. I love art, the renaissance and impressionistic eras are favourites and sometimes instead of going to theatre I will go to a gallery. So, London is very big on that list. One place I have been to and intend to go again is Amsterdam. I have family there, but not only that, the best artwork ever created in my humble opinion. The Golden Age in Dutch painting produced two of the undisputed masters in Rembrandt and Vermeer and then the king of Impressionists van Gogh.
JS: Please tell us about one or more projects that you have been working on, are preparing, or have recently completed. Why do they matter to you and why should they matter to us?
PK: Last summer I worked on a new Norm Foster play called Lunenburg at the Foster Festival in St. Catharines. It was my first exposure to a Foster play and it was extremely pleasant one. Norm has just been awarded the Order of Canada, and as you may know is one of Canada’s most prolific playwrights, which has exposed him to the criticism of being a little lighter fare. Some like to term him Canada’s Neil Simon. Not so with Lunenburg. It had heart, good writing, well drawn characters, and lots of laughs. It was one of the hits of this growing festival. Originated by the tireless general manager Emily Oriold, and the Artistic Director Patricia Vanstone, it will be putting on its third year in 2018. I will be part of that season, in another new play TBA. They will be doing four plays next year, two new and two classic plays of Norm’s. Having worked on Lunenburg and hearing other actors’ experiences of working on his earlier classics, I am beginning to term Norm Foster’s work as definitely underrated. They also have plans to add more new plays by other Canadian writers to their future seasons.
JS: Let’s talk about the state of the arts in today’s society, including the forms in which you work. What specifically gives you hope and what specifically do you find depressing?
PK: People will always create art. That is inherent. Whether we support it or not. Art expresses who we are. It is our culture. We celebrate it enough to build galleries and concert halls and theatres. But now attendance is down, across the board for live theatre, music and dance. Even the movie theatres are suffering. You can download anything you want, at any time, right from your living room. The general recompense for your creation, if you are the creator, is minuscule after all the big wigs have taken their share. In the theatre, production costs have mounted with unionized workers and increased support workers as well as actors’ salaries to make ticket prices beyond many peoples’ budgets. Another aspect of change has to do with the younger actor of today. He or she represents a swath of our society, one that has to be reflected with diversity on the stage. But because of the sheer number of new actors coming out of more and more training grounds, the pool has grown, the youth are kicking at the heels of the newly middle-aged and forcing them into fighting the older actors for the older actors’ parts. Many who may have continued working in the past, are forced into sporadic work or retirement. Its a double-edged sword. We want the youth. We just want them to be patient, like we were, pay some dues, and watch and learn. They’re too busy looking down at their phones connected to the universe or watching over their shoulders for the next wave coming after them. In the end I think the audience is who suffers. Of course, you can blow everything up, women can play men, men can play women, young can be old, old can play young. It is my belief that classic plays, and in fact most plays work better when they reflect the authors intent, and much of that would be reflected in its casting. So, I guess what I am saying is, it is fantastic that we have a young burgeoning diverse arts community, but let’s not forget about our older members and our audience.
JS: Finally, what do you yourself find to be the most intriguing and/or surprising thing about you?
PK: That I got through these twenty questions. Kidding again. It was actually sort of cathartic.
Since I have been talking about myself for the last nineteen questions you would think I would be used to it by now. Not. I think a big perception about me is one of supreme self-confidence, bordering on arrogance. Used to be termed cocky. In reality, like most creative people, I am shy and self-critical. I think sometimes I haven’t really done anything, but then I look at my resume and suddenly tell myself that is a lot of plays you have been in. Many more than you thought you would be in, and many more than a vast number of talented actors. You have been celebrated, and berated. You are a good actor. And that is all you ever wanted to be known as. Wish there would be more work right now for a good actor!