Scott C. Brown and I go back over a dozen years. I hired him as talent in some industrial video productions and have taken almost every opportunity to watch him grow as an actor in local theatres attending productions from Enumclaw to Olympia. Peg and I have never seen him perform less in a role than we expect. Last year we saw him in Deborah Zoe Laufer's comic drama End Days. This year we will be seeing him in Deborah Zoe Laufer's comic drama The Last Schwartz.
Don: You appeared in the previous production with Elvis and Ann Flannigan I believe. Can you compare the two plays?
Scott: While End Days only hints about the Jewish aspect of the family (former aspect I should mention) it is mostly about The Rapture, and waiting for the end to arrive. Conversely, The Last Schwartz is about a very Jewish family (various levels of faith and orthodoxy) and only hints at the demise of our planet. They are both deep and beautiful stories, with some very deep and honest subject matter and situations, but also livened up by a good deal of humor.
Don: So, then they both use humor to address the serious aspects of life?
Scott: I would say that both are very funny shows, at their base, and bring in the serious to flavor and ground the rest of the show.
Don: What is one of the best things about acting in either or both of these plays?
Scott: Every actor has their moment to shine, and both casts were wonderful stage families to be a part of. I am very blessed to have had the opportunity to work with everyone I shared the stage with in these two shows.
Don: What should people look for in The Last Schwartz?
Scott: I really think that people should look for how universal the themes are in Schwartz. A number of people have asked Linda why do a Jewish play? And while this is a play about a Jewish family, the fact that they are Jewish only serves as a way to tell the story. Deborah Laufer, like any good playwright, writes storys from things she is familiar with. Since she is Jewish, and writing about a family and their inner workings, it is only natural that that family be Jewish. To me, it is just a story of a family that happens to be Jewish. And the cool thing is they have a lot of the same issues as any family I have ever seen, regardless of religion, race, color or creed. So, honestly, I think people should come to see Schwartz, and just sit back, relax, and watch a really talented bunch of actors tell a really great story.
Don: What roles do you have coming up?
Scott: I am waiting for a few short and full length films to get finished and be out there for folks to see. I have also recently auditioned for Unexpected Tenderness, and hope to audition for Maruitius, both of which are shows this season at Harlequin. I also have some other film projects coming up that I am excited to get started on. And also to take a little time for myself.
Don: What character are you yearning to play?
Scott: There are so many parts I am yearning to play. Falstaff, Hamlet, Macbeth, anything in Shakespeare's cannon, Stanley in Streetcar, Willy in Death of a Salesman, but right now, I just want to keep stretching and playing different types. I have had the pleasure of playing some of my most coveted roles: Salieri in Amadeus, McMurphy in Cuckoo's Nest, The Creature in Frankenstein, Lenny in Of Mice and Men. I have also been surprised with characters, such as Bobby in Sins of the Mother. I would do any role in any Horovitz play that I could get my hands on. In fact, Unexpected Tenderness is the Horovitz show that Harlequin is doing this year, and the character I auditioned for is about as far from my recent characters as you can get. I love to stretch, and to play characters that are dissimilar from myself, because for me, that is the fun, being someone whom I am not.
Don: I didn't see your performance in A Few Good Men, but Peg told what a great job you did. I'm sorry I missed it. One I hope to see is coming up later this season. When I was a junior in high school I was lucky enough to see Christopher Plumber in the Hallmark Hall of Fame playing the lead in Cyrano de Bergerac. I know the Harlequin will be staging Cyrano this fall are you up for the part?
Scott: I don't know. Auditions haven't been held for the show yet, and that is a ways off for me to be thinking about, yet. However, I am hoping to audition for the show, and will be happy with any part I might be cast in. It would be a wonderful production to be a part of, and I haven't done a big show like that since Three Musketeers I believe. It would be a blast.
Don: Peg and I saw Three Musketeers at Lakewood Playhouse and Scott did a great job, but the musketeers are little more than cardboard characters compared to the range of feelings that Cyrano portrays. I would love to see Scott get the role. I would probably see the play several times.
Don: What are your short term acting goals?
Scott: Right now, I just want to stay busy, and tell good stories. I think I would like to learn more about film, and have more opportunities to explore that medium. I really enjoy the process, it is quite different from stage work, and the time commitment isn't as long, which means you can do more projects, but also, you have more family and personal time. So, I guess short term would be to keep working, keep growing, and some day, maybe, I will be able to make a living at doing what I love. Just enough to get by would be great.
Actors love to act. Applause, laughter, and tears on the faces of the audience are how most actors are paid. They deserve so much more.
The Last Schwartz ended February 19th . . . check out future productions at the Harlequin in Olympia.
