by Karolina Weglarz
The heat of glowing lights, memorization of an endless amount of lines, and the thought of being judged by complete strangers doesn’t fit the ideal job description for many. For Nancy Palk, however, she describes her life of theatre as a calling, rather than a business, and refuses to let her on-stage nerves get the best of her career.
Palk, a founding member of Soulpepper Theatre Company, mother of three, wife, actor, and teacher, can now add director to her resume. Despite having directed smaller, student-run plays in the past, White Biting Dog accounts for her first professional directorial debut. Though she assumed working with professional actors would be different than working with students, she quickly realized that it wasn’t.
“Actors are encouraged to keep the student in them. They have to be humble, forever learning,” she says.
White Biting Dog, written by Judith Thompson, opened on August 13th, and tells the story of a distraught lawyer about to end his life by jumping off Toronto’s Bloor Street Bridge. He is stopped by the words of a small, white dog that promises to ease his mental pain if he can help save his dying father.
Theatre has been a part of Palk’s life forever. Growing up in Winnipeg, instead of learning to play the piano, she took acting lessons. In high school she performed in musicals every year, which led her to a degree in drama from Queen’s University. She is also a graduate of the National Theatre School and teaches at Tarragon Theatre.
Despite theatre being her passion, and a long list of plays under her belt, being in front of an audience is still a stressful task for Palk. She says that much energy is required to combat the anxiety, so she refuels by taking quick naps before shows, doing yoga, or spending a few extra hours perfecting her scripts. Her husband, Joseph Ziegler, also a founding member of Soulpepper, and whom she happens to direct in White Biting Dog also gets credit for encouraging her and providing her with help whenever needed.
Palk says that an actor usually has at least two scripts running through their head at a time. This time it’s no different for her as she is also currently starring as Amanda in The Glass Menagerie.
“It’s bizarre for me to be waiting on stage to play Amanda in The Glass Menagerie, while White Biting Dog goes on in the background,” she says.
Managing a career and personal life can be challenging, but Palk makes it look simple. Even though most of her working days don’t start until about 10 or 11 each morning, she is constantly on the move, whether it’s thinking about taking the dog out for its morning walk when she first awakes, or dealing with last minute lighting technicalities minutes before show time.
In the future, Palk hopes to continue showcasing her directing talents. She adds that it’s difficult to make a goal setting as a Canadian actor: “I just want to work and get a pay cheque!”
“I won’t retire until I can’t learn lines or won’t get hired anymore!” she says.
For more information about tickets and show times for White Biting Dog and The Glass Menagerie, visit Soulpepper at http://www.soulpepper.ca/.
Photo by Sandy Nicholson.
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