Guest Blog: 'Theatre School Was Like Plunging Into Cold Water': Actor Jay Faisca on New Starts and Addressing Problems in ANNIE GET YOUR GUN

The first time I met my castmates in Annie Get Your Gun, we were a mere 24 hours away from our very first performance. Unusual, yes. But the brand-new Lavender Theatre, in its inaugural season, had been invited to perform at West End LIVE! – a huge opportunity that could not be missed. We said our hellos, rehearsed our numbers – and we were off.

Our first bow was in front of thousands of people. Quite the introduction for a new show – and my first show in the UK.

I have lived in England for nearly two years now. For the first year, I was an MFA student at the Bristol Old Vic. After graduation, I moved my family to London - my wife plus six animals! A story for another time. It was during the pandemic that I decided to apply to the Bristol Old Vic. I had known of it of course, from its reputation, and was feeling ready for a change. I had been in Los Angeles since graduating college in Washington D.C., after growing up in the Bronx. The West Coast is a very different world from the East. I was missing community, and I was missing growth. I felt I’d stalled in Los Angeles and needed a change. And a change, I got.

The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School was like plunging into cold water. All my senses – even some I’d forgotten about – came back to life. As a one-year program, it moves quickly, and we – my class of fourteen – were immediately immersed in the curriculum. Scene study, camera work, Alexander technique, fight training – you name it, we did it. We worked on classical and contemporary pieces. I rediscovered everything I love about my craft, and a lot about myself.

I was the first Puerto Rican to attend the Bristol Old Vic – and if I sound proud of this, it’s because I am. My mother worked so hard to raise myself and my three younger brothers to circumvent our circumstances – growing up in the Bronx, selling empanadas from our apartment window, retreating to shelters in times of need. Anytime I can be a first for my family and my culture, I feel myself fulfilling her dreams. She passed away unexpectedly during my year at the Old Vic. I only hope to honour her memory with my work.

It feels fitting then that my first professional UK production is Annie Get Your Gun – a quintessentially American piece, with its guns and its cowboys, dripping in a southern drawl. I’m the only American in the production, playing the role of Sitting Bull.

It’s always a challenge for new theatres to take on classic pieces. There’s no escaping the time in which it was written, and the many isms that come with that. Our team is tackling many of those isms in fresh ways, with honour and a nuanced sensitivity (I won’t say more so as not to give the game away – you’ll have to come see for yourself)! But whatever edits one makes, it is still a piece that encapsulates the time of which it was borne. And that’s important – to recognise where we’ve come from, where we are now, and the work that lies ahead.

I have no doubts that our brilliant creative team has it well in hand. The blend of leadership and collaboration is inspiring. Each actor has a voice, while our director has a vision. And we’ll be realising that vision amongst a field of lavender in the height of summer. Could anything be more idyllic? So come see us!

Annie Get Your Gun is at the Lavender Theatre from 17 July- 5 August.

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