Hometown: Lake Tahoe, Ca.
Education: BA from San Diego State University, MFA from The American Conservatory Theatre in San Fransisco
Select Credits: Charlie in The Foreigner, Stanley in Man Who Climbed the Pecan Trees, Arch Duchess/Arch Duke in Orlando, Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Caleb in Paraphilia, Macbeth in The Witches, and of course David in Tartuffe!
Why theater?: Why not! Theatre is the best way to connect to audiences. Live, in your face, unapologetic theatre makes for a fantastic experience. My favorite moment in theatre is when you open the script for a new show, and the pages are so clean and crisp, the possibilities are endless. Then you take your pencil to the page and write your first blocking notes to be followed by immense scratches of short hand exits, entrances and pontification of the character psyche. And, of course, the instant gratification from the audience. I love it! Live! In your face! Theatre is my life blood, it keeps me thinking and breathing.
Who do you play in Tartuffe?: I play David in Tartuffe. The coke driven emotionally unstable son of the family.
Tell us about Tartuffe: This show is a wild ride of awesomeness through hysterical political farce, slamming doors, outrageous characters and drinking games. Jake Brandman has beautifully taking this classic French farce and given it a modern face lift, our fantastic director Beth Gardiner has masterfully woven together zany comedy and political truef and the comedic excellence of the cast is palpable. It is a joy to be involved with this show.
What is it like being a part of Tartuffe?: Like I said before, it is an absolute joy to be apart of this show, everyone has been so professional and loving. I feel blessed to have met these people and then on top of that I get to perform with them, it is like winning the lottery and then going to Disneyland. The process for this show was wild - I had a previous engagement which caused me to miss most of the rehearsals, so I came into this process only having about 4 rehearsals under my belt before we teched and opened, it was a little intimidating to say the least, but everyone was so welcoming and supportive, it felt like I had been there the whole time. So, instead of freaking out about the lack of rehearsal under my belt I was able to dive in and help fill out the missing pieces of the story. This group of people really held me up and allowed me to shine along with them. It has been a crazy wild whirlwind, but I would not change a thing. This is why I love theater and love this company Three Day Hangover.
What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I love it all! Every style of theater has its appeal to me. My favorite food is buffet because I get a little bit of everything and I like my art that way too, all different kinds all the time. But, if i had to choose one, I guess my favorite kind of theatre would have to be immersive. I love acting in that style of theater as well as being an audience member. I am inspired everyday by my fellow artists. Watching someone create a role, write a play, direct a story, it is inspiring. It pushes me to keep working on my craft, to hopefully pay it forward and inspire others.
Any roles you’re dying to play?: I want to do anything Martin McDonough or Sam Sheppard. Oh, and Garry in Noises Off! I love physical theater.
What’s your favorite showtune?: Don't ask me this, I can't choose! They are all so good, it depends on my mood... I guess right now I am feeling The Wild Party theme song (Andrew Lippa version) but in a few seconds it might be "Don't Rain on My Parade", followed by "I Believe" from Mormon, as I write this out I am now thinking about "Suddenly Seymour"... Ah, you see, too many to choose from.
If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: I want Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep to play my parents in anything... Awe, that would be awesome!
Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: I hope it would be me, hahaha, I need the work. But, if I had to choose it would have to be Chris Pratt. It would be called, "Feed Me".
If you could go back in time and see any play or musical you missed, what would it be?: I would go back in time and see the first production of Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet... I know, I know, but I am a sucker for a good love story and I would have to see how close Tom Stoppard got with "Shakespeare in Love".
What show have you recommended to your friends?:Tartuffe, at Three Day Hangover!!!!!
What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?:"Supernatural" (the TV show) and buffets!!!
What’s up next?: I recently started a theater company called The New Collectives (www.thenewcollectives.com). Through this company we have created a children's program called The Young Collectives which focuses mainly on classical theater and the history around the classics. We will be gearing up to start our winter classes for kids. AAAAnnnd I will be hitting the pavement looking for agent representation, hint hint.
For more on Three Day Hangover, visit threedayhangover.com