Adam Kelly - Two Sides of A Montreal Playwright
As Film Polytechnique Opens, Anorak’s Author Stars in Comedy
Polytechnique actress Karine Vanasse, and producer Max Remillard read about Adam Kelly's play The Anorak in Montreal's La Presse. After seeing The Anorak and Kelly’s portrayal of killer Marc Lépine, they asked the actor for some ideas.
Kelly collaborated on Polytechnique, the gritty black-and-white film depiction based on the Montreal Massacres, directed by Denis Villeneuve. Kelly plans to remount The Anorak one last time in 2009, which marks the 20-year anniversary of one of Canadian history's darkest days. He is currently in discussion with theatre companies in Canada and the US.
Now in complete character antithesis, just in time for Valentine’s Day, Adam Kelly has chosen to offer his love life to audiences, for better or worse, playing Alan Norton, in Alan’s Search for the Best Girl in Montreal.Adam’s Girls and the Significance of the Name Norton
Alan’s Search for the Best Girl in Montreal features Adam Kelly and his all female cast: Hilary Keithlin, Leanna Grace, Rosaruby Glaberman and Patricia Manessy, who play 20 different roles as the women throughout Alan’s life, including his Mother who lives under the bed.
This sounds a little like English playwright Caryl Churchill. Do these multiple roles connect to each other?Adam Kelly: “Yes, in some way they do. For example, one girl shows up at one point during the show, and then another character shows up later on, but they are semblances of the two and there are reasons why. Why is he dating another girl who looks like that? That’s definitely going on in the show.
In the casting I have, a lot of the girls have very similar physical characteristics to the girls I dated. That’s good for my information. I tell the actresses about the different girls just to give them an idea of personality and characterization. I am not a stickler for how they are interpreting them, because they are all coming up with their own stuff and it’s great. Some of the characters they are coming up with are a lot more interesting than the actual people that they are based on.”
Are you directing the play as well?
Adam Kelly: “Yes. I am directing it. Basically, what I try to do is lay out what my vision is for how the piece works and how it goes together, and then I have assistant director Julia Ainsworth.
“I have the power of veto, but Julia’s calling a lot of the shots, which is fine with me, because I really don’t know how things are getting framed and how things are happening and I like working like that. On the promo material it’s not going to say 'written by Adam Kelly, directed by Adam Kelly, and starring Adam Kelly, produced by Adam Kelly – An Adam Kelly Production in Adam Kellysville.'”
Alan Norton. Is there significance to the name Norton?
Adam Kelly: “I grew up with the last name Morton, and my friend’s father started calling me Norton because of The Honeymooners. All my close friends call me Norton, or Norts. It’s a nickname – an abbreviated shortened version of Norton. So, I decided to take that name and I have a friend who calls me Alan, just because. I thought that’s a good name, similar to Adam, so you get the gist of it and Norton is, well to me, it sounds ridiculous.”
Would you define yourself as a hopeless or a hopeful romantic?
Adam Kelly: “A hapless and hopeful romantic. I wouldn’t say hopeless, but hapless for sure.”
Part Four - Adam Kelly - Living in The Big Apple and coming back to Theatre 314.
Adam Kelly
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Adam Kelly as Marc Lepine
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