Theatre
The Toronto Portraits - Sabryn Rock
Welcome to the Toronto Portraits. Every Friday we're going to profile a young, dynamic Torontonian, and each week we're photographing them in a different Toronto neighbourhood.
Sabryn Rock, 22 years old. Little Italy in the rain.
If you have the talent, go to the right school, know the right people...acting for a living is still a tough, tough thing. Granted, the rewards can be spectacular; a crowd applauding your work every night is marvelous for the soul. It's the practical concerns; the savage competition, the non-existent money, the dearth of exciting, challenging material...that pulls the job right down to earth.
"People graduate from theatre schools and think they're going to be superstars, but that's not the case. There just isn't enough work for everyone."
Originally from Regina, Sabryn Rock moved to Montreal in her teens to study at N.T.S, the top theatre school in the country. After graduation she packed her bags and headed for the Big Smoke, to pursue a career as an actress/theatre director.
"Toronto has a huge theatre and film market. Saskatchewan has three theatre companies, and Corner Gas. (Corner Gas) probably wouldn't hire me, though I do think they should try putting a black person on the show, shake things up a bit."
Sabryn can currently be seen in "Dead Ahead", a new play on until May 16th at the Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People . She's been getting good reviews, NOW Magazine called her a "talent to watch".
In 2007 she co-founded the group "I'd Rather Dance"; they specialize in throwing dance parties in theatre spaces with proceeds going to the daily food bank. They've held events at the Lower Ossington Theatre, Theatre Passe Muraille , and most recently a party at the Theatre Centre for Summerworks.
"To be completely honest (I'd Rather Dance) started last Fall because we wanted to throw a Halloween party, but we didn't have enough room at our apartment. Lower Ossington Theatre agreed to donate their space in exchange for the promotion they'd receive for hosting us. We bought booze, got licenses, and made it a charity event. The people who've come out have been really diverse crowds, it's a lot of fun."
Sabryn Rock has at least one advantage over the hordes of young actors arriving in Toronto each year; she'll never have to adopt a stage name. The one she has now is perfect.
Photos by Mr. Robin Sharp
Discussion
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1. The first time I met Sabryn was this week, when I interviewed her and did the photoshoot.
2. She is smiling.
3. Would you like her to be holding laughing and crying masks, to portray that she's an actor?
This is the first time here that I actually think this girl really got something in her. And she's in Evil Dead, too which is totally awesome!
b the w, I love her name, too Heh heh. :o)
It's the corner of Grace and College. Now take off your cranky pants.
Please at least hire a competent photograph for this series.
Zack - Obviously you have high standards. Let me check if Annie Liebowitz is available.
Also,I really like hearing from the featured person in their own words, especially hearing from somebody new to the city and their views on our arts community.
For example the second picture, close up of the face is clearly distorted and unflattering. the crop is too close and its a terrible picture which makes a beautful woman look ugly.
Perhaps you guys need to try more amateur photographers who are willing to do it for free instead of sticking with the current photographer who clearly has no idea what his doing (i checked his website as well). You have a large flicker pool, that's the best place to find someone else or try other photographers.
Also, as a suggestion why not do profiles of people in Toronto that we might actually recognize who have interesting stories. I don't mean people like Kathryn Humphreys, but maybe the guy in Trinity Bellwoods Park that does puppet shows, or the singing TTC streetcar driver, or Zanta, or the busker at Dundas station in the prison jumpsuit, or the hotdog stand guy at Spadina and Queen, or the driver of that truck that looks like it has some sort of medieval torture device on the back, etc, etc. . . .
pic #1 came out really saturated and candy-coloured in my RSS feed, interesting to see a more sepia-toned version of it here. i like it, but i think i preferred the more vibrant version- did you re-post the pic?
given some of the comments here, maybe it would make sense to begin a blogTO practice of explaining how people are chosen for these profiles- or of opening the pool to submissions from readers? in these comments, i smell sour grapes on some people's breath, but i admit that often when i read alt publications i too wonder how the story subjects were chosen.
The subject matter, well how exactly DO they get chosen? Some transparency is in order here. Because I don't find any of them to be very interesting.
Why do people have to be so critical? If you do not like this sites content then here is a piece of advice don't look! I think this portrait idea is a wonderful! Are you jealous because no one is ringing your phone to ask you to be the photographer or subject? Maybe it's because people can feel your negative energy from miles away, work on yourself before you criticize others for putting themselves out there.
How I bet if you were asked to be involved how the tables would turn, and you would all of a sudden love the idea, and sing it's praises!
Just shut up, sit back, and stop criticizing.
Those who do, and those who whine. And methinks that the difference is only amplified by the blogosphere.
There's this idea online that the content you take in somehow owes something, that these photos and these profiles are supposed to know your standards and live up to them, and that it's your god given right to demand quality and deride what is currently there.
Well folks, Your favorite websites owe you quality content as much as you owe them your undivided attention. In short. Ya don't like it, don't read it. It's the age old question, If you don't like these profiles, why are you reading them?
If blogTO is your most favorite website of all time, and you're not happy with the turn it takes with these profiles, well, there's tonnes of other great stories and what not, read that. OR maybe make suggestions or provide contacts for who you would like to see. Even better, go contact these people yourself, take their pictures ask them the questions you have for them, then send it in here.
See if it'll get published.
I had no clue there's this guy in Trinity Bellwoods who does puppet shows. So seriously, Cliftonp, next time you see this dude, chat him up and see if he'd be down for a profile, I'd be interested in reading it. Does he only do it on the weekends?
Anyhow, it's really easy to piss on something, and to make generic judgments on folks
It's cheap
And I can't say that I'm above any of that myself.
Like a lot of people, I've done a lot of eye-rolling and headshaking over queen w hipsters, the holier-than-thou college st. crowd, folks from the beaches, and just about anybody else that believes that you're a "Pretentious Torontonian" unless you're sharing a dive flat in the west end with a couple of aimless weirdos where everyone gathers together over a draught and forgets to ask themselves why they ever thought a 4yr general arts degree SHOULD guarantee them a job after school...
Phew! Where was I again? Oh yeah, judgements and criticisms.
I've snapped the odd judgement at folks, and I'll probably do it again. But I think it's honestly, because I'm not part of them. I may not like how or where they party, and we may not have a lot in common, but there's something that fires up the jealousies in seeing other people be part of something and enjoying themselves, especially when you're not.
So far, we've seen people profiled here who are doing things. Maybe not the things you specifically are interested in, but in time, I'm sure blogTO will find someone ya like.
and as for blogTO, they're doing something in attempting these profiles, and continuing them amid all this scorn and criticism. I'm sure they're a team of individuals who fight, argue, work, party and create, and that it's as difficult at times to be a part of as it is to be a member of any of our families. But once again, they're doing something.
Do'ers and whiners Toronto, which one are ya?
My guess is, that if you're treating these profiles like a 2nd year photo critique at OCAD, you've made it clear where you fall.
You negative people are total bummers. You're seriously bumming me out. Why are you so negative? You have absolutely no reason to hate on others, especially on something as uncontroversial as Toronto Portraits. You are creating a controversy over nothing.
You negative people are also entitled to NOTHING. blogTO doesn't owe you an explanation for the subjects they choose. If you don't like the content and choices, then why don't you contribute to blogTO yourself? They openly invite people to contribute, so why don't you? Or go start your own blog!
Does the New York Times owe you an explanation for what they do? Does it have to be transparent? blogTO and New York Times are completely different entities, but the fact remains: If you don't like it, don't read it.
Go start your own blog.
Chill out. Total bummers.
I like the portraits so far. If anything it's just nice to see people being involved in something that they enjoy and giving it their best shot.
If you don't like 'em, don't read 'em. Clicking the back button is even easier then posting a negative comment.
http://blogto.com/getpublished/