copyright L-word.com May 2007

In an unassuming corner restaurant, in the heart of downtown Buffalo, Actress Diane Gaidry graciously took some time from her Saturday morning to talk about her recent endeavors, her craft and her perspective on some things; professional and personal. Her latest role, in the Brandon Thomas play Charley's Aunt, has meant a return not only to the stage, for Diane, but to her hometown as well. With a demeanor as warm as this rare, Summer-like, Spring day in the "Nickel City," she describes the experience of coming home.

Diane: I'm enjoying it much more this time. The last play that I did here was a really intense drama and honestly, I wasn't ready to step into a role like that after almost 20 years absence from live theatre. This play (Charley's Aunt) is a light, fun, sweet farce, a comedy. Its spring time and the sun's shining and today its 80 degrees and all the positive memories and loving and supportive friends are more in the foreground of my mind. And, as I try to figure out what is next, now that I have left L.A. and Filmmakers Alliance, I am grateful to have the love and support that I have here.

Charley's Aunt is currently in the middle of a five week run at the Irish Classical Theatre. A unique venue, the ICT, offers theater goers a truly intimate experience. The performers are all, literally, center stage; surrounded on all sides by the audience, which is only 3 rows deep and enjoys a close proximity to the actors, as the 'stage' and the seats share the same floor. Presenting only classic works, the small theater delivers big in the talent department, showcasing actors while challenging their skills and entertaining patrons all at once. It's more than the lure of taking the stage and rejoining the ICT company again, in particular, that draws Diane back though, as she explained.

Diane: I have friends here that I come to visit fairly often. My mother moved to L.A. a few years ago, but she's moving back to Buffalo this fall. So I'll be back even more frequently, I'm sure. Some of my friends here are lobbying to get me to relocate back here in the fall. We'll see. There's definitely a quality of life that you can't find in faster paced, higher octane cities like New York and L.A.

Elaborating on the reason for her latest homecoming, Diane tells how playing the engaging title character, in the play, came about.

Diane: Every year the Irish Classical Theatre Company holds auditions for their season. So I flew out last June to read. I didn't really know if I would be right for this character because I'm so used to playing f***** up depressed people. "

I momentarily 'derail' Diane's train of thought by laughing at this statement; appreciating both the obvious humor of it and Diane's propensity to be 'real' -- her own laughter simply confirms my impression that she is genuine. Clearly, Diane is kind too as she mercifully spares me from attempting to pronounce her character's full name. It rolls easily off her tongue though, as she describes the play's namesake [This woman,]

Diane:... Donna Lucia, {d' Alvadorez} is strong, confident, and successful, so it's been a real challenge and a wonderful opportunity to explore those aspects of myself.

With respect to her craft, Diane is thoughtful in considering if she prefers stage acting to film. Revealing what seems to be a natural tendency to weigh both sides and focus on the good, she articulates some tangible aspects of both mediums, diplomatically finding facets of both that she enjoys.

Diane: I feel much more comfortable and safe with the camera than being in front of people. In film, if I screw up my lines when we're shooting, we can do another take. I also love the subtlety of film. I think that I am more naturally suited to working in front of a camera because so much of my work is visual. It lives in my eyes and the muscles of my face. That said, I must say that when you have a strong, cohesive ensemble cast like we have with this show, everyone sort of supports and feeds one another, and there is a camaraderie in that, that I love. And with a run of five weekends, I have an opportunity every time I do the show, to find something new about the character that I can bring to life. I get more clarity as I relax into the character and the role. Also, in live theatre the writing has to be strong. With film you can kind of fudge it because it's more visual and not so much about the language. ICTC does almost all classics, so you're pretty much guaranteed that the writing in the shows that they produce is great, or it wouldn't have withstood the test of time.

As it turns out, Diane's first acting experience was on the stage and her skills and talent were honed, in that venue, early on.

Diane: I've acted since I was a kid. I went to a performing arts high school here in Buffalo and then I went to NYU where all we did was live theatre."

So it would seem that this latest role represents a return to her roots in more ways than one.Diane seems to personify the adage that anything worth doing is worth doing right. Approaching her work with an 'old school' ethic and a high regard for proper training, she shared what she did to prepare for the role of Donna Lucia.

Diane: I studied with a voice teacher for about six months prior to starting rehearsals. I studied this technique that really resonated with me (pun intended), called the Fitzmaurice technique, and I was fortunate enough to study with Catherine Fitzmaurice's son who lives and teaches in L.A. What I love about this technique is that it's not just about making audible sounds, it's about reintegrating and allowing and accepting all the parts of ourselves that we maybe judge as not o.k., so that all of these parts of ourselves are accessible. I intend to continue studying this technique, not just for acting, but for life.

In finding a practical way to apply the skills she acquired, on a personal level, Diane seems to carry her 'do it right' approach into how she lives as well. So that who she is, is apparent, not only, by what she does, but how she does it. This would be one of the things that distinguishes Diane, in a good way, from her acting peers and endears her to fans. Having had the good sense to separate herself from the herd and make career choices with both her head and heart, she has a body of work that attests to her character and values as well as her talent. And it's her talent, for the most part, that enables her to turn in a great performance (which she does in this play,) but a role like this can require specific types of preparation as Diane explained.

Diane: I also listened to a CD of the standard British dialect for months. I've never done a role where I needed a British accent before so I was a little apprehensive, but it came together. One of the other actresses in the play also served as our dialect coach and helped us all to fine tune our accents. Our rehearsals and direction were much more technical and external than I am used to working with in film. Because this piece is a farce and very fast paced (not my natural rhythm), we worked a lot with the pacing and the choreography of the play. All in all, this role was a complete departure for me. I've learned so much and am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with this director again and with this wonderful group of actors.

Diane's diligence pays dividends in the end, when her preparatory efforts and her natural abilities merge together, on the stage, in a poised and polished Donna Lucia who charms one and all.

Diane's devotion to her work, was evidenced by the many hats she wore during the making of the excellent, independent feature, The Dogwalker. With an eye toward the big picture, (no pun intended) she did whatever was necessary to ensure the success of the project. Willingness, abilities and even devotion aside, the benefit of having only one job to focus on, is not lost on Diane. Thoughtfully considering how the project often dictates the level of involvement she has, Diane described her perspective as an actor.

Diane: I like being involved with a project from as early on as possible so that I have time to allow the character and the moments to be as rich and organic as possible. It's nice to have the luxury of living with a character for a while. Film is so compartmentalized that often an actor has little or no rehearsal and is cast only days before shooting. Maybe you go to your costume fitting before you shoot, and oftentimes, you are meeting your fellow actors and crew on the first day of shooting. And because you usually shoot out of sequence, it can be very disorienting. When I am involved with a project as a producer or in other areas, it allows me to experience the project from a different perspective, more holistically. That said, I enjoy the luxury of being able to focus just on acting and not worrying about dog wrangling or craft services or catering or locations or how we're going to pay people.

Few things offer the chance to take on multiple jobs, within a single project, like film making. And as is the case with many talented people, Diane has the gifts and abilities that enable her to do many of them. She has even tried her hand at directing.

Diane: I directed one short film (Thanksgiving) just to see what that process was like for me and I'm quite pleased with how it turned out, but I just didn't have the passion for it. Directing requires so much energy and passion to see something through from concept through exhibition. I have great respect for directors and directing, it's just not how I need to express myself. As much as I have a love hate relationship with acting, that's my passion.

Diane seems to decide how she'll be involved in a project in much the same way that she determines if she'll be involved in a project. Considering how she might be most effective and whether it speaks to her on a visceral level -- allowing a means of creative expression without compromising herself or the project as a whole. Her concern for putting forth her best efforts, supporting others and the collective good of a project, comes through as she expressed how she would like to approach producing future projects.

Diane: I want to continue to help facilitate projects that I believe in, but producing can be very draining. I want to find a way to ensure that everybody can be fed and fulfilled in future projects I take on as a producer.

Regardless of the capacity in which she functions; either in front of or behind the camera, it's clear that Diane brings more than just talent to a project. Above and beyond her experience and skills, there are intangible factors; the sensibilities of an artist wanting to do her best work combined with the character traits of what would simply be described as a grounded, conscientious and gracious woman. The sort of humility that places the emphasis on the contributions of others is apparent in Diane's own words.

Diane: I hope that I'm always blessed with the opportunity to work on interesting projects, with gifted, wonderful people, as I have been in the past. I hope that meaningful projects continue to come my way. And I hope that some day, I can make peace with the critical voices in my head and fully enjoy the process.

The chorus of fans who sing Diane's praises would be more than sufficient to drown out any critical voices; apparently existing only internally. This observation calls to mind the words of Virginia Woolf: "This soul, or life within us, by no means agrees with the life outside us."

Having conceived of a cooperative for independent filmmakers (Filmmakers Alliance) -- helping grow and run it as an executive director, and participated in virtually all aspects of Independent film making, Diane is more than qualified to explain exactly what that is. More importantly, she understands what it is not and clarifies an accurate definition for those who may be intentionally confused about what constitutes the real deal -- true 'indie.'

Diane: Independent film making is about content and form, not financing. Independent film is independent vision and voices. It is courageous – of the heart, not of the mind or ego, not trying to be clever or formulaic or "successful". Independent film may take inspiration from artists who came before, but it does not copy or re-make. Independent film is unique and authentic and crafted. An independent film is a film that could not not be made. Truly independent film, independent anything, challenges and is not easily digestible. It's not what we're used to. To watch a truly independent film, you have to be engaged and involved. It's not passive. It's not a pacifier. Its purpose is not to please or coddle. I see more of that in the non-American films. I think other cultures have a very different relationship with all the arts.

Diane is among a minority who bravely take a position which is unfortunately rare nowadays, daring to place artistic integrity above corporate acceptance, endorsement and revenue -- eschewing a figurative deal with the Hollywood devil in favor of the sort of satisfaction that can only come from being true to yourself, your creative vision and your craft. It's this spirit; one of absolute independence that underlies the sort of film making that really earns the right to be called independent.

Turning to the subject she knows best of all, Diane addresses the fact that she is beginning a new journey in her personal life. Because of this, many things have changed recently, including the projects in which she'll be involved.

Diane: My main project right now is sorting out my life and figuring out what's next as I transition from being a married executive director of Filmmakers Alliance, living in L.A., to ….?

Although some fundamental aspects of her life remain uncertain, Diane seems to look on this next stage of her life as an adventure, buoyed by the love and support of friends and family. Career wise, there is no shortage of avid fans of Diane's work who would like nothing more than to see more of Diane's work.

And those fans may get their wish soon enough.

Diane: I hope that we will make True Colors later this year and I am waiting to hear from Katherine Brooks regarding the possible Loving Annabelle series. I've also been asked to do the voice over on a documentary when it is edited. I'll be auditioning for the next season of theatre in Buffalo before I leave. And I'm open to all kinds of possibility.

After chatting with Diane, I realize that it is not so much the words she chose that gave a sense of who she is, but the manner in which she spoke them. It was her contemplative pauses that showed her thoughtful and intelligent. Her somewhat shy, but easygoing personality that revealed how down to earth she is. And her inclination to stop talking altogether when she spotted a fellow cast member, to inquire about the young woman's hospitalized father, that demonstrated a caring and compassionate nature. Like the truly independent film making she champions, Diane is, to borrow some of her very own words; 'authentic, of the heart, not ego.' Open to possibility, capable and deserving of so much, hopefully, Diane's best days, both professionally and personally, now lie ahead of her.