'The Self-Isolated Artist' Series: Toronto Profile of Breton Lalama
Interview conducted by Vancouver company Fabulist Theatre’s , Damon Bradley Jang
Tell me a little about your artistic practice as it sounds like you're multifaceted.
The word "multifaceted" makes me think of a bunch of faucets all lined up. I guess I'm dipping into that self isolation weirdness, hey?!
I'm a stand-up comic, a playwright, a poet, a performer. I typically perform about three shows a week in Comedy venues across Toronto, playing accordion and making quirky jokes that are occasionally politically charged and occasionally just stupid. I'm an actor, currently nominated for a Merritt Award for Outstanding Performance in a Featured Role for playing Ash, the first specified non binary character in mainstream Equity Canadian Theatre, in Pleasureville. I like to explore overlooked parts of human life, small moments, and make people question, think, and feel- and laugh. That's important!
You had mentioned before about a project you had cancelled. I love the idea of content on Dark Day Monday. Tell me more about that.
Dark Day Monday is a curated monthly performance series featuring artists who defy expectations and break boundaries. It is run by the amazing Wes Babcock and Thea Fitz James by visiting https://www.darkdaymonday.com/.
Dark Day Monday is focused on representing diverse performance talent from all genres and disciplines. "We want to see something different."
JA Martino of tapestryopera.com and I created a piece on queerness and not seeing queer people as youth. It was a dance/movement/spoken word/comedy piece that we were both very excited about. We are hoping to be able to do it in future!
You also mentioned going to do Rocky Horror with Neptune Theatre. Amazing! Who were you playing?
I was playing Riff Raff!! First trans masc professional Riff Raff in the history of the world! Hopefully the show still happens. Here's a link to the season launch: https://bit.ly/2U4MDli
What is the hardest part about your current situation right now?
Oof. Definitely income. I've already lost a lot of money due to canceled work and gigs. Somewhat hilariously, I am also in the middle of moving cross country! Neptune Theater offered me lots of work so I put a security deposit on a Halifax apt. for an April 1 move in date ... and cannot afford to not follow through! So I'm struggling to move cross country as a questionably employed artist making zero current income at the end of the world.
Seeing my friends' and family's passion projects get canceled is also hard- projects into which they poured so much money, time, and love. It's necessary, but it doesn't stop the loss from feeling like a bruise.
What are some of the things you have been doing to keep yourself busy?
As well as being an artist, I supplement my income as a social media content creator. Luckily, I still have a little bit of work rolling in from these avenues of employment- minute amounts, mind you, an hour a day or so, but I gratefully take it. Other than that, it's all about keeping the body in shape- I do a lot of tricks-y type things and work in physical theatre/combat, so keeping fit is integral to the success of my career. I have been doing my best to stay active while isolated, but I have to say that I do miss the gym!
I've been using downtime to connect with other artists, like you guys- thank you! One positive of COVID-19 is that it has allowed artists across the continents the time to connect with each other in dialogue the likes of which we normally wouldn't have the time to explore.
I've been revisiting my plays. I'm a playwright and I had a reading of one of my plays scheduled for my arrival in Halifax- obviously this has been canceled. I'm reworking it now because I have the time and I have been wanting to do this for some time. The play will also be featured in a live reading staged via livestream thanks to Villains Theatre Halifax.
I'm reading a lot. I'm looking outside. I'm eating. And of course, as I mentioned earlier, I'm in the process of moving across the country- which takes up a lot of mental space. I also write better while I'm in transit. Driving these uber quiet and silent highways is a proving a good midwife for ideas.
Do you think there is a light in the dark (had to make a Next 2 Normal reference)
HA! Well played! I do- the fact that we are connecting in ways that we didn't used to have the time to entertain- like this. I would never be engaged in this email interview with you if it were not for COVID-19. That's just a fact. Isolation breeds restlessness which encourages art-making and idea generation and fiery, driven pursuit of collaboration. I am grateful for these by-products of COVID-19 (this newly invigorated craving for meaningful human connection that I have been observing; the desire to hold Big Corporate accountable post-COVID-19; artists supporting artists in exciting ways) even though I am upset about COVID-19 itself; COVID-19 is problematic and unhealthy, but the humanity it is encouraging is both healthy and invigorating.
What are your suggestions to other artists to keep their spirits up?
Keep making work. Society looks to us to hold a mirror up to them- in this time, we have the unique opportunity of an audience connected in experience but vastly bored; they are looking to us more willingly than ever before. They can't pay LOL- but their attention is present. Remember that we are humans first and professionals second. We have spent the time honing these crafts to generate income, yes, but firstly, to make people question, think, and feel. Remembering that and really tapping into it will help us to continue to create art in this very trying, emotionally draining time. Also- remember to PLAY. Things can feel so heavy and serious these days, so it's so important to hold on to a sense of fun.
Build a blanket fort. Put music on and dance around the room because you're alive and you can. Skype your friend for virtual dance lessons. FaceTime your favourite musical director and work some new pieces for your book. People are generous of spirit right now, because they have the time to be. We're living through a re framing of values- a re-establishing of what "wealth" looks like, feels like, and can be. Right now, human connection and artistic collaboration are establishing themselves as prime currencies, because we're short on actual dollars but rich on spare time, which [if properly employed] translates to being rich in ideas. Do what makes you FEEL rich- and share that wealth with your fellow artist.
Why do you love performing?
Oh, for so many reasons. I am so ALIVE when I'm performing. For musical theatre - it's pure fun. For the rest of the stuff I do on stages in front of people [comedy and straight theatre and performance art and spoken word and physical theatre] - I have this need within me to influence positive change. I take ideas that I feel are deeply important to the human experience, things that I perceive to be the purest (often uncomfortable) truths, and I share them in ways that entertain but also provoke questioning and interpersonal dialogue.
I love to wield art as a political force. I went to school for politics and quickly decided that art is the avenue of the most effective political change making- because it wears the disguise of entertainment and communicates directly with the masses, as opposed to politics, which can often feel like a fancy ball to which one cannot afford the required attire to attend. I love to be so alive and loving life on stage- I love to share my passion with people, and give them something to hold onto when they are sad. I love being able to comfort, inspire, demand action, provoke change, all while doing what I love. I love getting to work with people I respect and admire in order to create art that excites both the creators and the audiences, art that influences people to positively impact their worlds.
Now, as a nod to the late James Lipton and ‘Inside the Actors’ Studio’, here are a few lighter questions:
1. What is your favorite word?
It changes. I become fond of words as i read them. I like words that do a good job at tasting and sounding like their definition. right now i am pretty into the word ‘fatidic’: having a prophetic quality. I like it! I like how fatidic sounds like a spell. I also like how much those three syllables can mean- they're fortune tellers.
2. What is your least favorite word?
COVID-19 ! I'm so tired of hearing it. That doesn't really count though ... so I will say "essentially" because I dated a person who chronically misused this word and it drove me insane. I hate any words that are chronically misused- "literally", "ironically" are two others that come to mind.
3. What turns you on?
Honesty. passion. drive. skill. a sense of adventure, a celebration of spontaneity, a wicked sharp, dark humour, a commitment to fun.
4. What turns you off?
Unprovoked violence. unnecessary rudeness. interrupting people. preciousness- not being able to take forthrightly because of someone's delicate sense of self/ego.
5. What sound or noise do you love?
I love the sound of mandolin. mandolins playing all together is so so good. i also love the sound of summer night- crickets, someone laughing in the distance, water, the crackle of a fire. i also LOVE the sound of an overture. a band warming up in the pit- goosebumps.
6. What is your favorite curse word?
FUCK! it's just so FUCKIN satisfying. the mouth feel, the way it pops.
7. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
I would love to try lighting/sound design. or journalism, on site in areas of crisis, talking to people, sharing their stories to allow others to perceive them as individuals as opposed to statistics (this is what I originally pursued via school!).
8. What profession would you not like to do?
Accounting. I would be terrible at it and it would be terrible for my mental health.
9. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?
"That was some BS down there, eh, but the scenery is nice."
FOLLOW MORE ABOUT BRETON BY VISITING https://bretonlalama.workbooklive.com