In a Word...C. Derrick Chua, entertainment lawyer and so much more

Bar, Board and Theatrical Banquets

So if I had to just use one word, I’d say unequivocally “excellent”.

A co-founder of Studio 180, C. Derrick Chua is an entertainment lawyer and award-winning theatre and film producer. He is currently President of the Toronto Fringe Festival and past-President of the Toronto Theatre Alliance, and sits on the boards of Cahoots Theatre Projects, fu-Gen Asian Canadian Theatre and Shakespearience. As an entertainment lawyer, his clients have included a number of theatre companies, independent film and television production companies, bands, publishers, multimedia/ high tech companies and artists/performers of every kind. He holds an Honours BA from the University of Waterloo and an LL.B. from the University of Western Ontario, and is called to the Bar in Ontario and New York. (Source: Studio 180 website)

CHARPO: How did a lad from the Philippines get to be a lawyer in Toronto?

CHUA:  It’s not that this is a secret or that I am reticent to talk about it with anyone on a personal level, but there is really no short answer to this and has lots of related issues from personal family history to the political climate of the Philippines back under the realm of President Marcos, so its more something that I’d be happy to tell you over a drink sometime, but perhaps not so much in this correspondence.

Then some friends got into SummerWorks and Fringe, and asked me to help them with their shows, and my title became “producer”

CHARPO: Who came first: the lawyer, the entertainment lawyer or the guy who supports theatre across the board?

CHUA:  Hmm, well the “theatre guy” probably came first - started my involvement and fell in love with theatre in high school, then tried to leave that world and started a BMath in Computer Science at the University of Waterloo, but realized the folly of that after a year or so, and switched majors ending with an Hons BA in English & Theatre from UWaterloo (part of the origin of Studio 180 Theatre, which you may know was formed by UWaterloo alumni and prof Joel Greenberg).  Then sort of tried to leave that world again in order to pursue a career that would allow me to “pay the bills”, so entered University of Western Ontario Law School with the intention of just becoming “a lawyer” of some kind, then was fortunate to earn a job as a summer law student after first year at a large law firm which had an Entertainment Law department.  So I summered and articled at that law firm and learned more about entertainment law (and corporate law, the other main area of my practice).  Then after my Call to the Bar in Ontario, took a bit of time and also took my bar exams in New York and was Called to the Bar in New York, and then started my own practice.  In the meantime, I was back in Toronto and back in touch with some UWaterloo Theatre friends and attending more theatre and helping friends out with their theatre company and the theatre space they were running (the Annex Theatre, before Randolph bought the building).  Then some friends got into SummerWorks and Fringe, and asked me to help them with their shows, and my title became “producer”, and I started becoming more professionally involved with theatre in Toronto in many different aspects, from sitting on a number of Boards (I’ve probably been on a dozen theatre boards over the years, from Toronto Theatre Alliance (now TAPA) to the Doras to Fringe to Cahoots and Fu-Gen to (now defunct) Group of Seven Theatres to Shakesperience to…) to independently producing shows, etc.  In that time I was also developing my practice as a corporate & entertainment lawyer through connections at my old firm, to meeting lots of up-and-coming clients through industry events, to good word-of-mouth spreading about my work, to participating in lots of conferences, events, etc.  And I was also just loving the Torontotheatre community, the artists and the shows, and seeing as much theatre as I could!  Hmm, that was more long-winded than I planned when starting.  Hope that answers the question!

CHARPO: What IS an entertainment lawyer?

CHUA:  Well, entertainment law is really just a specialized area of law - a mix of some traditional categories of law (corporate law, intellectual property – copyright and trademark, employment law, contract law, immigration law, etc) but with a focus on providing those services to the entertainment industry – film, television, theatre, publishing, advertising, new media / multimedia, internet, etc.

I am always happy to discuss my opinions about shows, including negative ones, privately.

CHARPO: We don't think we've ever seen you - on Twitter or Facebook - say an unkind thing about a show you've seen. Do you like all theatre or are you practicing "If you have nothing nice to say..."?

CHUA:  Ha, ha - I definitely don’t like all theatre, and I am always happy to discuss my opinions about shows, including negative ones, privately.  But as far as Facebook status and Twitter tweets - I consider myself fortunate to be primarily in the position of a “fan” or “patron” - I’m not a critic or professional theatre writer - I don’t have to publicly publish all my thoughts or even a fair representation of them.  I choose deliberately as best I can to keep things positive and encouraging.  Having said that, I certainly try not to lie - and sometimes I’ll tweet publicly (for example) how much I’m looking forward to seeing a particular show, and if I love it, I’ll continue tweeting about that and encouraging people to see it, but if I hated it, I’ll just not saying anything more about it.  It’s why I deliberately don’t write reviews, even though people have certainly encouraged me to do so - if I did, I would feel obligated to talk about the bad stuff.  This way, I just don’t have to!  It does get a bit awkward sometimes when people ask or assume or deduce by my lack of follow-up after seeing a show that I hated it, but they can message me privately / I can message them privately, and just don’t see a need to slag anything publicly when I don’t have to.

CHARPO: What is the most thrilling project you've been involved with?

CHUA:  Oh dear… I honestly can’t pick one that I could definitely say was the most thrilling.  In many ways, it’s whatever project I’m currently in the midst of, is the most thrilling!  But there’s a good handful that could vie for that title in different ways – The Normal Heart right now would be up there, both because it’s so damn good, but also because of how much I see it move people night after night, and with so many people talking to me after about personal connections they may have had to the era, or still living positive now, etc.  The Laramie Project would also be up there, as the show that launched Studio 180, but also that thrill of being at Artword Theatre with the biggest show I had produced at that time, as a co-op with no money for anything, but selling out show after show and the reactions from the audiences…  It could be Top Gun! The Musical which was the biggest selling Fringe show at the time, outselling Drowsy Chaperone and drawing crazy crowds at the time.  Back then (before craziness of Kim’s Convenience or some others) it was unheard of for people to line up two hours before a show, but they did for Top Gun, and the thrill of continuing Top Gun in New York (my first NY production) at the very first New York Musical Festival.  And there’s probably at least a couple others in the running for that title!

I think the quality of the performers in Toronto is almost equal to that in New York or London or anywhere else!! 

CHARPO: What do you think of the quality of theatre in Toronto?...

CHUA:  I think the quality of the performers in Toronto is almost equal to that in New York or London or anywhere else!!  I truly believe that – certainly New York has many times the pool of performers that we have, but match them performer to performer, and I thinkToronto more than holds its own. I’m continually astonished by how good our performers are, so for example you have a show like The Normal Heart, and I’m obviously biased, but I’d put our production up against Broadway’s (which I did see) any day!  Same with Clybourne Park! So often even when I don’t like the script or production of a show, I will be admiring the performances.  Overall I think the quality of theatre in Toronto is excellent, though of course if you compare it to New York or London or Chicago, it may suffer in comparison, if nothing else but the sheer amount of money spent on Broadway or West End shows vs Toronto shows, but its apples and oranges.  So if I had to just use one word, I’d say unequivocally “excellent”.

CHARPO: ...of criticism?

CHUA:  Hmm, that’s interesting.  I don’t know that I have enough of a frame of reference on this one.  Though “saying” that out loud, feels like a cop-out to the question.  So… I guess I think it’s okay but has lots of room for improvement.  I wish there was a greater diversity of opinion / criticism.  I wish the print critics were not so hampered by lack of space to properly write their reviews.   I certainly have my quibbles with each of the individual print critics.  The online critics IN GENERAL I find not very critical.  I wish overall there was greater intellectual rigour in theatre criticisms.  I wish there was ROOM for the critics to be able to practice intellectual rigour and actually be critical.  

CHARPO: Where do you fall - as a lawyer and theatre guy - on the prickly question of arts organization boards?

DC:  That’s a very complicated question that I don’t think there’s room to answer here.  As an entertainment lawyer I’m very familiar and advise often on the legalities of arts boards, so there are factors that I consider that the lay person or average board director may not be considering.  Actually not even really sure what you mean by “where do you fall” – we definitely need them and they definitely have a purpose to serve, but to talk about all of that is just too much for here.

Studio 180 website. The Normal Heart continues to November 18.
Read our review.