Emilio's A Million Chameleons is a vibrant and imaginative solo performance that playfully explores themes of identity, belonging, and transformation. I had the pleasure of speaking with Adam Francis Proulx about the inspiration and magic behind the show, his use of humor and future projects.
Emilio's A Million Chameleons has such a touching story. What has been the most surprising or touching audience reaction you've received from audiences?
There have been a lot. It’s funny because I think some folks see the show’s zaniness and that’s all they see. They still have fun, but that’s just how it lands for them. But then for some people, they see beyond the zaniness and the message really resonates with them. I love when I hear from adults who felt transported back to childhood, or when a parent who saw the show six months ago sends me a video of their kid STILL singing the theme song.
One of my favorite individual reactions was at Orlando Fringe where a group of queer teens came to the show and it really spoke to them. The show is obviously about chameleons, but the message resonated with them in a special way. The show was actually awarded the Impact Award at that festival because of how it affected some of the young people there.
Working with young audiences means being on your toes. How do you stay adaptable during performances? Has there ever been a moment where you were at a total loss for words?
I’ve been doing work like this for a long time. I did some time in theme parks, I toured theatre for young audiences, etc. etc., so it’s pretty normal to me at this point. And Co-creator/Director Byron Laviolette actually has a PhD in interactivity and play theory. So, it’s also very much HIS thing as well.
But remember, we started touring this show in early 2023, so the vast majority of the young people we’ve performed for have never seen theatre before – they were too young prior to 2020, then there was a pandemic, and now here we are. That’s been pretty special – chaotic at times, but special.
One time we did a show that was so madcap that I was using every last ounce of my crowd-control skills. It was in a pretty rural community so they didn’t get a lot of theatre up there, and everything about the audience’s behaviour was unpredictable to me. When the confetti cannon went off at the end, confusingly, it fired to my right instead of over my head. I found out later that a toddler had waddled backstage during the show without me noticing and moved the LOADED AIR CANNON. Luckily, the show was done after that, and I could be shocked in peace.
What's next for Emilio's A Million Chameleons or for you as a theatermaker and performer? Are there other projects in the works?
For this show there are a couple of exciting things happening. We have a bunch of tour dates ahead of us: spring break shows back in Canada, Orlando Fringe again (we won Best Family Show there last year and we’re taking it back), and Toronto Fringe. Toronto Fringe was my first ever Fringe festival and I’m actually on the cover of the festival program this year, so it’ll be nice to have a homecoming where it all started, in the city where we developed this show after all the success it’s had.
The other exciting thing is that, in April, I go into rehearsals with a new company for this show – so a new performer in the role! This is at Neptune Theatre in Halifax where I just recently played Olaf in Disney’s Frozen, and they are touring Emilio’s to schools. I wasn’t available for the tour, so we cast another actor who is going to absolutely knock it out of the park. I’m especially excited because (spoilers ahead) at the end of the show she will tear off her mustache and reveal herself as Amelia – as opposed to when I do it and reveal myself as Emilio Jr.
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As a theatremaker and performer: We are continuing to develop a show I’ve been working on since 2017 called How to Hug a Porcupine as we gear up for a premiere. It’s a really fun show that explores our defence mechanisms in a whimsical way with some of the most adorable puppets I’ve ever built.
We have a short film called Ferry Tale that is a filmed performance of a puppet show we made about my hometown of Sault Ste. Marie in Canada, which sits right on the USA border. It’s a really sweet (and tragic) love story about a couple from either side of the river: one Canadian and one American. Immigration wouldn’t let them be together so all they could do is ride the ferry back and forth together every day on the international waters.
I am continuing to tour my show THE FAMILY CROW: A Murder Mystery which is a pun-drenched murder mystery about a murder of crows (get it?), with a crow puppet perched upon my top hat. I hope we get to bring that show to New York at some point because I think audiences here will really like it. (Obviously that one is not for the kiddos.)
I feel like there is a lot more Olaf in my future as well, though I haven’t made anything official yet.
If Emilio and Juan could go on tour anywhere in the world, where would they go and why?
I have my sights set on Edinburgh and Adelaide Fringes in the future. But I also feel like it’s very well-suited to being a family offering on a cruise ship, or Vegas-type situation.
The theme song is so catchy; how do you get it out of your head?
I don’t.
Haha. You will find me in an old age home decades down the road, rocking back and forth and humming this song.
But honestly, this song came to us on a long car ride between tour stops and was the inspiration that helped me get this show rolling in its current form. I sang a rough idea of the song into my phone and sent it over to Chris Tsujiuchi who made it so much better.
We developed this show at the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto two years ago and I hear that every once in a while a member of the Tarragon staff will still break out into the theme song there.
Thank you, Adam, for taking the time to answer some questions. We wish you and the show all the best! "Emilio's A Million Chameleons"...la la la...still singing it!
Written and Performed by Adam Francis Proulx
Co-created by Byron Laviolette
Music by Chris Tsujiuchi
February 8- March 2, 2025
SoHo Playhouse (15 Vandam St, NYC)
Yani Perez, M.F.A., is a poet, playwright, translator, and educator. Her plays have been presented in various theaters in the United States, such as La Mama and Yale University, as well as internationally in Bogotá, Colombia. She works at IATI Theater, one of the oldest Latinx theaters in NYC. She is currently working on translations of Latinx artists in hopes of introducing them to English-speaking audiences.
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