Last time, director Davis McCallum had a series of questions for Andrew Garman on his experience working on Sam Hunter's A BRIGHT NEW BOISE . This time Danielle Slavick answers the same questions for a slightly different look into the play and her character, Pauline.
DAVIS MCCALLUM: What's it like acting a Sam Hunter play?
DANIELLE SLAVICK: Awesome. His language offers so much freedom. I have had a tremendous amount of fun and enjoyed great creative satisfaction working on this play.
DM: I think you guys are great actors. (Not joking.) Pauline is such a specific creation, with vocal mannerisms and physical habits that are very different from your own. Did you model your characters on particular people that you know? How did you work to discover these deeply idiosyncratic people over the course of rehearsals? (I know I was there, but I was checking email a lot of the time.)
DS: The first time we did an informal reading of Bright New Boise Pauline's voice was there. I didn't model her after another person because she seemed like a person. I didn't do any conscious work on how she would walk or hold herself. At rehearsals, I would just discover as I walked to the bathroom - this is how Pauline would walk to the bathroom. Large fake pendulous breasts help.
DM: You do a lot of new plays. What are the particular challenges for actors who are working on first productions of brand new plays?
DS: The challenge can't be separated from the thrill of nobody knowing the answers. I mean, I recognize that nobody knows the answers in any play but brand new plays take this idea farther. We are all stumbling towards realizations together. The challenge is mostly to do this in time.
DM: Why do you think Pauline gives Will a job in the Hobby Lobby in the first place?
DS: She just likes him. He's not a kid. He seems straightforward, clear, wants a job, has respect for retail. He validates my position and gives it dignity. Makes me feel I'm not just the manager of teenagers, rebellious artists and frequently fired locals. He's an actual adult. A MAN. Who is choosing to work here. It gives my position more meaning and importance. Also....he's an actual adult man...
DM: What's your honest assessment of the acting work that Sam and I do on the "Hobby Lobby TV" voiceover? Really, be as honest as you can.
DS: My honest assessment is that you put us to shame. You prove that acting school is a waste of time and money.
It's not too late! Join us our final week of performances, including the two additional performances on Tuesday evening and Saturday afternoon. A New York Times Critics' Pick! Rated 5 Stars by Time Out New York!
Sam Hunter's A BRIGHT NEW BOISE, directed by Davis McCallum. This week, Tuesday - Saturday at 8, and Saturday at 2pm at The Wild Project (195 E. 3rd Street between Avenues A and B)
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