Fun and Nobody (1991)
Well that was the genesis of everything for me.
The first act, called Fun, was about a teenage kid cutting school and goofing off.
Thats who I played.
Credit: Joan Marcus
But at the time I didnt know any of that was going to happen.
I just was fascinated by Tracys acting.
He was my greatest mentor.
Killer Joe (1993)
The original production was in the same theater asFun and Nobody.
The proverbial black box theater.
And there were very few seats in it.
And she really couldnt remember any of her lines and I couldnt really cue her.
So some nights those scenes got pretty abstract, to say the least.
Bug (1996)
BugandKiller Joe, both by Tracy Letts, those were pretty significant.
Tracy has obviously had a profound impact on my life, both as an actor and a playwright.
Ive known Tracy for 25 years and hes one of my oldest friends.
Oddly enough, we dont really talk very often.
Were both very busy and he lives in Chicago and Ive been kinda living here in New York.
But hes always been that way.
He doesnt like to sit and chat on the phone.
Hes a warm person but I think he likes his solitude.
Uncle Vanya (2012)
This was very intimate production.
It was adapted by Annie Baker and we did it at Soho Rep.
The idea was that the audience was in the house with us.
The walls of the living room accordiond out, so it was like you were sitting on the wall.
A fly on the wall, I guess you could say.
Ive done a lot more those intimate shows than the big, Grand Ole Opera House productions.
Our Town (2010)
That one was performed in the round.
Its some of the most profound writing Ive ever read in my life.
Its a lot of responsibility.
Its hard to feel wise enough to play the Stage Manager.
I felt like a mere human being shouldnt be allowed to say all this.
But Thornton Wilder was just a human being, so I guess its OK. [Kane, the writer ofBlastedand4.48 Psychosis, died by suicide in 1999 at age 28.]
She was a wonderful director.
And so I did.
The production was in the round and it was basically one row of seats around the stage.
I dont think we ever got more than 30 people in there.
That was an intense show.
The whole time we were working together Sarah was struggling with suicidal thoughts.
She was a lovely person and I really miss her.
Ive seen some plays lately about families that dont seem very personal.
But for me, thats what Im drawn to.
Theater is not just a machination.
I want to feel that someones heart is in it.
I mean, Im not Jamie Tyrone but I can certainly identify with a lot of things he says.
I think thats why people keep doing the play.
Its also one of the best selling plays in the English language.
Over a million copies sold.
I am able to go in an out of character.
Whats great about a playwrights really personal work is that it makes you think about yourself.
And you realize that the characters in this play really do love each other.
I feel bad for my brother, honestly.
Poor Edmund, man.
Hes got to do all that coughing.
And my mom, I mean, shes not fun.
I never knew if I would have the chance.
My dad was a huge Eugene ONeil fan and a huge Jason Robards fan.
He used to see these plays in their original runs on Broadway.
And my dad has passed away, which is a shame because this would have really blown his mind.
