An Interview With Edward Sylvan
Barry and Joan is all about combating Ageism, reframing and creating joy around the concept of aging, exploring and appreciating our history and the background of entertainment as we know it. I hope that through Barry and Joan’s story, we can be less afraid of how our life will progress as we age. If we want to play and enjoy ourselves and perform and learn new things at age 90, we not only can but we absolutely should!!
As a part of our series about “Filmmakers Making A Social Impact” I had the pleasure of interviewing Audrey Ellen Rumsby.
Audrey Rumsby is a Tech Entrepreneur, Filmmaker, Consultant, and Arts Commissioner for the City of San Jose. She was the youngest student to ever graduate with a Post-Grad from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. This year she filed her first technology patent and released her first feature film “Barry & Joan”, which will be appearing on Netflix Europe this Spring.
Thank you so much for doing this interview with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit. Can you share your “backstory” that brought you to this career?
I got into filmmaking out of necessity. My background is in theatre. My dad was a professional actor in England before I was born, and when I was a child, my family founded American Youth Shakespeare in Silicon Valley. The company has been going strong for almost 19 years now and gave me the opportunity to be an actor, choreographer, director, set painter, and producer for many many productions in my youth. When I turned 18 I went to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and that’s where I met Barry and Joan. I knew that their story had to be told, and since my background is in theatre my immediate thought was to write a play about their life. I realized very quickly that a play wasn’t the right medium. I didn’t want to hire actors to play Barry and Joan. I wanted to show them in reality, so I thought a documentary would be perfect! I figured out the basics from doing a lot of reading and becoming acquainted with filmmakers I knew. I was a skilled director and producer already, so I figured I could teach myself how to manage the process and hire people to do what I couldn’t. That’s a philosophy that’s stayed with me since the beginning. I believe I can accomplish any project as long as I focus on the things I’m very good at, while hiring and trusting people who are talented at the things I’m not. That’s how everything started.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that occurred to you in the course of your filmmaking career?
This isn’t a particularly funny story, but my editor loves it:)
I went to the Berlin film festival a couple of years ago in search of information and connections. We had just started editing “Barry & Joan” and I was so new to the business that I needed more information. I wanted to meet producers, animators, legit people who could help me find a good sales pathway, etc. I attended every live talk I could get into but found that I could never get my questions asked in the sea of attendees. As soon as Q&A started, hundreds of arms would fly into the air and only about 5 would get chosen. This was becoming very frustrating, so I came up with an idea. It was winter in Berlin, so everyone was wearing dark wool coats and sweaters. I told my colleague that I was leaving the market to “go shopping”. She looked at me like I was nuts. I ran to the nearest mall and bought a bright cherry red coat. I ditched my navy blue one at the hotel and headed back to the festival where my experience was immediately changed. I headed into the next talk, raised my hand in the Q&A, and the speaker, who was a Hollywood editor I’d been dying to meet, said “Uhh, red. The woman in the red coat”. I got to ask the very first question! It continued like this the rest of the week, and I got contacts with every person I wanted to meet. I was told that I was very easy to recognize and highly memorable, all because I changed my coat.
Who are some of the most interesting people you have interacted with? What was that like? Do you have any stories?
This is a very easy question to answer for me. There are so many people I could mention, but the standout would have to be the friendship I made with the Malaysian Archery Team at the London 2012 Paralympics. I can hear you thinking “Huh?!” yeah…it’s incredible the people you meet when you’re going where the universe takes you!
When I was a kid, I decided that I’d like to be involved with the Olympics in some way. I just wanted to be there, and experience it. So in 2012, the perfect opportunity arose. I auditioned for the Team Welcoming Ceremonies, which was to be a Circus style show for the athletes at the London Olympics. We were to do 100 performances of the 30-minute show, while surrounded by athletes as they entered the Olympic park for the first time. I finagled my way into the role of leading musician, which meant that I got to stand next to heads of state as they entered and made their opening remarks. I played a small harp that strapped onto my body so that I could walk around while playing. I had a mic that piped every note I played throughout the park, and got quite a bit of attention. If athletes enjoyed the show, they could come back and watch it again as many times as they wanted. When the Paralympics began, I noticed that the Malaysian team watched the show 4 times in the same day. One day I came off the stage and noticed the Malaysian archers, most of them in wheelchairs, waving at me and yelling. I walked over and introduced myself. They couldn’t speak English and I certainly couldn’t speak their language either, but we connected over how unusual my instrument was. They were fascinated by it and asked to hold it for photos. We became good friends that week, and they came back to watch several more times. On the closing day, they presented me with a commemorative pin from their team. I still have that. It was incredible becoming friends with people who were so unique and kind.
Which people in history inspire you the most? Why?
Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve had an obsession with Walt Disney. Let me be clear, I was not obsessed with princesses or animated movies or mickey mouse. I felt particularly drawn to Walt himself, and his story. Walt was celebrating childhood, beauty and imagination during some of the most trying times in our nation’s history, and the company was focused completely on inspiring happiness in children young and old. Walt Disney and his company were and are not perfect, but their dream and goal certainly resonate. I love reading about Walt’s life as a kid, how he overcame immense hurdles to create his company, and how he obsessed over creating the most innovative, joyous experiences for everyday people. Whenever I hit a rough patch, I remind myself of how much struggle Walt and his team went through, back in the early days, to create new things that make others so happy. That really keeps me going.
Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview, how are you using your success to bring goodness to the world? Can you share with us the meaningful or exciting social impact causes you are working on right now?
Barry and Joan is all about combating Ageism, reframing and creating joy around the concept of aging, exploring and appreciating our history and the background of entertainment as we know it. I hope that through Barry and Joan’s story, we can be less afraid of how our life will progress as we age. If we want to play and enjoy ourselves and perform and learn new things at age 90, we not only can but we absolutely should!!
One of my new projects is a screenplay for a feature musical. It’s called “A Girl Named Arthur” and is inspired by my experience of growing up as a bisexual teenager. I was obsessed with films like Singin’ in the Rain, Moulin Rouge, An American in Paris, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, films like that. Those films were my lifeblood and I envisioned myself in the Gene Kelly roles, copying their choreography and trying to jump as high as they could. “A Girl Named Arthur” is a joyous response to the MGM classic musicals, shot in the same way, with the same glorious color. except in our story, we focus on a young woman named Arthur in 1962. Her life is a perfect MGM fairytale until falls in love with another woman. We’re exploring the unique joys and challenges of queerness in a new way, reclaiming the classic movie musical tropes of the 50s and 60s. Queer people are just, well, people! And queer love is just love. I’ve lost tolerance for how queer people are identified as “others”. I’m out to make a film that’s going to appeal to everyone, not just queer people, in an effort to create greater acceptance and understanding of queer love.
I’m also a major advocate for body positivity, especially in theatre and film. I’ve suffered from Body Dysmorphia for as long as I can remember, and it’s changed my life being able to discuss it openly with other artists. I’d like to reach a larger audience with those discussions. Did you know that 91% of people globally are dissatisfied with their bodies? 91%!! It’s unbearable to me to know that.
Many of us have ideas, dreams, and passions, but never manifest them. But you did. Was there an “Aha Moment” that made you decide that you were actually going to step up and take action for this cause? What was that final trigger?
Honestly, I feel like I’m having “Aha moments” every day! Everyday is a new chance to spring into action….or maybe that’s just my workaholic nature;). Thinking specifically in terms of Barry & Joan and how society perceives age, I’ve been stepping up for that cause since I was about 14 years old. I’ve been very close with a lot of elderly people in my life, and I think the fact that they have less time on earth than we do creates an automatic “Aha!” moment. If you know there’s limited time, you’re much more likely to spring into action. I also have a permanent obsession with helping people to see themselves in new ways, and there’s a natural urgency in that to me. I don’t ever like to sit on ideas too long. And I feel that it’s increasingly difficult to access good vibes in everyday life. We have so many shitty vibes being hurled our way at warp speed through the internet, so we need all the good, happy vibes we can possibly get. Since all my work is about creating happy vibes or new perceptions of self, I honestly feel that there’s no time to lose!
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
Many people have told me that they feel a great sense of acceptance from watching Barry & Joan. Like they’re being seen or understood in a way that they’ve struggled with before. This has been particularly true for people approaching retirement age, who are reluctant or wary to enter that phase of life. Many people I’ve spoken to have said that the film was a source of permission for them to continue working or pursuing new dreams. We have a horrible habit in western culture of saying “I’m too old for that”, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” or “it’s time to settle down”. Those statements are only true if we declare and accept them to be. Our lives aren’t truly over until we die, and depending on what you believe, it may morph into something even more incredible! So it’s been very moving to hear how older audience members have been affected by my film and Barry and Joan’s story. I hope the film can reach as many people in that demographic as possible! If you have ideas for me, let me know;)
A surprise effect has come from young people who’ve watched the film. I did a screening in the UK a few months ago, and students from the local university attended. I didn’t know them, and they had no reason to be there other than for educational purposes. I was amazed at their reaction! They came out of the screening with huge energy and mimicking the choreography they’d seen, critiquing each other on who was doing it better. They told me that it was shocking to them how fun and new it was, seeing elderly people this way. One student told me that prior to seeing the film, he had a terrible fear of aging. He thought his life would end once he got to 50, and here was this film about two people aged 90, who had more energy than he did! He was overwhelmed by that. His thoughts about himself and his age were completely transformed. I hope that many other young people experience that same effect.
Are there three things that individuals, society or the government can do to support you in this effort?
Businesses in all areas need to invest in creativity and playful environments for their staff. Companies should encourage creative exploration and expression, regardless of the age of their employees. Having fun or trying something new is about far more than just momentary enjoyment. The act of playing creates intellectual development, boosts self-esteem, and raises our emotional intelligence. It also stimulates our creativity and executive functioning. Practically speaking, we open up our minds when we literally step out of the box, out of our usual day-to-day roles, and try something new. The implications on ordinary people working everyday in business settings is immense! I used to have a standing arrangement with HOPE services center in Silicon Valley. I’d show up once a week and do simple movement exercises and recite Shakespeare speeches with a room full of seniors with dementia. It was incredible to see how their moods and energies changed in the brief 30 minutes I spent with them. Sure, those people weren’t C-suite executives in the middle of a charged workday. But our brains still function in a similar way. I’m always shocked at the assumptions we make of each other….just because someone is working in an everyday job in a cubicle, it doesn’t mean that they don’t have dreams or talents outside of those walls. Creating space and time in the workplace for staff to show other sides of themselves is key.
Through storytelling exercises, physical games, creative exploration, people leading everyday lives can experience not only more connectivity to each other and their work, but a greater sense of self.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
1. Take Care of yourself like you would a small child.
You will never wish you’d loved yourself LESS. I’m incredibly hard on myself. I always have been, and though I’m working on it everyday, I know I’ll still be challenged to take care of my own body and feelings. It is true though, that when you look back on your life, no part of you will wish that you’d been harsh to yourself. Encouraging, truthful, healthy, yes. Mean, though? Absolutely not. Being cruel and beating ourselves up is in no way helpful and when you look back on your life, you’ll wish you’d been kinder. I grew up with an undiagnosed stomach disorder, and in my twenties, I decided I’d simply had enough of it and would pretend that it wasn’t there. I left myself no room to rest or recharge. I just distracted myself with more work. That decision wrought havoc on my body and mental health, and I’m working very hard to reverse the damage that did to my system. Treat yourself with kindness. You wouldn’t let your friend be cruel to herself, would you? If you saw a small child suffering and in pain, you’d take care of him, right? Treat yourself the same way.
2. Expect the hurdles. Don’t be hard on yourself when they inevitably show up, and try to not wallow when it gets tough. I’m a type-A personality, and I tend to blame everything on myself. This is not only a waste of time, but terrible for my health. I’ve been through so many unexpected hurdles as a result of making “Barry & Joan”, and every single one has been a tremendous learning experience, so much so that I’m glad they happened! So don’t worry too much when things go pear-shaped. Just think, ok, well that’s good, we’re about to learn something new! And move on.
3. Be flexible with your vision for yourself. The path to what you actually, truly want is not linear or predictable. The world tries to tell us that if we follow certain steps, we’ll reach certain goals. This is a drastic oversimplification of life and leads to disappointment and regret. One of the best examples is the current “American dream”: Get perfect grades in high school, do perfect on the SAT, get into the perfect university, graduate perfectly, land the perfect job, marry the perfect guy, have perfect children, live in a perfect home, go on perfect vacations, retire young, and….die. That’s what we’re supposed to do, right? I’ve grown up around so many people who are fighting their way through the sludge of that oversold dream. It doesn’t work out how you think. Life never does. That’s what makes it so awesome. I had a loosely formed vision for myself as a teenager but didn’t follow a single step in the “American Dream” process. I was harshly judged for that in many cases…. And told I was going to be a failure, probably wouldn’t make it very far because of my lack of formal education, etc. but none of that has been true. I’ve filled my life with a huge collection of incredible experiences, most of which were unplanned. And it’s because of those experiences that I bring such value and expertise to the world now.
We must always “follow our dreams” but we also have to remember that the world has dreams for us. Dreams that may differ dramatically from what’s already in our imagination. And what the world, universe, god, whatever you want to call it wants for you? That’s what you should want as well.
4. You are a strong and powerful person with the capabilities of doing whatever your heart desires. So think bigger. Get your hopes up. Dare to want greatness for yourself and don’t ever tamp down or diminish who you truly are. It’s taken me 30 years of being alive to personally debunk the idea “don’t get your hopes up”. I would make big announcements that I was taking on a huge “impossible” project and people would say, “well, don’t get your hopes up, it probably won’t go your way”. Sometimes I let people get to me with that rhetoric, and sometimes I’d believe them. But every single time I’ve followed through on what I want to do, no matter how crazy it feels, it works out. I’ve been working on a tech product, and it’s the first time I’ve ever taken on something like this. It’s a category creator, so of course, as soon as I started talking about it people started talking me out of it. “The odds aren’t in your favor” “most startups fail in the first year”, blah blah blah. There are so many reasons to doubt trying something. To diminish hopes and keep your feelings safe. I find now that by keeping my hopes up I fully accept what I want, and I’ll be darned if I don’t make it happen every time. So do get your hopes up. The processing of getting your hopes up allows you to accept what it is you want. As soon as you do that, your mind accepts the vision, and you can take action to achieve it.
5. Everyone out there who you admire or fear is also a human being. The woman behind the casting table, the CEO of a company you want to work for, your local barista, are all human. Keeping this in mind has helped me get over my fears of what others think of me, and I’ve also become a lot less critical of others. As artists, we learn to obsess over the acceptance of others. We rely on getting “picked out” by someone else. We have to constantly cater to what someone else wants from us, and know that every little gig we take is reliant on someone liking them. I know so many actors who lose sleep over the idea that a casting agent may not like them, and too many filmmakers who are afraid of approaching big-name producers. These people are all human too, just like you, and they have often gone through the same process you have! Accept that those in charge are in many ways just like you, focus on your individual talent and competence, and approach them with confidence.
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
All of my choices in life are based on pursuit of joy, love, and laughter. I believe that the greatest gifts human beings possess are the abilities to laugh and to fall in love. If we are so fortunate to be the only mammals who can laugh and fall in love, shouldn’t we do as much of that as possible? Likewise, if there’s something brilliant that you can do that others struggle with, shouldn’t you do as much of that as you can? I’m a little obsessed with living up to my own potential and sharing my unique abilities with as many people as possible. There’s nothing quite as rewarding as creating a positive impact through your talent. It feels pretty darn good, and is the only way the world will grow or become a better place to be.
We are very blessed that many other Social Impact Heroes read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, whom you would like to collaborate with, and why? He or she might see this. 🙂
Elon Musk. There are elements of his personality and vision that resonate with me on a deep level, and I’d love to work with him on just about anything, but specifically on entertainment. He has his eye on the future, and so do I. He has a fascinating vision and experience of the world, and I’d love to get to know him. I often can’t sleep because of the ideas swirling in my head, such as creations I’m working on and visions that are far beyond what I have the resources to make. I spent my entire childhood in chronic pain from undiagnosed stomach issues, so I distracted myself with accomplishing difficult and unique goals. My whole life has been an experiment in accomplishing impossible things, large and small. I yearn to work with other people who have massive vision. Musk is at the helm of the future, and I believe that because of my values, creativity, vision, and competence, I’d be a good collaborator.
I’d also like to work with the Obamas’ production company “Higher Ground”. I believe that my activism and creative vision is in alignment with theirs, especially with the celebration of people of age and the queer community. We could create some deeply meaningful change as collaborators. Perhaps a doc series dedicated to the real America: inspiring, uplifting stories about real, everyday people.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“When you’re growing, you will also feel like you are dying. That is because a part of you is. Nobody talks about this, but you have to grieve the loss of who you were before you can fully step into who you’re going to be.”
-Brianna Wiest
This quote has gotten me through the last 6 months of my life. I’ve gone from being a theatre director and documentarian, just getting by on sheer will and not enough money, to an executive producer of several major films, consultant, and CEO of a new tech startup. In order to make that shift, I had to seriously rethink how I talk to myself and how I think. I can feel the old pieces of me, the pieces that would have said yes to a low-paid acting gig or accepted a consulting contract at half pay, literally dying away. When I talk to other artists and consult with people who want to up their game, I always come back to this quote.
“It’s kind of fun to do the impossible” — Walt Disney
This has been my favorite quote ever since I was a kid. I saw it on a sign at Disneyland, and it quickly became my mantra. It reminds me on a daily basis that I’m doing all of this because I enjoy it! It truly is fun — joyous even — to do impossible things. Take my film for example. Barry & Joan was a very difficult film to pull off. I was told by my agent and everyone I knew in the film industry that it wasn’t going to work, that people didn’t need a story about old people they’d never heard of. We’ve proven those naysayers wrong, and it sure feels good.
How can our readers follow you online?
I’m blessed with an unusual name, so if you google “Audrey Rumsby” you’ll find me very easily. I’m the only one out there! I’m getting started on TikTok, so tune in for business tips and tricks for creatives!
Linked In: Audrey Rumsby
TikTok: @audreyrumsby
Instagram: Audrey_Rumsby
Facebook: Audrey Rumsby
This was great, thank you so much for sharing your story and doing this with us. We wish you continued success!
Filmmakers Making A Social Impact: Why & How Audrey Rumsby Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.