Denise Yuen – All For One

By: Lisa Steinberg

Q) What has it been like for you getting that instant fan feedback to episodes?

A) The live episode was so exciting! I wasn’t in it, but watched it with the crew behind the scenes and was monitoring the instant feedback. It was almost 3,000 people watching and the feed was so quick, I couldn’t even catch everything. I know that it was super exciting for the fans as well– the element of having some of their live comments featured in the episode and the actors improvising off of them was so meta and engaging. Afterwards, I was just like, “Is this the future of theatre??” It was basically live theater broadcast to the world.

Q) Everything was really well done, but it all seemed to happen so fast. The live interactions were incredible!

A) Yes, I loved the interaction aspect to that live episode. Even in regards to the rest of the episodes… I find our format quite progressive– with the chat bubbles that pop up on screen, which are really funny. It’s easy to miss them because they’re so fast. So, I like to encourage people to watch episodes a few times to catch all the layers. My parents are in Hong Kong and have been watching the show religiously, but there is so much they’re not getting in one viewing– although that may be because of the cultural and perhaps generational divide. I get texts from them that are like, “What is a #douchecanoe?” I don’t even know how to begin explaining that. [laughs]

Q) What was it about the series that made you want to be a part of it?

A) I don’t think I realized it was an LGBT web series until I was already a part of it, although now it’s an aspect that I’m most proud of.  The project came my way through a friend who mentioned they were looking to cast diversely, which is also something I love about the show. RJ Lackie’s name was brought up and I didn’t know him at the time, but I did remember that a show he’d written “Inhuman Condition” had been casting a few months before and I’d read the breakdown and loved it. It was a described as something along the lines of a cross between Sci-Fi and HBO’s “In Treatment”– I love anything Sci-Fi and anything with killer character development, so I remember being like, “Yes, I want to work with that guy!” He is actually the coolest. And then, I read the material and was sold.

Q) What was the breakdown you received on Treville since she’s such a mystery?

A) I think she’s evolved a bit since I initially auditioned for her. She was the President of Mu Sigma Theta at the time, and struck me as warmer and more outwardly nurturing. She’s got a more icy veneer these days– very formal, quite rigid and not the greatest at intimacy– but, I love that about her. I think it adds such an interesting element to her dimension and has been a blast to play! And the fact that she’s no longer the president, but the RoChi is fun because she clings onto control so desperately, but doesn’t fully have that power over the sisters. It makes for a humorous struggle. Despite all the toughness on the outside though, we all know that she’s really just a total softie on the inside.

Q) A lot happens during scenes that it is hard to catch it all.

A) Yeah, there are so many people in a lot of the scenes. I feel like that doesn’t happen on regular TV as much. We’re generally used to one event happening per scene. But in this show, there’s the main event of someone talking to the camera and then little asides happening in the background along with the Inseparables’ chat bubbles happening on screen. There are so many dimensions! You see a lot happening at the same time. It’s very rich.

Q) How do you portray these layers to Treville?

A) Sarah [Shelson] and RJ did such a great job with the writing, it was easy to get a sense of her from the script. I actually find Treville quite relatable. She’s like an exaggerated version of how a lot of us are– guarded on the outside until we feel accepted and safe to reveal who we really are. I can relate to that. I tend to have a tougher front, but warm right up once I get to know someone. Her walls are much higher than mine, but I find it makes her so much more interesting. You wonder, where does this come from? Why does she have such high walls and developed defenses? And like, speaking of defenses, what’s her deal with the sword?? Whatever her story is, she’s clearly had to learn to be incredibly independent and self-sufficient. And as a result, she’s not great at leaning on others. It was actually easy for me to find the connection here. I went to boarding school at twelve so I’ve been away from home for a really long time. I’m so used to being on my own, I understand this aspect of her that’s like, “I’m good on my own. I’ve got it covered. I don’t need other people’s help.” I prefer to be the support as opposed to asking for the support and I think that Treville is the same. She doesn’t like to show vulnerability. I don’t know. I like that about her. It’s very human.

Q) She does seem to be quite protective though too. She protects the girls that she watches over for the sorority. But she is very independent.

A) She leans on this rigidity. I think doing things by the book and doing them correctly is her way of doing everything. So, when people don’t do things properly or go over her head– like when Dorothy (Gwenlyn Cumyn) emailed Anne to get Connie (Linnea Currie-Roberts) into MST– it feels wrong to her and disrespectful. And with Anne texting Dorothy all those emojis, that’s just jealousy. We all know Treville has a harder time with connection, so it’s kind of like, “Oh, they’re close now. Where does that leave me?” She secretly craves that intimacy and wants to have friends! But she clings onto this idea of strength that is hard and detached, so it’s difficult for people to get close. Ultimately though, her heart’s in the right place and she considers herself a role model to girls. This exterior is a way for her to be strong for them.

Q) In the end, we see a lot of her guard comes down and we see a mutual respect.

A) That last scene where she’s caught off guard by Dorothy asking her to stay is one of my favorite scenes. It’s like she finally feels accepted– it made me feel all sorts of jello things inside. And I’m pretty sure she felt the same way. She finally gets to let out some of that vulnerability that she keeps so tight in that cookie jar of hers.

Q) What does Anne graduating mean for Treville?

A) I don’t really know exactly. I think we’re all waiting to find out more about the nature of their relationship. But there was that bit about her campaigning for MST President and then we find out that Portia is also campaigning. So, I wonder what the dynamic is going to be like there… Treville doesn’t strike me as someone who is competitive for the sake of being competitive– I feel like she fights for what’s right, but I guess what’s right can be subjective and politics can drive some pretty crazy things out of people. I’m very curious as to how that will play out.

Q) It was interesting how RJ Lackie tweeted the other day that Treville in the book version is a warrior.

A) Yes, Treville is a total fighter! That’s another connection we share. I often feel like a warrior and I often feel like a dude. That’s why when he tweeted that about how in every adaptation of The Three Musketeers, Treville has been a man, I was like, Yes. That toughness is really one of my favorite aspects of her. I guess that’s why when I read her scenes, I felt this instant connection and was like, “Is this written for me?! What is happening?”

Q) The series has so many underlying themes, what do you think are some of the most prevalent?

A) In terms of story, I think friendship and self-discovery. There’s definitely lots of coming-of-age stuff in there. In terms of the production, I love its emphasis on representing diversity whether it is in gender, race, sexual orientation, etc. Even the premise of how it’s an adaptation of The Three Musketeers, but a mostly female one– that in and of itself has turned convention on its head. Looking back and seeing the response from fans, it’s just so clear how awesome this show is.

Q) What is great with RJ’s writing is you get that great ebb and flow with the characters.

A) Yes, there is always a progression, you are always seeing something happen – some kind of development. There are some great arcs on the show and I love how defined the characters are. Everyone has such different reactions and opinions of things because their personalities are so different. And it really makes you wonder what their stories are? Like, what’s Portia’s story? Why is she so damn sweet? Is that some kind of defense mechanism? What was her childhood like, what’s her backstory? When you have such distinct and fleshed out characters, you tend to think about all of that.

Q) What have you taken away from your experiences being a part of the series?

A) It was an amazing experience working with this cast and crew. Everything was so well done, it looked great and I’ve really enjoyed watching the episodes and the result of everyone’s hard work. I also really enjoy our fans– they’re incredible, so engaged and so supportive. Like I said, I love the LGBT and diversity aspect of the show– I think it’s impactful and important, and has made me contemplate the kinds of stories I want to tell as an actor and how to tell them. There’s a particular demand, now more than ever, for minority representation with all the #WhiteWashedOut, #MyYellowFaceStory and other such hastags on social media that’s really inspired me to think about potentially developing my own content that would fill this need. But, regardless of whether that happens, this show has definitely reaffirmed my devotion to tell stories as truthfully to the human experience as possible. At the end of the day, it’s important to me that my work resonates with others and that, whatever project it is that I’ve involved in, I’m saying something.