Why did you audition for this role? What about it spoke to you?

Initially, I didn't intend to audition because I'd just bought a house and I knew my life was going to be hectic. An actress/friend encouraged me to go for it. A great script, plus a desire to work for Actor’s Theatre and April Jones - two entities I admire greatly - well, it just added up!

In addition, this role gives me the opportunity to strip away a lot of "actor habits," because the character is a blank slate. The net result is that Claire sounds, moves, and thinks more like Catherine Smith than perhaps any character I've every played. The bad news is some people may accuse me of not acting at all! As I explore Claire, she speaks a great deal to me - from the desire to put on a happy face, to her finally taking control of her life. It’s a human story - a rare thing to find in a farce.

So how are you like Claire?

Claire is probably most like me: she has no guile and must be as real, straightforward and honest as I can make her.

Is Claire taking over - do you stay like Claire after you leave rehearsal?

I'm more forgetful than I used to be... the best thing I can give Claire every day at rehearsal or in performance is that blank slate mentality - it makes the show an adventure for the audience, and for me.

How do you feel about working with Actor's Theatre?

I admire everything about Actor’s Theatre - the people involved, their theatrical mission, the shows they have produced, the outstanding performances their actors share with Charlotte audiences. It’s an honor to work with them, this cast, and April.

How do you feel about working with April Jones?

She’s an inventive, committed, and purposeful director. She doesn't allow time to be wasted, and she puts a lot of faith in her actors. The experience has been wonderful.

Do you feel you have particular talents that will help you create Claire onstage?

I hope one of my strengths as a performer is being real and honest onstage. I work hard to show up - both physically and mentally - for every show. I think the greatest compliment I ever received was from a director who said, "I know exactly what your character is thinking at every moment."

What to you are the themes of Fuddy Meers? What does it have to say to the audience?

For me, I think the themes are of breaking patterns and setting yourself free from the memories, the people, and the promises that hold us back. That this play manages to speak to these themes through this rollicking farce speaks to the playwright’s imagination and talent.

What do you think of the playwright's world?

It amazes me that someone could imagine such a powerful piece coming from such an odd assortment of hysterical characters.

Would you want to live there?

No thanks - I like where I live now!

What's the hardest thing about playing Claire?

Divorcing yourself from the daily grind in order to commit to that adventure.

What's the easiest thing?

Watching my fellow actors create, sitting back and enjoying the ride!

Fuddy Meers was named one of the best plays of the year by The Los Angeles Times. Playwright David Lindsay-Abaire’s other works include A Devil Inside, Dotting & Dashing, and A Show of Hands. He is currently writing an original screenplay for Fox 2000, an animated feature for 20th Century Fox, and a screen adaptation of Fuddy Meers.

~ Jennifer Saylor
May 24, 2002