Q&A Session with Melissa van der Schyff

Melissa van der Schyff (Scafe) who plays Mary Jane in the show has agreed to participate the Q&A session with me.

Would you tell us about yourself, especially when did you start acting, how did you get involved with DWT Big River, your audition experience, etc.?

I was born in Edenvale, South Africa. When I was one year old my parents immigrated to Canada along with my older brother Dylan (internationally acclaimed jazz drummer) because they did not want us to grow up in the place, then, apartheid. They wanted us to love and value all races and see everyone as equal. They felt we would be better able to do that in North America so we moved to Canada. They gave up all their belongings in South Africa as they were not allowed to take much out of the country.

They made a big sacrifice so my brother and I could grow up with an open mind. I think about that a lot regarding the related themes of racism in BIG RIVER and am so grateful my parents gave me that gift. I grew up in Victoria, B.C. Canada and then went to College in New Mexico at The College of Santa Fe to study acting, Theatre and Music. It wasn't my specific goal to do musicals but I ended up doping a lot of them and having a great time. I moved to Los Angeles after College and started working in T.V. and Film and also writing pop music and performing live.

One day my manager called and said I had an audition in the valley for a "Deaf Musical". I wasn't sure how it could be done but it sounded so intriguing I went to the audition. I had never met a deaf person before. I auditioned with Tyrone Giordano who plays HUCK. I had great fun at the audition. It was a new experience for me to watch Ty sign his lines while hearing a voicing actor say the lines from the side. I had to use my concentration like never before and just be really present in the room and open to discovering the scene in the moment. Soon after I got the call that I had the job. I was so excited and couldn't wait to go to work. I was excited and nervous. How would I communicate with the Deaf Actors? Well I walked into my first day and it was a totally silent room full of many conversations in sign and a lot of great sounding laughter. I found the Deaf community so welcoming and friendly and always helpful to this day as I continue to learn sign language.

You are the one of five performers who has been in this production since the first incarnation. Could you tell us if your performance has changed in each incarnation, and if so, how?

I try to bring something fresh to each production while staying true to the choices I originally made that got me cast. I think as I grow in experience as a person each year and as an actor I can add another layer to Mary Jane's expression as a human being without changing the overall performance too drastically. I always think of a good acting choice as a set of railway tracks. You have a solid and specific destination choice but within the tracks you can dance and move a little differently every time. So my tracks have followed the same route over the past few years but I bring what is happening in my life that day, in the world etc into Mary Jane's consciousness and let it affect the performance.

Like just last night I watched the movie "Osama" about a little girl in Afghanistan who is oppressed by the Taliban. Tonight to get my acting juices flowing for Mary Jane I thought...what part of Mary Jane relates with this girl when she finds out the Duke has fooled her and is ripping apart her life? So for this particular night's performance I was inspired by a thematic connection I happened to see in a movie. I take note of what is happening around me and use bits here and there to inspire me and keep my performance fresh. The feeling of oppression by the Duke is part of the Train Track...how it affects me each night is the dance.

Did you need to adjust your performance style according to a venue? What I mean is that DWT is such a small theatre, and you are now performing in a huge theatre during the national tour.

Oh yes. We have to be aware of magnifying everything we do while not making our performances "cartoony" or unreal. First of all we adjusted our signs to be bigger and clearer depending on the venue and also we have to really enunciate our lines and use greater breathe support vocally to fill the bigger houses, even though we are miked. Again...keeping the truth of the acting moments the same but magnifying the delivery in the body, voice and signing.

What are your favorite scene and/or number in the show? How long did it take you to master signing in the show? Are you pretty fluent in ASL now?

Well I love Jim's song "Free At Last". Michael sings it so incredibly beautifully and I always feel so soothed when I hear him sing it. I also love performing with Ty and Troy. You know after years together we have chemistry and trust onstage that is so wonderful. Many times Troy will do little things...they feel like what I would call "actor's gifts" meaning he does something a little different and new to fuel my character.

Like one night I was leading for him not to sell Alice and he whips out a handkerchief and shoves it in my face to patronize me. It was so powerful it just made me cry. It just fed the simple truth of what was happening between us. The power struggle. Another night when I ask him what is going on with selling the slaves...he just bent down to me..like I was a kid and it just was so affective at again showing his disrespect to my character and again it affected me. He is so giving by continuing to reinvent ways of expressing that moment. It is wonderful to work with him. I also love doing my song with Alexandria Wailes who plays my sister Joanna. We have become like sisters over the years and it is a joy to perform with her.

I am still learning ASL. My hope is when I am done with BIG RIVER I can actually spend time to enroll in a class to learn the grammar etc. But I work on it everyday and have a little book I carry around to keep track of the signs I am learning. I can carry on conversations etc. but I am still converting English into sign. I dream of just forgetting English and letting the sign flow!

Learning my lines was not hard for me. But just really feeling comfortable to play with my expression of them and voice combined with the signs took longer. It took and still takes a lot of concentration to sign and sing and talk at the same time!! LOL!

All female Tyrone fans envy you for kissing him on the stage every day! But there was a report that you kissed Garrett Zeurcher (understudy for Huck) on his cheek, not on the lips in Tokyo. What happened?

*Laugh* well it's not that Garrett is any less "kissable" than Ty *grin* Garrett is adorable! But really it was because Garrett had a cold that day and we agreed I didn't want to risk getting sick. But then after the show we decided to keep the kiss on the cheek for our Huck and Mary Jane as our Huck and Mary Jane combo feels bit more innocent. Garrett looks incredibly young on stage and so our relationship is a sweeter more innocent friendship in feeling. The Ty/Melissa Huck/Mary Jane combo has a bit more of the hormones going on.

Could you tell us your experience in Japan? What were the most memorable things you did in Japan? What did you get from Japan? Where is your favorite place in Japan?

I loved Japan and can't wait to go back. I really liked Nikko and Kamakura (hope I am spelling these right??!! LOL!) I was amazed by the beauty of Japan ..especially in nature. I think Japan has the most beautiful trees I have ever seen! And the gardens and temples etc. I am a meditator so I felt really at home going to the temples and loved that you could be walking down the street and find a temple and make offerings as part of daily life. I love that the sacred and mundane are so balanced and accepted. I also loved how clean everything is and how polite the people are. I liked how everyone bows and shows respect to each other and I find I do it here even thought people look at me funny.

It is a great practice and reminder to acknowledge and respect every life, every person. One thing also I must admit, I loved the toilets at our hotel with all the different buttons! And seat warmer! Man...here on tour during winter we could sure use some warm toilet seats! *laugh*

Over all it was one of the best experiences of my life for sure. Thank you Japan!!!

Could you tell us about your solo CD? When did you record it and based on what did you select the songs you sang in the CD?

I recorded my CD "Urban Peasant" on and off between BIG RIVER gigs at a studio in Los Angeles. It is alternative pop and I was voted "Artist of The Year" on www.Femmusic.com (women in music) for it. I also recently found out I am a finalist for a 2004 Independent Music award which is very exciting! I co-wrote all of the songs with my producer. I write the lyrics and melodies and he writes the underlying tracks. A lot of the songs come from my creative imagination and some come from life experience or a combination of both. As far as selecting the song..they all just come from the heart...are hopefully inspiring and catchy. If anyone wants to listen thay can visit www.cdbaby.com/cd/mvds or just go to cdbaby.com and type in "Urban Peasant" under the album name. I have started to get radio play which is really fun. I just saw my name on a playlist next to Sheryl Crow and was like "WOW!" *grin*

In the future, what kind of projects would you like to get involved in?

I would love to keep doing theare that is meaning full like BIG RIVER. So many people come up and say how it has touched their lives. This makes me feel like I am doing a worthwhile thing with my life. I would also love to keep doing TV, film, and music. I just did a film last year with Tyrone Giordano called "A Lot Like Love" starring Ashton Kutcher. It will come out this spring. I would love to do more projects with Deaf West Theatre and original shows.

Here is the $650,000 question: why in your web page, your name is spelled Melissa van der Scafe, not Schyff? How do you pronounce "Schyff"?

*laugh* yes. my name is spelled van der Schyff (It is Dutch) but is pronounced SCAFE. I tried changing it on the CD to see if it would make my name easier to say etc. If I could turn back time I would probably just leave it as is..heck Arnold Schwarzenegger did it right? But it was something I did on a trial basis to see if it would be easier. It has just lead to more questions ! LOL!!! *big grin* (where can I collect my $650,000??) heheheh

Do you have any message to the audiences?

Just that I am so grateful for your support and love. The whole cast loves doing the show and we are filled with as much warmth by your response as you are, hopefully, by watching the show. I hope you tell your friends about the show so it can continue for a long time!

Melissa, thank you very much for responding to the questions, and CONGRATULATIONS on your 2004 Independent Music Award finalist nomination!! Break a leg and see you soon :

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