Max Helm was so excited to audition for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” that he walked in, greeted the director and producer—and completely blanked. “I couldn’t remember anything!” Helm recalls. “Luckily they gave me a chance to recover and I got the part of Lysander, which I loved.”
Helm was cast in Shakespeare’s classic at the Theater Lab in Chicago through Backstage, which he also credits for turning him on to the Bard in the first place.
“I woke up every day excited to go into rehearsal and practice and learn something new,” he says. “Because of Backstage, I picked up a passion for Shakespeare, so I’m taking acting classes this spring in Chicago focused only on the Bard so I can hopefully do more of his plays.”
Lysander was also a great fit because Helm feels right at home while playing romantic roles. In fact, he is currently taking on another romantic part in a new project.
“I’m working on an indie film right now as the romantic lead that involves the character playing bass, which I’ve never done. I’m going to learn a few chords,” he says. “It’s fun learning new things and challenging myself.”
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