meet the cast of no exit

Promotional Photography by The Headshot Company

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alex monk as the bellboy

Hi! I'm Alex. I'm 23, and I'm from Belle River, Ontario. There never was much to do there growing up. I mean, we had a river, but you couldn't play in it. Days would run long with boredom, and if none of the other kids were out playing in the street, I'd have myself to play videogames. Out of this boredom I started story-telling – or more or less making things up . . . all the time. I got involved with the improv team in grade school, and continued through high school, then started my own show in university. Through that and a very long and confusing series of "yes and's" I ended up writing plays and acting in them. I also have a fond place in my heart for pickles, specifically the ones with the garlic in the jars. I'm an extrovert and have been called by many friends as "the reason I go out."  My latest play, Autopsy, won the 2018 Windsor-Essex Playwriting Contest, and will be produced in October by Post Productions at The Shadowbox Theatre. ​

1. How would you summarize No Exit in a couple of sentences, for people who have never heard about it?
No Exit is about what we all fear most: being stuck with the people who we like the least . . . forever.

2. What makes No Exit interesting and relevant to today's audiences?
While it is an old play, I think a lot of what's being said in terms of unfinished business, desires, and regrets after death is relatable to just about everyone in any time period. I think the topic of death is so hard to comprehend and to discuss openly – with our peers even more difficult. The play had me thinking about my own mortality in a way that has opened my eyes to the important things in life, and I'm sure it'll have a similar effect on others who see it.

3. You play the character of The Bellboy. Could you describe him for us?
My character is bored, proud, serious, and in control. He's kind of like Liam Neeson, if they made a 4th Taken movie. At this point he'd be seriously just questioning the bad guys like, "I have a particular set of skills, I've used far more than 3 times now. You really wanna kidnap my cat?" Plus he's got that killer stare!

4. Windsor-Essex is blessed with a lot of great theatre. Why should people take the time to go see No Exit?

Because it's something you'll remember. A lot of feel-good comedies or twisting dramas are always entertaining to watch but then fade off into the distance. But this play will leave an aftertaste of diet-kick-in-the-pants that will keep you thinking for a long time.
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5. What has the process of working on No Exit been like for you? When did it begin, and what has been memorable along the way?
The process started at the beginning of November. With Post doing another show that they were all in, it was hard to schedule everyone at the same time. But once we got into regular rehearsals it was like magic happening on stage. Working with everyone has been amazing because we all build on each other's energy and ideas. It's like a majestic snowball that when it gets to the bottom of the hill will have turned into an entire snowman with all of its clothes put on with scientific precision. But seriously, it's been amazing working with Post. I feel as though I've learned a lot, and I continue to learn each rehearsal, and most of all it's fun. That's an important thing (I believe it is): keeping it fun. Many of us do this outside our regular jobs and it's nice to do something productive, fun, educational, sensational, and rewarding. The most memorable thing for me will definitely be the **** -- why'd you censor that? Is that still a secret? I guess you'll have to see the show and ask me what I'm talking about!

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michael k. potter AS  vincent cradeau

Michael has been acting since the tender age of eleven, and recently began the painful process of learning how not to make an ass of himself onstage.  Aside from being co-owner of The Shadowbox Theatre and serving as Managing Director of Post Productions, where he also produces and directs plays (Equus, Stop Kiss, True West), he still finds time to act occasionally – most recently as Willie in Another Fucking Christmas Play: A Fucking Musical, Reinhart in Shelter in Place, Wesley in The Worst Thing I Ever Did, John in Oleanna, and The Enforcer in season 3 of Space/SyFy's Killjoys.   Previous credits in Windsor-Essex include Tiresius in God of Ecstasy (Korda Artistic Productions), Lurch in The Addams Family (Cardinal Music Productions), Gordon and Dwight in Dead Man’s Cell Phone (Korda Artistic Productions), Gil Wiatt in Devil Boys From Beyond (Korda Artistic Productions), Mordcha in Fiddler on the Roof (Cardinal Music Productions) and Sir Edward Ramsey in The King and I (Windsor Light Musical Theatre). His next projects: co-directing Mamet’s American Buffalo (July 2019) and directing McDonagh’s The Pillowman (November 2019)!

​1. How would you summarize No Exit in a couple of sentences, for people who have never heard about it?
Three people learn that Hell is much deeper – and much more painful – than Sunday School had led them to believe, by being forced to spend time together.

2. What makes No Exit interesting and relevant to today's audiences?
On a surface level, it’s a funny fantasy about three unlikable people that you end up sympathizing with anyway – so it’s as entertaining now as it’s always been. You can enjoy it at that level, and I hope people do. But it’s also ABOUT a lot of things that are always relevant to human beings: the pain of coming to terms with the differences between who we are and who we want to be, the tragedy of being defined by other people’s perceptions of us, the way societies that prize competition destroy the souls of their citizens, and the impossibility of everyone seeing a person in exactly the same way at any given time. There’s a lot going on in this play. You don’t have to see all of that to enjoy the story and relate to the characters – but if you see it, well, you’ve got a lot to think about on the way home.

3. You play the character of Cradeau. Could you describe him for us?
Cradeau has a well-defined, fixed, traditional image of the person he wants to be. He’s spent his whole life chasing that image, trying to live up to it. At times he thought he’d achieved it – finally he could say, ‘Yes, this is who I am”. But in the back of his mind he’s always known that was a lie, and in moments of weakness (most of them prompted by Inez) the mask slips and he reveals himself as a cruel, narcissistic, coward. But he’s also a human being with real needs and emotions, so you get glimpses of his soul now and then. He does care about people, even if he doesn’t know how to express that in a consistent or healthy way. He has principles, too, but those are hard to live up to under pressure. They always are, right? It’s so much easier to be moral when you aren’t being tested. Sartre wrote Cradeau as a condemnation of behaviours he saw around him during World War Two, yet he was a smart writer who understood how to create human beings instead of caricatures.

4. Windsor-Essex is blessed with a lot of great theatre. Why should people take the time to go see No Exit?
There’s nothing else like it. There are no plays even remotely like No Exit being staged this winter, in Windsor-Essex, and No Exit will set you up for the thrilling, emotional, thought-provoking season that post productions has planned. This is chapter one of five! That said – definitely see other shows by other companies, too! There are many shows coming up that I’m really looking forward to this year.

5. What has the process of working on No Exit been like for you? When did it begin, and what has been memorable along the way?
We’ve been talking about staging No Exit from around the time we were working on our first play, Oleanna. It emerged as the front-runner to open the 2019 season more than a year ago, long before we’d settled on anything else to produce this season. So it’s been in our heads for a while. But we didn’t realize a year ago how much we’d NEED it at this point! The last two productions of 2018 – Equus and Another Fucking Christmas Play – were absolute beasts. They were good, yes, and I’m glad we produced them. Still, by the time AFCP was running, we were completely exhausted. There’s no way we could have handled another large, complicated show coming into 2019. So No Exit has been a breath of fresh air. The play itself isn’t simple by any means – this is a rich, layered script – but the staging is simple, the cast is small, and we don’t have 500 moving pieces to keep track of. Plus, I’m always excited to work with new people. This is my first time on a stage with Liz Dietrich and Alex Monk – both of whom I’ve admired in other settings – and it’s been a blast learning from and with them throughout this process. Plus, I get to work with my favourite actress – Fay Lynn – again. In fact, I hadn’t planned on acting in this one or anything else, because I’ve been trying for a few years to quit acting. But every time I try to leave the stage she pulls me back on. So you have her to blame. Or thank. Depending on whether you enjoy the show.  

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fay lynn AS inez serrano

Fay is Creative Director for Post Productions and co-owner of the Shadowbox Theatre. She has been an actor, director, writer, producer, and all around theatre rat since the tender age of 14 or so. She was most recently seen on stage at the Shadowbox as Carol O'Pheasant in Post Productions' original musical comedy, Another Fucking Christmas Play: A Fucking Musical, which she also co-wrote and co-directed. Prior to that, she played the title role in Korda Artistic Production's presentation of Macbeth at the Kordazone Theatre. After No Exit she will embark on her first solo-directing endeavour when Post Productions presents the Canadian debut of Nothing But the Truth in April 2019.

1. How would you summarize No Exit in a couple of sentences, for people who have never heard about it?
Three people who would otherwise do best to avoid each other are damned to spend eternity together in Hell.

2. What makes No Exit interesting and relevant to today's audiences?
Times have changed; people haven't. We all fear damnation. We fear negative judgment and desperately seek to be understood. We struggle with identity, and what defines us. No Exit makes reference to a specific time in history, but the real story isn't tied to that moment in time. Everything that makes these characters human – down to their core – resonates still. It's interesting to look at others and see ourselves. That need for connection is always relevant.

3. You play the character of Inez. Could you describe her for us?
When Inez walks into a room, she dares to be seen. She's not one to shy away from the gaze of others. She understands the effect of others' opinions, and welcomes their judgment. I imagine her making the decision long ago to be the one who controls the way others see and identify her, as well as the way she identifies herself. She owns it. She's only comfortable when she's in control. Unlike Estelle and Cradeau, she's aware and open about herself; her cruelty, her desires, and how she manipulates without guilt or regret. However, similar to the others, she denies her weaknesses. She's spent her whole life convinced she's strong and emotionally impenetrable, while acting accordingly, but she's hidden a very crucial part of herself, so deep within her that she refuses to even recognize it's there.

4. Windsor-Essex is blessed with a lot of great theatre. Why should people take the time to go see No Exit?
The space is intimate, the script is tight and profound, the characters are interesting and the dynamic between them is engaging. It's a good play. A kind of a timeless play.

5. What has the process of working on No Exit been like for you? When did it begin, and what has been memorable along the way?
I read the script over a year ago on a flight back from Japan. I had seen it performed only once before, in high school, as part of the Sears Festival. It affected me enough to stay in my mind for the last 15 years or so. Reading it for the first time on the plane, I was captivated. I read it twice, and though I'd only recently met her, I immediately pictured Liz Dietrich as Estelle. I knew I could play Inez if I asked, and of course I would only do that if I could convince Michael Potter to be Cradeau. When Michael O'Reilly brought up Alex Monk to complete the cast, it was perfect. We precast No Exit to make our lives easier, in a way, and also because I personally couldn't imagine being up there with anyone else at this time and place. After the chaotic nature of the last two productions we've done at the Box, this play, with its small cast and relatively simple production requirements, has seemed a breath of fresh air. The easiest and most rewarding part of this process has been, as always, working with a director, cast and crew that I respect, adore and admire. The most difficult part by far has been having to act so malicious and cruel toward them on stage, especially Michael Potter, whom I love so dearly. I'm always left feeling the overwhelming need to apologize.

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elizabeth dietrich AS  estelle delaunay

Liz is absolutely over the moon to be a part of her first show with Post Productions! A Windsorite by birth and a part-time Kitchenerite growing up, Elizabeth’s love of performing started almost immediately following her swift exit out of the womb. After studying acting in the bowels of Midtown Manhattan at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, she escaped the perilous Trump administration unscathed, yet unsure of what was to come next. Thanks to the warm and welcoming Windsor theatre community she regained her passion and has made many wonderful friends along the way. Past (and most definitely cherished) performances include: Bertha in Hello From Bertha (AADA, New York City), Mrs. Swabb in Habeas Corpus (AADA, New York City), Mrs. Brill in Mary Poppins (Jeff Samaha Theatre Productions in Brooklyn, NY), Lampito in Lysistrata (Korda Artistic Productions) and Mrs. Blossom in Not Another High School Murder! (Extension-Korda Artistic Productions). You will see her next starring as Mae in Korda Artistic Productions’ Reefer Madness in June, where she will most likely be smoking a fake “giggle stick” in lingerie. Enjoy the show!

1. How would you summarize No Exit in a couple of sentences, for people who have never heard about it?
Hmmm . . . “It’s about 3 people in Hell, trying to admit to themselves what exactly they did to get there”.

2. What makes No Exit interesting and relevant to today's audiences?
I think the concept of “Hell” is definitely one we’ve all considered at one time or another, whether you’re religious, spiritual, or completely atheistic. It’s a theme that will always be a topic of conversation. It never goes “out of style”, so to speak. In times like these where almost nothing is consistent, and society is becoming considerably more “woke” and demonstrably more pessimistic and disappointed, the things we were told by our monotheistic parents/grandparents/etc. are being called in to question, now more than ever.
I know from my personal experiences growing up Catholic (and quickly getting out of it) that Hell was always more of an empty threat than an actual certainty. I was always taught that so long as you repented or “owned up” to your bad behaviour/thoughts, then God would always be willing to forgive you first-and-foremost, and so you wouldn’t end up in Hell. I think a lot of people were raised with this idea. It’s a fairly straight-forward way of seeing things, according to the Bible. The Devil being, of course, a Boogey-Man figure who lives in Hell, who exists for the sole purpose of scaring us into moralistic integrity. Either way, we’ve all wondered at one time or another: what exactly would Hell look like? Who would be there? And, if no one really knows the answer, then how do we know we aren’t already there? 

3. You play the character of Estelle. Could you describe her for us?
Estelle is probably one of the most layered characters I’ve ever had to play. She comes across as this beautiful and poised well-off type, but once you get past all the white icing sugar on the outside there lies this complete monster inside. I don’t want to seem as though I’m judging my character, I just prefer to be honest: Estelle is a sociopath, through and through. Completely unfeeling, superficially charming and completely self-serving, no capacity for guilt or shame, always vying for the affections and attentions of everyone and anyone around her. But Estelle is also a survivor, in that she knows exactly how to get what she wants and needs, and she absolutely will NOT settle for less. She can, and will, suck you dry, if you let her. The only characters I could possibly compare her to off the top of my head (and perhaps I’ll be hated for saying it) is Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and Daisy Buchanan from The Great Gatsby. Hear me out: I know, these women are not exactly monsters, but they are broken. Victims of their circumstances, maybe, or victims of men (if you’d really like to think of it that way; I don’t), but these are women who need to be seen in a certain light, need to have things the way they want them, need their freedom but ultimately can’t stand to be alone. They relish in being admired, whether they admit it out loud or not – “There is no exquisite beauty without some strangeness in the proportion”.

4. Windsor-Essex is blessed with a lot of great theatre. Why should people take the time to go see No Exit?
People go to the theatre to feel great things, to relate to the characters, and to be entertained. There isn’t one aspect of No Exit that isn’t relatable, entertaining, or can’t make you feel, even for these three tragic creatures. I could go on and on about the quality of the acting and directing, but truly in this case “the medium is the message”. This is a story about people at the point of utmost desperation, told with painful honesty. If you want to leave the theatre feeling raw and mildly unsettled, come see our show. In a time of “fake news” and rampant propaganda, there’s nothing more cathartic than a really good piece of existential theatre to remind you of what it all comes down to: Hell is other people.
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5. What has the process of working on No Exit been like for you? When did it begin, and what has been memorable along the way?
Oh, I have loved each and every single moment of this process! I’m really mourning the fact that it’s going to end so soon. When Fay messaged me back in November asking if I’d like to be a part of this show, I was at such a loss for words! I was going through a really weird time in my life where everything was so unbelievably uncertain that I didn’t know which way was up . . . but I knew I needed to say yes to this. That much I was certain of. What an incredible opportunity, and there really hasn’t been a single moment of regret.
As much as I’m not exactly the monster that Estelle is, I do know what it feels like to enjoy being admired (hell, I’m in theatre), or to be afraid of what people might think or say (again, I’m in theatre) – these are the little human things that she and I connect on. By getting to know her, it’s really helped me work through some of that in my own life, and that is something I most definitely did not expect!
Working with Post has been such a fantastic experience as well, always having open and comfortable discussions, I’ve never once felt like I couldn’t voice an opinion or relate out loud to the text. It is rare that an open dialogue is allowed, let alone encouraged! That truly has made all the difference for me. I am almost always cast as the comedienne, or the old lady, and it has been an absolute thrill to get to play someone “real” like Estelle. I’ve had a total blast seeking out the pathos with these guys. What an awesome way to start my 27th year!