An establishment such as the Ottawa Little Theatre, now in its 107th season, needs new blood regularly as current actors age. If not, all our productions would be along the lines of The Sunshine Boys, The Golden Girls, or Methuselah.
Fortunately, there is always new interest in acting and Michelle Shortall recently approached me about the grandson of one of her friends who wanted to be an actor. What a great opportunity to find out how to appeal to the youth demographic.
Logan Vargas is 10 years old and attends Grade 5 at St. James School. He really wants to be an actor because he loves expressing himself dramatically and he loves performing. He is currently acting in two plays; Fangtooth at his acting camp and Primary School Musical at his school. There is a drama program at St. James and he attends practice every lunch hour. He is also getting the hang of wardrobe seeing the actors have to make their own costumes.
Recently he attended two performances of Miss Bennett: Christmas at Pemberley, and not only did he get to meet the actors in the Green Room but he sat in the Stage Manager’s control centre with Val Bogan. Asked if he liked the play, he stated that it was absolutely amazing and “Yes. I loved the sets and costumes but I have never been to England in the 1800s. I did feel like it was in the past though.” His favourite actor was Dave Coleman in the role of Arthur de Bourgh and his favourite parts were “the end kiss scene and when Mary was playing the piano closer to the start of the play”
Logan with castmembers from Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley
Logan with a view from above
He will definitely be attending the OLT summer camp program and would love to be able to audition for a role in one of our upcoming productions. He would like to start his acting career on stage and then work his way up to TV and movies. He would take lead roles and smaller roles: “Pretty much any role but mainly lead roles”.
So what would be the best way for Logan to follow his dreams? Rather than getting an old timer to offer advice, let’s ask our very own Cooper Dunn, who at the age of 12 has been acting for the past six years starting with OLT’s production of A Christmas Story (directed by Brian Cano).
Cooper is a scene from A Christmas Story at OLT
How did he get involved in acting? His mom (Lisa Dunn) was involved in theatre in university and someone told her that OLT was looking for young kids. Cooper recollects that “I didn’t really know what was happening until opening night when I saw the crowd. I thought rehearsals were just fun time and I didn’t really understand that we’d be performing it.” Once all jitters are put aside, Cooper says that, “My favourite part is the thrill of opening night. I love seeing and hearing the audience react. It’s also cool getting to meet new people on every show. ”
Copper, wise beyond his years, realizes what a huge commitment acting is. He states, “I’m there about four nights a week. When we get closer to opening night, it’s like I live there. Luckily I like staying up late at night.” (Actually all kids like to stay up late but this is for a good cause.)
But, school work comes first. So how does he juggle school, homework and all the chores he loves to do around the house with the many required rehearsals? “I usually have a couple of hours after school for homework and dinner. Sometimes I stay in for recess to work on homework. I’ve missed school here and there if I need to do show promotions. But my teachers are nice about it.”
Aside from teachers, Cooper gets a lot of help from his family. “My family is really supportive. I’d never get to rehearsal without them. My great grandfather (Les Lye) was also an actor which is cool. My family is very creative so everyone helps.” In fact, there have now been three generations of his family at the OLT. His mom was part of the directing team for OLT’s It’s a Wonderful Life. He says “It was fun driving home after rehearsals cause we’d talk about everything.”
Cooper with castmate Sabrina Gascho in It’s a Wonderful Life
Cooper and Bob Hicks waiting to make an entrance during It’s a Wonderful Life
Asked what his friends think of his acting, he tells me, “I don’t tell my school friends that I act. I like to keep it kind of secret. But sometimes people show up and are surprised to see me on stage. I do have a pretty big group of friends from theatre though. We try to watch each other’s shows and cheer each other on.”
Some good advice for future thespians is learning how to deal with disappointment. When asked if he ever tried out for a role he didn’t get Cooper stated that “Yes there have been a couple of roles I didn’t get. Sometimes I’ve been sad about it. But there’s always another show or audition coming up. You don’t always get the part you want or even a part at all. But keep trying. Try to be open-minded. Be prepared to learn lines and listen to your director. Don’t be difficult and try to be a good cast member.”
In addition, Cooper realizes that as he gets older, child roles will start to dry up but that opens the door to new possibilities and roles. “I’m open to anything really. I don’t mind being cast in small roles or ensemble. Someday I’d like to get a lead role. I’d love to play Willy Wonka!”
Cooper says in closing that “I really have good memories of OLT because it’s where I started. I love the green room and the snacks. They have really long runs (3 weeks) which I love. I really enjoyed playing Young George Bailey. I got to act with Bob Hicks who played the drunk pharmacist Mr. Gower. He got to shake me around on stage. It was fun.”
Cooper and Bob Hicks during It’s a Wonderful Life
Well there you have it. Two young actors who will hopefully be involved with the OLT for many years to come. The future of our theatre appears to be in good hands.
– Albert