ACTOR IN THE SPOTLIGHT: A candid interview with actor, Nick Culp.
Nick Culp plays the role of Greg in Neil Labute's, Reasons to be Pretty at the Carolina Actor's Studio Theatre (also, known as C.A.S.T.). Mr. Culp has been seen in several productions in the Charlotte Theatre community such as, Barnaby Tucker (HELLO, DOLLY!), Huck Finn (BIG RIVER, MTA nomination), Sir Robin (SPAMALOT, MTA nomination), Joe Farkas (THE LAST NIGHT OF BALLYHOO) and Moritz (SPRING AWAKENING). He is making his debut as C.A.S.T. with his incredible performance in RTBP.
* Greatest challenges you faced while performing/exploring your character of Greg:
In the last few years, I've had several similar roles that have sort of boxed me into a corner. I tend to be cast as the awkward, dorky sidekick who serves as comedic relief. Don't get me wrong, I love those roles, but I developed a lot of habits in doing those roles that didn't serve me well as Greg. Breaking those habits was the most challenging thing I faced when exploring the character. Greg has a different "pulse" than mine. He carries himself differently, he talks slower and in a lower register and his center is different from mine. So, before we even began focusing on the blocking, I had to work on Greg's movement and voice. Tommy, our director, worked with me on walking with my head as my center, followed by my chest, then my pelvis, then my knees. We found Greg's center in his pelvis, so that's where it is today. Granted, I don't walk around like I'm a bow-legged cowboy. I guess that's the most exaggerated version of walking with your pelvis. But finding his center definitely helped inform everything else.
*The Ah-HAH! moment when you knew you had found the character:
The rehearsals where I decide to let go and get out of my own way are my "ah-hah" moments. I'm not sure if I've even had that BIG moment yet though. There are little things that click every day, of course, but nothing really stands out as a big turning point. That may be sad to some, but I think that's actually a good thing and pretty exciting. I'm still finding this guy every day. It's like this eternal chase where I'm constantly uncovering new things from which to pull.
* Advantages and Disadvantages you faced during the studio rehearsal processes of 12 weeks:
Honestly, I needed all the time I could get to work on this show. I've never played a role like this and getting to work on it for so long was beneficial. There were so many different facets to explore and experiment with, so having 12 weeks was nice in that way. It has been 12 weeks, but many of those were not full weeks of rehearsal. The closest thing to a disadvantage was having no audience for so long. Say what you will but the audience completely changes the energy and pace of a show. Our first preview was a turning point in our journey because there was a fresh and exciting energy exchange that you don't get from rehearsal. There's a certain immediacy to having an audience.
* Any nightly rituals you have before you perform for the audience?
I check my props, I get into costume, I run all of my fight calls with the rest of the cast, I read over my director's notes/fixes from the previous run and I always run the opening scene with my onstage girlfriend (actually, more like my ex-girlfriend) Elizabeth Byland. It's probably the hardest scene for us because it's basically a 10 minute argument complete with a screaming match and the lines get crazy with all of the overlapping. Going over it helps get us into the right mindset to start the show. Finally, the four of us in the cast, head to the dance hall to warm up. For about 10-15 minutes, we stretch, do some breathing exercises, loosen our jaws and tongues, do some tongue twisters, pass the pulse, etc. Janel, the assistant stage manager, calls places and I usually go into a corner backstage, close my eyes and just breathe. Before I know it, it's time to start the show. And the rest is like a blurred roller coaster ride.
*How do you handle a good or bad review? How do you handle the performance setting when you are certain that a reviewer or three is in the house that night?
I would be lying if I said a review (whether good or bad) didn't affect me personally. You put all of this time and energy into a single performance. You want it to be received well. However, a critic's review is just one opinion in a sea of many. There will be people who agree and disagree - that's life. When I read a review, I consider what exactly the critic is reviewing. For example, one of our reviews for RTBP was essentially a list of problems that the critic had with the show itself. These were things that we as a cast and production crew had absolutely no control over. We received a great review from Creative Loafing. It spent time talking about the show itself and our unique production of it. Knowing that three critics are in the audience at the same time (yes, that happened last Friday night, our second performance) is a little daunting, especially when one is sitting on the front row, but I can't think about stuff like that. All I can do is walk onstage at the top of the show and start my character's journey. I'm stealing this from a college theater professor of mine, but he used to say "Don't be seduced or reduced by the audience." At the end of the day, I feel the same way about critics.
* When it comes to the realism of LaBute's writing, do you find that it comes to you naturally or do you have to work hard to find his signature tempo and pacing of each scene?
I actually had to work on finding his tempo. As I said before, my talking pace is different from my character so it took some time for that to sink in. For two weeks, we did active listening exercises for each scene that helped me and my scene partners find the right pace. There's so much dialogue overlap in the script that it was important for us to maintain that while also listening to the other actor before responding. It's a fine line that we have to balance every night and I'm still learning to actively listen and respond. Like finding the character, it is a never-ending process.
7. What type of theatre do you prefer to perform?..i.e. musicals, dance, comedies, etc and why? I will always go back to musical theater. Those are my roots. The main reason that this is my preference is because of my love for singing. I live for a great big Broadway production number that's over the top and let's you explore the most exaggerated form of reality. But I will say that I'm developing a serious love for dramatic plays. The characters seem to be more well-rounded than those found in the musicals I've done. I also think that plays do a better job of making you think than most musicals. I hope to do more plays in the near future.
* What is the one role that you absolutely must perform?
I can only pick one?! I'm going to be really cliché and say Jean Valjean in Les Mis.
*** Lightning Round of Fun Facts:
Hometown- Concord, NC
Favorite Candybar- Twix
If you could be an ice cream flavor, which would you be? Neapolitan (a little bit of everything)
Tell us one thing that is on your bucketlist? Be in every Sondheim musical. So far, I've done 4.
Advice you would give to another actor that is attempting this play or any other Neil LaBute play. -- Know your lines verbatim. They're pretty perfect. Also, figure out the subtext. It's usually more important than what's actually being said.
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