Movie: Stormy Feathers
Director: Reva Zane
Hi Rowan, Lauren, Peter, and Emily! We are delighted to have you here! Let’s begin with the interview.
So, how is the experience so far bringing this story to life?
Rowan Polonski:
I’ve been living with Reva’s script for many months and have seen it undergo several edits as She’s continued to refine the story. And being based in the UK, within the pre-production phase, the film is still very much living within my imagination as we all eagerly await the shoot to begin. But the cast has been connecting via zoom (we are an international collective and most of us have yet to meet in the flesh) and this has really breathed life into the process. Everyone’s bringing a sense of play and openness, building complex characters and we’re starting to form relationships with each other. It’s an immensely fulfilling and exciting time that’s highly charged with anticipation.
Lauren Anderson Oakley:
This has been one of those rare experiences that as an actor you often only dream of. It’s very rare in any sort of screen work that you have the opportunity to be so collaborative and hands on with the development of your character as the actor. It’s usually dictated to you and your job is to bring someone else’s vision to life. Although, we are honoring Reva’s story it’s been such a breath of fresh air to make contributions and bring our own experiences to the script. I’ve relished the generosity of Reva. There have been multiple conversations about visual references, Pinterest, chemistry reads and playful rehearsals with fellow actors to find the arch of the narrative together. This has been a very unique and welcomed experience.
Peter Seaton-Clark:
It’s been very lovely so far. Very positive and collaborative. It’s always important to be given the opportunity to have a say in building the character, try a few things and see what fits in relation to other roles.
Have you faced any challenges in the development of your character?
Rowan Polonski:
Delving into the headspace of a man grieving for a lost love, one that’s incredibly intense and new, has been a real test. The idea of losing a soul mate, just as a shared life together has begun, is like doing the most extreme 180 imaginable. The challenge is how to negotiate the ascent into overwhelming love and then the incredibly sharp black descent into grief, all whilst sitting within a story that is flooded with brilliant comic through lines. It’s going to be a real balancing act.
Lauren Anderson Oakley:
It’s always hard to play someone with an entirely different set of morals to yourself, but funnily enough it’s been very easy to find Dahlia’s essence. The whole beauty of acting is being able to delve into someone so different to yourself but bring in your humanity and compassion.
Peter Seaton-Clark:
Not really, a good chat with Reva to see what she was thinking about the character. It was really good having a Zoom read with a wonderful actress, Audrey, to see how the characters would ping off each other.
Rowan, As the lead in this film, what kind of journey would you like the audience to
experience?
I’d like you to root for Paul (the character I play) and in that sense root for love. The way you get swept up in the world of the angels that are so frantically trying to infuse romance into his life, often with absurd and hilarious consequences. Love is rarely straightforward and the journey to it never perfect. I’d like anyone who watches the
film embrace and enjoy all the highs, lows and beautiful chaos that makes every romance worthwhile.
Peter, you have been a theatre actor. How do you compare the experience working on a
feature film?
It’s very different. The whole process from start to finish, really, with the exception of you still have to learn the lines! Theatre is a wonderful live experience, you get to feel the emotion of the audience as you perform and you have to make sure that everyone including the back row gets to feel something and see what you are putting into the performance. Theatre is all about showing your emotion, film is all about internalizing it. The camera is in your face so when I transitioned from theatre to film it was a real challenge to keep the emotions under control. Can’t spoon feed the film audience!
Emily, what attracted you to the role of Faune? Would you describe your experience reading your audition monologue and also working with Rowan?
Emily Bennett:
What attracted me to Faune in the beginning was her sweetness and purity. Throughout the film she’s portrayed as an angel metaphorically and unfortunately quite literally. She has this awe and charisma about her that makes the audience from both parties fall in love with her. When reading the monologue for the first time you begin to realize that she’s a tragedy and her heart was too pure for this world. What makes this audition really special to me was that fact it was my first, so understandably I was quite nervous and very new. So I was very lucky to have Rowan as my audition partner as he made me feel at ease and from then it was almost too simple and I felt like I was right there in the museum in the wonderment by the paintings. While auditioning with Rowan and being able to bring the human elements of the story to life it was truly magical.
Being able to work alongside such talented and inspiring actors like Rowan was such an incredible experience that I certainly will never forget. Luckily I found I fell naturally into the character of Faune I haven’t face many challenges due to the beautifully written script, however one challenge that came to mind was her passion for historical art and how I can relate to this. So I was able to bring my passion which is music and compare the feelings and emotions that certain instruments make me feel and transfer this enthusiasm when imagining how this would influence Faune when she’s admiring/studying historical art.
Lauren, we can say you are a seasoned actor. What made you sign for this feature film?
What made you sign up for the character of Dahlia?
I rarely get to play the vixen or femme fatale as it were so for me it was something I was itching to do and take a bite out of. I also after maybe just one or two email exchanges with Reva knew there was something different about her energy and she is certainly an actors director, so I was dying to get involved.
As actors, why to you think the audience will connect with the film? Why is this film relevant
and relatable ?
Rowan Polonski:
In many ways I feel Stormy Feathers is a callback to old romantic films and notions of love seen in the artwork of bygone eras. There’s an innocence and purity to the story and many of its characters that I think people are yearning for today. In 2024 romantic storytelling is often sensationalized or shown through the lens of the “Epic.” Stormy Feathers is relatable because its scope remains personal. It lives within the realm of intimacy that we all have come into contact with and can connect with.
Lauren Anderson Oakley:
I actually cried when I first read the screenplay, there are nuances that are so beautifully articulated and so simplistically which helped me with some of my own grieving. I think it’s so many genres all at the same time and the aspect of comedy of errors for me is kind of Shakespearian. It’s so relatable to anyone because you are able to dip into everyone’s POV.
Peter Seaton-Clark:
For the same reasons audiences connect with all kind of films, they will see echoes of themselves in the characters. It’s a fun story but there is a thick grain of truth for all to see.
What do you guys think is most challenging as an actor?
Rowan Polonski:
For me the most challenging aspect of being an actor is also the most exciting and rewarding and that’s letting go of the work. I’m definitely someone who likes to prepare a lot before shooting, whether that be character background work, technical work e.g. on physicality or an accent. But the great challenge is being ready and relaxed enough to not push this prep into production. Instead allow it to resonate whilst being open to what is being offered to you by your director, your cast mates and technical team. I think this is ultimately where you discover the hidden potential within any given story.
Lauren Anderson Oakley:
There are so many challenges and it’s usually technical, ha ha!
Peter Seaton-Clark:
Probably the times when you’re not working. Then you have to stay sharp, create your own projects and keep busy. I did a film with Mark Wahlberg and then had nothing lined up for a month after. It’s a crazy business. Just keep your chin up and keep going.
As an actor are you just the director’s puppet, or do you bring your creativity into the role to
stand out?
Rowan Polonski:
It’s a balance. You have to come with creative offers, make choices and give the character life in a way you feel is truthful. It’s your job to grip an audience and so you have to find something within you that will hold their attention and get the story across. But at the same time you’re not telling your own story and you can’t just take the character whatever direction you want. You are part of a larger machine that’s being operated by the director, working with a specific script, who can see how all the moving parts will fit together. Striking a balance between your own interpretation and the director’s overall vision is the goal.
Lauren Anderson Oakley:
No, absolutely not, this has been a real purge of the soul and Reva has encouraged us to bring ourselves to our characters.
Peter Seaton-Clark:
Absolutely not a puppet, but you are there to serve the story and the vision of the piece. You get to work on the character, you spend time with the director to get that way it needs to be and then you have to hit your mark, find your light. You normally don’t get to choose where your mark is. That’s the DP and the director’s job.
Lastly, did you enjoy working with us? We loved your script and wish all five of you luck!
Rowan Polonski:
Yes, very much so. We are still in the early stages of production, super excited and keen to step on set, so reflecting on the process with you has only added fuel to the fire!
