Andrew Moodie

Before they arrived at the NAC for rehearsals, we asked a few questions to the members of the 2014-15 Ensemble about themselves.

1)      What are you working on over the summer?
I’m producing a workshop of a play called Bachelor Man by Winston Cam, about the struggles of Asian Canadians after the First World War. Canada passed a law that forbid Chinese men from bringing their wives to Canada, creating a society of bachelor men who longed for their loved ones, but also wanted to remain here, in the land that denied them basic human rights. Peter Hinton is directing the workshop. The original production was one of his first as a director and I’m very interested in seeing what he comes up with in the workshop. It’s a wonderful script, and we’re really hoping to have a production in the near future.

2)      What are you looking most forward to when you arrive at the NAC?
Seeing all my friends who work behind the scenes and taking walks along the canal. I really miss the canal.

3)      How did you get involved in acting?
Oh, it’s a long story, but three people stand out: Carol Hay encouraged me when I was very young. Ms Evelyn Holst taught me high school drama, and instilled in me a sense of professionalism. And of course, John Koensgen. He was one of the first people to believe in me, and I’ll never forget it.

4)      What’s the most interesting thing that has happened to you on stage?
Too many stories, and most are not appropriate for general consumption. But there was one time when an audience member fell asleep and started to snore loudly. No one would nudge him, or wake him up. So I had to leave the stage, walk all the way over to his seat, wake him up, and then get back on stage, and start the scene all over again. I was less upset with him. I was more upset with the two people sitting next to him. Note to audience members everywhere: if someone starts to snore next to you, please, please wake them up, so that we don’t have to!

Raised in: Ottawa, ON | Based in: Toronto, ON

For the NAC: 

Actor: thirsty, The Ark (2009).

Playwright: A Common Man’s Guide to Loving Women (co-production with Canadian Stage); (Transator) The 'Vaudevilles' of Chekhov.

Theatre:

Actor: Othello (Segal Centre/Scapegoat Carnivale Theatre); Race (Ground Zero Theatre); Our Country's Good, Better Living, The Second Shepherd’s Play (Great Canadian Theatre Company); Macbeth, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Amadeus (Stratford Shakespeare Festival); Whale, Alice, Pinocchio, In the Field of Dreams, The Nelson Mandela Story (Young People's Theatre); Health Class (Dora Mavor Moore Award), The Incredible Speediness of Jamie Cavanaugh (Roseneath Theatre); Nathan the Wise, Hamlet (Soulpepper Theatre); Master Harold and the Boys (Prairie Theatre Exchange); Othello (Shakespeare in the Rough; Dora Mavor Moore Award nomination).

Playwright: Riot (1996 Chalmers Award for Best New Play), Oui, Wilbur County Blues, A Common Man's Guide to Loving Women, The Lady Smith, The Real McCoy (Kevin Kline Award nominations for Best Ensemble Production and Best Direction), Toronto the Good (Dora Mavor Moore Award nomination for Best New Play).