Charlene Wolf, a recent graduate of Fanshawe's Theatre Arts program, knows that creating your own work can be very important to working as a theatre actor. Wolf and friend Ryan Cole, a philosophy student at Western University, recently teamed up and created Tempting Tree Theatre Collective in London.

Their first show, reasons to be pretty, directed by Cole, recently showed at The Arts Project. The show was written by Neil LaBute and follows four youth going through relationships and breakups. Besides her role as artistic director, Wolf played Steph, a high-strung hair dresser who breaks up with her boyfriend for insulting her looks.

“I love playing crazy people, because they're difficult. You think it's so easy... but they're not — you have to find the truth,” Wolf said, on playing Steph.

Tempting Tree has two more shows in their season.

The Bairn, written by Cole and Heather Heywood will be playing this summer at The Arts Project. The play is a horror story, about a mother who believes her child has been replaced by a wooden doll.

“It's very, very dark. It's going to be terrifying. Somebody dared me that horror couldn't be done on stage, that it only translates to film, but just watch me. That's what it is, a psychological thriller”, Cole said.

Titus, their third show, is a revamped version of the tragedy Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare taking place in a dystopian future.

Cole explained how Tempting Tree is an important title for their company, “It's from Milton's Paradise Lost, and he refers to the tempting tree, which is the tree of knowledge ... For us, theatre is like the tree of knowledge, it's this tempting thing that we all want.”

“It's about tempting people to try something new and do something daring, because that's the shows we put on,” Wolf added.

Wolf knew starting up a theatre would be difficult, but after seeing other actors in her program at Fanshawe create companies and their own work, she knew it was right for her.

“This generation is very much about creating your own work, and doing things that you like, and getting people to think about the show they just watched,” Wolf said on her inspiration to create a theatre company.

Wolf recalled her time at Fanshawe fondly. “I could talk to any of the teachers... and they were always there for everyone, and were always willing to give advice, and just congratulate you for trying something new.”

Wolf is excited to see how much she and Cole can involve the community in their company. “Theatre is not about yourself, it's not about how good you are, or how great you are; it's about who you're working with onstage, and how to make them look better, and in turn it will make the scene look better. I think it works with a company as well because it's not about me, it's about the shows I want to produce, and the quality of work I want to do, and how I can get the community involved, and that's what Fanshawe taught me.”

For more information, visit temptingtree.com.