The Upstage Interview: Manon Manavit of Theatre_Business

Maybe if theatre students are less afraid to use business concepts, they might be more successful.

Upstage contributor Stephanie Breton spoke with Manon Manavit Assistant Director of Theatre__Business: Fill Us In. Concordia University Theatre students attempt to connect with their Business student co-tenants when they find themselves sharing the same building (The John Molson School of Business). Their struggle plays out against the backdrop of Canada’s fierce debate about public funding for the Arts. Below is an abridged version edited by Estelle Rosen, CharPo Editor-in-chief.

UPSTAGE

Why the underscore in the title instead of a slash?

MANAVIT

Because we’re not sure yet whether it’ll be a slash. We want it open ended for a lot of reasons. We’re not sure what the outcome will be. We have the show but in terms of the kind of dialogue we hope to create, we’re very excited for that blank to get filled in.

All the students from both Business and Theatre did interviews with each other, including Faculty Administration and an Advisor to the Finance Minister.

UPSTAGE

Was this the basis of the project?

MANAVIT

It was started by Annabel Soutar [Playwright and Artistic Director Porte Parole]. There had already been incidents between Business and Theatre because at Concordia we’re located in the same building. Theatre occupies one floor of the John Molson School of Business.  

A lot of people aren’t even aware that Theatre is in this building. There have been incidents of fighting over space. We want to investigate and learn together; also from each other by just talking to each other.

UPSTAGE

This is where theatre comes in. Did you get the theatre students to write a play?

MANAVIT

It was a verbatim theatre class. We were learning by doing. That was the philosophy. Annabel gave us the topic; Theatre and Business. All the students from both Business and Theatre did interviews with each other, including Faculty Administration and an Advisor to the Finance Minister.

We’ve been trying to find out about Theatre and Business together in the same school. At the same time, what the future holds for Arts funding. Maybe if theatre students are less afraid to use business concepts, they might be more successful.

Theatre is ephemeral and disappears as you watch it - makes it harder to define and to appreciate if you value the tangible.

UPSTAGE

Ironically,  I was just saying the last two Canadian/Quebec films nominated for Oscars come from theatre. They were originally plays. The funding for film versus theatre can’t compare, yet they need each other.

MANAVIT

I think it’s partly because film is a tangible art form. At the end of the day you have a roll of film that lasts forever. Theatre is ephemeral and disappears as you watch it - makes it harder to define and to appreciate if you value the tangible.

UPSTAGE

That’s the beauty and heartbreak of theatre. Doing it live you feel all these emotions, all these people with you and then it’s over.

MANAVIT

We don’t want anyone to miss this show. Our target audience is business schools, students, faculty, and the community here. Anyone interested in what’s going on at Concordia, this is a perfect example of reaching out to the greater community.

By portraying the people we’ve interviewed it brings a certain insight to it that wouldn’t happen otherwise.

UPSTAGE

Is it more like a documentary?  Porte Parole often does this. 

MANAVIT

Annabel taught us her methods of creating a piece. There’s an important distinction between documentary film and documentary theatre.  

We’re re-enacting interviews but also doing it through our own lens; narrating our process and our interpretation of what’s happening at the same time as it’s happening. By portraying the people we’ve interviewed it brings a certain insight to it that wouldn’t happen otherwise. By putting our own spin on it, we’re turning it into our own story.

UPSTAGE

Maybe we need to have business people or politicians try to do theatre and see how it feels.

MANAVIT

One of the things that’s been guiding our process which Annabel taught us, maybe her most important message, is to defend the people we’re portraying. By speaking the language of someone else, you have to defend their words. You have to take it on because you believe in them. That brought a level of humility to the piece which is that we have to do justice to this because they’re real people

It’s an ensemble piece consisting of 15 actors so everyone is on stage all the time.

UPSTAGE

Directed by Harry Standjofski, how many actors?

MANAVIT

It’s an ensemble piece consisting of 15 actors so everyone is on stage all the time.

In addition to performances at F.C.Smith Auditorium at Loyola February 16-19, we’re presenting a student produced remount of the show February 28 and 29 at D.B.Clarke Theatre. We did all the fundrasing and promotion for the remount. 

UPSTAGE

Congrats! You’re applying what you’ve learned from your Business class.

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