Hey all you b current fans! Welcome to our second edition of inside Studio 251.. Today we’re featuring two of the lovely ladies in the graduating rAiz’n Ensemble, who are currently working on our production of Radiance (which you’ve all reserved your tickets for, right?)!
Tanya Pillay, Assistant Director
People call you?
Tanya.. well Meghan(Swaby) calls me T-Pain.
What’s your art?
“Socially-engaged creation and performance”
What has your experience been like working on Radiance so far?
I’m one of two assistant directors on this production. It’s been an interesting experience because I’ve been creating and learning with these women for 3 years and to watch them perform and be on the other side of the table, especially with someone who’s been a mentor throughout the program (ahdri zhina mandiela) can be entertaining and perplexing. As a performer, I can understand their fuddles in rehearsal and then from the other perspective, I can see what’s being asked of them and why. It’s kinda funny and really informative.
This is the rAiz’n ensemble’s graduating year from their 3-year training program. What are 3 words you would choose to sum up your experience in this group the past 3 years?
1) Self-Knowledge
2) Communication
3) Vision. I used to think that vision was a pretentious concept but through rAiz’n I realize now that it’s about unity and having a cohesive goal. Having a vision really brings clarity around personal and ensemble expectations.
Meghan Swaby, Mae
People call you?
May-Sway, Maygunz, Swaby
What is your role in this production?
I’m acting in the show, I play Mae. She’s the sister that stayed behind to take care of their mom.
What has your experience been like working on Radiance so far?
It’s nice to start a piece like this in a community where I’m comfortable, especially since it’s a show about sisters. Also, other works we’ve done in rAiz’n have mostly been self-motivated, creating something out of nothing. With Radiance, we’re getting to do scriptwork with a piece that’s already established and be directed by ahdri. From working together so much in the past, the bonds are already established so the process has been easy-going, we laugh all the time.
In this project, members of the ensemble have taken on roles that really cover all aspects of theatre production. What has it been like exploring these new roles with your fellow rAiz’nettes?
It’s interesting because you learn about people. In this industry, its nice to realize “oh we can do other things (besides acting)” because we all want to be doing this for as long as we can. This project is touching on skill-sets I hadn’t really activated until now. And running the City emerging/C conference at the same time- what were we thinking?! But it’s coming together, and it’s happening because as a group we saw a need for this (conference) and reacted. ahdri told us, if we’re not satisfied, do something about it.
What are 3 words you would choose to sum up your experience in the rAiz’n ensemble these past 3 years?
1) Laughter
2) Challenge
3) Surprise. Surprise because didn’t know what I was getting into, what we would accomplish together. We had to start our three years with a lot of sessions talking with ahdri and creating our manifesto. And even though (the members of) the group have changed, it’s so good to have something we agreed upon together and we still look back on that to make sure we’re on track. We’ve all individually taken those ideas into our own work as well. This whole experience has been an adventure and building that manifesto helped us find that trust where we can be like “I don’t know what I’m doing, you don’t know either? Let’s jump in together!"
