Thanks to the efforts of an Australian champion of the performing arts, an area resident is getting a chance to perform on a world stage.
Rochelle Reynolds is one of only a few Canadians who have qualified for the World Monologue Games, which features the talents of professional actors from all over the world in a live stream competition event.
Event organizers created the competition to "give actors a meaningful challenge," while also providing entertainment to the masses while the global pandemic continues to prevent the arts and entertainment world from returning to their usual stages.
Reynolds is the creator of Quarter Century Theatre, which she runs out of Collingwood. In January she moved to Los Angeles to build more on her acting, writing, and directing career. However, when COVID hit and shut down the arts and entertainment industries (among others) she returned home.
"Everything changed overnight. COVID put a huge dent in how I planned the year for myself," said Reynolds. "However, one can only dwell on losses for so long. What I've gained is a wonderful appreciation for why I got into this industry."
She spotted a link and call-out for the World Monologue Games in a Facebook group and decided to submit three entries. One monologue from the Canadian contemporary play Crimes of the Heart, and two original monologues she improvised.
She said it feels a little odd to be in a head-to-head acting competition.
"Art is inherently non-competitive ... we're not supposed to be looking to out-act each other," said Reynolds. "But I am a competitive person ... I like to push myself, and this a cool way to do it."
Her Crimes of the Heart monologue and an original comedic piece she improvised about a woman who had become a life-long servant to a cat have been selected for the qualifying round for her region, which includes Africa and the Americas. There will be cash prizes for the winners.
The only restriction for the performers was a total prohibition on any monologues about the coronavirus. The rest was up to the performer.
"The Games offer an opportunity to workshop some pieces and work on stuff for the sake of it," said Reynolds. "A whole bunch of people are going to see my work ... I always wanted to do something bigger than myself that would impact a wide audience, and that's being achieved virtually, which I hadn't seen myself being a part of."
Her monologue from Crimes of the Heart is a woman confessing to killing her husband. Her original monologue features comedic improvisation, which is a bit of a shift for Reynolds, who is usually accused of being too serious.
"I've been training a lot and it's awakened an affinity for comedy and satire," she said. "It's an important point of view to have, especially at a time when people are struggling to see the humour in things."
Reynolds qualifier finals take place on Sept. 12 online. You can find out more about the World Monologue Games and how to watch them, visit the website here.
