Derrick's blog

Derrick:  Hello, friends of Halcyon.  I am back, once again, with a new Halcyon Artist of the Month.  For January I am joined by Christine Lin.  Christine is a wonderfully talented woman, who I have had the pleasure to work with on a number of occasions.  Christine, I’m glad you could join me today.

Christine:  It’s a pleasure to be here.

Derrick:  So, let’s get down to it then.  Tell me about yourself.  Who are you?
 

Christine:  Well as far as my profession goes, I am a Actor and a Quality Engineer.
 

Derrick:  What is a Quality Engineer?
 

Christine:  What I do involves writing and executing test documents to make sure equipment, facilities and other validated mechanical systems are working correctly. Basically, I’m a checker. I check to make sure stuff works the way it should.
 

Derrick:  Sounds fun.  So tell me, why Halcyon?
 

Christine:  Well, they were the first company I worked with in Chicago, so they have a special place in my heart.  I also really love Halcyon’s Mission Statement - the commitment to diversity - and the willingness to take risks. Oh, Tony and Jenn are great, too.
 

Derrick:  They are indeed.  What are you working on at the moment?
 

Christine:  I am currently in Halcyon’s Trickster, where I play a graceful and powerful Swan Woman goddess.  I am also going to be performing in Halcyon’s next show, Iphigenia (a rave fable).
 

Derrick:  You are playing the titular character in Iphigenia, correct?
 

Christine:  I am.  After Iphigenia, I am going to be working on InFusion Theatre’s Soul Samurai.
 

Derrick:  That sounds like a lot of fun.  So, what’s next?  Where are you going from here?
 

Christine:  In addition to these shows, I hope to do some improv with Stir-Friday Night! - the sketch comedy group I play with. Also, I am making preparations to move to L.A. later this year - go out to Hollywood and see what kind of trouble I can get into.
 

Derrick:  You can probably get into quite a bit of trouble in L.A.  So what are your goals and dreams, for yourself and the company?
 

Christine:  I want to help the company continue to grow and develop.  I’d love to see a wider audience base.  More working capital would be great, too, so we can pay the actors more and even hire permanent staff for the company. I’m already really excited about currently working at the Greenhouse and for receiving the Alphawood Grant; I think we’ll keep heading in this direction.
 

Derrick:  What about goals for yourself?
 

Christine:  Well, I’m really excited about L.A.  I’d like to get on TV; maybe become a regular on a series.  Maybe I can get into film.  I could see myself as an action hero...
 

Derrick:  Well, I think all I can say to that is “L.A., look out.”  Sadly, that is all that we have time for.  Christine, as always, it has been a pleasure.  Thank you for taking the time to talk with me.
 

For you, friends of Halcyon, you can see Christine in her role as Swan Woman in Trickster at the Greenhouse Theatre Complex.  The show runs through Feb 6th.  You can also catch her in Iphigenia, also at the Greenhouse, Feb 17th through March 27th.  More information, as well as tickets, can be found on Halcyontheatre.org.
 

As for me, I am off to prepare for February’s Artist of the Month.  Who will it be?  Read and find out.

-Derrick York

Derrick:   Hello, everyone.  I’m here today with the first ever Halcyon Artist of the Month, Ruth Schilling.  Ruth is always a joyful presence at any Halcyon meeting or rehearsal.  She is kind, friendly, and always singing.  She has also been a key player in the workshopping and execution of Halcyon’s current production, Trickster.  Hello, Ruth and congratulations.  Now, let’s get the most basic question out of the way first.  Tell me a little bit about yourself.  Who are you?

Ruth:    Hmm.  Who am I?  This is rather a life long question, but I could offer a few possibilities.  For much of my adult life I've been a secretary/administrative assistant by day and actress - singer - something creative by night.  I have a strong propensity for spiritual thoughts and approaches to how we live here on earth.  I am always interested in why.  I am buoyed up by the beauties of nature.  I have a passionate need to be heard, but also love hearing the stories of others.

Derrick:   What draws you to Halcyon theatre?

Ruth:    I was drawn to the company over a couple of years of seeing this interesting couple on the bus and train.  I met Tony, Sr. and Junior first - the younger being drawn to the snowy bus stop on a sled by the elder.  I had no conscious intention of going back to acting when we first met (my last show was in the middle 80s), but there must have been something/someone hovering over us!  We just kept meeting on trains and buses and eventually talked of theater and what we liked and didn't like about various aspects of it.  So it was mainly the person of Tony and Jenn that drew me in to begin with.  I complained about auditioning to them and then I auditioned for them!  I liked their energy and commitment and sense of fun.  I especially like the commitment to works by women.

Derrick:   How long have you been with the company?

Ruth:    I am a very recent member.  It was some time this past summer that I was invited to join. My first show was What of the Night in last season's Alcyone Festival.

Derrick:   What projects are you currently working on?

Ruth:    I am playing the role of Molly and doing a little vocal coaching in Trickster and will be Assistant Director for Iphigenia.

Derrick:   What is your favorite Halcyon memory?  It can be anything you like.

Ruth:    The whole experience of playing Reba in What of the Night - from coming home from rehearsals unable to wind down for hours - I was so excited about being back in theater (and so surprised at how much I liked it!) to opening night - getting through it and running up to Tony and hugging him, to rides home with Arvin and Arch.  Frankly just about everything is immensely memorable to me in this experience!  I also really liked having a (champagne) breakfast with Tony, Jenn, Tony Jr. and Charlotte after the show was over - watching them walk up the sidewalk Charlotte furious at the snowflakes in her eyes.

Derrick:   What are your goals for yourself and for the company?  Your hopes and dreams.

Ruth:    That we find a space of our own.  Education, Children's theater, more community outreach.  That we become a company with all of us involved and working towards our vision.  For me personally - just to keep walking through what lies before me, keeping my heart and ears open to "spirit" so I don't [[mess]] up too much!

Derrick:  So, where are you going from here?  What's next for you?

Ruth:    Well, after Iphigenia - rest, vacation perhaps.  Some writing.  A visit to recently "re-found" relatives in July - connecting with a side of my family that I had thought forever lost to me.  I have some Chicago stories that I would like to finish and perhaps put on stage.  And, of course, new projects with my colleagues at Halcyon!

Derrick:   Thank you, Ruth and, again, congratulations.  You can all see Ruth perform in Halcyon Theatre’s Trickster which opens on Jan 6^th, 2011 and runs through Feb 6^th.  Ticket prices and reservation information can be found on Halcyontheatre.org.  I’ll be back in January with another Halcyon Artist of the Month.

Those of you who know me may know that I am an amateur writer.  As I have been working on my latest bit of original fiction I have been thinking about the subject of character.  More specifically, I have been thinking about the protagonist.

In every storytelling medium we have a protagonist (or group of protagonists).  Sometimes called "the hero" (though that can be a bit of a misnomer), the protagonist is the person or group that the story is about.

Now, you may be saying, "Derrick, I know what a protagonist is, why are you taking all this time to tell me what I already know?"  The answer to that is, quite simply, everyone knows what a protagonist is, and in most cases can pick them out of a line-up; however, many people would find it difficult to identify the things that make a good protagonist.

So what makes a good protagonist?  Some would say that it is their good looks, special skills, and shining virtue that set the protagonist apart from the rest of society.  While this may be true in many cases, it is not always the case.  One of my favorite examples is the titular character from The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen R. Donaldson.  Thomas Covenant is an antisocial, morally ambiguous leper.  That means that protagonists fall everywhere from the classic "knight in shining armor" to anti-heroes like Thomas Covenant.

Alright, if personality is not the key to a protagonist then maybe it isn't so much who they are but what they do.  The protagonist is the one that saves the day, topples the evil empire, finds true love, and lives happily ever after, right?  Well, consider for a moment the protagonist from 1984 by George Orwell.  He got arrested and brainwashed by the evil empire.  So, the protagonist doesn't always win out in the end.

But I can hear you now, "They can be anyone and do anything.  Thanks for clearing that up, Derrick."   Well, the point I was making is that it doesn't matter who they are or what they get accomplished.  What does matter, and what makes a good protagonist, is who they have the potential to become.  A great example of this concept is Shrek.  Shrek is an Ogre, with all the unloveable traits that one would expect.  Shrek is quite happy being the way he is, but he has the potential to become so much more.  As the movie goes on, Shrek is pulled from his comfortable swamp and is forced to live up to his potential.

I have just hit on a key point: character growth.  Character growth is very important for a protagonist.  A villain doesn't need character growth; we will happily hate them for who they are and what they do.  However, if a protagonist is already the perfect hero, then why do we care that they save the day; it was a forgone conclusion.  We need to see the struggle to overcome obstacles and, more importantly, the changes that these trials cause in the main character.  Character growth is what will keep someone reading/watching; we want to see the farm boy become the hero that we all know he can be.

But why does all of this make a good protagonist?  A good protagonist is someone that the audience can relate to.  Someone that they can care about and cheer on.  If everything comes to easily and there is no potential or character growth, then how will they identify with that character?  Give them flaws to overcome and challenges to meet and the audience will find something to care about.  The audience wants to care and a good protagonist gives them ample reason to do so.

Anyways, there's my two cents on the subject.  I would like to give everyone else a chance to voice their opinions and also share their favorites from print, stage or screen.

image courtesy of  yosoyjulito.