Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Speaker A: Thank you so much, Chris and Olivia, for joining me today. How are you today?
[00:00:05] Speaker B: Good.
[00:00:06] Speaker C: Doing great.
[00:00:08] Speaker A: So how's the.
Of course. Thank you. So you've been deep in rehearsal for the Angel Next Door. How has it been going?
[00:00:16] Speaker B: Fun.
[00:00:16] Speaker A: Olivia, we'll start with you.
[00:00:18] Speaker B: It's been really fun.
This cast is just like some of the funniest people I've ever worked with.
And, yeah, we're in the part of the process right now where we're really getting to play. And, you know, the show is up on its feet and we're fine tuning things. And it's always interesting rehearsing a comedy because, you know, we've seen each other do these scenes however many times, but there's. We're still finding ways to make each other laugh, and that is really, really exciting and fun.
[00:00:56] Speaker A: That's awesome. Chris, how about for you? How's the rehearsal process going?
[00:00:59] Speaker C: Yeah, it's been wonderful to echo Olivia's comments. Yeah. I mean, we are doing a farce, so it is a lot of elevated, extreme stuff, which is really, really funny. We're basing it in reality and then sort of shaking it up and letting it pop. And it is funny. And nice to hear the giggles from your castmates that are maybe offstage at the moment, hearing their laughter at something they've seen quite a bit over and over again. So you're like, oh, okay. That's a way to keep it fresh. If you can entertain the people who've been seeing these scenes quite a bit, that's a good motivation to keep. Keep pushing through and finding more moments to find laughter for our immediate audience, which is our director, Travis Walter, and our cast. And we hope that translates to the audience, too.
[00:02:01] Speaker A: Travis, he is a funny man, so I can only imagine what the process is going.
[00:02:06] Speaker B: He's fun.
[00:02:08] Speaker C: Yes. He's a very funny guy and he knows comedy very well. And, you know, yeah, the only. The two other shows that I've done here have both been very zany comedies, and so we have a nice shorthand with one another in that regard, and he has that with everybody. But I associate Meadowbrook Theater with zany comedies very much. Happy to hear.
[00:02:34] Speaker A: So for those who maybe aren't familiar with the show, can you tell us a little bit about what the Angel Next Door is about and how you factor in? And I'll start with you, Olivia. What is this show? And then you're playing Margot Bell. So who's your character to you and how do you factor into the story?
[00:02:47] Speaker B: So Margot Bell is the angel Next door. She is the show set in 1949. She is a Broadway performer, and she has this. I don't want to give too much away, but she has a romance with Chris's character, who is a young writer, and she is sort of the object of his affection and the subject of the book that he's written.
And without giving anything away, as happens with farce, there's many miscommunications and chaos ensues.
Margot, to me, is very confident and she's very. She's a performer, so she's. She's kind of.
She. She shows up and she's in her pajamas, but it's like she's not in her pajamas. She's in, like, feathers and silk, and she's just fabulous.
And, yeah, it's a fun sort of, like, contrast with some of the other characters that are on stage.
[00:04:08] Speaker A: And Chris, you're playing Oliver Williams. So who is he and how does he fit into the narrative of the story?
[00:04:13] Speaker C: Yeah, so Oliver is the young author who has incredibly smitten with Olivia's character, Margot. And, yeah, he has written this book that is this love letter to love and is going to have people all over the country swooning and whatnot. And his sort of benefactors, if you will, that are a playwriting producing couple are supporting him in the novel getting published, and they want to adapt the novel into a Broadway play starring Margot.
But as we understand, like, with Olivia not wanting to give too much away, perhaps this relationship that Olivia's character and my character have is maybe a little exaggerated, according to Oliver's testimony, and it threatens to wreck not only his book, but this play adaptation and all the money that could come from all those things, as well as Oliver's poor psyche having his more or less imagined love affair explode before his very eyes by maybe finding out she's not the angel he thought she was. And it's. It's. It's been a. It's been a blast. I mean, like, it's.
I am constantly feeling like, you know, everyone had their first love, you know, and whether or not if that first love didn't work out, you know, that feeling of, you know, heartbreak, I can't go on, and the sort of hilarious desperation that comes of that is connecting with me in doing this. I think I said the other day, I was like, I feel like I'm 15 years old, you know, again.
And I. Hopefully that's something that people can relate to, too, that, you know, love is a toxic formula sometimes, and especially for someone who's new in love. It can, you know, it can mess with your brain, but it can also lead to some good laughs, I think.
[00:06:44] Speaker A: So, you know, it sounds like there's a lot of interesting dynamics between Margo and Oliver. And so, yes, for. For you, Olivia, what is that like to kind of play off of those? Because, I mean, like, there sounds like there's so many different layers.
[00:06:56] Speaker B: There are a lot of layers. It's fun. It's, you know, with. If it was just like a love story, it would be very one dimension, or it would be easy for it to be one dimensional.
And because of all of the misunderstandings that happen and just like the nature of the story, it's fun to have these.
I feel like Margot has these two different. A couple different dynamics that she gets to kind of move through where she's just, you know, contrasting who she is in her normal life, like, before or without Oliver, and then who she is and who she becomes when she's around Oliver. And. And it's very. It's fun. It's fun to play a character that has so much poise and is so self assured, but then also can find this real sweetness and.
Yeah, it is. It's very like high school, you know, very sweet, innocent love that she kind of gets to play around with a little bit with Oliver, which is a fun contrast to some of the other relationship dynamics she has in the show.
[00:08:16] Speaker A: Okay, Chris, what drew you to this role in the show? Because it sounds like it's an exciting role to play.
[00:08:25] Speaker C: It is. It is. Well, I always keep tabs on what's going on at Metterbrook since I love working here, love the staff, love the creative team, and I saw that they were doing this show, and I immediately was like, I'm really interested in this. This character sounds like so much fun. And I so definitely made it known that I was interested because I love farces. I love that frenetic comedic onstage creation that just comes from the other actors and the.
The wonderful connection you can have with an audience when those things are clicking.
And, yeah, I was just really, really interested, and I learned who else was going to be involved. And I had worked with. I'd worked with Olivia before and Phil Powers before in doing Clue back in 2021. And so I knew that these guys would be fun to play with along with another collections of people who'd worked here before.
And I. Yeah, no, it's.
I was just so excited to play a character who was just enamored in love with love and to be able to ride the roller coaster from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows.
And it, I think will.
I think will give a nice little comfort and giggle to. To our audience who can relate to that roller coaster ride. And so it's fun to be able to sort of be that Avatar, I guess, for that. That experience, I think, is pretty universal.
[00:10:10] Speaker A: Olivia, how about for you? What drew you to this?
[00:10:12] Speaker B: Oh, gosh. I mean, the character description is just. It's high praise. She's, you know, she's beautiful, she's successful, she's talented. I'm like, okay, perfect.
I'm like.
[00:10:26] Speaker A: You're, like dying Solace.
[00:10:27] Speaker B: So they have to cast me. No, it's similar to Chris. I've worked at Meadowbrook a number of times, and I really. I love, you know, it feels like family. Everybody's so good at what they do, and they're so kind, and there's so much care here at Meadowbrook. And I do. I just love being here. So I had sent an email, you know, when this season was announced, being like, this is a role I would be interested in.
And you know what? The stars aligned.
Yeah, it's fun.
I have done a number of farces, and most of them have been here at Meadowbrook, so, you know, it kind of just. They go hand in hand for me, this fun, kooky, like, zany comedy with being here at Meadowbrook Theatre. So.
[00:11:20] Speaker A: Perfect. Chris, for you. How has your time with the angel next door challenged you as an actor?
[00:11:27] Speaker C: Oh, well, it has been.
It has provided some interesting hurdles to overcome. There's.
Yeah, like I said, there's sort of a complete flip that goes on throughout the show. And you want to be able, you know, from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. And while a farce is a farce and it's over the top, you have to base it in reality and honesty or else the audience won't buy what is to come or they won't connect to the. It'll just seem like a circus act without any connection, you know, so what has been a fun challenge is grounding yourself in the reality of the ridiculousness, if that makes any sense. And to be sort of emotionally vulnerable to the. The warmth and all the fuzzy feelings of love and then the absolute devastation of when things don't work out has to be honest. And, you know, you have to be connected to all of those feelings and also understand this is. This is a comedy. You know, it's not a tragedy, but, you know, it's like the fine line between, you know, comedy and tragedy, you know, is very faint. But I think physically it's been a lot of fun to push myself. There's a lot of chasing and running around the stage, a lot of kids chaotic action, and just a.
Hard to add. Like I said, I don't want to give any away, but we played with everything on. On. On the. The set is a bit of a bit. You know, there's a lot. Everything gets played with in a certain extent. So, like, no, no, no stone is unturned in terms of getting a laugh or.
Or trying to just get the gut punch as well, for sure.
[00:13:44] Speaker A: Olivia, for you, has there been any challenges for the show?
[00:13:49] Speaker B: It's interesting playing a performer, especially, like, sort of like a larger than life performer and having that essence of, like, star quality and. And she's very aware of the way she's being perceived when she's on stage. And so this is, you know, having. Having that, but also making her, you know, human and. And grounded. Like Chris is saying, it's easy to kind of get caught up in the. Like, there's so much that has to do with the timing, so it's easy to kind of get caught up in that. But. But to be able to find her personhood and just make her likable. Like, I want her to be fabulous and larger than life, but I also want her to be a person and someone that we're rooting for.
And so that's what I feel like. That's at least for me with my process. That's kind of where I'm at with the process of, like, okay, I know the lines, I know when they come, I know where I'm supposed to be. Now, who is this person? And can I dive deeper than I have into creating a character that people will root for?
[00:15:09] Speaker A: With that in mind, how do you find that balance between what's in the script and making the character your own? Because it sounds like it's that delicate kind of.
[00:15:18] Speaker B: Well, and that's what I think rehearsal is great for. I.
I love our cast so much, and it feels like such a safe space to really just try some stuff and also be a little vulnerable and talk through things.
And so, yeah, that's what's been really fun for the last week. And probably this next week of rehearsal is just really diving in. And I do feel like, because it's such an ensemble piece, you know, there's. There's homework I can do, but it's also like, once we get on our feet and we have each other's energy to play off of that also informs choices, and it's just a really helpful part of the process.
[00:16:03] Speaker C: Yeah, it's very much like, it feels like playing like a pinball machine. Like, it's very much like that. And the reps in rehearsal have been enormously helpful because you want to keep it spontaneous and you want to keep it fun, and it's always like, you know, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang. You know, kind of. Kind of energy that is really fun when you get in that groove, you know?
[00:16:31] Speaker A: And something to go back that you said, Chris, too, is like, you were talking about doing these scenes where, like, you know, the people who are in the wings and stuff are still laughing. How much do you, as an actor lean into that? Do you. Do you find yourself, like, hamming it up a little bit when you see people responding in kind?
[00:16:49] Speaker B: Chris is a true professional. Chris's performance stays the same.
[00:16:55] Speaker C: Yeah, I suppose that would be the right answer.
No. Well.
Well, yeah, like I was saying, like, I think the honesty is. Is key to humor. Like, if you're trying to be like, look at me. I'm so funny, like that immediately. I mean, at least for me, you know, that. That just takes an audience like, oh, okay, that person's trying way too hard. So I think, like, honesty and subtlety goes a long way to getting where you want to go. So hamming it up, if you will, is, you know, there's some times for those indulgences, but for the most part, it should be based in the honesty and the real joy, the real pain, the real uncertainty, you know, and the circumstances should be enough for the audience to lean in without you going way over the top.
But it is funny, like, for Olivia's characters, like, you know, like an actor playing an actor, you know, is a very funny scenario, you know, and. And there's a lot of.
There's a lot of inside jokes that go into that are in the script. You know, our playwright, you know, is an actor as well. And so there's a lot of sort of inside baseball theater humor that's there that I think anyone that goes to the theater will. Will understand. And.
But, yeah, no, try not to ham it up too hard, but let circumstances do the. Do the work for you.
[00:18:36] Speaker A: How about for you, Olivia? I mean, because I just want to say, too, I feel like I would 100% be that person that would have it up. Not on purpose. I would just be like, oh, this energy is so, you know, you just get so drawn into it. Olivia, how about for you? Do you ever find yourself kind of.
[00:18:49] Speaker B: Feeding off of that, especially with this role? She's very, like I said, like, performative. She's a performer, and so there's a lot of posing and just being very aware of the way that she's being perceived. And I think that's kind of the difference between especially Oliver and Margot is, like, he's just a person. He's a writer. He's very earnest. And while she has these more grounded qualities, at first glance, she's very much a ham. And so. But as an actor, I definitely find myself, you know, making choices in the room. Being like, this is gonna make this person laugh or whatever.
[00:19:38] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:19:39] Speaker B: And whether or not that ends up staying in the show is another story. But definitely. And that's the joy of having, you know, all these just, like, very, very funny people in a room. I feel like I've learned a lot about comedy, doing comedy with funny people and being like, okay, sure. So this is. I saw them make this choice, and that's gonna inform, you know, the way maybe I do this in the future, which is really fun.
[00:20:09] Speaker A: Awesome.
Chris, for you, is there anything specific you have to do to, like, get in the mindset of Oliver? Like, do you have, like, a process to becoming that character as you're kind of getting ready for rehearsals or you're doing, you know, you getting ready for the show?
[00:20:21] Speaker C: Sure.
Yeah. No, it's interesting. Like, you're saying, you know, Olivia's case, it's, you know, an actor playing an actor.
And in this one, like, Oliver, you know, for myself, like, Oliver is not an actor. You know, like, he is. He is not. He does not have that level of confidence or that sort of bravado. It's quite the opposite. And it's just a lot, you know. Earnest. Yeah. Is the main word.
So I think, like, what is helpful for me is, like I was saying earlier is I'm immediately brought back to, you know, days of puppy love and the.
The purity, the earnestness of those feelings and those vulnerabilities that existed during that, and that helps put me in the right headspace.
[00:21:20] Speaker A: Sure.
[00:21:21] Speaker C: He.
He is insecure, and he is also madly in love. And I find that that's pretty relatable. I think most people.
[00:21:35] Speaker A: That's universal. We all get that.
[00:21:38] Speaker C: So, yeah, I think in a lot of ways, as farcical as the show is, Oliver, in a lot of ways, is the quote, unquote, straight man in a lot of it.
And so erring on the side of restraint.
Sure.
And sort of inner panic is is sort of a comfort zone. But once again, as an actor, that's also relatable.
[00:22:13] Speaker A: Sure, sure.
[00:22:14] Speaker C: So that. That helps in that. In that regard. But yeah, that's what I would say. And it's wonderful to have the cast that we have because it is fun to sort of. He's sort of coddled throughout the show because he's in such a delicate place. Everyone's always like, very concerned with how he is. So it's fun to sort of, I don't know, be willing to feel like you're fainting into someone's arms all the time is sort of a fun feeling.
[00:22:45] Speaker A: And, you know, kind of playing the straight laced person in a farce is in of itself probably one of the most funniest things to see, like, from the audience perspective, you know, like somebody who's in this, like, world that's kind of exaggerated and doesn't know quite how to fit in.
[00:22:59] Speaker C: Yeah, that's certainly the hope. Yeah. Is.
Yeah. Because, you know, a world of trouble smacks him across the face and you gotta be honest in how that would feel. And hopefully that provides a bit of an anchor, you know, to the other chaos that's going on. For sure. But, yeah, but it is tempting though, because, boys, the show is really funny and you want to spin around just enough, you know, and not too bad.
[00:23:33] Speaker A: How about for you, Olivia? Is there anything specific you have to do to get in the mindset of Margot? Because it feels like she's a little, like you said, a little, little.
A little exaggerated, a little over the top like that. Yes.
[00:23:45] Speaker B: I mean, for me, just as an actor, I like to do some, like, grounding, breathing and definitely spend some time getting into my body. And I feel like that definitely will be the case with Margot up of just. There's a lot of posturing. And the way that she carries herself is just different than how, especially it being a period piece. Like I'm sitting here in this chair cross legged, just, you know, chatting. But that is not how, you know, Margot would carry herself. And so just really getting into my body and being able to. Yeah. Carry myself the way a 1940s Broadway star would carry herself.
Which isn't necessarily my, like, second nature.
Sure. But as far as, you know, like, character work.
Yeah. I think I'm still finding a little bit of, like, how I'm, you know, slipping into this world, which is, you know, part of what the rehearsal process is for.
[00:24:58] Speaker A: Absolutely.
[00:24:59] Speaker C: And the. Is so beautiful and the costumes are so beautiful too. That's really going to.
That's going to place us in such a. Such a. Sort of ritzy.
[00:25:10] Speaker B: It's going to elevate. We're adding the technical dynamics at the end of this week. And so that is always, for me, as an actor, a really exciting part of the process. I'm a huge lighting girl. Like, lighting really sends me to that world and helps me find that magic.
Not to say that, you know, I can't find the magic in the rehearsal room with the fluorescence, but it's. It's. It's just a totally. That is. That is the. You know, usually for me, like, the key that's like, oh, we're in a play or we're doing a show, like, sure. So I'm excited for that and that.
[00:25:49] Speaker A: And that really does elevate it. My. My Broadway partner in all of this, he grew up in the. The world of acting, and he, you know, he was Usher for a while and stuff for different places. And so he's much more of the technical. Like, I can just be wowed by the, like, what's happening on stage. And he's just like, you know, that lighting right there really was great, you know, and costumes are important, and, like, Meadowbrook always does a great job with sets and costumes to really tie that all together.
[00:26:13] Speaker C: Yeah, we just had our, like, second round of fittings yesterday. Oh, yeah.
Really, really, really snazzy. Really, really snazzy stuff.
[00:26:22] Speaker A: And something special.
[00:26:24] Speaker B: Definitely. Yeah, definitely.
[00:26:25] Speaker A: Absolutely.
[00:26:27] Speaker C: And, yeah, it was really fun to. Yeah. Because that's, like, the final layer of paint, you know, And I think the costumes really help indicate a lot about our characters.
[00:26:38] Speaker A: Sure.
[00:26:39] Speaker C: Some. Some characters are so fancy and so boisterous, and others are a lot more plain, a little more reserved. And sure, it'll. It'll reflect that, I think.
[00:26:49] Speaker A: And, you know, my day job is a psychologist, so it's one of those things that people in normal clothes, depending on what you wear, you become that person. You know, if you're more. Wearing a more reserved clothing, you're a little more reserved. If you're, you know, if you're wearing something a little more colorful. So that makes sense. It helps to build that character out for you.
[00:27:05] Speaker C: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.
[00:27:08] Speaker A: Final question for both of you before I let you go. I'm gonna start with you, Chris. What themes from the Angel Next Door seem to resonate with you the most?
[00:27:15] Speaker C: Oh, man.
Well, there is this wonderful monologue that is given about how the power of theater and how it can change people's lives, which could get you to roll your eyes, you know if you're a bit cynical, but I think anyone that works in the theater truly does believe that, or else we wouldn't be doing it. And I really love that. This play is a love letter to theater and people who love theater.
And it is a wonderful reminder of the power and necessity of escapism and raw humor and mirth and laughter and heartbreak and all of those things that in the midst of chaotic times, you cannot lose sight of, because that is just what makes us human. And, you know, like I said it, you know, certain people might go, oh, you know, sure, that's what everybody says. But I actually, I think, like, the power of comedy and farce to shake up whatever is going on in the world is really, really important.
And I connect with that. I love that. And to be part of entertainment for people who really need it, and we all desire it, I think need it more than we'd like to admit.
That really is a message in the play and of the play, and that is a really fun thing to be a part of, and it's an honor to be a part of. As silly as our jobs are and as silly as this play can be, like, ultimately, the bottom line is that we're there to entertain and to uplift. And, you know, if you get cynical about that, then, you know, why are you. Why are you doing it? You know, you have to.
And I think that's the message of the. Of the whole play, is the show must go on because there's joy to be found. And I think that's. That's the message of the play, and that's. That's a wonderful thing to do.
[00:29:44] Speaker A: So perfect. Olivia, what about for you? What. What themes resonate with you?
[00:29:49] Speaker B: I mean, I hate to be that girl, but Chris really hit the nail on the head.
[00:29:54] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:29:54] Speaker B: That. That monologue that's given by one of Oliver's mentors about changing people's lives through the power of theater. I mean, even with a silly, silly show like this, like, Chris is saying that escapism is so needed, especially, you know, in this current day.
And it doesn't matter the. Yeah. How serious or how heavy the material is. Like, you are giving people a chance to broaden their horizons, maybe interact with something that they wouldn't on their normal day to day, giving them a chance to laugh, giving them that chance to escape, which I think. Yeah. Like Chris is saying is really. The overarching theme of the show is really exciting and it's. And it's fun. It's really fun to be in a show that's sort of like, cheeky about it to the audience and very self aware.
Yeah, I think he really. I think he really nailed it. So.
[00:31:04] Speaker A: Perfect.
[00:31:05] Speaker C: Yeah. There is. To echo what she's saying, there is a lovely amount of self awareness that makes the whole thing much more palatable than if it was like, we are so serious.
[00:31:19] Speaker A: Sure. Absolutely.
[00:31:20] Speaker C: We're serious about being silly. And I think maybe that's the crux of the whole message.
[00:31:29] Speaker A: Well, thank you for all of that. Thank you for. Those were great answers. I know. Olivia, I'm sorry that Chris gave the perfect answer that I made you follow that up with that one. Chris just was like he had the perfect answer for it. No.
[00:31:40] Speaker C: Oh, boy. No.
It's whatever the coffee was telling me at the time.
[00:31:47] Speaker A: Well, I appreciate you both so much. Thank you for so much for your time.
[00:31:51] Speaker C: Thank you. Really appreciate it.
[00:31:53] Speaker A: The Angel Next door runs from February 12th through March 8th, so get your tickets from Meadowbrook Theater's website.
