Director Gord Billard knows Elvis hasn't yet left the building

By KATHLEEN LIPPA, The Express

Gord Billard directs Amanda Vallis
KATHLEEN LIPPA/The Express

Gord Billard knows more about Elvis Presley than he ever thought he would. As the director of Graceland, which will be presented by the Beothuck Street Players tonight (Wednesday) through Saturday at the LSPU Hall, Billard has studied countless movies on the King. At this point, he highly recommends The Elvis Files.

"Watch just half of that, and you'll start thinking, 'Oh my God, there's a good chance that there is a 65-year-old Elvis roaming around out there protected under witness protection because he was made a federal drug enforcement agent by Nixon."

Billard marvels at such theories, and what he calls "Elvisologists" who devote their lives to the King's impact.

"It was a big one. And it continues to be. Graceland is still getting millions of visitors every year," says the junior high school teacher.

Graceland is actually comprised of two plays - Asleep on the Wind and Graceland, both written by Ellen Byron, a contemporary American writer of odd and unconventional works, including sitcom episodes and over 200 magazine articles.

The two stories - about the power Elvis has over a number of small-town characters, played by Amanda Vallis, Jordan Flynn and Jacki St. Croix - blend nicely with subtlety, and humour.

Mike Coady, president of the Beothuck Street Players, discovered Byron's plays while working with Richard Bueller in the drama department at MUN. And although Billard was known to Coady as primarily an experienced local actor, Coady encouraged him to direct this time.

"I felt I wouldn't like it at first," Billard says, taking a break from rehearsals in an I.J. Sampson classroom, where he teaches Grades 7, 8 and 9 French Immersion.

"I felt a little bit intimidated at first when Mike [Coady] asked me to direct. I was like, 'Oh, you want me to direct my peers. Wow. Some of these people might have a whole lot more theatre experience than me.' I don't have a theatre degree or anything."

But now Billard finds it isn't unlike his day job, which he's been doing for nine years.

He thinks local audiences will enjoy the play because of the "Elvis attraction.

"You won't see Elvis - unless one shows up. That's been known to happen. He's not in it, but his spirit is."