http://thelink.concordia.ca/fringe/06/01/16/1750234.shtml

[size=24:12468c7a71] [b:12468c7a71] Murder! She Sings[/b:12468c7a71][/size:12468c7a71]
[size=18:12468c7a71][b:12468c7a71]Canadian Singer Song-Writer Sarah Slean
Plays Femme-Fatale in David Mortin�s
Film Noir Musical: Black Widow
[/b:12468c7a71] [/size:12468c7a71][b:12468c7a71]By Marc Soucy[/b:12468c7a71]

Little Miss Slean packs a loaded gun. With two major-label albums: Night Bugs and Day One, two Juno nominations, a Gemini nomination, a published collection of art and poetry: �Ravens� and extensive touring under her arm, this young lady means business. Sarah Slean takes a sure shot at yet another art form. The accomplished artist portrays Eve Hardwick, a distorted reflection of Hamilton, Ontario�s femme-fatale, murderess Evelyn Dick, in director David Mortin�s film noir musical, Black Widow, co-starring: Martin Tielli and Mary Margaret O�Hara. Once concluding her 2005 Canadian tour, which she chronicled in a blog on Maclean�s magazine website, the performer took a moment to converse.

[b:12468c7a71]Marc Soucy:[/b:12468c7a71] You play Eve Hardwick, a murderess, a black widow. Can you relate to her?

[b:12468c7a71]Sarah Slean:[/b:12468c7a71] I tried. I could see that she was a coddled, spoiled little girl who didn't properly learn about love. Her mother seemed to protect her so efficiently that she also shielded her from reality. I can't say I relate, but I had to find a way to understand what her motivation was. I understand the use of desire as a weapon. David Mortin, the director, e-mailed me a copy of my poem "Murder" and the sentiment was eerily perfect for the character. But on a philosophical level I detested her. I had to invent reasons for her petulant child act and her aggressive desire to be adored at any cost. I told myself that her coldness was revenge for abuse in childhood and her dream of stardom was, to quote Leonard Cohen, "leaning out for love".

[b:12468c7a71]M.S:[/b:12468c7a71] From the perspective of playing a role that disregards traditional female gender roles, and takes on male oriented characteristics such as aggressiveness and toughness, do you think these traditional gender-roles in our society are changing?

[b:12468c7a71]S.S:[/b:12468c7a71] Gender roles keep morphing. Canadian society is particularly open to redefining them. However, I think the largest determinant in the behaviour between the sexes is biology. We are living species; we cannot be governed only by our mind's principles. The body and the DNA have agendas that are far more ancient than our tiny personal dramas. The femme fatale role is a traditional one because it examines frightening, powerful, destructive sexual forces; something the cinema has always explored. It is more about the Id, Freud and the unconscious, the dark underbelly of our nature, rather than what a woman and a man are to each other. Evil has always fascinated us as humans. Our finely-honed minds fear our animal selves.

[b:12468c7a71]M.S:[/b:12468c7a71] Has playing this evil, fascinating role sparked an interest in acting?

[b:12468c7a71]S.S:[/b:12468c7a71] Yes, although I'd like to take a lot of classes and do some research before taking such a scary risk again. I have a new-found respect for the magic that good actor's can conjure. It was hard for me to be so exposed and to exit myself in exchange for another.

[b:12468c7a71]M.S:[/b:12468c7a71] You�ve spoken of "Emily", a character, an alter-ego of yours who sometimes comes out on stage through your music. Is it a different exchange to have an alter-ego come out
through music than it is to physically portray a character through film?

[b:12468c7a71]S.S:[/b:12468c7a71] The character I played in the film was real. She was flesh and blood and flowed through the actual events as we tried to portray them. She is as layered and complex as any living being. Emily and her consorts are more personifications of mind-states.

[b:12468c7a71]M.S:[/b:12468c7a71] What role would you play, if you could cast yourself in any musical?

[b:12468c7a71]S.S:[/b:12468c7a71] Perhaps Maria in West Side Story, or one of the Von Trapps [in The Sound of Music].

[b:12468c7a71]M.S:[/b:12468c7a71] You are working on your own musical, Boy Wonder. What should come of that?

[b:12468c7a71]S.S:[/b:12468c7a71] I can only hope that Boy Wonder will have such an effect on someone. I am going to pour my whole being into it. It will be my valentine to the world, a love letter, a wake-up call for the cynics and the sleepwalkers.

[b:12468c7a71]M.S:[/b:12468c7a71] Then, do you believe in musical-healing?

[b:12468c7a71]S.S:[/b:12468c7a71] I believe wholeheartedly in the power of art. Good art speaks directly to the soul. If beautiful ideas can be presented through such beautiful, powerful means they are more deeply and willingly received. The listener or viewer is changed. Would Martin Luther King Jr. have been as effective if he weren't such an artful, impassioned speaker? My experiences with great art have been transcendental and have never left me. They gave me a sense of possibility, of wider perspective, of empathy and of wonder. Intellectual feats and technical feats will never match the feats of the soul. Who is remembered by the world? People with passion.

[b:12468c7a71] Witness the murder when Black Widow airs at 8:00 p.m., Thursday January 19, 2006 on the CBC Television performing arts series "Opening Night".[/b:12468c7a71]

Thank you, that was a good article

Nice job on bolding each exchange between Sarah and Marc Soucy. Can you credit where the article was published or any links and dates?

I like how Sarah explained Emily as personifications of a mind-set. The whole theme of roles makes things seem rather interesting.

Cameron Bay.

interesting! Definitely worth the wait

I am so curious about Boy Wonder (musical not the poster ) I'm such a theatre person, I really really would like to see it

[size=18:fee8fbc2ae][b:fee8fbc2ae]L O V E S I T ! ! ! [/b:fee8fbc2ae][/size:fee8fbc2ae]