Interview with Libby Skala – creator and performer for Lilia! presented by
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the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival May 12 and 13 .
Our Marketing Intern Alison Kinghorn conducted the following interview with
Libby Skala to find out more about this talented woman.
Date and place of birth?
Born in Englewood, NJ, two hairs past a freckle, but I have Canadian citizenship
through my mom who grew up on a dairy farm in London, ON.
What made you want to become an actor?
Acting was the last thing I wanted to do as a kid because I was shy. In junior high,
a shy friend invited me to go with her to acting classes at The Neighborhood
Playhouse in NYC. I figured if she could do it, I could too. When my grandmother
Lilia, the actress, heard about it she was overjoyed. She set up an interview,
escorted me there, I was accepted. Meanwhile, my friend missed the registration
deadline and went alone! Once there, I discovered I loved living moment to
moment in imaginary circumstances while others lived vicariously through the
experience with me. Several classmates had parents in the performing arts,
which made the possibility of acting for a living accessible. I was also enamored
of the idea of skipping school and having a private tutor on the set, which never
happened.
Libby Skala
Photo credit: Ken Weingart
If you hadn’t become an actor, what might you have
done professionally?
I might have become a writer or documentary filmmaker.
What was your first big break?
My first big break was a glowing New York Times review for Lilia! which
generated a lot of attention and interest. People from publishing,
network television, and arts organizations contacted me as a result.
Career highlights to date?
Career highlights include standing on the stage of the magnificent
Tbilisi, Georgia opera house addressing a packed house of international
artists at the GIFT International Arts Festival opening ceremony. Also,
they translated Lilia! into the Georgian language, which was pretty cool.
Tbilisi Opera House, Georgia
Another highlight was performing Lilia! and A Time to Dance in Berlin
and particularly in Dresden where my grandmother got her
architectural degree. She'd lamented the destruction of Dresden's
splendor during WWII, and never lived to see its restoration. I was awed
to discover every stone from the debris and rubble had been lovingly
numbered and used to reconstruct the baroque architecture according
to its original plan after the Wall came down. I was moved by the story
of how the son of an English pilot who bombed one of Dresden's
protestant churches had raised the money to pay for a replica cupola,
which tops the church today. It was a remarkable example of
forgiveness and healing the wounds of war.
Other highlights include summer at St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival
playing Viola in Twelfe Night. The combination of living in
Shakespeare's world along the St. Lawrence River, working with that
particular ensemble in the midst of Prescott's hospitality was sheer
perfection.
Favourite co-stars?
Twelfth Night (2005) - Libby Skala as
Viola, Darcy Lindzon as The Priest and
Lisa Benner as Olivia - Photo by Harry
MacDonald
I loved doing scenes with my grandmother because she could more
convincingly portray a sixteen year old than a real sixteen year old.
Other favorite co-stars were Rosemary Harris, Marian Seldes, Elizabeth
Ashley, Jayne Atkinson, Ronald Rand and David Margulies at a book
reading for the Feminist Press. Sharing the stage with those actors
pushed me to new levels.
What was the first thing you saw on stage that had a
big impact on you?
The first Broadway show I saw as a child was Shenandoah. I ca still
envision a boy standing in a pool of light at the edge if the stage singing,
“Freedom ain't a state like Maine or Virginia, freedom ain't across some
county line. Freedom is a flame that burns within ya, freedom's in the
state of mind.” I only heard the song once, but the tune and lyrics have
stayed with me.
And the last?
Mike Daisey's one-man show The Last Cargo Cult was the most
powerful theatrical experience I've ever had. It turned my world upside
down and made me realized how I had bought hook, line and sinker
into societal values which identify monetary value with true worth. I
can't quite put into words how deeply it hit me.
You’ve travelled all over the world with the Lilia!
show – what has been your favourite place to perform
in?
One of the sweetest, heart-satisfying joys for me is to make people
laugh. For whatever reason, I hear more laughter from Canadian
audiences at my shows than from any other group. It's been true in
Prescott, Toronto, Calgary, Winnipeg, and Vancouver. Either Canadian
audiences really “get” me, or they express themselves back to me in a
way I understand and appreciate. In Calgary the audience laughter was
so infectious, even my husband was rolling on the floor, and that was a
first! O, Canada!
Do you have a favourite moment or line in the Lilia!
show?
My favorite moment in the show is when my grandmother asks me to
write a part for her and tells me it's not too late.
Libby Skala with Lilia Skala
Photo credit: Grace Polk
You’ve performed in Prescott on a few occasions – is
there anything about the town or the St. Lawrence
Shakespeare Festival that really stands out for you?
The warmth and hospitality of the town and festival, the genuine
friendship, diplomacy and generosity toward the actors, the excitement
generated by the festival has been unsurpassed by anything I've
experienced anywhere. As an actor, I was made to feel like a most
highly honored and treasured guest.
Are there any other Shakespeare roles you would
particularly like to play?
I'm so in love with Shakespeare, I would play any role in which I could
fill my being with his language – large or small. Let's see, roles that
come to mind are Rosalind in As You Like It, Kate in Taming of the
Shrew, Ann in Richard III, Portia in Merchant of Venice, Beatrice in
Much Ado about Nothing.
Your one-woman shows are very personal and tell the
stories of people close to you – what do you enjoy
most about telling these stories?
Photo credit: Damon Calderwood
I find it cathartic and entertaining to transform people I know and love
and with whom I've had occasional hiccups in our relationships, into
characters on stage. There, under a more universal microscope, I come
to understand and examine the world through their eyes and gain
insight into what makes them tick. Their qualities, characteristics and
foibles become golden nuggets of theatrical material. I'm able to forgive
them and grow in my compassion and appreciation for them and for
humanity in general.
What draws you to performing one-woman shows?
Why not use a larger cast?
Simplicity is what draws me to one-woman shows. My improv teacher
Gary Austin initially suggested I write a one-woman show about my
grandmother and he nurtured me through that process. Then I wrote a
second show, because I was familiar with that process. I suppose if he'd
said, 'Write a play for multiple actors,” and nurtured me through that
process, I'd be writing shows for larger casts. I'd like to write a play for a
larger cast.
In the words of Lilia!, “I’ve barely scratched the
surface in terms of what’s inside me – what I can give
of myself to mankind.” How does this relate to your
life now?
It's a great reminder to me that I have, and that we all have tremendous
wealth within us with which to bless mankind. It sounds good on paper,
but how I can tap into that wealth is a constant prayer. And when it's
not, it should be, so I'm grateful for the reminder.
What advice would you give to young people
interested in acting?
Follow your heart. Do it for the right reasons. Stay focused on why
you're doing it. It's an incredibly rewarding and enriching journey which
is not easy, but well worth it. Know yourself.
If you could emulate anybody’s career whose would it
be?
Tina Fey.
What’s your favourite film?
I love Babette's Feast and The Lives of Others.
And favourite holiday destination?
There are so many places I have yet to go! I love the lush and rugged
beauty of Vancouver Island's coast.
What do you have lined up next?
I have upcoming performances in Massachusetts and Arizona. And I'm
working on a musical project about my experiences performing Lilia! in
London.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful insight and
experiences with us. We cannot wait to see you again
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in Prescott on May 12 and 13 !
Lilia! will be presented by the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival at St.
Andrew’s Presbyterian Church at 425 Centre Street on May 12 at 8PM and May
13 at 3PM.
Tickets are $25.
Join us for a pre-show reception at 6PM on Saturday with wine and hors
d’oeuvres at the ‘Doctor’s Surgery’ - a historic home near the church. A limited
number of reception tickets are available for $10.
WIN TWO TICKETS to see Lilia! by participating in our Mother’s Day contest.
Share your favourite memory of your mom or the best piece of advice she gave
you. Submit your answers in person at our office or via email
[email protected], twitter @SLSFPrescott or on our Facebook
page. Contest closes May 4, winners announced May 8.
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This presentation is a fundraiser in support of the 10 anniversary season of the
St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival running this year from July 14 to August 18,
2012.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: 613-925-5788 or www.stlawrenceshakespeare.ca