Both Your Houses
nytheatre.com q&a preview by Brad Makarowski
September 20, 2012
What is your job on this show?
Actor.
When did you know you wanted to work in the theater, and why?
My love for theatre began when I was in High School. I had several great friends who encouraged me to try out for the Drama Club. As a shy teenager, it was one of the best decisions I ever made. After graduating college with a Major in Education and a minor in Fine Arts, I wondered what to do next. I had a dear friend recommend I audition to be a resident company member of the Hedgerow Theatre in Media, PA. After 2 wonderful years in PA, I was hooked. I have been navigating this wonderful theatrical world ever since. There is no job like it and can't imagine doing something else.
Who is more important in the theater: the actor, the playwright, or the director?
Without a doubt, the playwright is the most important of the three. Not to diminish actors or directors at all, but great playwrights also encompass all parts of actors and directors. They are tremendous observers of life. Great actors and directors can make their mark, but playwrights can live on in perpetuity. I have so much respect for playwrights and their craft.
Do you think the audience will talk about your show for 5 minutes, an hour, or way into the wee hours of the night?
I certainly hope they will talk into the wee hours and beyond. Even though the play was written 80 years ago, it is very current. To me, that is the thing that should keep people talking (The idea that sometimes the more things change the more they stay the same). Think about how divided the country is regarding politics. What better time to be running this play than right before an election? I would love to be a fly on the wall post show.
Which “S” word best describes your show: SMOOTH, SEXY, SMART, SURPRISING?
Smart. I think this play is very deft at causing us to ponder how we arrived at our current state of governmental affairs.
Theater is a necessary ingredient in democratic societies. Do you agree or disagree, and why?
I wholeheartedly agree. I think that democratic societies thrive on civil discourse and the theatre has a strong part to play in that dialogue. Growth of democratic societies come from its flexibility. And the theatre presents the variety of points of view to help us continually examine our ideals.
