Fiona Mongillo on bravery and belonging

cgoucher
2 days ago
6 min read

I first came to know Fiona through her work as a performer, but her leadership through Here For Now Theatre reveals the full shape of her creative voice. Fiona moves between acting, directing, and artistic leadership with clarity and conviction, guided by a deep belief in bravery, collaboration, and risk. In this conversation, she reflects on the moments that shaped her love of theatre, the cost and reward of demanding work, and why creating space for other artists has become central to her purpose.

You first fell for theatre at the tender age of four. What do you remember about those first sparks, and do any of them still find their way into your work today?
To be honest, I have no idea why on earth I decided to be an actor at the age of 4. We didn’t go to the theatre, or own a television, and there are no actors in my family. My Mother did nickname me Sarah Bernardt at a very young age, so it may have just been in my nature? I do remember being 12 years old and calling the Blyth Festival box office to ask if they needed any actors. And as luck would have it, they were just about to audition for the young company and I ended up spending 6 consecutive summers in Blyth. This experience profoundly changed my life. I felt like I had spent so much of my childhood trying to make myself smaller in a feeble effort to fit in with the other kids in the farming community we lived in, and at the theatre, I could be my full authentic self. Acting felt like going home, and like the one thing I just knew how to do in this bone deep way, like somehow I had been wired to do it. I think what still finds its way into my work today is that in the right circumstances, I can become porous and mischievous when I am acting. This feels like a very authentic part of my being that doesn’t get channeled in any other way (except for in my closest relationships).
You move between acting, directing, and leading Here For Now Theatre, which has clearly become your passion project. How do you balance the creative and the logistical sides of building something you care so deeply about?
Ha - what is that word, balance? I love this work, and it has been such a joy and privilege to build this company, but building it has required a type of all-consuming focus that has made it difficult to take artistic contracts – when I have, it has been challenging to wear those hats at the same time, specifically the actor/ AD hats, as they require such different things. That said, we have grown to a size where restructuring has become necessary, so we are in the process of training fantastic new administrators to run various aspects of the company. The lesson for me here will be to trust and let go a little bit, and once I am working in more of a traditional AD role, I anticipate having more room to dedicate myself to the creative projects I choose to do. So, long story short – it is a work in progress. :)
Performing Girls & Boys is no small feat, it’s raw, demanding, and deeply human. What did that experience teach you about yourself, either as an actor or as a person?
Doing Girls & Boys was the most challenging thing I have ever done. I was offered an opportunity to do it again after the Crow’s run and ultimately decided not to, because of what it required of me to go into that world every day. I couldn’t quite figure out how to not pay a price living that story and my entire day would be spent prepping and my entire evening would be spent attempting to wind down. It required every ounce of bravery I had, and then some. I learned many, many things going through the process of this play, but I think the most straightforward and optimistic one is that it crystallized this idea that has propelled me in my life – which is, the more bravery it requires, the more worthwhile the process and often, the larger the pay off.
You’ve built Here For Now into a home for bold, contemporary storytelling. How do you think about collaboration with your team, your artists, and your audience?
I love this question. Mostly because I have to say that what I am most proud of with HFN, is our audience base. We have managed to draw the most intrepid, theatre-loving, unfussy and courageous core audience. Their willingness to say to yes to the work we produce enables us to take the risks that sometimes really pay off. In terms of the artists, being in Stratford, we have the good fortune of having a very high ratio of wonderful theatre artists locally, and I have found that the artists who have been drawn to work at HFN have a curiosity and a passion for storytelling. Because of our humble roots, we have managed to build a culture that is deeply collaborative and I think this speaks to artists' flow, rather than ego. I have also actively sought to provide personal development opportunities for artists who are well established in one aspect of theatre making and want to try their hand at another – this is always a brave thing to do, and I feel that it often results in vulnerable and compelling work.
What’s something theatre has taught you that surprised you?
When I was in theatre school, I remember thinking that the most important thing, the thing you need to have to be a successful artist, is talent. I thought that the more talented you are, the easier it will be to have a career in the theatre. I have learned through watching my peers and from my own career trajectory that tenacity, dedication and grit are equally (if not more) important.
What continues to light you up about this work, the thing that makes you say, “yes, this is exactly where I’m meant to be”?
I have a couple of answers to this. Like many actors, I struggled to get work out of theatre school and because I was so deeply identified as an actor at that point in my life, I found this experience heartbreaking. So, it is my absolute favourite thing in the world to be creating opportunities for other artists, especially when the opportunity means something big for them. This provides me with a deep sense of meaning and purpose. On a deeper level, I often think about something that Peter Hinton said to me – that when theatre really works – that it is like “an angel passes through the stage” (he was quoting someone, I don’t remember who). This idea, when a shared moments resonates with a roomful of people and everyone can feel it (and you could hear a pin drop because everyone is so tuned in), feels like the most human thing I have come into contact with in my life – and it feels precious and worth fighting for, especially right now. I suppose this elusive feeling is why I fell in love with theatre and what drives me to continue creating it.

Bonus Question: What’s your dream for Here For Now Theatre, what do you hope it becomes in the years ahead?

I would love to see HFN continue its trajectory of growth, with a healthy team of administrators, while also maintaining the grassroots, do-it-in-our-own-way culture. I hope that HFN continues to establish itself as a prominent new works company in the country that champions new playwrights, supports the professional development of artists, and takes big creative swings. I also hope that, regardless of leadership, it remains a micro-theatre (small audiences), with accessible tickets, that leads with curiosity and stays open to artists and ideas, even if they are off the beaten path. It can be tempting to start programming and producing plays that everyone will like, written by names and casting only actors who work all the time. I never want this to be the HFN story – I think there is a bravery at the core of this company that is what makes it exciting and that this bravery is also what adds value to the Canadian landscape of theatre companies.

What stayed with me after this conversation is Fiona’s clarity about cost. She does not romanticize difficult work, but she does honour it. Through her leadership at Here For Now Theatre, Fiona Mongillo shows how bravery and belonging are built over time, through trust, risk, and care for other artists. It is a reminder that creative leadership is not about safety or scale, but about choosing to stand behind work that truly matters.

Check out what’s coming up at Here For Now Theatre: https://www.herefornowtheatre.com/

This series grows through word of mouth and the creative people who nudge me toward the next conversation. If someone comes to mind whose creativity inspires you, send them my way.

Until next week, Christine