I made a deal with myself: if I get cast in ACT’s production of the Pillowman, I’ll let my For-Hire license expire, rather than renew it. That means no more driving cabs, even as a fall back… The hope was that this symbolic gesture would force myself to believe in myself and show myself my commitment to this craft. In other words, it’s time to work without the net…

Well, I got the part!

Rehearsals begin late February just days before my birthday. The show opens in March and runs through April.

I can’t tell you how exciting this is.

Pillowman is my favorite contemporary play. Last Spring, I saw the Broadway production with Jeff Goldblum and Billy Crudup. For a dark comedy, it had some spectacularly colorful moments and of course, the story was relentless, inquisitive, complicated but tirelessly simple. Martin McDonaugh is the kind of writer I’d like to grow up to be (even though I’m pretty sure he’s younger than I am.)

If you know the story, I’ll be playing the brother Michal. Yes, the retarded one—don’t even say it! I’ve heard that typecasting joke plenty of times already. Michal could be described as “Rainman meets Silence of the Lambs.”

Prior to the audition, I was scared as hell of this part, it seemed greater than me, one of those frightening roles that necessitates the actor go way out on the thinnest of limbs, risk all credibility and personal need for success—very strong in me—by taking a giant and possibly unrewarding risk. This character requires I take that risk and do so fearlessly and without awareness of aforementioned peril.

Yet, in preparing the initial audition, I found solace in simplicity. I found Michal’s voice within me and it wasn’t so terrifying or as complicated as I had imagined. Luckily, I got the part and will be able to continue this exploration, which will be beneficial both to my process and myself.

This casting is all the more surprising since I’ve been operating for nearly two weeks without my voice. Yes, I’ve lost my voice. Its slowly on it’s way back but nonetheless, my callback was delivered sotto voce, sounding like a longtime smoker. Still, director Kurt Beattie saw something he liked…

I hope you get a chance to see the fruits of this labor. You can find out more through this site, I’ll post show times, discount days and such as it gets nearer.

Thanks for stopping by.