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On PEI, in the arts in particular, everyone seems to be something/something/ something. Everyone calls on diverse skills. You might call Jason Rogerson a writer/producer/ filmmaker, known for his work behind the scenes on films such as Picking Lucy’s Brain, and shows such as Enemies, Sketch-22, Players, and Midsummer Night’s Dream. But the role of producer is “something/something/ something” all by itself.
Jason explains, “For an independent show, you don’t have someone for every single department…so the producer ends up doing things.” Like what, for instance? “I’ve done more postering this summer than I ever imagined. Marketing. Writing grants and finding money…. Writing media releases, organizing photo shoots, scouting locations, some production management.”
The producer’s job “kind of snuck up” on Jason. “When it comes right down to it …the more you learn, the more you inherently know how to do something, and then you do it….
“It’s not the type of job you do nine-to-five and go home with no homework. There’s a cloud over your head, and it’s open. It’s a challenge to find time for yourself. But you make connections, and it becomes easier every time.”
When Jason studied screenwriting theory at York University, making connections was the last thing on his mind. “When I got out of film school, I thought I’d be a hermit. A friendly hermit, though. I’d mail scripts away and watch the money roll in.” He unexpectedly discovered live theatre while playing in the band for a show. Soon, the opportunity came to co-write what would become the groundbreaking, edgy play Players. “In theatre, I saw a way I could tell my stories, instead of seeing scripts wallow in development land or sit in my drawer.”
Since then, theatre has been a fulfilling part of his life. “I’ve worked with some of the best talent on the Island as far as Island independent theatre goes…. The most fun part is it feels like I’ve got a front-row seat.”
Jason hasn’t abandoned his film training and has turned theory into practice on projects such as Picking Lucy’s Brain, an Anne of Green Gables zombie film he wrote and filmed and that showed locally and at the Atlantic Film Festival. (“I just couldn’t see it on the stage,” he admits.) He continues to develop scripts and ideas for television and film.
But live theatre offers an immediacy Jason loves, though he himself treads the video screen more often than the boards. “Obviously, I [produce theatre] because if I write something, I want to see it produced. But I also want to help friends of mine who are writers. I think there’s a lot of talent on the Island, there’s a lot of good original material, and audiences are conducive to it,” Jason says.
Despite strong audience and sponsorship support, money for theatre is always tight. “I’ll be the most shocked person ever if I ever don’t have to do other work, if I can ever make a living at producing,” Jason says. “I don’t know if I want to say this about PEI, but I kind of don’t know if [producing] is a viable thing…. A lot of people supported our shows, but another facet to the Island is we take arts and culture for granted.” Even with past successes, Jason says, “It’s hard to get upfront core funding.”
Jason’s not looking to greener pastures, though. “I lived in Toronto for a few years. It seems there’s a lot of culture and arts there. At the same time, I never felt that city was pulling me back like a magnet…. Here, when you’ve got such a great group of people, it’s hard to leave.”
The unqualified artistic and audience success of Sketch-22 and Midsummer Night’s Dream this past season will help keep Jason Rogerson in production. “It feels like I took a step up a rung this summer,” says Jason. “Hopefully the sacrifices pay off in even bigger successes.” In the meantime, “I’ll keep doing something/something/something.”