Talented actor, Tony Nardi, takes a stand against mediocrity
December 10, 2006
JOHN HANAN
Tony Nardi may be talking his way out of show business.
Not that the award winning actor is worried about the repercussions
from his one-man, two-part "act of theatre" entitled
Two Letters. Unlike many within Canada's entertainment industry,
desperately striving for fame at any cost, Nardi holds his chosen
craft to a higher standard. Then again, he might just become
this country's most infamous agitator outside of Don Cherry.
Early on in his opening monologue, Nardi confesses he chose
his craft as a young man, as a means of exploring greater truths
in society.
Two hours later, his message is clear. He wants to see more
actors in this country striving to raise the bar, rather than
remaining silently complicit in the steady stream of offensive,
outdated and mediocre material that is routinely produced for
Canadian audiences, said Nardi over coffee at Grano Ristorante,
just hours before he was to perform at the midtown establishment.
If you happened to miss Nardi's Two Letters during the past
month, consider yourself fortunate the veteran actor has just
added two additional performances, which ironically will also
serve as a fundraiser for some of the same Canadian thespians
he spends more than two hours tearing a strip off in his opening
act.
Don't dismiss this performance as a long-winded rant from a
middle-aged actor. Certainly large parts of the opening letter
serve as a chance for him to vent his frustration with "doormat
Ital-Quebec" writers who resort to the three M's of Italian
stereotypes - mommas, macaroni and the mafia. Interspersed with
the anger and frustration are moments of cutting insight and
hilarity on Canuck culture. Performed at a kinetic pace, Nardi's
opening Letter serves as a stinging indictment of the nation's
theatrical soul.
But first, without spoiling the show, some context as to why
Nardi is seemingly intent on committing career suicide.
Not too long ago, Nardi was asked by the producers of a Canadian
sitcom to audition for the role of a stereotypical Italian character
- certainly not the first time in his career, as Nardi reminds
the audience of being asked to "scratch himself like an
Italian" by a previous director - but this particular script,
and one particularly disturbing line of dialogue, was so offensive
he rejected the role and began writing a 17-page missive to
the show's producers.
Nardi, who considers himself as much a writer as an actor,
continued writing his damning report on Canadian cinema. However
he isn't presenting himself as a martyr for the Italian-Canadian
community. He also rallies against Canadians of convenience
("über-Italians...who despite a Canadian home and
passport" don't identify themselves as such) and the younger
generation, whose ancestral knowledge is limited to the Azzurri's
World Cup roster.
From Quebec politicians to Italian explorers to the mainstream
press, there are no safe havens from Nardi's biting commentary.
Throughout the opening Letter, Nardi is visited by drama-liturgical
ghosts (based on living friends within the industry) who he
believes have come to represent the "dead ideas" that
permeates Can-content, suffocating it from producing anything
noteworthy.
The second half, Letter Two, began as a long essay to a couple
of prominent theatre critics in Toronto, bemoaning the state
of theatre in English Canada (and preference for Elizabethan
theatre over exploring new ground) that treats actors like props,
producing shows that no longer resonates with audiences.
Demonstrating his commitment to leaving no stone unscathed,
Nardi has even incorporated remarks made by his own co-producer
and publicist into the show.
But perhaps he's putting too much pressure on Canadian talent
- whether actors or writers - who are usually, hungrily looking
for work and rarely in a position to turn down a paycheque,
no matter how offensive the material.
"Since they're in the same field as I am, they should
be just as concerned as I am," he said, adding. "You
have to become a mirror for society that normally doesn't have
the time to think about such things."
Certainly he holds his professional colleagues up to very high
standards, standards in an age of instant-celebrity that may
be rapidly changing. Similarly, society's funny bone has seemingly
moved from high-brow to somewhere far below the belt, but isn't
one man's offensive stereotype another's punchline?
Context is the key, argues Nardi, and the problem is clichéd
characters that merely mimic our often shallow culture.
"Trendy too often passes for originality," he says
near the end of the Letter One. Conversely legendary filmmakers
like Martin Scorsese or Spike Lee, create authentic characters
that "create masks to reveal, not conceal." Intentionally
provoking an audience, to reveal a larger theme isn't what got
his blood boiling, but the wafer-thin characters who unknowingly
offend, whose lack of originality means a reliance on using
ignorant stereotypes by default.
While the theme of mediocrity and how it relates to Canadian
drama, onstage or onscreen, has left many with their jaws-dropped
and others in tears, Nardi says that many in attendance have
walked away from the monologue with their own particular interpretation.
A lawyer sees parallels to the world of justice, while another
sees connections to the media in this country. Whatever the
end result - Nardi isn't sure what he'll do with Two Letters
once the run is over- the intent was to stir a reaction from
what he views as a normally apathetic English Canadian audience.
And unlike many bearer of bad news, Nardi stands around afterwards,
fielding questions from an often stunned silent audience.
Exactly what has been the reaction from directors, producers,
casting agents and all those who could potentially keep him
from working as retribution? Nardi says he hasn't received much
feedback from those within Canadian theatrical circles (which
he hopes will change with the upcoming benefit performances)
and while his critique is sure to create animosity and resentment,
the important thing for him are the ideas contained within:
that culturally, we need to strive for originality, rise above
our current mediocrity and stamp out the scripted racism we
so often turn a blind eye towards.
