Believers
The challenge in doing plays about actual people from history is to balance the information with the inspiration.
by Gaëtan L. Charlebois
Chris Robson is a UBC graduate with an MFA in Directing and a BFA in Acting. His thesis production was George F. Walker’s Suburban Motel plays: Problem Child and The End of Civilization. Recent directing credits: Our Country’s Good (UBC Players’ Club); Welcome to My Wake and Figment (Vancouver Fringe Festival); The Last 5 Years at Jericho Arts Centre (also set/lighting designer & pianist); for Fugue Theatre: The Lover and Sex, Madness, Rock n’ Roll (also writer, music director, actor, pianist).
CHARPO: For starters, tell us about your theatrical journey - first what brought you to UBC and then to directing. Everyone has that moment as a kid where we think: this is for me! Tell us about yours and what actions you took to make this happen.
ROBSON: As a little kid, my older sister and her friends would dress me up and we would then go and make all our parents laugh. This seemed like a good thing to do. By the time I had graduated from High School and acted in a few school and community productions, I had made up my mind I was going to act. My parents wanted foremost for me to have a good education, so I got my acting training at UBC. I have acted in over 20 plays at UBC, but in 1995 I was curious to try my hand at directing. I figured that since I didn't actually know how to direct, my best strategy would be to surround myself with the best actors, designers and stage managers. After working as a freelance actor for 25 years, I became disillusioned with 'the treadmill' of TV and commercial auditions, and more inspired by my theatre work and colleagues. So I decided to go back to UBC to actually learn the techniques and philosophies of directing - which include surrounding myself with the best collaborators!
