Kerry's Confidential

So glad to be back! This will be my fourth production for Actors Theatre and it’s shaping up to be really fabulous. I have played a lot of quirky characters but they are all so different and special. When I played Izzy last spring in “Rabbit Hole,” I enjoyed being the comic relief in such a dramatic show. “Boom” is more darkly hilarious with physical comedy that is right up my alley. I have drawn inspiration from the shows I watched as a kid: Carol Burnett, early Saturday Night Live, and Monty Python.

“Boom” was my top pick for all the local shows this season and I am so grateful and proud to be a part of it. I found myself laughing out loud when I read the script, high praise from a jaded old bird like me. In rehearsal we can be talking about The Rapture one minute, and “crumping” the next. There is never a dull moment. I love the fact that the playwright studied both science and theatre in college. As the child of a biologist and an artist, it is a comfortable blend for me.

It is also a pleasure to work with Ron May every chance I get. We have a long, happy history that includes Stray Cat Theatre and Nearly Naked Theatre. Our last show together was “Augusta” here at Actors Theatre several years ago. It is a real luxury working with a director that you can trust completely. I feel like everything he touches turns to gold, and he makes sure everything I do is genuine and nothing is false. It frees me as an actor to try anything and push the boundaries.

I am also lucky to have such great cast members. Cathy Dresbach and I worked together previously in “Kindertransport” at the Arizona Jewish Theatre Company. She is lovely, whether she is being serious or funny, and in this show she’s seriously funny. Sam Wilkes and I are working together for the first time, something we’ve both been looking forward too. I loved him in the many shows I’ve seen him in and I’m so glad our theatrical paths finally crossed. I can’t wait to share our hard work with the audiences. Hold on to your hats and glasses, it’s gonna be a wild ride!

- by Kerry McCue