In Earth and Sky, White Rock Players’ current mystery thriller (Coast Capital Playhouse, until Feb. 26), Lori Tych plays an emotionally charged central role.
A poet and part-time librarian, Sara McKeon finds herself in a nightmarish situation when her lover, restaurant owner David (Jason Dedrick) is found shot to death.
Just as shocking are allegations that the man she thought she knew had an unsavoury past that may have included kidnapping, rape and murder.
Her interaction with the officers investigating the case, intense ‘alpha male’ Det. H.E. Weber (Ben Odberg) and the more easy-going Sgt. Al Kersnowski (Mike Busswood), convince her that her only option is to investigate the murder herself.
Along the way she enlists the help of friends Joyce Lazio (Kaity Busswood) and Billy Hart (Aaron Elliott) – and her own memories of her relationship with David – to navigate an urban maze populated with characters whose motives are in question, including Carl Eisenstadt (director Dale Kelly), Marie Defaria (Colleen Kelly) and Julius Gatz (Andrew LeBlanc).
The mystery is also relatively unexplored territory for White Rock resident Tych, who acknowledges “this is the most straight character I’ve played – I can’t go to my comedic default setting.”
While she’s always been featured more in character roles, she confesses that playing a plum role that has her on stage for most of the show’s 28 scenes – and a romantic lead in the bargain – has whetted her appetite for more.
She says she can identify with her character’s belief that materialism and possessions don’t add up to a good or happy existence.
“Sara’s a minimalist in many ways – and I’m a little that way, too. I live a very simple life.”
Tych, who also actively pursues television and film parts, hurled herself back into stage acting several years ago as a counterbalance to her busy career in the restaurant business – patrons of the local scene may recognize her from such venues as Beecher Street Cafe and Cielo’s.
Mostly known for comedy, she’s acquired a reputation as something of a chameleon for taking on a wide range of characters in such plays as The Passion Of Dracula (directed by David Lloyd Austin), Dearly Departed (also directed by Kelly) and Twentieth Century in White Rock and in the farce Up and Coming for Vancouver’s Metro Theatre (the last two directed by Paul Kloegman).
“In Passion of Dracula I was Wilhelmina Murray, a take off – with many liberties – of Dracula’s eternal love,” she said. “In Dearly Departed, I played trailer park trash – a mother of three who aspires to be a singer – a busy-body drama queen in cowboy boots.
“In Twentieth Century, I was this outrageously lovely diva – part Carol Burnett and part Gloria Swanson – that was just exhilarating. And in Up and Coming I was Diane, a blonde tart who was stuck in a politician’s hotel room but couldn’t be found there.”
Tych, who grew up on an acreage outside of Edmonton, said acting is something she originally “fell into” – but ended up doing a lot of work in Alberta.
“I didn’t pursue it in high school or university,” she said.
“I was working as a bartender at a hotel in Edmonton where they had a dinner theatre. I’d been doing some singing, so when I was offered some roles, it seemed like an opportunity to learn my craft.”
It soon became a passion for her, which she fueled by working with a small independent theatre company, Celebration, based in Winnipeg, and also Theatre Prospero, which toured Shakespeare plays to high schools.
“We’d invite five or 10 students to be part of each play – they loved it,” she said. Tych notes Earth and Sky reunites her with Dedrick (the uncomfortable politician of Up and Coming).
“It’s a very different role for Jason, who’s well known for comedy, but he’s doing really well – there’s one scene, particularly, that has an inference of David’s darker side, and we get to see him get a little angry.
“I think it helps that we’ve worked together before; that we know each other so well and are very comfortable with each other.”
Tych said she has also enjoyed a second chance to work with detail-oriented direction of Kelly – but in a much different context – and also renew acquaintance with Busswood, with whom she last worked on Up and Coming, as well as have a chance to act with Busswood’s frequent collaborator, Odberg.
“Having a chance to be on stage with Ben and Mike – I feel safe up there. I can’t say how lucky I feel to work with them.”
