Paging Leenah Robinson and Victoria Gwendoline! The Young Stars of DON’T EVEN Travel Back in Time

By BILL HARRIS Special to The Lede As Leenah Robinson and Victoria Gwendoline play a pair of late-1990s Winnipeg teenagers in the new Crave and APTN original dramatic comedy DON’T EVEN, some of the lingo and technology in the show must seem like it comes from a thousand years ago. “Well, I wouldn’t say a thousand … ” Robinson replied politely, as she and Gwendoline shared a good laugh. “I guess we’re both on the tail end of the generation that didn’t have all the technology,” Robinson continued. “But it was kind of funny to not know how to use a VHS cassette recorder. We didn’t know how to use a pager, or what’s it called, that telephone … ” “A pay phone!” Gwendoline interjected. “But I really liked seeing a world before iPhones. It was really cool. I was born in 2000, so literally right after the ’90s. But the ’90s is such an iconic time that I do take influence from, with my fashion, so it was fun to actually pretend like we were living in that time.” DON’T EVEN, which premieres Friday, Aug. 23 on Crave, follows two Indigenous best friends – Violet (Robinson), and Harley (Gwendoline) – as they grapple with their uncertain futures in the summer of 1998, right after their final year of high school in Winnipeg. Violet is presumably headed for university in Toronto in the fall, on her straightforward path to becoming a doctor, and subsequently returning home to serve her community. Harley is more of a free spirit who simply wants to be Violet’s roommate in Toronto, while working as a waitress, or a bartender, or whatever. Both of them can’t wait to leave Winnipeg and start their new lives as DON’T EVEN commences, but the summer has a lot of twists and turns in store. Robinson and Gwendoline have great on-screen chemistry, whether their characters are supporting each other, or scheming together, or occasionally bickering. “We met during the audition process – we were both auditioning separately, and going through to the next round,” Robinson recalled. “Then we finally had a chemistry read together, and we both wore overalls.” Say what? “It was through Zoom, and I was like, ‘I like your overalls,’ and she was like, ‘I like your overalls’ – and in my head, I was like, ‘it’s a sign!’ ” Gwendoline said. “Working on a series like this, it’s emotional, it’s intense, you put everything you have into it, your tears, your laughs, your energy. There are moments when you’re so exhausted. You’re so thankful to be there, but you also need that person to lean on, and we were definitely that for each other. There were a number of chemistry tests with different people, to see who kind of has that spark together, and I recall we did a fight scene, with our characters getting mad at each other. And I remember them saying, ‘that was electric.’ That was the word they used.” Adding to the electricity in DON’T EVEN, which was created by Amber-Sekowan Daniels and directed by Zoe Hopkins, is a vast ensemble cast that includes Joel Oulette, Gail Maurice, and Jennifer Podemski. Violet and Harley are surrounded by influences of varying quality, as buddies, bullies, mentors, and potential romantic interests combine to wreak havoc on their youthful emotions. So what specific advice would Robinson and Gwendoline give to their respective characters? “I would say to Violet, be kinder to yourself, and be kinder to everybody,” Robinson said. “You never know what somebody’s going through. She’s kind of stepping into being her own person, and realizing that, okay, she kind of likes to play guitar, she wants to be a bit more edgy, to push those boundaries, because she’s tired of being this good girl. She wants to explore what it means to be a rock star. But you know, just because you’re going through something that feels like the world is ending, doesn’t mean everybody else is. So I would say to her, be patient with yourself, and everybody else, because everybody else is still trying to understand you.” And what about Harley? “Okay, my advice for Harley, I’d tell her to stop being so damn boy crazy,” Gwendoline said. “I would tell her to have better taste in men. Don’t just go for looks, go for personality. Looks are fine, too, but just because they have a car, that’s not that cool. Just because they’re 21 and you’re whatever age, that’s not that cool. No, date people your own age. And I would tell her to just know your worth. I think she’s seeking to feel loved, and wanting that attention, and feeling desired and all that stuff. But I would remind her how loved she is, how smart she is, and how powerful she is. That’s what I would tell her.” billharristv@gmail.com @billarris_tv