INTERVIEW: Mary Testa and her desire to confound

Mary Testa is a theater legend who has graced the stage of many a Broadway and off-Broadway house. She has racked up numerous nominations, been seen in several film and TV roles, and continues to bring life to a host of various characters. She’s successful, talented and, above all else, not boring.

Now she’s gathering laughs in The Portuguese Kid, the new play written and directed by John Patrick Shanley (Doubt, Moonstruck) and presented by the Manhattan Theatre Club. She plays the Croatian mother of second-rate lawyer Barry (Jason Alexander), who has been employed to help habitually widowed Atalanta (Sherie Rene Scott).

Testa said it has been a ball performing with the ensemble at City Center Stage I, where The Portuguese Kid continues an extended run through Sunday, Dec. 10. “It’s a great group of people,” she said. “Everybody respects each other and loves each other, and we really have a wonderful time. It’s a great group.”

During the rehearsal process, Testa’s character of Mrs. Dragonetti was fleshed out and given a little bit more humanity, the actress said. She and Shanley worked collaboratively on realizing the full potential of the comedic portrayal.

Shanley was “very funny, and he kind of let everybody do what they did and then would say, ‘I need this to be bigger or smaller.’ … He knows his own writing and knows what he wants.”

Even though Testa’s career has seen many highlights, including her Broadway turns in Wicked, Guys and Dolls, Xanadu, Chicago, 42nd Street, Christine and On the Town, she isn’t necessarily nostalgic for the past. She’s a performer who looks toward the future.

“I like to confound people,” she said. “I like to do a lot of different things. In this business, you’re not always allowed to do that because they have a tendency to just put you in a box and say, well, this is what you do. My favorite thing to hear from somebody is: ‘I didn’t know you could do that.’ Because I can do all kinds of things.”

She added: “Several people have said to me over the years, oh, you should play Rose in Gypsy. I guess that would be fun, but a million people have played Rose. I would rather play something new that someone has written. … I’ve never done summer stock in my life. I’ve done a fair amount of revivals and things, but I really enjoy doing new work. And I really enjoy being collaborative with the writer because I have opinions. I feel like a writer is smart to hire someone like me because I’m smart. I understand things, and I can say, ‘This is not right.’ As a matter of fact, I said that a few times with John. The rhythm of this line is wrong, or you don’t need this line. You should cut this line, and then the joke will be funnier. And actually he listened to me, so I think I bring a lot of experience, especially on new material. It’s really my favorite thing to do.”

On occasion, Testa will encounter a director who wants their hands on the wheel and not much feedback from the actors. She believes, after years of experience, that the best directors solicit the expertise of the performers on stage.

“I think, if a director is smart, he listens to his actors,” she said. “Now, you know, it’s not always appropriate to give your two cents, but I think in a collaborative experience when you’re creating something new, that as a director your greatest asset is your actors. We know when something is not right. We know when rhythm is off. We know, especially if we’re people who are experienced and people who are smart. … It has to do with when rhythm and intention is off, and an actor’s your greatest tool to be able to tell you that it’s not right. I don’t always know how to fix it, but I always know when it’s wrong.”

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

The Portuguese Kid, a Manhattan Theatre Club production, continues its extended run through Dec. 10 at City Center Stage I in Midtown Manhattan. Click here for more information and tickets.