Andrew Gillies (3/97 Taming of the Shrew)
Excerpt from See Magazine 2/27/97: Andrew Gillies
THEATRE
BY ANDREA RABINOVITCH
PREVIEW
Taming of the Shrew
Citadel Theatre, MacLab Stage, March 1 - 30
Denise Coffey is a phenomenal woman: a director who respects actors; an artist with much humility and little ego; and a conversationalist who is witty, warm and perceptive. She definitely ranks in my Interview Hall of Fame as one of the top three.
Normally an associate director of the Shaw Festival, she's currently directing The Taming of the Shrew with members of the Edmonton theatre community comprising the company. Michelle Fisk plays the indomitable Katherina and Andrew Gillies is Petrucchio.
Coffey likens directing to "organizing a terrifically good dinner party."
"I'm really an ambassador for the audience. I have to clear my brain and listen with the ears of a person seeing it for the first time, as the audience only gets to hear it once," she said.
"The company is truly superb with a really brilliant designer (John Pennoyer) and a fantastic crew. I'm just a friendly eye, the actors can trust. I might trampoline towards a course of thought or action, but actors know how to act."
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