Who are the actors of Montréal Ghosts and what are they doing during this obligatory break? Marie-Anik Deschamps answers our questions.
For how long have you been an actress?
“I have worked as a professional actor since 2005.”
What do you like most about your job?
“It’s getting people to experience something special, elicit emotions from the audience, and sometimes even be told: « You made my day! »”
What led you to become a actress ?
“I was led to it by the need to communicate with others, to tell stories, and entertain.”
Do you have any other skills or hidden talents?
“I teach theatre, dance, and arts and crafts classes, and they tell me I make a pretty mean cheesecake!”
Do you have an anecdote to tell us about your job as an actress?
“It’s a classic for those who know the story… Portraying Mary Gallagher during Ghost hunts, it inspired me to stage crime scenes!
In the streets of Old Montréal, I would lay on the ground with my dress soiled with fake blood, and makeup that suggested an important laceration to the neck.
Of course, the audience jumped when they saw me, but all those poor passersby who were unaware of the activity got an awful fright. I couldn’t exactly break character when I was expecting my group at any moment…
Many of those unsuspecting onlookers, not aware of the subterfuge, called for help. Police sometimes even came to patrol the street where I was performing to find the bloody lady left for dead on the sidewalk. Ah Bloody Mary, you were quite the lady of the evening…”
What positive did you take from the pandemic break?
“I was able to spend lots of time with my family and pursue studies to perfect my teaching skills.”
What do you miss the most about your profession as an actress?
“I miss the contact with the audience and my colleagues terribly.”