INTERVIEW: Classic farce from Irish playwright Dion Boucicault comes to NYC
Photo: Caroline Strang and Ian Holcomb star in London Assurance at the Irish Repertory Theatre. Photo courtesy of Carol Rosegg / Provided by Irish Rep’s official website.
This holiday season, Irish Repertory Theatre has decided to have some laughs. In previous Christmas outings they have focused on the poignant poetry in Dylan Thomas’ A Child’s Christmas in Wales and the authentically moving family scenes in James Joyce’s The Dead at the American Irish Historical Society, but this time around they are pulling out all the stops for the farcical classic London Assurance by Irish playwright Dion Boucicault.
According to the theater’s official website, the play finds Sir Harcourt Courtly stuck between two potential lovers: his bride-to-be Grace Harkaway and the beautiful Lady Gay Spanker. When he moves toward one rather than the other, he soon realizes he has new competition: his son, Charles. Expect plenty of opening and closing of doors, mistaken identities and tons of laughs.
The Irish Rep production, directed by the company’s co-founder Charlotte Moore, stars Craig Wesley Divino, Meg Hennessy, Ian Holcomb, Elliot Joseph, Brian Keane, Colin McPhillamy, Rachel Pickup, Caroline Strang, Evan Zes sand Robert Zukerman. Performances run through Jan. 26 on the Francis J. Greenburger Mainstage.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Strang, an alumna of The Bluest Eye at the Guthrie Theatre and The Legend of Georgia McBride at the Hippodrome Theatre, according to Backstage. She plays the character of Grace. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What inspired you to join the company of London Assurance?
When deciding to take an acting job, I ask three questions: Is it financially sustainable? Will it build my résumé in a useful way? Would it fulfill me artistically? Generally, an actor who gets two out of three is considered lucky. I joined the cast of London Assurance because it fulfilled all three: I’m getting paid, I’m making my off-Broadway debut, and I absolutely love farce. Must be the luck of the Irish (PUNS!!).
How familiar were you with the play and Dion Boucicault’s work?
I was only vaguely familiar with Boucicault’s work before being called in to audition, but the convention of the play was so familiar to me that taking on the character of Grace was fun and engaging. It helps that our director knew a lot about his style of writing, and our cast is full of intelligent actors who love sharing things they know or learn about the time period.
How do you approach your character? How do you see her?
Although London Assurance is a comedy, Grace Harkaway’s story is actually rather depressing at first. Her mother is dead, and her father legally forced her to choose to either marry a man three times her age or live in poverty before he also died. She’s grown up knowing that she will never know romantic love, so she convinced herself that it was illogical in order to protect her own heart over a situation she could not control. Grace is an intelligent, witty, kind, loyal and brave young feminist written before such a thing would have been acceptable.
Do you feel the comedy still holds up more than 100 years after it was written?
I may be the wrong one to ask because I love British comedy (especially farce!). I will say that if you think plot elements like slapstick, witty banter, falling in love, secrets on secrets and outrageous social situations are timeless, then this play is for you.
What’s it like working with director Charlotte Moore?
Charlotte Moore is a fierce director. Her generosity, loyalty, wit, intelligence, forgiveness and passion for theatre burn with a joyous, internal fire that never goes out. She is a leader who knows how to make the ultimate decision and can also admit when she doesn’t have the answer. To be directed by Charlotte Moore is to know someone is looking out for your best interest. She trusts me as an actor and as a human.
When did you realize you wanted to be an actor?
Seeing Audra McDonald as Miss Grace in the 1999 version of Annie changed my life. I saw a woman who looked like my mother playing a role that had always been cast as white. Audra was gorgeous, sang so beautifully, wore wonderful costumes, and her storytelling hooked me. It was the first time I had seen a black woman do all of those things without having her story be about being oppressed. I knew that if Audra could play those roles, then I could do.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
London Assurance, featuring Caroline Strang, is playing the Irish Repertory Theatre’s Francis J. Greenburger Mainstage through Jan. 26 in New York City. Click here for more information and tickets.
