Meghan Gardiner is both a performer and a talented playwright. Her one woman show Dissolve continues to tour after eleven years (currently starring Emmelia Gordon), and right now she is writing new plays for both the Solo Collective and Shameless Hussy Productions. In 2012 she won the Sydney Risk Award for emerging playwright at the Jessie Awards. She makes her Firehall debut as Penelope Pennywise, the bathroom gatekeeper.
What is Urinetown?
Urinetown is our punishment for being greedy… But we don’t realize it until it’s too late.
Tell us about your character
Pennywise has seen better days… She is an employee of Urine Good Company but due to some questionable behaviour, was given the lowest job on the totem pole: the gatekeeper of public amenity number nine. I think Penny is a romantic at heart and had moments of optimism in her life, but times got hard and cash got tight. So now the toilet is definitely half empty…
What is your secret superpower?
Writing blog entries in my sleep. I continually wake up amazed.
When I’m rich and famous I’ll….
Buy empty warehouses, barns etc and turn them into state of the art theatres. Then I’ll charge companies one dollar to rent them for their productions. I’ll also donate as many millions as I can to women’s shelters and organizations that combat cruelty to animals.
What is your favourite expression for going to the toilet?
First let me say that I don’t use this expression, my husband does. And I don’t know if it’s my favourite because it’s kind of… well… gross, but I hear it a lot. And so without further adieu “Drop the kids off at the pool”. Oh and I also hear “see a man about a horse” a lot, and between you and I and the interweb, I don’t really get it.
Capitalism, socialism, totalitarianism, activism, realism, postmodernism. Choose an –ism and tell us why. Well I really want to say VEGANISM, but then I don’t want to get into a debate or sound preachy, so I won’t use VEGANISM, I’ll find something other than VEGANISM to say. Hmm… thinking…
What is the biggest environmental challenge we as Canadians face? I think perhaps acknowledging the fact that we have huge environmental challenges to overcome….
You can find Meghan on twitter @Meghan_Gardiner and on stage at the Firehall from November 1 – 29 in Urinetown: The Musical. Click here for more info and details on tickets.
