Since joining UBC Theatre and Film in 1999, Stephen Heatley has spent decades contributing to a world-class training environment and directing memorable productions on campus. We caught up with him as he prepares to retire and directs Red with Just B Productions, reflecting back on his time at UBC and ahead to what’s next. Congratulations on your years of service, Stephen, we will truly miss having you on campus.
What first brought you to UBC and what has kept you here over the years?
It had always been my hope to spend part of my career working with the best and the brightest of the next generation of theatre artists. UBC had a faculty vacancy and high-level programs for actors and directors. That is how I got here. What has kept me here is the excitement of working with developing artists and my brilliant colleagues to build a truly world-class training program.
Looking back, what are some of the most memorable productions or projects you’ve been part of during your time here?
I have very fond memories of all the productions that I have had the honour to direct at UBC, starting with As You Like It in 2001 (I was so nervous hoping my colleagues would not think they had made a big mistake in hiring me!). I loved our funny and poignant production of The Cherry Orchard in the Telus Studio in 2004, but probably my favourite of them all was A Beautiful Thing in 2006. The six actors really rose to the occasion giving truthful and passionate performances, and the scenic design by then-BFA design student, Lauchlin Johnston, was extraordinary.
How has working with emerging artists influenced your own practice as a director and theatre-maker?
I have learned to be freer in my thinking, as I have realized that theatre-making is all about feeling our way in the dark, whether we’ve been doing it for 30 years or 30 days. We read the play, we have a feeling about it, we do the necessary analysis of the text and, given what we have figured out, we make our best guesses about how to bring the piece to life. The longer I have worked with emerging artists, the clearer this simple truth has become.
You’re currently directing Red by John Logan with Just B Productions—what drew you to this play?
Blake Buksa (BFA acting 2022) invited me to work with him on a project. He suggested Red as it has a great part for someone his age. It is a play that is full of beautiful human contradictions (one of my favourite things in the theatre) and focuses on a senior artist trying to figure out what is the appropriate next step for him on his life’s artistic journey. A perfect project for someone about to make a major life shift! One of my former students from my time in Edmonton was available to play the central character, Mark Rothko, so I am directing a former student who graduated in 1989 and one who graduated in 2022!
Blake Buksa in Red; photo by Andrei Barb
Can you share a bit about your creative process with this ensemble?
I am a great believer in making certain that the actor has volition in the rehearsal process, especially in a play like this where character is the most important aspect of the play. The text is dense and there is lot of it for two actors to learn, so we rehearsed for nine days at the beginning of October and then took a 30-day break before beginning again. This means that they are learning text that we have already explored, and there will be less panic as we get to crunch time. The gift of time is one aspect of theatre practice we have not been generous with in our theatre culture, and it’s my hope to work differently when possible.
Why should people go and see Red?
You’ll see really fine acting in an intimate theatre space (the Vancity Culture Lab at The Cultch), in a play that asks us to explore some of life’s key questions: What is legacy? What is the importance of money? How do we interact with ideas about art’s place in our lives? How do we deal with vanity? And when is it better to simply say “no”?
Are there projects, creative pursuits, or hobbies you’re looking forward to exploring after retirement?
In 1995, one of my dearest friends and artistic collaborators and I created an intimate performance project that we presented for one night for 25 people in my living room. We did a second version of this kind of work in 2012 and toured it from Vancouver to Saskatchewan for 19 performances. This past summer, we embarked on the third iteration, and Richard Link and I are going to continue to develop this piece (tentatively called I Invented Canada) with an aim to present it (somewhere) next spring. And I hope to direct, perhaps perform, maybe write, and cultivate my garden.
