Glebe Report

Youthful Glebe actor stars in TV mini soap opera
By Joan Gorst Giles
For those of you wondering
what some of our youth are
doing these days, take a
peek at their own television
program, new on CJOH-TV. The
time is 11:30 Saturday mornings.
In their half-hour slot,
Highschool Confidential has
every minute utilized - interviews
with teenage personalities,
advice to teenagers,
tongue-in cheek humour
and even weekly "teen commandments".
As if that were not enough
the focal point of the show,
an eight week mini-soap,
"Future Days", is off and
running well. The soap was
written by Ron Carson and
the show's producer, Richard
Cooper.
Eight teenagers were chosen
from 525 auditioned in
the Ottawa area. Of those
Susan Bryson and Fraser
Aubrecht became Highschool
Confidential's charming
hosts.
Starring in the cast of
"Future Days" are Teague
McConnell as Johnny, Stephanie
Moore as Cynthia, Suzanne
Parenteau as Sharon,
Steve Pokotylo as Brad,
Terra Sigurdson as Fiona and
Gregor Sneddon as Tom (Killer).
The show has been shot entirely
on locations around
Ottawa. Glebe residents
will recognize the halls of
Glebe Collegiate used as
background for the credits
of "Future Days" and exterior
views of the school in
the "soap".
CJOH-TV held a press conference
in the Highschool
Confidential work studio at
the beginning of May to introduce
the cast, writers
and production team. I'm
always impressed with the
Photo
CJOH
The cast of "Future Days". Left to right: Suzanne Parenteau,
Steve Pokotylo, Stephanie Moore, Terra Sigurdson, Gregor
Sneddon and Teague McConnell.
wizardry of production teams
and camera crews as I look
around a studio with its
props. The reality is often
incredibly unreal and crude
and the finished product on
TV so polished and realistic.
This studio was no
different.
The whole tone of the evening
was one of graciousness
and good manners. When one
hears and reads of the many
problems teenagers are experiencing,
it was refreshing
to spend an hour with a
talented and charming group
of young people.
I spent a few quiet moments
with Glebe actor Teague
McConnell which I will share
with you.
JGG: Is this your first experience
with TV,Teague?
Teague: Yes, my very first.
JGG: How do you like acting
without the excitement of a
live audience?
Teague: I like it. A stage
won't allow you to make mistakes,
so to speak. If
you're on stage with a live
audience and make a mistake,
you hope you can improvise,
whereas, on TV, you can stop
the tape and try it again to
a certain degree. Of course
you can't keep making mistakes
over and over again,
but it allows for a bit of
that.
JGG: Have you worked with
any of the cast before?
Teague: No. I didn't know
anyone. the only one
from the Glebe. I'm at Immaculata
High School. There
is another member of the
cast from the same school,
Suzanne Parenteau, but we
didn't know each other. The
rest are from other areas of
Ottawa.
JGG: Do you hope to make
acting a career?
Teague: I'd like to. It's
something I've always talked
about, but not until recent-
FOCUS
ly have I considered it a
good possibility. T like it
a great deal. It's a lot of
hard work. It's not at all
what I thought it was. I
thought it was pretty easy
at one time. I was always a
pretty hyper guy, lots of
energy. I thought I could
act, no problem, but there's
a lot more to it than that.
But it's a fun kind of hard
work and I really enjoy it.
JGG: How old are you?
Teague: I'll be 18 in June.
JGG: What about your schooling?
Teague: I'm in grade eleven
and will spend two more
years at Immaculata. Then
my best bet would be to take
drama at university. I'll
keep my eyes open and read
the paper a lot, because
that's where a lot of opportunities
appear, in ads under
theatre. There'll be an
ad about a play to say they
need five extras. You've
got to get around to get
your name known, no matter_
how small the part.
JGG: Is there any background
of acting in your family? Or
related arts?
Teague: My mother is a writer
(N.B. Teague's mother,
Joan Over, is well-known in
the Glebe as editor of the
Glehe Report). My father is
a geophysicist. He plays a
bit of piano, a bit of
guitar. But I'm the first
one to be interested in acting.
I've always been more
of a creative person than,
say, a mathematical one.
JGG: Well, Teague, I'm sure
there are going to be many
of us in the Glebe who will
watch your future with great
interest. Good luck to you
and to the rest of the cast.
THE NEXT
Information: (613) 233-1792
Judith Davies, B.A.,
(member R.A.D.)
movement analyst
& therapist
Individual and group counselling in fitness
programming, body alignment, stretch and
strength, stress reduction through
tension/release therapy.
STEP
A FILM SERIES EXAMINING THE
URGENT NEED FOR SERVICES
TO BATTERED WOMEN
MONDAY, JUNE 9
7:30 p.m.
Museum of Natural
Sciences
Metcalfe & McLeod
Produced by Studio D of the National
Film Board of Canada in collaboration
with the Federal Women's Film Program
Film Board
of Canada
?National
Office
national du film
du Canada
June 6, 1986, GLEBE REPORT -11