Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Planet Connections Interview - Allison Plamondon of "See Bob Run"

By Byrne Harrison
Photos by Cameron Northey

Allison Plamondon is a NY based actress, choreographer and teacher. Recent theatre; Prometheus Within with Skysaver Productions (La MaMa ETC), Angels of Swedenborg with Ping Chong & Company (La MaMa ETC/62 Center for Theatre and Dance) and The Old House at HB Playwrights Foundation. Other theatre favorites include Fire, Anne of Green Gables (Canada’s prestigious Charlottetown Festival), Dames at Sea (Jubilee Auditorium), Aladdin (Elgin Theatre) and West Side Story (Stage West).

Highlights in dance include Tap City -the Main Event (Symphony Space), the national tour of Tap/percussion show RhythMatix and Phish (New Year’s Eve) at Madison Square Garden.

Allison is a graduate of the Theatre program at Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Other notable training includes The Second City (Toronto) and the Broadway Theater Project with Ann Reinking. Allison is also an accomplished choreographer. Recent favorites include Make Mine Manhattan (Associate/Off-Broadway at the Connelly Theatre), Freckleface Strawberry the musical (Associate/Off-Broadway at New World Stages), the Canadian premiere of Hello Again (Tarragon Theatre, Toronto) and an SDC Observership with Kathleen Marshall on Bells Are Ringing (City Center Encores).


How did you first get involved in theatre?

I started studying dance when I was 5 years old so have been performing since I was very young.

Who are your biggest influences?

I have had (and still have) some incredible teachers who inspire and encourage me. I’d say they are the biggest influences.

What is your show about?

See Bob Run is a dark and edgy dramedy about a young woman hitchhiking across the Canadian prairies. Determined to meet her estranged father at the water, Bob is talkative, paranoid and full of secrets. Told through direct address, monologues to unsuspecting drivers and twisted fairytales.

What inspired you to perform in it?

See Bob Run is a popular play in Canada but is rarely produced in New York. Plus, the role of Bob is a fantastically complex and challenging character.

Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?

David Gautschy (the director) and I started working on See Bob Run in early 2011. We wanted to be able to take our time exploring it without feeling pressure to put it up. We finally presented a workshop of the play in the fall of 2011.

Why was it important to you to be part of an eco-friendly theatre festival?

I am proud to be surrounded by like-minded artists who are doing what they love while giving something back.

Planet Connections donates a portion of the box office for each show to a charity.  What charity has your production chosen and why?

RAINN  is a natural choice since the play deals with the effects of abuse. The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network is the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization. RAINN operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1.800.656.HOPE and the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline at rainn.org, and publicizes the hotlines' free, confidential services; educates the public about sexual violence; and leads national efforts to prevent sexual violence, improve services to victims and ensure that rapists are brought to justice.

Educating yet extremely compelling, See Bob Run portrays an edgy, complicated, three-dimensional character who still inspires compassion. 

What's next for you after Planet Connections?

Danny and the Deep Blue Sea by John Patrick Shanley at the Nuyorican Poets Café.

And finally, if a genie were to grant you one wish, what would you wish for?

28 hours in a day.

For more information about See Bob Run, visit allisonplamondon.com or http://planetconnections.org/see-bob-run/.

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