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O’Hare chatted with Back Stage before the show about memorizing and writing his own material.
What do you like about working Off-Broadway?
Denise O'Hare: I love the fact that the material is edgier. And I love the fact that the audiences tend to be more local audiences, rather than tourists. I think what you can do with Off-Broadway is more interesting in a strange way. There are all these commercial pressures for Broadway, which don’t exist Off-Broadway, and I love that.
You wrote “An Illiad” with Lisa Peterson. What is it like as an actor writing your own material?
O'Hare: Well it’s a little terrifying because you can’t yell at the author. And I have to get the words right because I supposedly wrote it. It’s not any easier, oddly enough. I still had trouble memorizing it, and I had still had trouble in certain sections making things work. It was oddly the same process.
How did you memorize the entire piece?
O'Hare: It took me a long time. I’m still running it in my head. I’m trying to keep it in my head, so I run it every week. I ran three acts yesterday, and I’ll do a couple acts tomorrow.
What advice do you have for actors?
O'Hare: Making your own material is really important. Making your own work. Whether it’s writing a monologue or writing standup or writing a screenplay or writing a play, I think staying involved in the creation of your own work empowers you in a way, even if you don’t ever do it. It gives you a sense of ownership and a sense of purpose, which I think as an actor is really important.
Suzy Evans is the Senior Web Editor at Back Stage. Follow her on Twitter: @suzyeevans.
