Shortly before rehearsals began, I chatted with Michael Brusasco, who will be playing Mr. Darcy in Round House’s Pride and Prejudice.
Jacqueline Lawton: To begin, can you tell me how long have you been acting? What was the first play that you ever worked on as an actor? What did you learn from that experience that remains with you today?
Michael Brusasco: I have been working professionally for over 15 years. The first play I ever did was The Jungle Book in the second grade. I was Baloo the Bear. We would tour nursing homes around town. My first paying job was playing the Evil Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dorks (yes, dorks) when I was 17 years old. It was a ‘fractured fairytale’ in a local amusement park’s theater. It was super campy, lazzi heavy, and still one of the best experiences of my life. You know what I got out of that? Making people laugh for a living – as a full time job – is one of the best jobs in the world.
JL: Why did you decide to get into theater? Was there someone or a particular show that inspired you?
MB: Oh, I am sure it’s because from an early age I had a relentless desire to always be the center of the universe. I loved the attention I would get from adults whom I could make laugh. It wasn’t until seeing a production at Portland Center Stage when I was twelve that I realized the power of theatre. It was Jim Edmonson’s production of The Comedy of Errors in which the setting was New Orleans Mardi Gras. My first Shakespeare play, the first 10 minutes (with the gargantuan monologue by Egeon) was a blur, I couldn’t understand a thing. I was bored and felt stupid. Then all of sudden the foreign sounds the actors were making clicked. Everything made sense. The world opened up, and I felt transported. By the time Dromio of Syracuse (the great Ray Porter) was describing his new-found paramour Nell the kitchen wench, I actually fell out of my chair laughing. To experience that, to understand that this group of people was the cause of my joy, well, I had to get in on that. Fast.
JL: Of course, you played Mr. Darcy under Blake Robison’s direction at Utah Shakespeare Festival to great acclaim. What excited you about revisiting this character in Round House Theatre’s production of Pride and Prejudice?
MB: Many actors have the experience of the unconsciousness still working on the part even after closing performance. Months down the road, I will find myself working on something unrelated when an idea bubbles up from the recesses about a past performance. I end up exasperated thinking, “Of course! Why didn’t I think of that while I was doing it!!!!” So the Round House production will allow me to put those “post-mortem” thoughts into practice. I just did another production of Pride and Prejudice this summer. It was a different adaptation, but Mr. Darcy is Mr. Darcy no matter how you slice it. So this is my third take on the guy. There’s a confidence now that I didn’t have the first time which will (cross fingers) allow me to dig even deeper and take more risks.
The other thing I’m excited about is working with Blake. For the first production, he came in and saved the day as a last minute replacement. By then the design, costumes, cast and most everything else was decided for him. That’s hard for a director, and he did a great job. This time around, the collaboration is his from the start. I can’t wait to see what he has in store knowing that he’s been working with the team months prior to the first day of rehearsal.
JL: Mr. Darcy is such an archetype romantic hero. He’s wealthy, dashing, and morally upright. While sympathetic and loyal, he is also difficult and aloof! My goodness, what man refuses to dance at a ball! What, if anything, do you have in common with him? What is the most challenging part of bringing Mr. Darcy to life?
MB: Oh he’s not the only one who would refuse to dance at a ball! He and I would be quite comfortable in the corner of the room while the rest danced their hearts out. But the thing I relate to most is that the guy can keep a secret. He’s not the one to spill the beans. What’s hard about that is I really don’t talk for the first half of the play! The novel affords you glimpses into the mind of this stoic personality, but on stage I don’t get the luxury of a voiceover letting you know what’s going on. That’s the fun though.
JL: This adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, written by Joseph Hanreddy and J. R. Sullivan, is wonderful. It’s as romantic and lush as the novel, while still managing to offer a sharp critique of 19th century society. What is your favorite moment in the play?
MB: I love the moment where Elizabeth arrives at Pemberley with the Gardiners. Joe and Jim have written the scene brilliantly. Darcy’s emotional armor is completely off, he’s surprised, relieved, overjoyed, and embarrassed. It’s deliciously romantic and funny.
JL: First published in 1813, Pride and Prejudice remains Jane Austen’s most popular novel. Why do you feel this story of family and love remains such a classic today? Also, what advice do you think Mr. Darcy would give to contemporary women about dating and relationships?
MB: It’s one of the great “opposites attract” stories. It echoes Beatrice and Benedict from Much Ado About Nothing: we love to see a couple duke it out until they realize they are madly in love with each other. That great clash gives us all hope in our own relationships we can come out on the other side of our differences as better people. That said, I think Mr. Darcy is the last person you want advice from when it comes to dating and relationships. Seriously. Ask Bingley. Or, perhaps, find another novel with a less satirical bent.
JL: If there is one thing you want audiences to walk away knowing or thinking about after experiencing Pride and Prejudice, what would that be?
MB: “That was a lot funnier than I thought it would be.”
JL: What’s next for you as an actor?
MB: As always, there are about 5 irons in the fire, and I don’t want to jinx anything by mentioning it. The main goal for the coming year is stay closer to home. Honestly, I want my next project to be about adopting a dog. I’ve been considering getting one for about 4 years now, and I think the time has finally come to find a little guy to make my already blessed life more amazing.
Pride and Prejudice is onstage at Round House Bethesda from November 23 thru December 31, 2011. Special holiday performances are scheduled December 18 – 31.
- Jacqueline Lawton
