A former Yorkton resident was recently presented with the 2017 Saskatchewan Independent Film Awards (SIFA) for acting.
Mark Claxton, a former Yorkton This Week reporter took home the Saskatchewan Filmpool Cooperative honour for his role as Doktor Ripp.
“He’s (Doktor Ripp) basically your mad-scientist type, but he’s a filmmaker whose best days are behind him and who essentially destroys himself seeking one last shot at glory,” Claxton explained. “The director is a film student at the University of Regina, a young visionary named Matthew Ripplinger, and Doktor Ripp’s story is, in a sense, Matthew’s reflection on his own obsession with his craft. The film was not shot digitally – it was shot with real film, which was then physically tampered with, actually damaged, to create many of the effects.”
The film itself was also nominated for best cinematography and best student film.
Claxton, who has been in productions including Corner Gas and Little Mosque on the Prairies, said the award is one which makes the efforts of being an actor worthwhile.
“More than anything, it’s a heartwarming affirmation of your work from people whom you respect in the Saskatchewan film community,” he said, adding the landscape has changed in terms of film in Saskatchewan. “We can’t really call it a film ‘industry’ any more, that’s long gone, but there are still some tremendously gifted and passionate filmmakers – directors, producers, cinematographers, actors, writers, film students – who are making films, practicing their craft, trying to make a go of it here.”
The role of Doktor Ripp was one of those projects of passion.
“There was no money in this project,” said Claxton. “I did it because it was an opportunity to stay practiced working in front of a camera and to help out a young filmmaker who was passionate about his project. It involved a couple of days of shooting for me, and then life got busy and I kind of forgot about it. So it was a pleasant surprise to get news of the nomination. But I’m just as tickled for Matthew, who can use the awards and nominations to promote his film as he looks into festivals and other screenings.”
Claxton has been busy more recently taking to the stage with the Globe Theatre Company in Regina in its production of A Christmas Carol.
In the show, adapted by Michael Shamata and directed by Kelli Fox, Claxton takes on the key role of Bob Cratchit.
Claxton said taking on such a well-known character certainly provided its challenges.
“There are definitely potential pitfalls when playing a role that’s somewhat iconic in our part of the world,” he said. “You don’t want to simply mimic what you’ve seen others do, because that’s just boring, for the actor and the audience.
“But if you try too hard to be unique, to put your own ‘stamp’ on the role, you risk losing sight of the very things that made the character iconic in the first place.
“I have to trust that I was offered the role because my director has already seen at least something of Bob Cratchit in me. Then I can just focus on my actions and lines, always knowing why I’m saying or doing this or that, what I’m feeling from one moment to the next, without worrying about whether there’s anything clever or new in my interpretation. Ideally, the result is a performance that is true to the most important things about the character, whether or not others consider the performance ‘unique’ or ‘distinctive.’”
So how does one have the chance to play Bob Cratchit for the Globe?
“Usually, the director of a Globe production – in this case, Kelli Fox – will have some people in mind for particular roles – often, experienced actors from across the country with whom they’ve worked before,” explained Claxton. “But they will also consult with the artistic director (Ruth Smillie) and other folks at the Globe when deciding on Saskatchewan actors to invite for an audition. I was invited to audition for the role of Cratchit and given a scene to prepare beforehand.
“Several weeks after the audition, I received an email offering me the role. I quite literally jumped up out of my seat, ran into my living room, fell down on my knees, and started laughing and shouting ‘thank you’ to the universe. I didn’t expect to land the role, and at the same time, I wanted it so badly I couldn’t allow myself to think much about it.”
The stage of the Globe is one Claxton has become quite familiar with.
“It’s funny, I’ve never thought of myself as a frequent performer there – I think we insecure actors are always keenly aware of the roles we didn’t land! – but this will be my eighth show at the
Globe in the last nine years, so I really have been fortunate,” he related. “I moved to Regina from Yorkton with a pretty specific dream to act on that stage, and now to be doing this show, and this role – it makes my head spin a bit.”
So with the number of Globe roles growing, how does playing Cratchit rate among them?
“I find it hard to pick favourites -- any role that’s the least bit interesting will be enjoyable for different reasons than another really fun role,” he said. “What I’ve loved best about playing Bob Cratchit is the challenge to bring some intense and authentic human emotion to the stage. In a story that’s filled with spirits and the supernatural, Bob and his family are an important human element. It’s important that the audience connect with the Cratchits, with their joy and their pain, really feel what they’re experiencing, from the simple happiness of a holiday meal, to the utter desolation of grief. Those human moments need to be authentic so that the supernatural stuff actually means something in the end.
“Kelli consistently pushed me in rehearsals to bring a genuine human being to the stage, not a caricature. It’s been a fantastic growing experience.”
But beyond his personal experience in the role of Cratchit, the production will also be special for Claxton because he shared the stage with his son, nine-year-old Logan Markel.
“And then, there’s the crazy Christmas miracle of doing this show with my youngest son, Logan,” said Claxton. “After I was offered the role of Cratchit, I mentioned Logan to the theatre, because I knew they had yet to hold auditions for the role of Tiny Tim. Logan had done a small part in an independent film a year ago, and loved the experience, but he had never done any theatre, so I honestly wasn’t expecting much. But Kelli liked the notion of having a real-life father and son in those roles, and I think the folks at the theatre also liked the idea, because hiring a young child for a demanding gig like this – a five-week run, eight shows a week – can present real logistical issues that are eased a bit when a parent is in the cast.
“Having said that – Logan still needed to demonstrate that he had the chops to pull it off, so he had to audition like anyone else. But he worked hard on his preparation, went in there, and impressed everyone.
“And he has continued to impress everyone. I’m so proud I can hardly stand it. Going to the theatre with him every night, watching him run out to take his bow at the curtain call, talking about the show as we drive home afterward – it’s just magical. An incredible experience for him, a bottomless joy for me, a memory we will always have.”
So what is next in terms of acting for Claxton?
“I wish I knew,” he said. “There are a few potential summer projects in the wind, and I’ll be directing the University of Regina’s theatre production in the fall, but in the meantime, I’m doing some teaching and freelance writing to pay the bills while I await whatever comes next.”
