On preparing for the role of Irwin…
4 years in an all boys Catholic school was a good start… for Irwin in particular I spent a lot of time looking at the way he speaks. Particularly his was way of attacking a question from all angles.
On the character…
He’s very much in between the two sides of the school. He’s a new teacher, and not quite old enough to feel comfortable with the faculty or staff, but he’s too old to be one of the boys. He fits in just a bit everywhere, but isn’t entirely comfortable anywhere.
Hopeful takeaways…
I hope they take a second and look back on their high school experiences. I also think there’s a lot in the play about the value of history and language, and that’s never a bad thing to go home thinking about!
On playwright Alan Bennett…
I absolutely love the use of language in this play. He takes very complex concepts and very heightened language, and somehow presents it in such a way that it’s never over the heads of the audiences and feels very natural.
Favorite scene…
Personally: any scene where Irwin is teaching the boys. There’s a few of them and they kind of outline his relationship with the boys – he’s most in his element when he gets to teach. Not involving
me: I’m loving the softer musical moments of the show – they break up the heavy dialogue and add some great emotion.
Favorite character…
Rudge. I love that he makes his own way and does it in his own, very laid back, style.
On working with Available Light Theatre…
The whole group has been fantastic. This is my first AVLT show and you can tell there’s a real sense of family there. Drew’s a very open director, and he’ll let you know what he’s thinking while still giving you enough room to play; and the cast has been a ton of fun. There’s a great energy with this group and I think it really shows on the stage.
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