‘The Self-Isolated Artist’ Series: Toronto Profile of Andrew Lamb
Joe Szekeres, Supervisory Toronto Critic (Twitter: @szekeresjoe/Insta: @reviewerguy60)
I’ve heard Andrew Lamb’s name over the years through the Association of Community Theatres – Central Ontario (ACT-CO) where he adjudicated productions. For 2019-2020, Andrew was the adjudicator for the Musical Theatre category. On account of the pandemic this year, ACT- CO presented its award ceremony streamed for the community theatres. I was finally able to place Andrew’s face with his name.
Andrew is a queer artist who is the Artistic Director of Roseneath Theatre in Toronto. Roseneath is a professional theatre for Young Audiences touring company that performs social justice and equity themed plays in schools and venues across North America. Andrew is a graduate of Concordia University. Recently, he was nominated for his third Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Direction in TYA (Bea Pizano's La Maleta - The Suitcase) and won a Canadian Comedy Award for his direction of the web series A Gay Victorian Affair.
We conducted our interview via email:
1. It has been nearly three months of isolation and quarantine. How have you been doing during this time? Is your immediate family doing well?
We’re doing okay, all things considered, in a world that is so different from the beginning of March. My husband and I live in a small one-bedroom condo, have both been working from home and thankfully we’ve found a good balance.
More recently I have been using this time to read, listen and reflect on how I can better support our BIPOC theatre colleagues and amplify their stories. Watching thee Black Like Me panel from the Stratford Festival, hearing Philip Akin on the recent PACT Town Hall and taking in many of the resources circulating on social media, has helped me to truly be honest with myself about where I have been complicit in, and supported systemic racism. This work is showing me where I have fallen short and where I must do better to support my BIPOC colleagues and decentralize myself as an artist, an educator and an administrator.
This quote from Kike Ojo-Thompson’s interview with ETFO (Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario) really resonated with me:
“A significant idea at the heart of systemic racism is that our systems are neutral,
that the system does not have value, preferences, or an identity, and that regardless
of who you are or where you’ve come from, the system will treat you the same. I’ve
come to understand that naming the system as not neutral is an act of courage,
particularly in a time and place where liberalism and more recently neoliberalism are
so normalized. There is a heavy societal investment in the idea that you can be
anything in this country if you simply work hard enough. This idea renders the system
inconsequential and serves to normalize the fact that particular groups consistently
do poorly within it.”
You can read the full interview with Kike Ojo-Thompson and ETFO here: (http://etfovoice.ca/feature/interview-kike-ojo-thompson?fbc1id=1wAR2-LzZbZ1tFroYBVcB1iMTICLZ5osITniUsT9yCFfwppxCWpnXBvNw5Hc)
2. As one of the adjudicators for this year’s ACT CO festival and virtual celebration, I’m sure you were probably at the very end of preparations from watching productions and getting your notes together. Did you have more productions to see when the pandemic was declared? Were you involved or being considered for any other projects outside ACT CO before the pandemic was declared and everything was shut down? If so, what has or what will become of these projects?
I was able to attend my last performance March 5, so I did see all of the musical productions in person. The other two adjudicators for Comedy and Drama did have to watch some recordings of their productions. I was incredibly impressed and inspired by the musicals I attended as part of the ACT-CO festival this season – a lot of exceptional talent out there!
Roseneath had two school tours planned of ‘Meet Cute’ and “Princess Frownsalot’ in the spring that had to be postponed into next season. Initially we thought they might be able to tour in the fall, but we have since shifted them to February 2021 as it’s highly unlikely a touring production will be allowed into schools until assemblies are able to happen again.
3. What has been the most difficult and/or challenging of this period of isolation for you?
The uncertainty. For everything, but particularly for our industry and all of the artists whose contracts have been cancelled or postponed. There’s a group on Facebook called ‘I Lost My Gig’ (http://facebook.com/groups/ILostMyGigCa) with over seven thousand members which has been an excellent place for artists to connect across the country for support, resources and opportunities during this pandemic.
4. What have you been doing to keep yourself busy during this time of lockdown?
At Roseneath we have been running our #RoseneathAtHome programming for young people since the middle of March, which has been keeping us busy. Our themed camps include Dungeons and Dragons (which is our most popular), Acting, Dance Choreo, Drag Style and Storytelling. In July we are also offering a Wizarding Camp, Comic Book Creation, Roseneath’s Got Talent and ASD Improv for young people on the Autism spectrum. Roseneath is also engaging a group of seven creators, prioritizing BIPOC artists, to develop 15-20-minute pieces for one or two performers to be live streamed into classroom during the coming school year. Here at home during the lockdown, my husband Robert Watson and I have been filming some videos for his Gay AF Comedy that usually happens as a live show at Comedy Bar the second Tuesday of every month. Here’s a link to our reality show parody called Quarantine Cheaters: (https://youtu.be/E4SaqYus_LM.)
5. Any words of wisdom or sage advice you would give to other performing artists who are concerned about the impact of COVID-19? What about to the new theatre graduates who are just out of school and may have been hit hard? Why is it important for them not to lose sight of their dreams?
If you are an artist currently receiving the CERB payments, please consider signing this petition to extend those payments that was started by the Directors Guild of Canada:
I would also encourage anyone to write to their government officials (City Councillor, MP, MPP) to let them know your situation and the challenges you are facing. I know a lot of artists have appreciated the support from the government, but we know the impact on our sector is going to continue well into next season – so hopefully we se the support for artists to continue.
For recent theatre graduates – self-care is key during this time, so listen to your body, your mind and your heart. Don’t feel you have to be creating or doing something, but if you do have a thought or idea – go with it. If you’re up to finding a couple of new monologues to rehearse up the for the return of auditions, read some plays and enjoy these new discoveries.
6. Any words of wisdom or advice to the amateur/community theatre groups for their upcoming 2020-2021 seasons?
For the ACT-CO and community theatre groups, here are a few things to consider. Are you able to do only performances in 2021? This would be looking at a shorter season with less shows. Might you be able to play to smaller houses with less audience? Particularly if you might be required to have your audiences physical distance. Perhaps consider smaller cast shows that could work with actors being six feet apart, something that a number of professional companies are considering. Be prepared for everything to change if there is a second wave in the coming months. In other words, create different versions of how you could move forward, so that you can be adaptable if things shift or change.
7. Do you see anything positive stemming from this pandemic?
My hope is that we as an industry slow down and really take a look at where we are and where we would like to be. That we truly consider how we can make things better for all of us and our collective mental well-being. It is good to see so many people and organizations taking pause and being receptive to what we all need to address around the important and continuous Anti-Racism work ahead of us.
I have also been seeing and hearing that many in the industry feel we need to develop a better work-life balance. Some have suggested a five-day rehearsal week instead of the current six-day schedule, as well as shorter rehearsal days to help support working parents and their families. Hopefully the positive that comes out of this time is that we will learn and grow together, resulting in a better and healthier industry for arts and culture.
8. In your estimation and informed opinion, will the Canadian performing arts scene somehow be changed or impacted as a result of COVID – 19?
Absolutely. We’ve already seen a rise in alternative performance spaces as artists try to figure out how to perform live again in the short term. There are theatre companies who are offering sidewalk shows, comedians who will come to your backyard for a physical distance show – which are safe and great ways to get back out there. There’s talk that outdoor performance spaces and parks will be the first places where live storytelling and performance will be able to happen and where audiences will feel the most comfortable to attend.
Theatre companies with venues are looking at using their lobbies as performance spaces with temporary seating, others looking at reconfiguring their performance space seating, as well as companies who are programming only one or two person shows to keep their spaces safe for their performers. There are also a number of artists creating online content, and we may see this continue after live performance spaces come back.
9. Many artists are turning to streaming/online performances to showcase/highlight/share their work. What are your thoughts about this format presentation? Any advantages to doing this? Disadvantages? Are you participating or will you be participating in this presentation format soon?
Since January, I have been part of The Second City’s Directing Program, which in mid-March moved to being online as did all their comedy programming. We recently directed 20-minute archival shows online via Zoom, where we adapted scenes from past shows for a digital platform, cast and rehearsed the shows, and then presented these in a showcase called ‘The Greatest Show Online: No Pants Required’. This experience allowed me to explore how to be theatrical in an online space like Zoom. We used different locations for backdrops in the performers’ homes, we costumed their characters from their wardrobes and experimented with distance from the computer/camera, entrances and exits when the camera is still on etc. The exercise was to keep the essence of each archival scene, while shifting to a virtual Zoom space where performers aren’t in the same room. There’s lots to play with here, but I’ve found it most satisfying when I’m thinking theatrically and trying to not think of it as a film/TV exercise.
10. What is it about the performing arts you still love that Covid will never destroy?
Live storytelling is what has always drawn me to theatre as an artist, and this will never be destroyed. It may take a bit for the performing arts to come back, but as creatives we have and will continue to find unique ways to share our perspectives on the human experience for a live audience. I look forward to attending theatre events in different locations, and back in our performance spaces once it’s safe. The theatre will return, and I’m hopeful the audience who craves a live experience will also return.
With a respectful acknowledgment to ‘Inside the Actors’ Studio’ and the late James Lipton, here are the 10 questions he asked his guests:
a. What is your favourite word? Cherish
b. What is your least favourite word? Moist
c. What turns you on? Laughter
d. What turns you off? Bad breath
e. What sound or noise do you love? A piano
f. What sound or noise bothers you? Alarm clock
g. What is your favourite curse word? Bloody
h. What profession, other than your own, would you have liked to attempt? Musician or photographer
i. What profession would you not like to do? Window washer for tall buildings
j. If Heaven exists, what do you hope God will say to you as you approach the Pearly Gates? “Judy Silver has been asking after you.”
Reflective head shot (photo by Edwardo Lima for Metro News) of Andrew Lamb was taken when he was part of a team of artists advocating for our sector as part of ‘Arts Day on the Hill’ in Ottawa, Ontario.