Seth Numrich - Broadway: War
Horse (Lincoln Center, Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence, Drama League
Award Nom, Outer Critics Circle Award Nom), The Merchant of Venice (The
Public Theater). Off-Broadway: Iphigenia 2.0 (Signature), Blind (Rattlestick), Too Much
Memory, Slipping (Rising Phoenix Rep/Piece by Piece Productions), Gates
of Gold (59E59), Dutch Masters (LAByrinth). Regional: The History
Boys (Ahmanson Theatre), The Cure at Troy (Seattle Rep), Measure for
Measure (Chautauqua Theatre Co.). International: The Judgment of Paris
(NYC and Edinburgh Fringe Festival). Television: Gravity (Starz, Series
Regular). Film: Private Romeo. Teaching artist: Artists Striving to End
Poverty (ASTEPonline.org),
2005-2012. Training: the Juilliard School.
How did you get
started in theatre? Did you always know that you wanted to be an actor?
My dad (Charles Numrich) is also an actor, he works all the time
back in Minnesota where I grew up. When I was a kid he didn't do a lot of
acting, but he was a storyteller and would go in to schools and tell stories
and give workshops for kids. My brother and I would come along most of
the time and help out, or act out the stories that my dad was telling. I
guess I got the inspiration to tell stories from him. When I was around
11 I started doing theatre, and one of my first experiences was in a production
at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. At some point I realized all of
the adults in the play actually made their livings and support their families
by doing theatre. Once I knew that was possible, I was pretty much
hooked.
Tell me
about Yosemite. What
was the rehearsal process like? What do you love most about the play?
Yosemite is Daniel Talbott's new play that deals with a very dark moment in the life of a family
who live in a trailer park near in the foothills of the Sierra mountains in
northern California. I am in love with this play and am so happy to be
involved in it. I think it is a bold and daring piece of theatre and I'm
very excited about sharing it with audiences at Rattlestick. The
rehearsal process has been pretty short and very intense. We've found
that since the subject of the matter is very heavy we all need to keep the
rehearsal room light while we're working. There is a lot of silliness.
But when it comes to the work everyone has been extremely committed and I am so
proud of what we are creating together.
You worked with
Daniel Talbott before. What do you love most about his writing?
Daniel and I worked together on his play Slipping in 2009 as well as
other readings and workshops. I am inspired by Daniel in so many was that
it would be hard to list them all here. I consider him one of my closest
friends, a mentor, and an enormous force for good in the theatre.
Specifically in regards to his writing I am always inspired by the challenge of
his work. His words never let the actors off the hook, and the play
itself is always asking us go deeper and face our fears in order to give the
work everything we can. I also admire Daniel's sense of collaboration as
a writer. His plays demand that the actors bring all of themselves into the
process, and he allows for growth and change to happen within the text.
He is never precious with his work, but rather extremely generous with it and I
feel that's a rare and wonderful thing to encounter.
What kind of
writing inspires you?
I am inspired by so many different kinds of writing and different
styles so it's hard to pinpoint exactly, but I think when it comes down to it I
am inspired by stories that are told truthfully. I appreciate when a
piece of writing dares to be unapologetic, and when it attempts to honestly
explore an aspect of the human condition. I'm in to that kind of art, whatever
shape or form it might come in.
Who or what has
been the biggest influence on your work as a actor thus far?
As hard as it is to think of one thing or person that has influenced
my work as an actor, it is almost as hard to think of something or someone in
my life who hasn't influenced me. I feel so blessed to have come in
contact with incredible artists and incredible people throughout my life who
inspire me. I always try to stay open to inspiration, wherever it might
come from. For example I just saw The
Artist and I'm feeling pretty inspired.
What else are you
working on right now?
Well speaking of inspiration, I have never really had the notion of
doing anything artistically outside of acting, but recently I've had some
random inspirations that I might try to write down. One I think is a
short play and the other I'm not sure yet, but I'm going to take a stab at
it. I also will be running a 12 mile race in the spring, so I'm working
on training for that. Pray for me.