'I treat the writer as God': Screen star Leah Doz prepares for stage appearance in 'The Effect'

When two young volunteers agree to participate in a clinical drug trial, they can’t imagine what might come next: love.

So goes “The Effect,” opening at Coal Mine Theatre on July 13 in Toronto’s east end. The play, written by “Succession” writer Lucy Prebble, is dark, funny and complex – three words also often used to describe the HBO phenomenon which concluded earlier this year. “The Effect” is directed by renowned Toronto theatre artist Mitchell Cushman and stars Leah Doz, a TV star perhaps best known for her roles on Crave’s “New Eden” and CBC’s “Strays.”

“I love Lucy’s writing,” Doz told CP24. “These characters are written with so much depth – it’s why ‘Succession’ was one of the greatest shows on television. There’s this level of depth we get to excavate as actors, which makes her writing such a rare opportunity.”

“The Effect” explores the pharmaceutical industry and the impact it has on those at its centre – the people who volunteer their bodies and minds for the sake of innovation in the field. For Doz, the stakes of the play are high, but relatable – she found she understood the character of Connie from the outset.

“It’s been so great to sink my teeth into,” she said. “A play like this is a massive undertaking, and we’re moving extremely fast.”

The play’s rehearsal process was disrupted last fall when Coal Mine Theatre’s former space on Danforth Avenue suffered a major fire. The company has since relocated to great success (it’s still on Danforth Avenue, just a few blocks further east) and the cast of “The Effect” has been able to pick up where they left off.

“We had a head start,” said Doz. “This rehearsal period has been really supported by what we did last year.”

While much of Doz’s previous work has been on film, shesays she enjoys the live medium of theatre as well, and her approaches to both are quite similar.

“I always treat the writer as God,” she said. “I love writing. I think writers are incredible artists. I always take the template of the script as something really important, and as an opportunity for me to look further into the person I’m portraying…it doesn’t necessarily matter what the medium is. If I can locate the story, and know what story I’m telling, that’s when it clicks for me. That’s when this is most fun for me – it’s what I live for as an actor.”

One of the hallmarks of Coal Mine is the intimacy of its space, a stone’s throw from Woodbine Station. The actors and audience are often only a few inches from each other, which excites Doz.

“Large stages can be wonderful to work on,” she said, “but half the time you’re barking at your scene partner. The opportunity to work in a more intimate space almost makes it feel more cinematic, which is really appealing to me.

“We’re all trying to get to that level of believable, and unhinged. Falling in love and falling apart.”