BWW Interviews: Louise Pitre gets Naked with ON THE ROCKS

Louise Pitre has been dubbed the 'grand lady of Canadian musical theatre' and is certainly one of our National Treasures when it comes to stage actors. With an extensive and accomplished career behind her (including a Tony Award nomination for her role in Mamma Mia!, Fantine in Les Miserables and Edith Piaf), Pitre is ending 2013 with a trifecta of exciting theatre news. She will be portraying Miss Hannigan in YPT's production of 'ANNIE', and will be crossing off a bucket list item when she tackles the role of Mama Rose in the Gary Griffin directed 'GYPSY' early next year.

But before she can do those things, she's tackling the scariest and bravest project she has ever done. Pitre has conceived and written a one-woman show titled 'On the Rocks' in which she will expose herself like never before. The show will open Theatre Passe Muraille's 2013-2014 season, and promises to be a 'mixed cocktail of raw emotion: get a tall glass, throw in a huge heart, drown it in joy, abandon and childish optimism; pierce it with heartbreak and frustration; add a dash of vulnerability; throw in the wackiest stir stick you can find and voilà! Sit on a rock and enjoy!'

When Pitre approached me to see if I would like to do a feature interview with her about her 'crazy idea' I was honoured and jumped at the opportunity - knowing full well that what I was about to get myself into would be something special. As we chatted for over an hour, she opened up about her childhood, her extensive career, her fears and the emotional rollercoaster that this show has become:

Congratulations on your new original show at Passe Muraille! How much can you tell us about it? What's it all about?

It's my story. I start from when I was a kid and it's extremely personal. It's based on things about my childhood which caused me to think and reflect on my life. Once I started thinking I became inspired to write the show.

How did the project come about?

It started when I was working on CBC's Over the Rainbow. Theatre Passe Muraille and Andy McKim approached me and asked if we could have a meeting. They told me they wanted to have some music in their 2013-2014 season and that I was the one person they dreamed of having do it. They gave me one week in September - and originally I thought I would use it to do concerts. Then I decided that I wanted to write something myself.

Thankfully they thought that was really cool and got on board, and now we've created a one-act, autobiographical, intermission-less show that's personal, musical and emotional.

Where did the idea for original music come from?

As I started writing this thing it became obvious that since I was telling my personal story, it would be weird to break into singing someone else's songs. So this is my music to go along with my words.

There has been a lot of talk recently about the lack of NEW Canadian musicals on stage in Toronto. Since you've written original music for your show, could we stretch the definition and call it a musical?

I think it's a hybrid really. A one woman show isn't technically a musical, but it's not a cabaret! That's not what I'm doing here at all. I'm talking more about my life, obstacles I've had to overcome, fucked up relationships I've survived, my work that's come and gone. And then there's original music. So sure - a musical!

Has there been a lot of support from Passe Muraille?

They're thrilled that it will be original, and they're presenting it which is great. I'm the producer though - and it's my first time doing that. So not only am I diving into writing a script for the first time, but I'm also producing a show for the first time. They've been amazing and assigned someone as my helper so I'm feeling very grateful.

And you have an all female creative team?

I do! I've got Jen Shuber, Diane Leah, Robin Fisher, Lesley Wilkinson, Emily Porter, Dianne Woodrow, Jacquie Lazar and Katie Pounder. They're incredible, and most of them are doing this for peanuts just because they want to which is incredibly touching. We all hope the show will have legs after this and maybe we can make it into something more.

The funny thing is it's mostly older, somewhat jaded and cynical women who are working with me. I felt like if I was going to do this show which is so incredibly personal, it's almost like taking off my clothes on stage. So if I'm going to do that, I want to be surrounded with strong, amazing women.

That's why I chose the production photo that I'm using. I had it done a few years ago in NYC and I love it but I've never used it. I decided it was perfect for this show because I'm going to be so bare in this production.

I'm so grateful to have these women with me on my journey, it's really cool but I'm scared shitless! There are days when I think to myself 'what the hell have I done??? Am I crazy??? What if everyone hates it and they don't give a shit?' But then most of the time I realize it'll be ok.

Is there a sense of liberation that comes from doing a show like this and throwing caution to the wind? Or do you worry that you might shatter some illusions people have of you?

I've actually discussed that very thing with my dramaturge, and frankly, I've decided I don't care. We are who we are, and I don't want to pretend to be someone else just to make people happy. I'm at a stage in my life when I realize I've done a lot of stuff for other people, but now I just want to do something that thrills, excites and scares me. Something that makes me feel alive. Not everyone has to love me - I'm over that. I've lived for a long time and I know not everyone will love me.

But I do I know what's important and what matters and that's at the heart of this show. It's a peaceful contentment and I know I will never get there completely but this is the closest I've ever been. That feeling of peace helps me feel ok with going out on this huge limb.

Did you draw on anything in particular for inspiration?

My husband Joe went out to Halifax to do Legally Blonde at Neptune Theatre for two and a half months and I went with him. We stayed at this house on the ocean and when he was out I would just sit at the piano and write.

The material has gone through a lot of changes but what I realized is that I've been performing for a long time, and I know what I feel good doing on stage. The type of stuff I like to sing and say, I use that to help my show take place.

I also got inspiration from a bunch of childhood objects my Mother saved for me and gave me a few years back. It blew my mind that she had held onto them, and I started looking at them while I was writing this. That's what really got me started and now they're interspersed throughout the story which is great.

Do you think people need to 'know' Louise Pitre in order to enjoy the show?

Honestly, I think if they didn't know me from a hole in the ground it wouldn't matter. This is A person's story, she just happens to be a person who made her living doing something public. But a lot of what I talk about has nothing to do with what I've done for a living. It's personal and emotional and I hope it has elements that everyone can relate to.

People may think they know who I am, but they just know the shows I've done. That's not who I am and this show will show that to people.

Is it designed for a specific type of audience?

I think it can be for everybody. It's the story of someone who's gone through a whole lot of shit. Let's just call it that . I'm 56, I've lived through stuff that's been hard and now I'm at a place where I don't mind admitting some of the things I'm not proud of because I'm happy with where I've gotten in my life. I think it's funny, I love to laugh but I'm also known for those 'tear your heart out' songs so it's a good balance. I don't think it's suitable for children, but I would imagine any grown up would love it.

When and Where?

Louise Pitre's ON THE ROCKS

Theatre Passe Muraille

Performance Schedule:

Wed. Sept. 25 evening

Thurs. Sept. 26 evening

Fri. Sept. 27 evening

Sat. Sept 28 matinee and evening with a possible added show on Sun. Sept. 29

Tickets can be purchased in person at the box office, by phone at 416-504-7529 or online at http://www.passemuraille.on.ca/category/2013-14-season/on-the-rocks/.

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