Category: Actors and Acting

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Chris Beckey (Interview 44)

Image: Morgan Roberts

I met with Chris Beckey in July for coffee and a chat at The Three Monkeys in West End. Chris was then appearing in CALIGULA for The Danger Ensemble. As I edit this long-overdue post, he is preparing for the Brisbane Festival’s production of Ibsen’s A DOLL’S HOUSE in an adaptation by Lally Katz. Once again, he is working under the direction of long-time creative collaborator Steven Mitchell Wright.

That afternoon I asked Chris, as I do all artists I interview, what had brought them to where they are now. We end up talking about process as the afternoon ticked away. Continue reading “Chris Beckey (Interview 44)”

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When a dream becomes a reality – Zachary Denman (Interview 43)

Ed: Zach Denman is a young man just beginning his career in one of the most challenging of all for a performing artist – the musical theatre.  Like many of those ‘triple threats’ – singer, actor, dancers – he has his eye firmly set on Broadway. Recently, he had the opportunity to get a brief taste of what that life could be like. I asked Zach if he would write a piece for Greenroom. He graciously agreed. Here he is, in his own words.

“Many say that life is all about going after what you want most in this world.  However, the problem most have is that, when they finally discover what it is they really want, they think it’s far too extraordinary thus unachievable and so it remains an illusion, a dream. Well my dream was to sing, act and dance on Broadway and over the last month that dream has become a reality. Continue reading “When a dream becomes a reality – Zachary Denman (Interview 43)”

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Seven Years On: Melanie Zanetti (Interview 42)

Image: cinemagia

A few months ago, on a misty, cool morning here on the hill, thoughts turned to a time when the (then) third and final year acting majors at USQ were preparing for a big outdoor production of Macbeth as part of the (then) Shakespeare in Queen’s Park Festival in Toowoomba. Seven years on I was thinking that way probably because the (then) Producer in me would be anxiously scanning the skies for signs of rain during the lead up to and performance season.

I’m sure it’s a scientific furphy, but ‘they’ say that in seven years all the cells in our body have reconstituted themselves, so that means we are all different – but the same! Seven like three, is a special number … but I digress. That was (then); this is (now). Continue reading “Seven Years On: Melanie Zanetti (Interview 42)”

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Getting Started: Vivien Emsworth (Interview 41)

I was able to catch up with Vivien Emsworth who is appearing in The Australian Opera’s production of THE KING AND I which has just finished its Brisbane season at QPAC on the first leg of a national tour. As a first-year-out-of-drama school graduate from the Queensland Conservatorium’s Musical Theatre Program, Vivien is still coming to terms with being cast in such a big production – she is covering for the role of Tuptim and appearing in the ensemble. We did a little stocktake of her background before covering some of the questions I like to use to spark conversation with artists. We got started. Continue reading “Getting Started: Vivien Emsworth (Interview 41)”

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Just Out: Chris Fung (Interview 40)

Chris Fung is one of those rare actors who gets cast in a professional production before completing his training at drama school. During his second year he auditioned successfully for a place in the ensemble of Opera Australia’s production of THE KING AND I which has just finished its season at QPAC in Brisbane before heading to Melbourne. He is also understudying Teddy Tahu Rhodes in the role of the King of Siam. I was keen to speak with the charming, intelligent and wonderfully quick-witted Chris about that experience, but also about how he came to the musical theatre as a career.
Continue reading “Just Out: Chris Fung (Interview 40)”