BUS STOP had a fantastic opening weekend! Thanks to all of you who came out to support the show! If you have yet to see the show you still have plenty of time to get your tickets as it runs until April 29th. But in the mean time you can enjoy this interview with BUS STOP actor, the very funny, Doug Jarecki.
What is it like “going back” to a semi-academic theatre
setting with this BUS STOP collaboration?
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| Doug Jarecki |
I was initially concerned about how I would "go back" to
a semi-academic theatre setting, so I did what any actor would do and prepared
myself. I semi-immersed myself in everything I could. I baked cookies only
using semi-sweet morsels, I led my rec league basketball team to the
semi-finals, and I even watched all three Transformer movies. What does that
have to do with anything, you ask? Optimus Prime, the trilogy's hero,
transforms into a semi-truck. A less prepared actor would have never known
that.
Would you like to share any memories of your academic
theatre experience?
I was not a theatre major when I started out, and I had
always been curious about being on stage, so one day I decided I would audition
for something before I got a "real job" in the "real world." I auditioned for a
musical, even though I could not sing. Thankfully, they needed warm bodies to
fill out the cast, and I was able to be a part of this world. That's when the
acting bug hit me.....or bit me, or whatever the phrase is. Either way, it left
a mark. I spent the rest of my collegiate career soaking up everything I could
from anyone generous enough to share their insights with me. And none of it
would have happened had I not taken a step out of my normal routine and tried
something that scared the living daylights out of me. So I guess my academic
theatre experience gave me a barometer with which to measure all future
projects--if it scares the heck out of you, it's probably worth
doing.
What lesson do you hope comes out of this collaboration
between UW-Parkside and MCT? Do you feel that you have
learned something as well?
I have never been a part of a show and not learned
something. I tell people it's because I am always open to learning, but it
probably has more to do with my overall lack of knowledge to begin with. Either
way, this has been another tremendous learning experience for me. I felt Lisa (Kornetsky)
created a great environment for play and creativity, but kept it all moving in a
positive and productive direction. That's a difficult balancing act, especially
considering the widely varied backgrounds and experience levels of the
performers. It was also a pleasure getting to know the UW-Parkside performers.
I don't know that I would have taken the time to do so without Mr. Katula's
encouragement. Our dressing room stations were right next to each other in the
beginning, but every day Mr. Katula would move my stuff next to someone new
while practically begging me to talk to someone else, "anyone else" as he put
it. He's a generous man, and one day I hope to call him friend.....or even
Dan.
Tell us your first reaction upon reading BUS
STOP.
I really do love this play. I first performed it 15
years ago, and it is a real treat to be able to revisit a script with an
entirely new cast, new director, and new role. The connections in it are real
and widely varied. There is no one set rule for how to connect with someone,
and this play lets us see the different shades of how we go about forming,
nurturing, and even severing those connections. It was a privilege to see how
each performer brought those connections to life.
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