Tom McCamus has had many a role in his actor's repertoire. From evildoers Captain Hook in Peter Pan or Bard's scheming rockstar-like personna in Richard III to his dashing roles as the charismatic Vernshinin in Chekhov's Three Sisters or the lascivious Vicomte de Valmont in Dangerous Liaisons. He's played Arthur In Camelot and MacHeath in Threepenny Opera. But whatever the role, from sweetheart to badass, McCamus always brings another dimension of excitement to every production he is in, from finest comedy to poignant tragedy.
And for McCamus The Grapes of Wrath's was a little bit of both as Jim Casy - the long haired, liberated former Man of God who simply figgered 'There ain't no sin and there ain't no virtue. There's just stuff people do. It's all part of the same thing.'
Grapes of Wrath director Antoni Cimolino recently won a Toronto Broadway World Award for his brilliant direction of this 2011 Stratford Shakespeare Festival production. The play also starred Chilina Kennedy who won the Toronto Broadway Award for Best Performance by a Female, for her role as Rose of Sharon, in addition to Evan Buliuing as Tom Joad, Janet Wright as Ma Joad, and
(McCamus' wife) Chick Reid as Gramma.
John Steinbeck, Cannery Row, JC
Can you comment about your research for the role of Jim Casey?
Tom McCamus: “First of all, any research is just reading the script and then the book Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. Then in terms of actual research of how to play the guy, you try to play him as close as you possibly can to the character in the book. Jim is actually based on a real life person in John Steinbeck's life. I think he was a marine biologist in San Francisco and he was a good friend. Steinbeck uses him in a lot in his other books like Cannery Row. The character of Doc is based on this guy too. So it has more to do with his philosophy of life as opposed to him not really being a preacher. It is just that common sense philosophy of life. And that is the best part about Jim. I love speaking those lines because it is kind of what I believe.”
Did you find yourself relating to the character?
Tom McCamus: “I did. And I didn't know that until I started playing him. I sort of went to church when I was a kid and I didn't continue on with it. I think partly it's because there is so much about organized religion that left me uncomfortable. And I think just the common sense about what this man speaks about the human spirit and human nature, well.. I totally believe in that.
I think Casy makes more sense than many on today's pulpit. I also love the timeliness of this play as well, the poor economy, and people who have been displaced or who are suffering in society, plus the strength that the Joads find in adversity. Casey helps the Joads but at the same time he's a restless soul ….
Tom McCamus: “I think Casy is trying to take whatever teachings and beliefs that he has and tries to give them to somebody else. But he does not want to force them on anybody, he just wants them to realize it for themselves at the same time. I think what he is trying to do is impart all of that stuff to Tom Joad because he realizes that Tom is the guy that is actually going to go and carry on with some sort of action. With Jim Casy, other than the fact that I am kicking the guy in the head, there is not a huge amount for him to do. All he can do is talk he says. So Casy needs someone that can actually take those thoughts and those beliefs and put them into action. It is not until Tom Joad is actually prepared to do that, that Casy feels finished in his work.”
It is not lost on the audience that that he has the initials JC as well...
Tom McCamus: “Plus I have the long hair and the designer went wait a minute, Jim Casy, JC. He said to me keep the long hair”
Frank Galati, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Antoni Cimolino
This show had a very unique staging from the Joads revolving wagon to the swimming hole, which suggests a sort of baptism for some of the characters.
Tom McCamus: “Yes all the elements are there, water, fire, earth. And that is definitely in the script. This was a production that was created by Chicago's Steppenwolf Company and Frank Galati. Frank Galati actually directed me in Merry Wives of Windsor this past year but he did Grapes in the early 90's.
"They spent many years paring this show down to what it was. We had that script and we had to discover why they did what they did and they had many years to choose, but we had to figure it all out.
"It was a difficult thing to do but Antoni Cimolino did a great job in terms of making it our own but still being very truthful to what Frank and Steppenwolf Company had created. Frank actually came in a couple of times. He never told us what to do but he came in to speak to us and this man has an incredible spirit. And he imparted that spirit onto us, so that was great.”
What was the audience response to the end of the play?
Tom McCamus: “When we come out to take the curtain call at the end, you can see them. Sometimes they are just stunned, and sometimes they just leap to their feet. But the ending is the culmination of the whole piece and that scene sort of puts a real capper on it. I was concerned because we have a lot of students that come in, that we might get some uncomfortable giggles. Not once did that happen. The students were with the play right to the end, and I think that ending shocked them more than anything else.”
Tom McCamus returns to the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in 2012 starring as Iachimo in Cymbeline and Horace Vandergelder in The Matchmaker. He is also part of an ensemble cast including Liane Balaban, and Maggie Huculak, in the remount of Divisadero at from Feb 8 to Feb 26 at Theatre Passe Muraille's Mainspace produced by Necessary Angel featuring the text of Micheal Ondaatje with songs written and performed by Justin Rutledge.
Coral Andrews - Coral Andrews is an independent media professional who has been writing in Canada for over 30 years.
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