Bard on the Beach

I just finished performing every night to sell out crowds in Bard on the Beach, Vancouver’s enormously successful Shakespeare festival, (www.bardonthebeach.org). In King Lear I played Edmond, and in Twelfth Night; Sebastian.  It was fantastic to be performing Shakespeare again. The shows were vastly different; Lear being the tragedy, and Twelfth Night the comedy. It was a huge challenge for me as this was my first year at Bard, and I had a fantastic time. The cast on- and off-stage were amazing in every way.  I love you guys!

Previous projects

I was very pleased to play Tom in Tennessee Williams’s Masterpiece The Glass Menagerie at the Arts Club’s Stanley Theatre. It was a joy to perform this play every night with a stellar cast, and although I haven’t read the reviews, rumour has it that they were fantastic.

The show ran Oct 25th to November 25th 2007 at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage. It was directed by the stunningly talented James Fagan Tait, and co-starred Jessie and Leo award-winning actress Gabriele Rose. Trivia buffs would know that I had previously played the role of The Gentleman Caller in The Glass Menagerie.

After closing the show at the Stanley Theatre in December, we took it on the road around the lower mainland and across to Vancouver Island. We had a ball. I’d like to congratulate Jimmy, Gabrielle, Cherise, Craig and everyone on the Arts Club team for their amazing work.

Stargate Atlantis

Just before I started rehearsals for Bard on the Beach, I landed a guest staring role on Stargate Atlantis, playing the evil replicator Koracen in the episode Ghost in the Machine. Fun!

My character has enormous strength and is next to invincible; I got shot 18 times and didn’t flinch, and then threw both Sheppard and Ronon clear across the room. Hooray for television magic! Check your local listings and watch to see what happens.

Kaya

Unfortunately Kaya was not picked up for a second season. Seems the marketing and promotion of the show was bungled by the network (MTV), and it never really got off the ground. It’s a little unfortunate, as it was a good show, however, I’m not worried. I want to thank everyone involved for making it a great experience and I wish you luck on all of your future endeavors. Onwards and upwards!

I had the good fortune of being able to skip out of Menagerie rehearsals for 12 hours so I could blast down to L.A. for the screening party that Evan Taubenfeld graciously hosted in his beautiful home in Sherman Oaks. My thanks to Evan; it was great to see my fellow cast members again and celebrate their hard work. There is still a lot of information at the MTV official website.

Other

During the shooting of Kaya, I managed to fit in the filming of two other projects. First, I played an FBI agent in A&E’s re-make of Michael Crichton’s The Andromeda Strain, starring Eric McCormack and Benjamin Bratt. Second, I had a blast playing a neurotic and volatile alcoholic photographer in Impulse for HBO.

Storm Cell and The 4400

February, March, and April of 2007 found me hopping busy with back-to-back projects. First up was Storm Cell, a movie of the week for Lifetime staring Mimi Rogers. We played brother and sister struggling to cope with an unresolved family tragedy while trying to save a town from the threat of a powerful series of tornadoes.

Immediately after wrapping Storm Cell, I found myself on the set of The 4400, dressed in Dolce and Gabbana, Versace and Dior, and playing a crooked art dealer suspected of murder. Oh the clothes!

The New Play Festival

One of my favourite events of the Vancouver theatre season, I was thrilled once again participate in my 7th consecutive Vancouver New Play Festival. The 2007 Vancouver New Play Festival offered a unique glimpse into the playwright’s process, with staged readings of new, un-produced works by ten exciting Canadian writers.

I starred in Post Democracy, by Toronto playwright Hanna Moscovitch. The reading took place at Festival House on Granville Island, on the 8th and 9th of May, and was once again a big success. I would like to thank Heidi, Tom, Guy, and especially Hanna, for their fantastic work.

Christmas on Chestnut Street

This heart-warming romantic comedy—in which I starred opposite Kristen Dalton (The Departed)—aired on the Lifetime Network in the US on December 10th, 2006. It had its Canadian screening on December 17th, 2006 at the Vancouver International Film Centre. I was in attendance along with director Anne Wheeler.

The Leisure Society (London)

I was in London in December 2006, to collaborate with my mate Matthew Burton (mataharifilms.com) to present a staged reading of Francois Archambault’s The Leisure Society. The reading took place at the Actors Centre in Covent Garden, in an effort to attract a UK producer. The reading went extremely well, and, again, the play created quite a buzz. We’ll keep you posted on any developments. I would like to thank and all those who attended, and congratulate Matthew and the stellar cast—Kosha Engler, Tim Lone, and Jane Perry—for their fantastic work.