Friday, April 29, 2016

sideshow featured performer | jennifer pielak

Our final introduction for SIDESHOW (opening TONIGHT!) is for Jennifer Pielak.


You may already know Jennifer from FUNNY STUFF or past SIDESHOW performances. She also performs in the Rookie League with the Vancouver TheatreSports League, alongside running and performing in Off Key Improv. She'll be playing Katniss in Catching Fire: The Musical this fall and Off Key Improv will be performing a show June 15-19 at Studio 1398.

What’s on your mind?

The weird “Avant Garde” Improv show I directed last night for Super Scene directed by Mitch Boliszczuck.The pinnacle moment for me was when I had 3 performers mimic an actual cat that was in attendance (literally - there was a cat in the room, we were at the super secret Woods Studio) while at the same time having a truthful, heartfelt conversation with one of the performers about their life. Never juxtaposed two things like that before.

What is your favourite thing?

Snow.


When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A marine biologist-paleontologist-actor-singer-CEO-writer.

What is your life motto?

Be joyful, adventurous, creative and inspirational.

What’s the deal with improv?

Improv is a wonderful art form that I can never get enough of. The sky is the limit - you can do anything, and I think the more you dive into it the more you realize you don’t know and want to try and discover within the art form. I love longer form improv that feels more like scripted theatre with truthful, honest, character driven performances that are discovered moment to moment. I love musical improv. And I love just the silly, fun, play that classic improv games bring. I love being able to connect to the audience more and make them feel just as responsible for the success of the show as the performers do. We are in this together. Del Close said it is “theatre of the heart” and I think this is true. When the performers and audience are really connected and committed to being on the adventure together, the shows feel like magic.

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