An Interview with Darcy Ferrier

Darcy Ferrier on playing Charlie

in On Golden Pond

Darcy, you play the role of Charlie in On Golden Pond.  Tell us about your character.

 Charlie is the postman who delivers the mail on Golden Pond.  He has spent his entire life living there.  I would describe him as a simple individual; he is a happy go lucky guy.  He’s 44 and has been enamored with Chelsea since they  were kids.

The other characters in the play are very deep, very complex, with lots going on under the surface, but Charlie is uncomplicated.  With Charlie, what you see is what you get.  He provides a lot of comic relief in the play.

How many Guild shows have you been in?  And what do you like about being part of community theatre?

 I have been in 13 shows with the Guild, I think.  I love theatre.  It’s so much fun to escape into another character.  There’s this world that’s been created by the playwright…the director refines it…and then the actors breathe life into the parts.  Every production is unique.  It’s fun and exciting to get to create a world for the audience to experience. 

 

Darcy in Leading Ladies.

Tell us about your acting background…

 Well, I started acting in high school, but took a long break, so I didn’t get back into it until my forties.  My first role with the Guild was in Office Hours, also directed by Clint Hames.  My absolute favourite role so far has to be Freddy in Noises Off.  Even the rehearsals were hilariously funny! 

Most people dread having to perform or speak  in front of others.  As an experienced actor, do you ever get stage fright? 

 Yup, just before I go on stage, I feel nervous and a certain amount of apprehension.  I think it must be the adrenalin kicking in.  I think acting is similar to doing extreme sports:  it’s this weird combination of fear and exhiliration. 

What do you like about being a member of The Chilliwack Players Guild?

 It’s so comfortable!  It’s easy to get to know people, and there is a really high level of professionalism.  Everyone is doing his or her best.  The expectations are high and people live up to them. 

You’ve been directed by Clint before.  Tell us about him as a director.

 This is the fourth time I have been directed by Clint.  He is a great director, very meticulous, and so good to work with.  He is very open to allowing the actors to create their own versions of the characters.  And Becky, our stage manager, is very attentive to the needs of the actors.  This creates tremendous confidence for the actors.  We are lucky to be supported by really great and talented people. 

 

Darcy in rehearsals for On Golden Pond alongside cast member Joan.

Why should folks come to see On Golden Pond?

 Because it’s a lovely story!  It’s one of those scripts that makes you think about your own life and your own relationships.  It’s touching and very beautiful.  I know audiences will love it. 

An Interview with Katy Lowe

Katy Lowe on playing Chelsea

in On Golden Pond

 Is On Golden Pond your first show with the Guild?

 Oh, no!  I first became involved with the Guild in 1979, when I was in grade 10!  I was cast in the chorus of Mother Goose.

So you've been acting for awhile? 

 On and off over the years, yes.  I was involved in the Theatre Department at UFV, as well.  I took theatre courses and acted in various plays.

What are some of the roles you've played?

 At UFV, I played Gertrude in Hamlet, the Angel Gabriel in The Mysteries...I was in The Road to Mecca...

Great roles!

 Yes, I've been very lucky.  I was in the Guild's production of Witness for the Prosecution...

Katy as Christine Vole in our 2011 production of Witness for the Prosecution 
along with Ross Biondolillo and Larry Hamm.

And you won the Best Actress Award at the Theatre BC Zone Festival in the spring, is that correct?

 That's right...I actually shared the Best Actress Award with an actress from another group.  I played the part of Claire in an original play by Rick Mawson called Caliban:  Housesitter.  It was a great role. 

What did you do with your Best Actress award?

 It sits on my mantle, and when we have guests, my husband shows it off! 

You play the role of Chelsea in the upcoming production of On Golden Pond.  Describe her for us. 

 Well, she is witty, very smart -- sometimes smart-alecky.  Chelsea is a very no-nonsense kind of woman.  I think she hides a lot of anger and hurt, especially around her relationship with her father, Norman. 

Played by Graham Archer...

 That's right.  Chelsea is trying to change, trying to grow up, but she can't let go of her childhood.  She is successful in her professional life, but she can't seem to sustain relationships.  She hasn't resolved her issues with her father, so she can't move on.  In the play, she's newly married and eager to settle her relationship with her father so she can be happy. 

 In the play, Graham plays a much older man that he is in real life.  What's that like for you acting with a man who isn't really old enough to be your father?

 Graham is absolutely amazing!  When I act with him, I don't see Graham, I see Norman.  He just IS Norman.  He moves like an old man.  He talks like an old man. 

 What do you like about the script? 

 It's a great story about a family relationships.  People will recognize themselves in the characters.  In the play, Chelsea's family does what many families do:  chat superficially about this and that, while lots of things remain unsaid.  Chelsea wants to get the real issues out on the table.  She comes home to face her father and say the things that have remained unsaid between them. 

 

Katy in rehearsals for On Golden Pond with cast member Jeff Hanson.

Sounds very dramatic!

 Oh, it is, but it's also really funny!  And very touching...it's the perfect balance between the two.  The play is very well-written, and all the characters are very rich and realistic.  It will lift an audience up because it's a very hopeful play. 

Who will the play appeal to?

 Everyone!  People with aging parents, people in relationships, people with complicated families.   Bring your tissues, for sure, but be prepared to laugh...a lot! 

What do you enjoy about being involved in Guild shows?

 So many things:  all the people involved are so organized and dependable...and they are all volunteers.  There are so many people involved in this production, so many people building sets, and working on props, costumes, publicity.  As an actor, you feel so supported.  All you have to do is focus on acting.  You feel like you're in good hands.

What is Clint Hames like to work with as a director?

 He's amazing.  I think he has studied every single line of this play...he brings so much humour to the production...it's a great feeling to work with someone who is so capable.