DREAM COME TRUE FOR TOM AUCLAIR
Posted on October 24, 2012
THE PILLOWMAN – A Dream Come True for Tom Auclair
Tom Auclair, talented theater and film actor, as well as BDS student, recently was cast in his dream role, Ariel in the play “The Pillowman”, by Martin McDonagh. We asked him a few questions about this intense and dramatic play that has him grinning ear to ear. [caption id="attachment_736" align="alignleft" width="198"]
The Pillowman Production Photo[/caption]
Tom, tell us a little about the role and play?
I play the role of Ariel, one of two cops who is interrogating the main character of the play, Katurian, who is a suspect in the murder of several children in a totalitarian state. The play won several awards overseas and in the US.What is it about this role that draws you in?
I loved this role the more I read the play. It's just so layered, and without giving anything away, there's a reveal in Act III that just floors me and makes the character very attractive to play.What does preparing for a role like this look like?
I'm going to prepare for this role the Benjy way! Actor's Checklist -- it's always worked for me before and I'm going to really need it in this case, because Ariel has such a history, such a tortured inner life, that I really can't think of any other way to prepare for the role other than using the Actor's Checklist. The only way I'm going to be able to adequately portray Ariel as a living, breathing person is by building him from the ground up through the Actor's Checklist.What do you hope the audience can walk away thinking or feeling?
I want the audience to come away from the play wondering about the different ways love can mess things up. And how sometimes the people closest to you are the ones who screw you up the most.What is it about this role that makes it such a big win for you?
This role was one of the few roles I've been cast in that I DESPERATELY wanted -- so badly that if I hadn't been cast, I'm sure I would have been crushed. I've had very few roles come my way like that, and the fact that I could impress the director enough to be cast this quickly just delights me to no end, and proves to me again how much Benjy's methods work. Plus, this is such a dream role that I'm really looking forward to putting the work in, and having a blast through the whole process.[caption id="attachment_739" align="aligncenter" width="452"]
The Pillowman Poster[/caption]
Be sure to check out the show NOW at Springs Ensemble Theatre
http://springsensembletheatre.org/