‘Bridging the gap’ takes research, thought

I have to admit I was a little daunted taking on this role. I usually look first for similarities between myself and the character and then go from there. The thought of finding commonalities with a murderer and rapist was a little strange, and not something I looked forward to, to say the least. I would have liked to think that there are not that many.

However, it soon became apparent that the best and worst really do exist in all of us. Human is human. Because of those basic imperfections in my own personality, Matt was and is only a couple of bad decisions away from myself. I quickly became much more grateful for the positive influences in my life. Once I found these connections between us, I was able to bridge some of the remaining gap through research and the kindness of strangers.

Through a prison ministry program, I was able to meet people who were in or had come through the prison system. I was able to visit some prisons. I was even able to talk to a person who had been on death row (until evidence was found that proved him not guilty). I am truly grateful to these people for the honesty and willingness to help me find truth. After listening to a lot of people and personal stories from witnesses, I picked images from those stories to inform my performance.

I sincerely hope the audience will hear and see something that forces them out of their individual circles of comfort and makes them think. In the play, Matt says, “I ain’t gonna change any of these guys’ minds, but I want ‘them’ to know the truth.” There’s something to that. I think one of the greatest things we can hope for is a profound mutual experience that somehow changes us and forces us to challenge our current perceptions.

I have been involved in theater either as a professional or amateur for most of my life. Growing up, my dad taught theater at a local university. I grew up playing in the props and costumes of academic theater. It was a great experience. Because of this, I grew to equate theater with family. I think this particular experience has reminded me that a huge part of theater is about the connections made between people. That is reflected in the depth of experiential change Matt and Sister Helen cause in each other.

This is an excellent question and really a joy for me to comment on, simply because of the caliber of people I have been blessed to work with during this process. One of the least-sung jobs in theater is the stage manager. He or she has the job of keeping track of every part of the journey and making sure everyone is communicating.

It can be a thankless job and one that is devoid of praise. Christopher Lee has simply been a great stage manager. I also can’t say enough great things about Dale McFadden. He is a great teacher. As an actor, it is very nice to have a director that can gently push you further than you thought you could go even before you have realized it. He has been very gracious, prepared and inspiring. I learned so much from him about myself and the general craft.

Lastly, as an actor, the audience is much more interested in what I am doing if my focus is directed to my partner on stage. Lilia Vassileva is the best acting partner I have ever worked with and an honestly kind person, to boot – very rare.