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A doctor walks onto a stage, paddling a canoe. No, wait. A doctor walks onto a stage, dressed as a penguin. No, I’ve got it. A doctor walks onto a stage as an over-the-top motivational speaker. All three (and more) have been true over the years for Dr. Stephen Workman, internal medicine specialist at the QEII Health Sciences Centre, and member of the Central Zone Players, an independent theatre troupe made up of Nova Scotia Health Central Zone staff, physicians and friends.
Stephen has performed in many Central Zone Players productions since the troupe’s beginnings in 2008, and he’ll hit the stage again this week when It’s a Hot Rod Christmas plays at Alderney Landing Theatre from December 5 to 7.
Stephen has become known for his signature monologues at each year’s holiday musical production. Show writer and co-director Dan Steeves and Stephen collaborate on the monologue, with Dan providing creative inspiration and Stephen writing his own monologue and performing it.
“I love to write and perform the monologue,” said Stephen. “It’s so hard to sit down and be creative. Having a deadline with an audience is an incredibly motivating experience.” Stephen thrives on the audience’s energy. “You can feel the audience waiting for the punch line. When you can deliver a punch line that the audience isn’t expecting, it’s very satisfying.”
What keeps Stephen coming back year after year, beyond the ability to exercise his creative muscle? In large part, he credits Dan.
“Dan is really a study in leadership skills. He’s created so much loyalty and so much commitment from the cast.”
“You come together in September and it’s people you haven’t seen for a year, but you’ve seen every year for 11 weeks, 10 years in a row. There’s a feeling of a group identity and people working off each other.”
As much as Stephen loves seeing experienced and talented performers display their talents, he enjoys just as much seeing performers who are new to the stage as they evolve over time.
“A lot of people experience incremental growth on stage. That’s fun to see,” he said.
Stephen also gives kudos to the many others behind the scenes who make the show a success – the musicians, the folks who create elaborate costumes or sets, those who source and manage props, and others who lend leadership, time and skills so the show can go on.
What does Stephen’s family think of his performer side?
“I rehearse in secret at home,” he said, preferring to keep his monologue a surprise for his family until they’re in the audience. He notes that in his family, the performance is a placeholder in the year.
If the Central Zone Players holiday production isn’t yet a placeholder in your holiday season, Stephen encourages you to adopt the tradition. “The people that come to the show, come every year, and love it. We sell a phenomenal number of tickets for amateur theatre.”
For ticket information, visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/alderneylanding/events/central-zone-players-it-s-a-hot-rod-christmas-119603