After TMU — Haui (Howard J.) Davis

1. What was your most valuable takeaway or memory from your Ryerson University experience?

One of the most valuable takeaways from TMU was being in a program that had theatre artists, dancers, and technicians under one roof. I think it really built more of my appreciation and acknowledgment that theatre and art is a collective process that needs and welcomes many skills at the table.

2. Your career has encompassed a broad range of areas within the Arts. What advice or tips would you give to a recent graduate entering the sector?

Saying yes to every opportunity truly is one of the best pieces of advice. We cannot survive on being artists that have one singular career. For some, it can happen but today to be a hyphenated artist helps build flexibility and ingenuity. No one career trajectory is the same as another and comparing yourself to anyone else is not healthy. I think turning 30 this year I've learned to be kinder to myself and accept that my journey is unique and full of excitement.

3. Have you experienced failure in your career? If so, what did you learn/gain from it?

Failure is inevitable with any career but I think is amplified in the arts. How you move through it and overcome obstacles is the key. This is hard to put into practice. Failure has built resilience and also makes me realize what I've failed at maybe wasn't what I needed at that moment.

4. The theatre industry has been hit hard by the pandemic. How has it impacted you and what are you currently working on?

This summer would have been my first season at the Stratford Festival of Canada. I was gutted because I've wanted to work there since theatre school. The pandemic has impacted me emotionally but I'm working through it. I've been writing. I'm currently developing a new multidisciplinary opera piece with support from the Ontario Arts Council and am also working on two new pieces. One about my great-grandmother set against the Cuban revolution and another which is a tv series.

5. Tell us about your new film, MixedUp. What inspired you to create it and where can alumni see it?

MixedUp was born of my own experiences as a queer person of colour. The seed was born out of being asked so often, "what are you?" And also questioning myself about "where do I belong?". Being neither one thing or another.

As an actor you are asked often "what is your hit? What is your type?" Many people in the film industry have struggled to peg what I am. As artists we are transformative however in this age we are asked to stay in our own lane. "You can only play what you know." 

I think with me it's like trying to put a square peg in a round hole. I've been actually told, "you're not black enough...your not white enough...your not straight enough...your not gay enough..."

I think rather than conforming to existing societal standards of certain ways to be, this film is about breaking down preconceived ideas of race, gender, and orientation.

"Why can't we just be ourselves? Why must I choose one side of my "race" or my "gender" instead of being half of something? Why can't I be both?"

This film is a personal manifesto to explore how we might combat the isolation of being labeled as "other" when we may not necessarily feel that way while helping legitimize and normalize that being MixedUp is something to celebrate.

6. Anything else you’d like to add?

If any current students at TMU ever need someone to talk to they can find me at @hauidavis. School and life are difficult, especially during this pandemic, and sometimes talking to people is a good way to make sense of the world.