Pi Theatre’s Long Division at The Annex, 823 Seymour Street, Vancouver, April 26 – 30. For more information visit pitheatre.com.
Like many actors, Melissa Oei sees her craft as a cathartic experience.
That was never truer than in the fall of 2016, when her father passed away while she was rehearsing for the world premiere run of Pi Theatre’s Long Division.
“I went back to rehearsal the very next day, not because I felt the pressure to be there, but because I actually couldn’t think of a safer place to be than among a group of artists who are just so caring and so loving and so generous,” says the actress over the phone from the Pi Theatre’s office, where the cast is currently rehearsing for the spring run of Long Division, on April 26 to 30 at Vancouver’s Annex Theatre.
The story focuses on seven characters, interconnected through a tragic event, and it’s up to them to figure out how and why they have been brought together. Paul, a math teacher, sees the world through the lens of mathematical equations, and “a lot of how the plot unfolds is told through mathematical language and metaphors,” says Oei.
Oei plays Lucy, a character she admits is “a lot like me: a young aspiring actress (who) supports herself and her acting career by serving at a bar. She’s very young, very much in love with theatre, quite passionate and creative, and sees the world with a lot of hope.” Lucy’s journey is to figure out how she fits in to the story, and that becomes apparent through the beauty of the mathematical equations, explains the actress.
Making the role even more personal for Oei is the fact that Long Division’s playwright, Peter Dickinson, adjusted the script just for her, making the character’s father be from Indonesia, just as Oei’s was. “My father ultimately never got to see the show which I was really sad about because (Dickinson) had altered the character of Lucy to reflect my personal background … So (after my father’s passing) it was a beautiful thing for me to be able to go to work every night and for him to be there with me,” she explains.
Oei, who grew up in Deep Cove and whose mother still resides in the Lonsdale area, first became smitten with acting when she enrolled in Grade nine drama class at Argyle Secondary School. After completing the Theatre Arts
Program at Capilano College, she moved on to join the conservatory acting program at Vancouver’s renowned Studio 58. Many professionals from the community, such as directors and designers, work at the school, which opened up doors for her to “go out into the world after graduation and start working right away,” she explains.
Since then, Oei has been involved in a number of productions on stages big and small, working as an actress, director and administrator with organizations as Carousel Theatre for Young People, Bard on the Beach and The Cultch.
Though she has always been based in the Lower Mainland, her career and personal journeys have taken her to Greece, Europe and Asia, including a recent trip to India, Mexico and Korea.
Throughout her career, Oei has worked on a number of large-scale productions, but her passion lies with smaller-scale works. “Vancouver is a creative town, there are lots of indie companies run by one or two passionate people,” she says. This translates to fewer opportunities than in places with greater arts infrastructure and funding, but it suits the actress just fine. “I’m excited by things that are creatively daring, and usually those are on small stages,” she explains.
Knowing the upcoming run of the show could bring up many emotions for Oei, she says, “I feel so lucky as an actor because there really is no safer place to feel your feelings than among a group of artists that are just so naturally empathetic, and theatre is an amazing outlet for everything you’re going through in life … This show has a lot of personal resonance with me and I just feel really lucky to be able to do it again.”
Long Division is on April 26 to April 30, 2017 at The Annex Theatre, 823 Seymour Street. Tickets $25 for matinees, $30 for general admission, pitheatre.com.
