Lindy Zucker is a locally grown, slightly organic, performer, writer and
self professed asshole who has yet to turn down even the strangest of performance requests making her bio a bit insane to type out. Highlights: Sydney, A vs B, Dismantled (Buddies - Rhubarb), A Christmas pageant (Centre of Gravity), The Telephone, The Crapper (TOA - around Town). Lindy is one of the founders of TOA (with Mariko Tamaki) and is part of Buddies Female
Creators unit.

What is your opinion on the current state of theatre in Toronto?

"The state of theatre in this city is one of denial over the fact that it is so deeply embedded in the periphery of everything else going on and pretending it is too elitist to care. I don't think people will ever view Toronto as a "theatre city" like New York until we stop trying so hard to look like everywhere else and start actually working to be more engaging than everywhere else. Toronto has a lot of potential as there are a lot of great theatre artists in this city producing all sorts of interesting work and occassionally horrible work. I think one major problem seems to be the fact that for some reason, people will forgive a horrible movie experience and continue to frequent the movies but if they see one bad show then theirtheatre going days are over. I don't know if there is a solution to this epedemic but it definitely couldn't hurt to start flourishing for ourselves instead of producing always with audience numbers in mind. Toronto's niche could potentially lie in the fact that we seem more openminded to controversy on stage even if we are still somewhat shy to fully commit to it in every inception.

Where do you see yourself in all this?

I try to get involved with interesting projects and by interesting I mean everything from controversial to ridiculously stupid to beautifully poetic as long as I feel it has potential to wake someone from their daily coma (I really am an ambitious asshole) I will do it, regardless of the money attached which I will admit can be trying or at the very least exhausting as I also maintain a fulltime job but if the outcome proves to be as amazing as I thought then as hippy
dippy as it sounds it was worth it. I am essentially trying to consciously be aware of not adding more shit to the world and perhaps get people to think about the shit they add to the world.....and I am also in relentless pursuit of honest conversation about the arts without fearing for people's feelings as if you are going to produce it be prepared to take the praise/criticism about it.

Is your current show representative of that?

"I really really hope so. Adam and I are quite interested in producing funny
yet intelligent work. This particular piece is slightly more experimental
in style than usual but we hope that it's anything but boring and pays off
in intentional shock value and if you find a moral then we perhaps have done
our jobs and if you hate it then tell us."

Everybody is an Asshole created and performed by Lindy Zucker and Adam Lazarus
Buddies In Bad Times theatre Jan 25-27 @ 8pm

The State of Theatre in Toronto is a weekly series where theatre artists and affiliates, professional and emerging, will be interviewed on their thoughts on the subject.