'I treat the writer as God': Screen star Leah Doz prepares for stage appearance in 'The Effect'
When two young volunteers agree to participate in a clinical drug trial, they can’t imagine what might come next: love.
So goes “The Effect,” opening at Coal Mine Theatre on July 13 in Toronto’s east end. The play, written by “Succession” writer Lucy Prebble, is dark, funny and complex – three words also often used to describe the HBO phenomenon which concluded earlier this year. “The Effect” is directed by renowned Toronto theatre artist Mitchell Cushman and stars Leah Doz, a TV star perhaps best known for her roles on Crave’s “New Eden” and CBC’s “Strays.”
“I love Lucy’s writing,” Doz told CP24. “These characters are written with so much depth – it’s why ‘Succession’ was one of the greatest shows on television. There’s this level of depth we get to excavate as actors, which makes her writing such a rare opportunity.”
“The Effect” explores the pharmaceutical industry and the impact it has on those at its centre – the people who volunteer their bodies and minds for the sake of innovation in the field. For Doz, the stakes of the play are high, but relatable – she found she understood the character of Connie from the outset.
“It’s been so great to sink my teeth into,” she said. “A play like this is a massive undertaking, and we’re moving extremely fast.”
The play’s rehearsal process was disrupted last fall when Coal Mine Theatre’s former space on Danforth Avenue suffered a major fire. The company has since relocated to great success (it’s still on Danforth Avenue, just a few blocks further east) and the cast of “The Effect” has been able to pick up where they left off.
“We had a head start,” said Doz. “This rehearsal period has been really supported by what we did last year.”
While much of Doz’s previous work has been on film, shesays she enjoys the live medium of theatre as well, and her approaches to both are quite similar.
“I always treat the writer as God,” she said. “I love writing. I think writers are incredible artists. I always take the template of the script as something really important, and as an opportunity for me to look further into the person I’m portraying…it doesn’t necessarily matter what the medium is. If I can locate the story, and know what story I’m telling, that’s when it clicks for me. That’s when this is most fun for me – it’s what I live for as an actor.”
One of the hallmarks of Coal Mine is the intimacy of its space, a stone’s throw from Woodbine Station. The actors and audience are often only a few inches from each other, which excites Doz.
“Large stages can be wonderful to work on,” she said, “but half the time you’re barking at your scene partner. The opportunity to work in a more intimate space almost makes it feel more cinematic, which is really appealing to me.
“We’re all trying to get to that level of believable, and unhinged. Falling in love and falling apart.”
Background
Crave is a division of Bell Media, which also owns CP24 and CTV News Toronto.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump threatens to try to take back the Panama Canal. Panama's president balks at the suggestion
Donald Trump suggested Sunday that his new administration could try to regain control of the Panama Canal that the United States “foolishly” ceded to its Central American ally, contending that shippers are charged “ridiculous” fees to pass through the vital transportation channel linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Man handed 5th distracted driving charge for using cell phone on Hwy. 417 in Ottawa
An Ottawa driver was charged for using a cell phone behind the wheel on Sunday, the fifth time he has faced distracted driving charges.
Wrongfully convicted N.B. man has mixed feelings since exoneration
Robert Mailman, 76, was exonerated on Jan. 4 of a 1983 murder for which he and his friend Walter Gillespie served lengthy prison terms.
Can the Governor General do what Pierre Poilievre is asking? This expert says no
A historically difficult week for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government ended with a renewed push from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to topple this government – this time in the form a letter to the Governor General.
opinion Christmas movies for people who don't like Christmas movies
The holidays can bring up a whole gamut of emotions, not just love and goodwill. So CTV film critic Richard Crouse offers up a list of Christmas movies for people who might not enjoy traditional Christmas movies.
More than 7,000 Jeep SUVs recalled in Canada over camera display concern
A software issue potentially affecting the rearview camera display in select Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Cherokee models has prompted a recall of more than 7,000 vehicles.
'I'm still thinking pinch me': lost puppy reunited with family after five years
After almost five years of searching and never giving up hope, the Tuffin family received the best Christmas gift they could have hoped for: being reunited with their long-lost puppy.
10 hospitalized after carbon monoxide poisoning in Ottawa's east end
The Ottawa Police Service says ten people were taken to hospital, with one of them in life-threatening condition, after being exposed to carbon monoxide in the neighbourhood of Vanier on Sunday morning.
New York City police apprehend suspect in the death of a woman found on fire in a subway car
New York City police announced Sunday they have in custody a “person of interest” in the early morning death of a woman who they believe may have fallen asleep on a stationary subway train before being intentionally lit on fire by a man she didn't know.