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April 5, 2013
The American “dream”
VTT teacher plays would-be assassin of Ford.
TOVA G. KORNFELD
What’s a nice Jewish girl doing playing the would-be assassin of an American president? Loving every minute of it. Keri Smith, drama and art teacher at Vancouver Talmud Torah (VTT) and an actor in her own right, has a passion for theatre. That passion came across in a recent interview with the Jewish Independent: “I can’t imagine my life without theatre. I would be lost without it,” she enthused. “It focuses and guides me through my everyday existence.”
Born and raised in Johannesburg, Smith moved with her family to Vancouver at the age of 10. She attended VTT from grades 3-7 and Point Grey High School. After graduation and a short stint as a Starbucks’ barista, she moved to New York and attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy.
“Moving to New York changed my whole life,” she said. “It took me out of my little Jewish Vancouver bubble. It inspired me. I was really sad to leave after my three years there, but when I returned to Vancouver in 2006, I knew that I had a purpose in life to do something drama related.”
That something started with a short gig as a preschool aide at VTT and morphed into the full-time position she now enjoys. “It was really tough to be back here after living the New York-dream lifestyle but as soon as I started at TT, I felt an immediate sense of belonging.”
In addition to teaching – and producing VTT’s annual Chanukah concert and musical – Smith takes courses at Langara College and finds time to act in two to three shows a year. About that, she shared, “I struggled for a long time to find the balance between loving what I do for a living and what I do for a hobby. I have found that at TT and in my acting.”
Smith has just finished directing VTT’s Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Jr. at the Norman and Annette Rothstein Theatre. “I love working with the kids, and the sense of community the drama department brings to the school. We have academic kids, athletic ones, shy ones – and they all come together as a team in this magical world of the stage. That is the real joy for me. The rehearsal period is intense and the parents are so supportive, helping with sets, costumes, make-up and all those little behind-the-scenes things that need to be done to make a show a success.”
Smith is currently in rehearsal for Stephen Sondheim’s musical Assassins, which runs April 3-13 at Performance Works on Granville Island. The plot centres around a murderous carnival game portraying seven men and two women who have attempted or succeeded to assassinate American presidents, from John Wilkes Booth through Lee Harvey Oswald to Squeaky Fromme. Each and every one of them used a gun. Although the assassins are presented in their era, they interact with and inspire each other, transcending time and space. Smith explained, “The purpose of the show is to give the audience insight into what each assassin’s motivation was and how they were able to justify what they did. It really is a cynical view of the American dream, that sense of entitlement where, if I do not agree with you, I will run out and grab a gun and deal with you that way. It is a thought-provoking perspective and should resonate with audiences today in light of the recent spate of gun violence in the States.”
Smith plays Sara Jane Moore (née Kahn – yes, she was Jewish) who, on Sept. 22, 1975, at age 45, attempted to kill President Gerald Ford in front of a San Francisco hotel. The journey into the world of this dark character has been compelling for Smith: “My take on her is that she was a lost soul looking to fit in and belong to something. She found herself part of a group of anarchists who became her world and who influenced her to do what she did.”
Moore’s assassination attempt came 17 days after Fromme’s attempt to kill Ford. As to the relationship between the two women, Smith smiled and said, “The actor who plays Fromme and I have this hysterical scene together where we take our guns and shoot a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken to pieces.”
Moore missed Ford with her first shot, injuring a bystander; she was tackled by an off-duty marine when she attempted a second shot. She was arrested, pleaded guilty and sentenced to life in prison. In 2007, she was released on parole. Smith said, “In preparing for my role, I watched an interview of her after her release. It was very poignant. She was having trouble adjusting back into the community and acknowledged that she had made a big mistake.” In that interview, explained Smith, Moore said she had been “blinded by her radical political views” – shortly after her arrest, Moore had said that “there comes a point when the only way you can make a statement is to pick up a gun.”
Assassins first opened off Broadway in 1990. It was revived in 2004 – on Broadway – and won five Tonys. Smith noted that the Sondheim revue is very melodic with catchy tunes. In addition, she noted that “the topic is unique and gives a perspective on gun control that is very unusual and ... the cast is very talented and have collaborated to produce a fantastic product.” The local show’s producer, Pipedream Theatre Project, is a relatively new company that tries to push the envelope with its productions.
Assassins runs evenings at 8 p.m. with 2 p.m. matinées on weekends. Tickets can be purchased at vancouvertix.com or 604-629-8849.
Tova G. Kornfeld is a Vancouver freelance writer and lawyer.
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