Directors Anthea Morritt (Love and Light), Sophy Romvari (Happily Ever After), and Jess Marlow (an•thro•poph•a•gy)
Take a second and learn about the talented directors taking Little Mountain Lion’s Short Play Showcase to the next level. Don’t let the photo fool you, they aren’t a new-wave riot grrrl band – at least not yet. Scroll down below to get some insight into these fantastic directors.
Directors
Sophy Romvari – Happily Ever After
Anthea Morritt – Love & Light
Jess Marlow – an•thro•poph•a•gy
LML: What intrigues you about the characters in this play?
SR: The satire. It’s always fun to have characters that are representative of a larger genre and theme, and playing with those stereotypes to make a point can be lots of fun. The characters have a great dynamic between the three of them that leaves lots of room for play.
AM: Craig, the sole character in Love and Light, is intriguing to me because he manages to make something ridiculous, silly and even bordering on crazy, boil down to loneliness, companionship and love. At times he is almost a clown character; the comedy is raucous, big, and playful, but at other times he is so simple and true, which is something that I love about both him and this show, you never know where it’s going to take you.
JM:Their courage. Effy is the older of the two, outgoing and enthusiastic, but she tends towards anxiety and perfectionism. She’s less experienced than she appears, and though she has some baggage from a previous relationship and she’s never dated a woman before, she goes for it anyway, and bravely displays all her vulnerabilities and insecurities to Ren. Ren also has some baggage from previous relationships, and in her efforts to prove to herself that she is capable of a ‘grown-up’ relationship, she pushes herself past the limits of her own comfort zone and tries again and again to forge a connection with Effy, even at the risk of her own life.
LML: Favourite movie, and why?
SR: My go-to answer is always The Royal Tenenbaums – one of the films that inspired me to go to film school. The attention to detail, the amazing characters, and the dysfunctional family/black comedy all really tickle my fancy.
AM: Away We Go. It would have been hard for me to dislike this movie, what with my deep love for both John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph, but it isn’t just the leads that make it great. It is hard to pick a favorite movie but this one definitely ranks high for me; it is both poignant and sweet as well as wonderfully weird and funny. A rom com I can love as an actor as well as an audience.
JM:In Bruges. The cinematography, the soundtrack, the script, the performances – but mostly that the city itself becomes the main character in the narrative.
LML: Favourite book & why?
SR: The BFG by Roald Dahl… mostly for nostalgia reasons. I think this is one of the first books I read that had a main character named Sophie in it. I remember reading it with my dad and being swept away by the magical world of dreams.
AM:Lullabies for Little Criminals. This book is written from a tragic situation, rather than about it, and therefore instead of being a heavy, depressing sob story, it is beautiful, innocent and heartbreaking. Not for one second does this book feel sorry for itself and I love and admire it for that. It sits somewhere between a novel and a long poem and I find I can read it again and again and still discover.
JM:Green Grass, Running Water by Thomas King. This book could have been written by the Trickster themself. It consistently subverts Judeo-Christian narratives and pokes fun at European-style storytelling, rewriting histories and creation stories from the perspective of Indigenous people who so often go unheard. It’s deeply funny, entertaining, and witty, while also packing a powerful political punch. It’s a book that changes the way you look at the world, and it will stay with you for a long time.
LML: Name some other local artists/performers/entertainers/organizations etc. that interest you & why?
SR: Alex Badger and Alex Marusyk – It’s really inspiring to work with people who are so passionate about music, it’s always a treat to see them perform. I also had the pleasure of having Alex M score my last film.
AM: It is hard for me to not mention Studio 58 here. I was blessed to graduate with an incredibly talented group of people, who you can see performing all around town with Bard on the Beach, Ensemble Theatre Company, Théâtre la Seizième etc. But it is not just Studio I admire, but the vast wealth of talent coming out of all the schools and programs in this city. There is so much young talent in Vancouver and whether it is in new work, or on the large stages, it is always exciting to see the incredible emerging artists that come from here.
JM: Young writers and playwrights that are emerging from institutions around the city. There seems to be a new wave of optimism for the arts in Vancouver, and in the face of budget cuts and minimal resources, countless groups of young people are banding together to create theatre and tell the stories of their generation. I am so excited that young people are creating new work and speaking their experiences – and what a treat it is to be involved in that storytelling, and to listen.
