From Graduation Cap to Kelly Theatre

BY CASSIA COLLINS July 10 09

Chloé Hinch is anything but your average high school graduate. She is a whirlwind of life, creativity, excitement, and joy, especially now. Only seventeen, she is anxiously awaiting the opening of her very first play at the Fringe Festival.

Born in Windsor and raised in McGregor, she is the product of a loving French-Canadian home. In the sixth grade, her interest in theatre and the dramatic arts was piqued by her teacher and aunt, Giselle Hinch. Giselle also taught and directed Chloé in high school. “She encourages me always as an aunt and theatre teacher, and she’s awesome. If I win an Oscar she will be the first I thank,” commented Chloé.

While Chloé has taken on a variety of different roles, such as Jeannine in "Les voisins," Panthéra in "Sobriquets" and Feu in "Et patati et patata trois p’tit tours et puis s’en va," among others, acting is not her only love in the theatre. She will openly tell you about how much she loves costumes and dreams of someday perhaps working backstage for a Broadway production. She will also admit that she has not been blessed with the singing and dance skills required to work on stage for such productions.

Recently, Chloé has written her own play, "Et patati et patata trois p’tit tours et puis s’en va." It's a play about French nursery rhymes to which she has brought her own twist and style. It tells the tale about a girl (Enfant) who grows up, and her three imaginary friends (Eau, Bois, and Feu) who are trying to escape their cursed fate inside a crayon drawing.

With her child-like mind and modesty, Chloé is not the kind of person to hog the spotlight; she adores her co-stars and friends. In high school she has become part of a trio of actors who share a magnificent chemistry on stage; Mitchell Labrosse and Dillon Orr share center stage as part of the main characters in "Et Patati...". Eau, played by Mitchell, “is the nicest character. He is friendly. He kind of doesn’t know what he is. Mi-homme, mi-femme,” describes Chloé. Bois, played by Dillon, “is the hard, rude character. He is tough, and lives in the future. He is a masculine figure. Authoritaire,” she continues. Feu, played by Chloé herself, “is witty, the mother-figure. She is feisty, two-faced, and feminine,” explains Chloé. Lastly, Enfant, played by the equally talented Jessica St-Pierre, “is confused. She is a child, a kid, a teen, and a woman. She is life,” Chloé finishes.

Though Chloé has worked on stage with Mitchell for many years, her appreciation for what he brings to the performance has not decreased. Neither has her appreciation for Dillon, Jessica or the rest of the cast and crew. The play itself has already been shown at school competitions such as Sears Fest and Théatre Action. At Sears Fest, Chloé and Mitchell won Acting Ensemble Awards, and the play won Excellence Prizes for Costume Design and Writing. At Théatre Action they again won a prize for Costume Design, as well as the Hélène Gravelle prize, which is awarded to an original piece.

Chloé herself is not fazed by all the attention and glory. As she spoke of how her play includes many French nursery rhymes, she explains how she thinks she some of the thunder from "Et Patati..." was caused by the judges reminiscing about the songs they grew up with. Commitment to her work remains priority one as she explains why she enjoyed playing Panthéra so much: “...I love to make you believe you hate me so much you forget I am playing a role, like people do not come up to me after because they hate me so much.”

Oddly enough, becoming part of the Fringe Festival is somewhat of a mystery to its creator. According to Chloé, “Dillon just said, ‘Hey we’re in fringe!’” and she’s been going with the flow ever since. When asked how it feels to just barely be out of high school and already have a play out for public viewing, she said, “It feels unreal, like it’s a joke! I think so. I’m like Eau, I try to live in the moment so I don’t really know what it feels like yet. I will soon though!”

So what lies in store for this charming young French actress and playwright? “I am going to attend l'Université d'Ottawa in September.” She will be studying theatre in French up north in our capital, as French is where her heart lies. Ottawa is the best place for her to pursue her dreams with that in mind. She plans to become a teacher like her parents and aunt. She says, “Teaching is a lot like acting. You have to be in character and deliver emotion like you’re on stage.” She explains that she’d love to teach junior kindergarten because, “They love life. They question it without questioning it. They live in amazement. I don’t ever want to forget that.” She is more like her characters than she knows. But teaching doesn’t necessarily mean that "Et Patati..." will be the last play she acts in or writes. She still keeps an idea book, and theatre will always hold a place very dear to her.

"Et patati et patata trois p’tit tours et puis s’en va" will be showing as part of the Fringe Festival at the Kelly Theatre (inside the Capitol Theatre) 121 University Ave. W. Showtimes include:

Friday, July 17th at 7:00 PM
Saturday, July 18th at 3:00 PM
Monday, July 20th at 9:30 PM
Tuesday, July 21st at 7:00 PM
Thursday, July 23rd at 10:30 PM
Friday, July 24th at 3:00 PM
Sunday, July 26th at TBA