Page 59 - Demo

MOST MAGAZINE - ISSUE 74 59MOSTMAGAZINEMOST MAGAZINE - ISSUE 74 CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR TIME STUDYING UNDER GREG ZITTEL AT THE INDEPENDENT THEATER? HOW DID THAT SHAPE YOUR APPROACH TO ACTING?Greg was an incredible man with a unique approach to acting. His classes focused largely on current events and our personal reactions to them. At the end of each class, we%u2019d go up on stage in pairs and improvise based on whatever we were feeling in the moment%u2014whether we spoke or not. The only %u201crule%u201d was that every action and word had to be driven by feeling, not thought.Greg often stopped us mid-exercise, hollering, %u201cIf I walked up there and kicked you in the shin, you wouldn%u2019t need to think about how you felt%u2014you%u2019d just react! Get to doing!%u201d That internalization is everything in performing. Too often, we confuse being busy on stage or in front of the camera with actually doing the work. But if that busyness isn%u2019t driven by emotion, it comes across as fake or disingenuous%u2014which it is.Sometimes, the most powerful thing an actor can do is simply be still and present. WHAT WAS IT LIKE STARRING AS DON IN AN OFF-BROADWAY PRODUCTION OF BOYS%u2019 LIFE? DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE MEMORY FROM THAT EXPERIENCE?There was an element of art imitating life when I did that play. At the time, I was a soon-to-be first-time father%u2014the only one among my NYC friends facing parenthood. While my pals weren%u2019t as debaucherous as Jack, Phil, and Don, there was a shift between us as I embraced my new responsibilities and they continued on without children. In many ways, navigating that play, with all its warnings, helped me as I aimed for new levels of maturity in my own life.My favorite memory from the production was toward the end of our run. There%u2019s a scene where Jack, Phil, and Don sit at a table during Don%u2019s wedding reception%u2014essentially breaking up the band. I don%u2019t know if the parallels between Don%u2019s departure from the trio and our departure from the play seeped into our performances, but all three of us completely blanked on our lines at the same time.We just sat there, in front of the audience, staring outward, lost. Marinating in our feelings of, %u201cOh sh_t, what do we do?%u201d It felt like 30 minutes went by, though it was probably only two or three. But none of us broke character, and eventually, one of us threw out a couple of words, another picked up on it with a relevant sentence, and before we knew it, we were back on track.Later that night, we asked if anyone had noticed, and no one%u2014from the audience or backstage%u2014had a clue. SEAL TEAM DIVES INTO THE INTENSITY OF MILITARY LIFE. HOW DID YOU PREPARE FOR YOUR ROLE, AND WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM THE EXPERIENCE?Fortunately, my character was being rescued by the SEAL Team, so I didn%u2019t have to prepare as a soldier! I%u2019m not sure I could handle what they go through. But I have many friends and family members who are veterans, and they have my utmost respect for their tremendous sacrifices.