Jory Rossiter is starring as Gilbert in the 2010 production of Anne & Gilbert at the Harbourfront Theatre in Summerside, Prince Edward Island. Jory sat down during one of his off-days to talk about the experience of being in the hit musical. Among the things discussed: the secret to delivering a good stage slap and the discovery of who really tells the truth in PEI.
Q: What are the challenges of doing a show with a long run–Anne & Gilbert goes almost four months?
You have to stay true to what you rehearsed. You can’t go on auto-pilot. But the real challenge is once you get in front of a live audience. You really have to watch that your performance doesn’t get too big as you try to play to audience reaction. For example, if a line gets a laugh it’s tempting to try to boost the reaction the next time by doing it broader. That’s when you can start to distort a performance.
Q: How do you stay fresh in your role as Gilbert ?
First, it’s such a solid script. Second, each audience is different every night. Both those things help keep a performance fresh. But between actors, in scenes, sometimes little things will be done differently, so that keeps you alert. For instance, when Amy (Reitsma) slaps me, my response is never the same way twice because it truly is an involuntary reaction. This is the scene where Anne kisses Gilbert. Then she acts shocked and slaps Gilbert, as if the kiss was his idea. Well, when it comes time for the slap, I close my eyes and she lets me have it. And when it happens, I laugh. I just can’t help it. The shock of the slap makes me laugh and fortunately it fits with the character of Gilbert.
Q: Rehearsing that scene must have been painful?
Seriously, it did take a while to get right in rehearsal. When we first did it, Amy would give me a gentle kind of slap. And it just didn’t look right. So, I told her: “Look, it says in the script that you slap me so just slap me for real. Don’t hold back” (laughs and rubs his jaw). She’s gotten very good at it.
Q: Any interesting feedback from audience members after the show?
It’s great to meet people after the show. But I’ll tell you something, if you want the truth about anything in PEI just talk to the taxi cab drivers. That’s the most interesting feedback. They’ll tell you what people are saying about Anne & Gilbert and your performance because they talk to passengers all the time. They say they’re hearing that “it’s the best Anne show.” That’s a direct quote from several of the drivers.
Q: The songs are such a strong part of Anne & Gilbert. Of the ones you perform, what is your favourite?
That’s easy. “You’re Island Through and Through”. It’s a great upbeat song and it always gets the audience going and the full cast is involved. But I love the lyrics. They’re so true. A line like: “If you mind your business and you mind your neighbour’s too, you’re island through and through.” It’s true about PEI. But it could also be about Carleton Place in Ontario where I grew up. It’s a small place, too, where everybody knows your business and background and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
Q: Is there a favourite song that doesn’t involve you?
I often go to the side of the stage to watch Robin Craig (Rachel Lynde) and Pam Campbell (Marilla Cuthbert) when they perform “Our Duty”. I think this is one of the strongest songs in Canadian musical theatre. It’s like a three-act play in what it reveals about these two older women — the lives they lead, how they relate to each other, and what they see as their duty to their community. What I find so powerful is that I grew up with women like this. My great grandmother had this sense of public duty. She was head of Ladies Auxiliary. My mom is a church warden. When people died they would show up with their squares and the food. And this was in Smith Falls, Ontario.
Q: Can you describe the appeal of Anne & Gilbert in one sentence?
Anne and Gilbert are Canada’s Romeo and Juliet.
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