Meet the Cast of 1984 – Rebecca Bissonnette is Parsons!
Who are you and what is your role in the production? My name is Rebecca Bissonnette and I play Parsons in 1984. Parsons is an interesting character in the sense that she remains consistent to who she is, even when it threatens her life. She is loyal to Big Brother at absolutely any cost. While 1984 is a fairly dark play and Parsons definitely has dark moments, she’s also in some of the light-hearted, sillier moments of the play. She helps allow the audience to stop holding their breath for a few moments.
What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? My very first show was here at Walterdale – Ravenscroft in the 2015/2016 season. And I’ve been going full speed ahead ever since!! At Walterdale, I’ve assistant directed two shows – The Sunset Syndrome and The Light in the Piazza; and performed in The Triangle Factory Fire Projectlast season. I’ve been blessed to be able to work with so many incredible companies over the past 4 years – it’s been one wild ride to be able to sing, dance and act my way into so many stories. I caught the performance bug so hard that I began my own production company in November – DEPTH Perception Productions.
Why did you come out for the show? I’m generally known for being more joyful, carefree and fun, none of which are characteristics that Parsons possesses. I always find it entertaining to work with a role that is quite different than who I am as a person. While there are similarities between us, there are far more differences, which are so intriguing to play with. When I saw the season notice for Walterdale’s season for this year, I was working on Spamalot – Camelot is a far cry from Oceania. The two shows couldn’t be more different and I wanted the challenge of being able to get really dark, brutally honest and hauntingly real.
Why do you think audiences should come see the show? 1984 is a lot more like 2020 then some of us would like to admit. It’s chilling to think how far we’ve come in so many ways, and yet how backwards we’ve gone in so many others. The thoughtful way that this play has been approached has given this story so many layers, instead of just hitting the audience over the head with fear. Every single character (just like every single human) has a voice that demands to be heard and without even just one of them, the story would be lost. This cast has worked their butts off to ensure that every single detail has meaning and to create the authenticity of Oceania so that the audience is able to be in the moment. We’ve been able to do so because of our fearless leader, director Monica Roberts. Her vision is so well- articulated, her passion so strong and her care for her cast – she’s nothing short of a blessing.
1984 (the play) is based on the novel of the same name that predicts a dystopian future (many of us read it in high school)… what’s your favourite dystopian novel/movie and why?The Handmaid’s Tale is absolutely terrifying. To create such a chilling world where women have zero rights, gets me more outraged with every episode. It’s even scarier to know that some of these “tales” are being brought forth in the present and it’s still so challenging to simply be a woman. We all could channel a little more bad-ass June in our lives.
