This article is part of a series focusing on the grads of the 麻豆社 Class of 2025. Spring Convocation takes place May 30 and from June 9-19 in Halifax and Truro. Read all our profiles听here in one place听as they are published.
Like many kids growing up in Nova Scotia, Liam Oko was into hockey. But his mom was also active in community theater at the Bauer Theater in Antigonish. After hockey practice, Liam would sneak over and watch her rehearsals from the theatre鈥檚 balcony.
One summer, Liam decided he didn't want to play hockey anymore and started exploring acting.
鈥淔estival Antigonish had a young actor鈥檚 program where they brought in equity professionals and did kid shows,鈥� says Liam. 鈥淏y the end of the summer, I was completely hooked.鈥�
Liam joined Neptune Theatre鈥檚 Young Company and went to the Stratford Shakespeare School. When his family moved to the Cayman Islands, he landed leading roles that boosted his confidence.
鈥淐oming back to 麻豆社 felt like coming home,鈥� says Liam.
Liam pursued a BA in Theatre (Acting) and a Certificate in Theatre Creation at the Fountain School of Performing Arts 鈥� a combination that proved very empowering.
Coming back to 麻豆社 felt like coming home
鈥淎s an actor, you leave with a bag of tools that help you create your own work,鈥� he says
Fourth-year bridge projects 鈥� where you break down scripts as an actor but also dramaturg 鈥� enable students to start playwrighting. Many of these self-produced 鈥渂ridge鈥� projects are debuted at the Halifax Fringe Festival. 鈥淭hat's why theatre creation is so, so critical,鈥� says Liam. 鈥淚f you're leaving school and you don't immediately get a job you have something to bridge the gap.鈥�
Collaboration and taking risks
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In his third year, an unusual opportunity presented itself. Liam was asked to join a DalOpera production as a non-singing actor.
鈥淭he amount I learned from the opera students was incredible,鈥� says Liam, noting how they use vocal storytelling to engage audiences. "They deliver an entire story with their vocal technique, holding the attention of an auditorium without moving a step."
Liam asked to be a volunteer assistant for the next year's opera and was accepted on by faculty.
鈥淭he cool part about this school is that you can go to a completely different wing of this building, a completely different program and be taken in by that faculty and those students,鈥� he says.
The Cesk媒 Krumlov summer study abroad program uses a real-life castle as a baroque seminar learning space. With financial assistance for the trip from the Fountain School, Liam packed his bags for the Czech Republic.
Liam, centre back row, with fellow acting classmates during his time abroad. (Tegan Porter photo)
It was a life changing experience.
鈥淵ou attend a lecture, learning about baroque costumes and then an hour later you're in one of the oldest theaters in the world, looking at Baroque costumes,鈥� says Liam. 鈥淎n opera history lecture and how it relates to us as actors turns into an outing to see Magic Flute in one of the oldest opera houses in the world. Incredible!鈥�
Becoming a versatile artist
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In his final year of the acting program, Liam took on two completely opposite shows, enabling him to become a more versatile actor.听
鈥淚 think going from a post-apocalyptic version of The Simpsons world into Chekhov and Three Sisters is about as far afield as you can get,鈥� says Liam.
The ensemble of听Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play, including Liam, centre. (Full production credits)
He says it allowed the class鈥檚 strengths to shine.
The benefits of working with such a variety of guest artists and building connections are significant for actors at the start of their careers. Three Sisters gave Liam the opportunity to work with nationally renowned director Diego Matamoro. While playing Homor in Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play, Liam worked with local director Dan Bray from Halifax鈥檚 Villans Theatre company.
鈥淒an has a very unique mind,鈥� says Liam. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a great friend of the class and comes to see all our stuff鈥�.
Connecting with community
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Building on these professional relationships are the acting program鈥檚 fourth-year panel auditions. Faculty invite artistic directors from local and national theatre companies for one big audition day.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot of preparation,鈥� says Liam. 鈥淵ou can do five or six different monologues in one day. You bounce from room to room and really get to meet the entire theatre community of Canada鈥檚 East Coast.鈥�
Liam says he landed a gig with Festival Antigonish this summer thanks to the panel auditions.
听鈥淚鈥檒l be on same Bauer Theater stage that I used to hide in the balcony of when I was younger, watching my mom,鈥� he says.
鈥淭he Fountain School gave me that. I鈥檝e made friends for life here, very much like family. It makes those long theatre days a little bit shorter and a little bit easier, right?鈥�