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Monday, November 21, 2011

The Upstage Interview: Paul Van Dyck


Bumbling losers in their own way.

Upstage and Charlebois Post contributor Sarah Deshaies spoke wiith Paul Van Dyck, Director of Cornered. Below is an abridged version edited by Estelle Rosen, CharPo editor-in-chief.

UPSTAGE
You always have lots of projects on the go. Your current presentation is Cornered, a dark comedy set in a gym. Give us a taste what Cornered is about. 

VAN DYCK
It’s an award winning script by Jim Burke, an ex-pat from England. He lives in Montreal now. He wrote this play about ten years ago and it did very well. Cornered won Best New Play award in Manchester. This is its Canadian premiere. 

It takes place in a boxing ring but it’s not about the boxers; it’s about the two guys who work the corners; basically they sponge the boxers down between fights. It’s their story. Bumbling losers in their own way.  

I thought that was a shame because they were really good and had good chemistry together.


UPSTAGE
You’ve directed the two actors before. Howard Rosenstein and Christopher Moore. Can you tell us a little bit about when you first started working with them and knew you wanted to direct them in another play.

VAN DYCK
We worked together in Penumbra which we did at the Fringe Festival, then it got picked up for WildSide Festival. Penumbra is a four-person play but these two characters never got to hang out except for one scene. I thought that was a shame because they were really good and had good chemistry together. 

UPSTAGE
I really enjoyed Penumbra. I almost felt we were intruding on a claustrophobic four-way love story. How is Cornered different for these two actors?

VAN DYCK
It’s a stretch. They’re completely different characters. The Penumbra characters were painfully intellectual. Cornered is the opposite.  Smart but kind of idiots. They also have to master the Mancounian accent.

UPSTAGE
The Mancounian accent is tricky. How are they going about learning it?

VAN DYCK
Watching a lot of Coronation Street!

Cornered has nothing to do with boxers.


UPSTAGE
So we have a boxing play that isn’t about what’s happening in the ring;  more like what’s happening with these two characters. Was watching Rocky, for example, part of the research? 

VAN DYCK
Cornered has nothing to do with boxers. The first act is about an hour before the match. After intermission they’re kind of cleaning up the mess afterwards.  Boxing can be beautiful and poetic but so can it be for the dorks on the sidelines. 

The script is a phenomenally beautiful two-hander.


UPSTAGE
Why should someone see Cornered?

VAN DYCK
The script is a phenomenally beautiful two-hander. Lots of plays have whistles and bells but no substance. Cornered story is simply told. The writing is poetic in its simplicity. Full credit to Jim Burke for writing such a great script.  Even if one doesn’t like boxing, it’ll be a great play to come and see.

UPSTAGE
Burke lives in Montreal now; has he been involved? 

VAN DYCK
Yes, he’s been very helpful.  We wanted to make a few line changes because the slang is different than Canadians are used to. If  audiences can get Shakespearean plays, they’ll get this.

Nov. 23 – Dec. 3

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