NEVERMORE
Avenue Magazine Calgary Speaks With Scott Shpeley

"He's much more prominent then he ever was before. I'm sensitive to the Poe now. If I see books on a shelf it's Poe. I find I see way more ravens then I ever did before." Shpeley had only read The Raven in high school and never came across much more Poe until becoming a part of this creation with Catalyst. His exposure has brought Poe into his life. "I'm really in love with his dream poetry."

I asked how Nevermore was created. "It started with Jonathan Christenson and Bretta Gerecke. They had the idea to go with Poe, his life. And what is awesome about Catalyst is when you're hired, you being in the room and making offers, making choices, and showing them what you can do ultimately influences the play. They bring to life the strength of the actors they work with."

He tells a story about how Gerecke would watch rehearsal and come back with a costume piece to accent and influence the physical work that was happening. Each piece had been influenced by the person it was designed for. "My hands. She created backdrops for my hands, and now I can use them more."

He speaks of Papier-mâché, glue, and twigs for hands. Fellow cast member Vanessa Sabourin was working on a wobbly walk, and so a tilta-whirl dress was created.

Shpeley plays Poe through the entirety of the show, with the rest of the ensemble playing countless roles, with countless costumes to play with. He's enticed when he hears the cast talk about the backstage experience that he misses. "It's a whole other play happening back there. Actors help people change and it's kind of fun to hear those stories. A play in itself."

He makes it sound to me like Catalyst's process is completely ensemble based, all the artists jamming back and forth with whatever skills they have. Shpeley tells me that is what created the strength and nuance of the production. "We're all there believing in the production, and out of that comes the best offers that we can make."

It is in Shpeley's own desire for perfection that draws him to the theatre, and in the end to Poe. Within the craftsmanship there is delicacy. Something that fascinated him as a child is glassblowing, which he likens to acting. "This live performance can be very fragile. It has the potential to cave in on itself or be the most beautiful thing. It's about the finesse you need to keep the glass moving."

Based against the critical response so far for the show, Nevermore's ensemble keeps the glass moving, shaping it into a haunting yet fanciful fairytale.

High Performance Rodeo and Vertigo Mystery Theatre present Catalyst Theatre's Nevermore as part of the Hight Performance Rodeo.

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