{"id":11616,"date":"2014-05-23T23:09:31","date_gmt":"2014-05-23T15:09:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=11616"},"modified":"2014-05-23T02:22:03","modified_gmt":"2014-05-22T18:22:03","slug":"pursue-with-tenacity-jovanni-sy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2014\/05\/23\/pursue-with-tenacity-jovanni-sy\/","title":{"rendered":"Pursue with Tenacity: Jovanni Sy"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Jovanni<\/a>
Jovanni Sy in ‘A Taste of Empire.’ Photo by Keith Barker.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI remember the first time acting, I had this sickening feeling in my stomach\u2014I was so nervous\u2014but then you get over it. And the first time I wrote and I had to sit and listen to other people act the stuff that I wrote, again I had this terrified feeling\u2014but you just have to face your fear.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jovanni Sy is more than just a theater actor, a playwright, and a director.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s a man who faced his fears, pursued his passion tenaciously, and lived to tell the tale.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A not-so-theatrical beginning<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jovanni was born in Manila. When his family immigrated to Canada, they first stayed in Burnaby. When Jovanni turned 4, they moved from Vancouver to Toronto.<\/p>\n

When asked about the move, Jovanni said, \u201cMy parents were interested in starting a business, interested in opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI still consider myself a Torontonian,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Today, he lives in Richmond with his wife, Leanna Brodie\u2014a fellow thespian.<\/p>\n

After two years in Vancouver, he agrees that Richmond has certain effects on his lifestyle.<\/p>\n

\u201cRichmond is more outdoorsy. I\u2019m becoming more outdoorsy, more hiking and cycling. I might take up skiing,\u201d he beamed, giving in to the irresistible charm of British Columbia, and its sea to sky magnificence.<\/p>\n

Despite the warm sunshine and picturesque hiking trails that welcomed him in British Columbia, Jovanni admits that he faced challenges as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe challenges didn\u2019t come until I went into theater,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Coming from a multicultural neighborhood in Toronto, he barely felt the differences in cultures while he was growing up.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t really notice (the difficulties) so much until I made the switch to theater. That\u2019s when I became more aware of the challenges that you face when you\u2019re a minority,\u201d Jovanni shared. \u201cTheater at that time was even worse as it is now in terms of being representative. It\u2019s very hard to make opportunities as a performer from a minority group.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, with his guidance as the Artistic Director of one of Canada\u2019s premier acting troops\u2014Gateway Theatre\u2014Jovanni has helped pave the way for more foreigners to get involved in Vancouver\u2019s theater scene.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt my age, I\u2019m comfortable in my own skin.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Jovanni<\/a>
Jovanni Sy as The King in ‘The King and I.’ Photo by David Cooper \/ GatewayTheater on Facebook<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Shifting stages: Engineering to Theatre<\/strong><\/p>\n

Despite Jovanni\u2019s impressive thespian achievements, he actually studied something more on the serious side of the employment curve.<\/p>\n

So, how did this shift from T-squares to theatres come about?<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was in engineering, we had a musical comedy review in my second, third, fourth years and then when I graduated, I did amateur community theater just because I really enjoyed it,\u201d he shared.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd after about four years of doing that, I just decided I wanted to do this professionally. Like, this isn\u2019t just my hobby. This is my first love, I just didn\u2019t realize it,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Born of Chinese parents, one could imagine his parents\u2019 reaction when their engineer son wanted to pursue acting instead.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy parents weren\u2019t happy at first, but that was 21 years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, his parents understand why Jovanni decided to make that brave move and they couldn\u2019t be any prouder.<\/p>\n

When asked about his career\u2019s trajectory and longevity, he mused, \u201cOne of the things that helped the longevity of my career is about 6, 7 years into it I started writing as well. That helps being able to tell your own story and create your own worlds, and then I started directing. And just being able to do more than one thing made (my career last).\u201d<\/p>\n

Being a multi-tasker helped him to move further into his chosen path without missing opportunities to vigorously pursue his passion along the way, and he encourages others to do the same.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really encourage any young artist to do the same,\u201d he said. \u201cIf you can write or if you have any kind of inclination towards writing, do it, because we need more stories that tell the whole picture.\u201d<\/p>\n

He suggests Anne Lamott\u2019s book \u201cBird by Bird\u201d\u2014one of his personal favorites, together with Pride and Prejudice<\/em> and A Hundred Years of Solitude<\/em>\u2014for any aspiring writer who wants to hone his\/her skills.<\/p>\n

And when it comes to encouragement and mentorship, he claims that he was \u201creally, really lucky\u201d that he was surrounded with the right people who propelled him to do his craft better.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy good friend Guillermo Verdecchia, who directed the show that I\u2019m doing, he\u2019s been a really great mentor for me as a writer and helping me as an actor \u2018cause he directed the first time I did this show \u2018A Taste of Empire.\u2019 Brian Court\u2019s been a really great mentor for me as a writer, he shared.<\/p>\n

With such supportive mentors, Jovanni wants nothing more but to pay it forward through Gateway.<\/p>\n

\u201cI so strongly believe in mentorship and\u2026 in my role at the Gateway, I believe it\u2019s my responsibility to help the next generation of artists along because I needed a helping hand when I was starting,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Jovanni<\/a>
Jovanni Sy preparing rellenong bangus in ‘A Taste of Empire.’ Photo by Keith Barker.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On \u2018Rellenong Bangus\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

This month, Jovanni will grace Granville Island and the Richmond Cultural Centre with his cooking demonstration slash theatrical piece entitled \u2018A Taste of Empire\u2019 where he will prepare rellenong bangus <\/em>(stuffed milk fish)\u2014a dish most dreaded by cooks but well-loved in many Filipino gatherings.<\/p>\n

Jovanni himself claims that he could barely say rellenong bangus<\/em> correctly, but he revealed the method to his madness on choosing this Pinoy treat.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew I wanted to do cooking in real time,\u201d he started.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was looking for dishes that were really good metaphor for colonialism, like for the European colonization of Asia specifically\u2026 It\u2019s this Asian dish, it\u2019s a signature Filipino dish, and yet its flavors are very European.\u201d<\/p>\n

With raisins, carrots, bell peppers\u2014even Worcestershire sauce in some recipe variations\u2014Jovanni speaks the truth of this Filipino ulam <\/em>with a European flair.<\/p>\n

He added, \u201cIt\u2019s hard to make. It\u2019s time consuming, so it gives me 80 minutes to tell a story.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jovanni will play the sous chef of fictional superstar chef Maximo Cortez in \u2018A Taste of Empire,\u2019 which will run from May 22 to 25 at Granville Island and May 31 to June 1 at the Rooftop Garden of the Richmond Cultural Centre.<\/p>\n

\u2018The Gateway Pacific Theatre Festival\u2019 will be on August 15 to 24, featuring three Hong Kong shows performed in Cantonese with English subtitles.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Actor\u2019s Notes<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jovanni believes that taking the first, seemingly small step in pursuing one\u2019s passion may actually be the biggest step of the entire process\u2014with courage fueling every move.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust do it,\u201d he said. \u201cStart by sitting down, getting a pen out, and write something down. If you have the inclination to direct or act, just pursue it. Just face the dragon and do it. It just took a long time and a lot of hard work, but I\u2019m really thrilled to be where I am.\u201d<\/p>\n

And with the unpredictability of the entertainment industry, he shared a piece of advice for those who are starting out.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not your work,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe hardest thing to do is to separate yourself from whether you\u2019re employed or not employed. Just have a good sense of self\u2014don\u2019t get too high when you\u2019re up and don\u2019t get too low when you\u2019re down,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

In the end, there\u2019s nothing to worry about because \u201cthe people who really love you will love you whether you\u2019re doing well or not.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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