Cohen loves life in theatre

OLGA LIVSHIN

Andrew Cohen became interested in an acting career when he was a young boy. “I’ve always been into music. My parents sang in a choir,” he explained in an interview with the Independent. “When I was eight, I attended my sister’s singing audition. She got so much attention, I thought it was cool. I wanted that too.”

Many years have passed since then. His sister became a schoolteacher, but Cohen stayed true to his chosen direction, graduating from the University of British Columbia last year with a bachelor’s in acting. On Feb. 18, he will make his debut at the Playhouse in the Catalyst Theatre’s production of Hunchback, based on the famous novel Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo.

“I have long wanted to work with the Catalyst Theatre,” Cohen admitted. “It has a terrific team, and I was lucky to be selected for this show.... Hunchback, I wouldn’t call it a musical exactly. It’s a play with music and it stays close to the book. Some musicals are fluffy, true, but it’s a misconception that all musical theatre is like that. Theatre, especially the Catalyst Theatre, is all about storytelling. In this case, the theatre uses all mediums to convey the story of Hunchback: not only words, but music, singing, acting, movements, intricate stage décor and elaborate hair and costumes. But it’s all rooted in the story. It’s a tragic story with a sad ending, beautifully told with music.”

While Cohen only recently graduated, he has been performing and producing for a long time.

During the 2010 Winter Olympics, Cohen tap danced in the opening ceremony and was a featured solo singer in the closing ceremony. “I wasn’t really there in the closing ceremony,” he clarified, explaining, “I had another rehearsal at the time. Someone lip-synced to my voice. But rehearsing and participating in the Olympics was an amazing experience.”

After that experience, Cohen went on to his first big project as a producer and director: UBC LipDub. Downplaying his involvement in the project, he said, “I was bored, wanted to meet new people, so I got this idea....” The idea resulted in more than a thousand UBC students participating in the filming one grey afternoon of a 10-minute music video, which can be seen on Cohen’s production company website (ACPEdge.com).

In the video, the camera pans across the campus, filming students dancing and clowning around, swimming and doing acrobatics, singing and laughing. It was launched on YouTube on April 8, 2011, and, in the three weeks that followed, became viral, getting more than a million hits. During its first week, the video was the most-watched music video in Canada and one of the highest-rated entertainment videos in the world. “Every major news station talked about it,” said Cohen, sounding surprised.

Despite his success with LipDub, Cohen defines himself primarily as an actor – and a lucky one at that. Unlike many other young performers, he doesn’t have to supplement his income with a non-theatre-related job.

“Since my graduation, I’ve been working as an actor almost nonstop,” he said. “I only had a couple weeks when I didn’t act. That is the main challenge every actor faces: finding work, going to auditions.... To get far in the theatre, you need talent and you must be driven. You also must always learn, improve your technique. The best actors never stop learning. But, more than that, you need to be in the right place at the right time. It’s all about where you are and who you know.”

Cohen’s network of contacts broadened considerably in 2009, when, while still a student, he participated in Triple Sensation, a Canadian talent show on CBC. Although he didn’t win the ultimate prize, he was one of the 12 finalists selected for the master class.

“Such competitions are cheap TV,” he acknowledged. “People don’t have to think when they watch reality TV. It looks like everyone except the winner fails. But it’s not so. I don’t think such a show can be used to judge talent. It’s more about personality. Producers who create such shows need interesting people to do and say interesting things for the show to attract viewers. I didn’t win the big prize, but I was among those selected for the master class, and it was an unbelievable experience. High exposure, too. I don’t regret having done it.”

But he’s not rushing to be on the small screen – or the big screen, for that matter.

“I love theatre,” he said. “When people applaud, especially during an opening night, it’s most important to an actor. The stress of the opening night on Broadway is comparable to the stress people experience in a car accident. The public’s applause and laughter feeds an actor. It’s our source of energy. We play off it, come up with new ideas. It’s missing in TV and movies.”

Hunchback runs at the Playhouse from Feb. 18 to March 10.

Olga Livshin is a Vancouver freelance writer. She can be reached at [email protected].

^TOP