Salt-Water love

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Josh Ramsden (left) and Lauren Holfeuer (right) star gaze.

Josh Ramsden (left) and Lauren Holfeuer (right) star gaze.

The Globe’s latest play brings out the tears

Article: Robyn Tocker – A&C Editor

[dropcaps round=”no”]W[/dropcaps]hen your dad is a drama teacher, it’s almost inevitable that you will get involved in theatre at some point in your life. This is the case with Josh Ramsden, leading male in the Globe Theatre’s play Salt-Water Moon.

He says after being in his first show at age six, he took a lengthy hiatus. In other words, his dad signed him up for a drama class when Josh was in grade 10, leaving the adolescent no choice but to get back into acting.

“When you’re in high school, you’re trying to find your identity and you don’t want to be just thought of as the drama teacher’s kid doing drama,” says Ramsden. “I was reluctant till then. Seeing the camaraderie in the group and class hooked me into doing it ever since.”

After getting his Bachelor of Fine Arts for acting at the University of Saskatchewan, Ramsden worked out of various theatres like Greystone Theatre, Thigh High Theatre/Live Five, and Station Arts Centre in Saskatoon where he was in more of a directing capacity.

Salt-Water Moon is Ramsden’s debut at the Globe and he says he got involved because he knows many people through the conservatory program at the Globe Theatre. He said friends encouraged him to get involved with the Globe and so far, the choice has been a smart one.

Salt-Water Moon is “a story for anyone who has been young and in love.” The setting: 1920s Newfoundland. Ramsden plays Jacob Mercer in this two-character play. Directed by Judy Wensel, this play tells the story of two young characters who “can push each other’s buttons and laugh and start fights and end fights” says Ramsden.

With only a director, the female lead Lauren Holfeuer, and two stage managers, it was important from day one that everyone got along, which Ramsden says they did. He has known Holfeuer for over a decade, so the connection between them was there from the start. He says it has been a “really open and free experience.”

“I can’t think of any time when I’m not enjoying the moment.”

Of course, there are always challenges. Ramsden says having only two characters in the play makes it a challenge.

“It’s one of the types of stories where we as the two actors are on stage the entirety of the show. We don’t get to walk away and prep ourselves for other scenes,” he says. In other words, the actors have to switch from the really tear-jerking moments to more humorous ones quickly.

Personally, Ramsden says he has faced challenges with playing in the round. For all you non-theatre folks, that means when the audience surrounds the stage space.

“For the first week, two weeks even, it was really about me adjusting how to tell a story and make sure all audience members are getting that story told evenly.”

Despite these challenges, Ramsden and the other participants are ready to get the show started. He says it is a romantic story, but not the gushy kind (thank goodness!).

“It’s the love between two people who care about each other as friends who want the other person to be the best person they can be and succeed and achieve what they should achieve and not settle.”

Salt-Water Moon goes from March 19 until April 6. Tickets are available at the Globe Theatre.

[button style=”e.g. solid, border” size=”e.g. small, medium, big” link=”” target=””]Image: Darrol Hofmeister[/button]

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