Ross LaFrance

Will Lafrance is his stage name and locals in Akwesasne know him as Ross Lafrance. Will recently had a starring role in a live play at Carleton University titled “Yerma”. Yerma is a play written and first performed in 1934, by Spanish poet and playwright, Federico Garcia Lorca. Yerma is about a childless Spanish woman that is so desperate to be a mother that she commits a horrific crime. The following is my interview with Ross Lafrance about his acting career, in his own words.

Monica: What is the title of the first play you were in and your character?

Ross Lafrance: The first play I was in was a play called The Cure of the Silver Scarab. It was a final project for my 9th grade drama class, it was written by the teacher, Kim Merkley. My character was Tony, the son of the main villainess. He was a guy that was all talk and was always seen as a disappointment to his mother. It’s not as depressing as it sounds. It was a spoof of Indiana Jones style movies. It was a lot of fun.

Monica: When and why did you decide to act in plays?

Ross Lafrance: I took my first drama class in grade 9. At that point I just sort of looked at it as a hobby and didn’t even begin to dream of trying to make it in this industry. It wasn’t until I got to grade 11 that I actually started to take it seriously. I owe all of it to my grade 11 and 12 drama teacher, Robert Poirier. He really taught me how to “act” and make it look and feel real. Also it’s just so much fun and such a rush to get up in front of people and be anything but yourself.

Monica: How often do you act?

Ross Lafrance: I have been in Ottawa for coming up on three years now. Since I have been here I have appeared in six plays. The most recent being Yerma at Carleton University. I have recently got a call back for an audition I did for the role of Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. So I’m really hopeful that one will be number seven.

Monica: What are your career aspirations?

Ross Lafrance: I don’t have any aspirations for fame or fortune. I am in this industry to do what I love, and that’s act. So my career aspirations would be to keep it going. A long acting career is a good acting career.

Monica: What is it like to be on live stage?

Ross Lafrance: That’s a hard question to answer. It’s so many different things at once. It’s scary, exhilarating, exciting, fun. A lot of the time, when in character, actors will actually feel what the character is feeling. Sometimes you just get lost in the action as an actor and the audience just disappears. It’s just the actors on stage, telling a story. That’s when theatre becomes beautiful.

Monica: What is the largest audience you have performed for?

Ross Lafrance: I actually don’t have an exact number to answer this. The biggest theatre I’ve played to was 444 seats. That was for Yerma at Carleton University. The largest audience I’ve played to at once would be in the low two hundreds. That was for a play I appeared in back in November called I Remember Mama, it played at the Gladstone Theatre. 

Monica: How did you get involved in acting?

Ross Lafrance: This industry is a lot about who you know. I consider myself lucky because I met the right people at the right times. One of my professors while I was at Algonquin, Teri Loretto, gave me my first big part in my first big Ottawa production, Zastrozzi, which got me a lot of exposure. While my reputation is still being built, I think what I have established is a good foundation for the rest of my career. I still have to audition and earn my roles though, unfortunately.

Monica: Do you have any advice for someone that is interested in becoming an actor?

Ross Lafrance: Don’t stop auditioning. Actors go through a painstaking amount of rejection. You just need to remember that it’s not personal. The more you go out to auditions, the more directors will see you. Don’t stop and believe in yourself. I know that sounds a little cheesy but it is so true. Acting requires confidence. If directors see that, it raises your chances tenfold.

Monica: Anything else you want to share with our readers?

Ross Lafrance: I just want to say that my friends and family support me so much. They have complete faith in my talents and it really helps me say “I can do this”. I just wanted to thank every single person in my family for being there, especially you Mom and Dad. It helps more than you know. Also, be on the lookout for my next show! Hopefully it’ll be Romeo and Juliet!