Actor’s role makes him feel so young

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This article was published 15/05/2017 (3280 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Robert Piché is relishing playing a younger man.

The 24-year-old actor is playing the role of 16-year-old Michael Johnson in Dry Cold Productions’ production of The Bridges of Madison County, which will run from May 24 to 27 at the Royal MTC Tom Hendry Warehouse theatre, located at 174 Market Ave.

According to a news release, it’s the Manitoba premiere of the Tony Award-winning musical.

Based on the best-selling novel by Robert James Waller, The Bridges of Madison County tells the story of Iowa housewife Francesca Johnson and her life-changing, four-day whirlwind romance with travelling photographer Robert Kincaid.    

“Michael is 16 years old and lives on a farm with his parents, Francesca and Bud,” said Piché, who lives in Windsor Park.

“He’s desperate to get off the farm, and his relationship with his father is strained and there’s a bit of conflict, and as the first-born child he doesn’t want to inherit the farm. He goes off to a state fair with his dad and his sister, and he sees presentations for things like new technology and natural medicine, and he decides he wants to be a doctor.”

Playing any role has its challenges, but Piché — who graduated from studying theatre performance at the University of Winnipeg last year — is enjoying playing a character eight years his junior.

“The first step is to shave, so that I’m shaving eight years off my life. I’m also still very young at heart, so some days I feel younger in age,” he said, adding this is his first role with Dry Cold Productions.

“Everyone at Dry Cold Productions has been phenomenal so far, and everyone is showing up completely prepared and engaged. There’s still some way to go in the rehearsal process, but I feel ready and I feel good.”

One of the things the Collège Béliveau alumnus loves about acting is the fact that he has the chance to be some of the things he wanted to be when he was a boy.

“Growing up, I had a list of professions that I wanted to be, such as astronaut or veterinarian. As an actor, I will hopefully get the opportunity to be everything I want to be,” Piché said.

He added that anyone who attends the performance will see that the concept of family is more of an integral component in the story compared to the 1995 film version starring Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood.

“A lot of people know the story from the book or the movie. Our production still has the romance, but above all else it’s about family, so it’s different in that respect, as family is very much the central theme.”

Tickets start at $32.50, with student prices available, and are available online at www.royalmtc.ca/drycold, by calling 204-942-6537 or visiting the RMTC box office at 174 Market Ave. 

simon.fuller@canstarnews.com

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