Fiona Mongillo of GIRLS & BOYS, in conversation with SesayArts 

“I met my husband in the queue to board an easyJet flight, and I have to say I took an instant dislike to the man.”

Girls & Boys starring Fiona Mongillo, made its unpretentious debut last summer in Stratford as a Here for Now Theatre production.  Happily for Toronto audiences, the intense and thought-provoking play has now made its way to Crow’s Theatre. The one-woman show explores the complexities of relationships by unspooling the dark tale of an unexpected meeting that sparked a couple’s passion . . . which led, predictably, to a family, and then . . . to an unexpected and shocking unraveling. Mongillo is Artistic Producer of the company, and Girls & Boys, written by Dennis Kelly and directed by Lucy Jane Atkinson, fits to a “T” Here for Now’s  mandate of producing new theatre that tells the stories of complex female protagonists.

Mongillo recently took time to chat with SesayArts about how the audience saves her every night she performs in Girls & Boys, her ambitions for Here for Now Theatre, and why she will never be a  “helicopter Artistic DIrector”.  

SM: Let’s start with you. What would you like us to know about you and your inspiration for pursuing a life in theatre?

FM: I decided to be an actor at the tender age of 4 and then… never changed my mind, lol. I called the box office of the Blyth Festival at 12 years old to ask how one goes about acting in the company – this lead to 6 summers at the Blyth Festival’s young company which set me firmly on my path, as I fell head over heels in love with theatre. There have certainly been many points in my life where I have examined this choice, given how challenging this industry can be, but the pull to do the next project has thus far always outweighed any doubts. 

SM: In addition to being an actor, you are also the Artistic Director of Here for Now Theatre. What prompted you to start your own company, and what kind of programming is a priority for you? 

FM: I love running a theatre company. It is incredibly empowering to create my own artistic opportunities, as well as opportunities for other artists that I love and admire. This industry can be tricky, with such a lack of job security and chronically high unemployment rates, and I didn’t want my work schedule to be at the whim of others. 

I also wanted to produce the kinds of plays that I would want to see: stories with female protagonists, bare-bone productions with writing and acting that is honest and compelling enough to be stripped down. Here For Now programs primarily new plays in a one-act format. I try to encourage the artists who work with us to always follow their gut, to take risks and see what happens – I am the opposite of a helicopter Artistic Director, lol. In this way, I hope to create an ethos of curiosity, play and creative flow. 

We are fortunate to have generous audiences who know that sometimes the shows they are seeing are in a nascent stage of development, or the artists involved are trying on different hats for the first time. I think they like the thrill of the new, and of not knowing what to expect.   

SM: Let’s talk about Dennis Kelly’s Girls & Boys.  What led you to produce and perform in this solo play, which examines such themes as toxic masculinity, power dynamics and violence against women? 

FM: Lucy pitched this play when I asked her if there was anything she wanted to work on together. I read it once and thought – no way. Too scary, too hard. But then I couldn’t stop thinking about it, so I read it again and realized the only reason I was saying no to this incredible play was fear, which is not a good reason. So I said “yes”. 

The script is a work of genius, and it examines something really difficult but also shockingly common in an emotionally intelligent and unflinching manner. It is hard to get into it without spoiling the story, but I think it is our job in the theatre to hold up a mirror to the things we don’t necessarily want to look at as a society, and this play does just that.  

SM: Without spoilers, it’s safe to describe the plot as harrowing (to say the least), and I’m wondering what you do to protect your own emotional health as you’re performing the run?

FM: To be honest, I am still working this out. This show certainly does take its toll on me, and last summer it was challenging to get through the run, but I was also pretty taxed from all the other demands of producing a 9-show season. This time, I am allowing myself  to totally focus on the show and on staying balanced throughout the run. I am listening to a lot of music, getting regular acupuncture, eating nutritious food and exercising everyday. I will let you know after the run if these efforts helped – I am optimistic, especially about the acupuncture, which seems to really calm my whole system.    

SM: What’s been the biggest surprise to come out of working on Girls & Boys, and also the biggest challenge?

FM: The biggest surprise is that the audience saves me every night – connecting with other people, looking into their eyes, is what enables me to tell this story. Having never worked on a monologue play before, my assumption was that direct address would be the scary bit. The biggest challenge is the stage fright. With 16,000 words, the idea of blanking is very scary and it has been immensely challenging to keep this in check, specifically in the hour leading up to a performance. Generally I am totally fine once I am out there and get lost in the story, but the lead up is amazingly uncomfortable.   

SM: Tell us something about you that we will not find on your resumé… anything that might surprise us? 

FM: All I have wanted to do for the last few years is act in something really fun, where I get to come on and have a riot without the worry of carrying the show. You wouldn’t necessarily think that with what I have played in the context of my own company over the last few years, lol. 

Girls & Boys runs until February 12, 2023. Reserve tickets on crowstheatre.com.

Note: Girls & Boys is intended for a mature audience and contains graphic descriptions of violence.

© Arpita Ghosal, SesayArts Magazine, 2023