Interview: Robert Cuccioli Is the Mysterious WHITE GUY ON THE BUS

WHITE GUY ON THE BUS, written by Bruce Graham, is not a feel-good play.

It's a think-good play.

Robert Cuccioli, known for his roles in JEKYLL & HYDE and SPIDERMAN TURN OFF THE DARK, plays Ray, a privilegEd White financier who has the perfect life on paper. A well-paying job in the financial sector; a loving wife, Roz (Jessica Bedford), who is an opinionated inner city teacher; and a beautiful home in the suburbs. It's ideal, until it's not.

Things turn in unexpected ways which will not be disclosed here. Suffice it to say the story raises the prickly subjects of race and economic disparity. "This is so important now," said Cuccioli, "We've gotten to a place where people are afraid to talk and communicate. Because of political correctness, they're afraid they'll say the wrong thing."

WHITE GUY ON THE BUS pushes people's buttons in this volatile time. "The past couple of years, there's been heightened stress going on with the races," Cuccioli said. "There's been a growing unrest in society. I watch the news all the time and people are always saying, 'We have to have a dialogue, a conversation.'

"That's what this play does-open people up to questioning things they take for granted," he said. "This play creates a conversation. I think people will want to talk about it after they see it. That will inspire healing."

Talk-backs after performances elicited frank discussion among audiences, like those in Delaware, where the play ran for six weeks. "We had them every night in Delaware and I would say a third to half of the audience stayed to participate.

"There weren't questions as much as observations," Cuccioli said. "People wanted to speak about their own experiences. It was so exciting to see. I love to hear what people want to say. These are very complicated characters. They make people think," he added.

"Ray is incredibly complex. I think the thing that is fascinating about him is that he believes it's human nature to have complicated feelings. The thing that flips him is provocative. That kernel in him ignites at a certain point in the play," Cuccioli said. Issues explored include crime, public education, revenge and the disenfranchised.

"I care about people, I'm a very compassionate guy but if something happened to a loved one, it's in me to lash out," Cuccioli said. "Ray is frustrated with his place and his job but he has everything. Everything money can buy, and he has a wonderful wife and good friends. It looks perfect.

"Even though everything in his life seems to be going his way, he wants something different beyond what he has," he added. Graham classifies his play as a revenge story, Cuccioli explained. "But of course it has major issues they're talking about. There's something epic about that emotion.

"It's very Shakespearean," he said. The plot hinges on the appearance of aspiring nurse Shatique (Danielle Leneé) as she enters Ray's life as a passenger on the public bus Ray takes for no apparent reason. "He makes discoveries about her family. He's trustworthy and willing to help, he feels like he's helping her. Of course this is all from his perspective. That's the key," Cuccioli said.

The dynamic topics in the play, directed by Bud Martin, drew Cuccioli to the role. "I love to play complex, challenging characters and do a play that was important. Plus I knew it was coming back to New York. Those three elements were important to me," he said. "I love Bruce's work and I knew Bud Martin so it was win-win."

The audiences in Delaware "were pretty much riveted," he said. "It was a different kind of venue, more of a theatrical space compared to 59's intimacy," he said. The off Broadway theater 59E59 is angled steeply toward the stage and the first row is inches away from the actors. "You're almost in each other's laps," he said, "we can see faces."

Cuccioli is a fierce arts advocate. "What really incenses me if the American government does not consider the arts as vital as other countries do," he added. "It's such a capitalistic society we live in and doesn't understand the value of investment in the arts. This is terrifying.

"The good thing is I think a lot more people are speaking out more. I throw my two cents out on social media." Cuccioli tackled another tough subject when he played the lead character in BIKEMAN: A 9/11 Play, about the experiences of a newsman who pedaled downtown on that tragic morning.

"People approach me with these kinds of plays and I've been fortunate."

Cuccioli doesn't consider LES MIS (he played Javert) or JEKYLL & HYDE purely entertainment musicals. "SPIDERMAN was pure entertainment but I have to say LES MIS and JEKYLL & HYDE touched people, and that's my goal as an artist," Cuccioli said.

"I want to make a difference and help make a change. Entertainment is all well and good and I enjoy that aspect of my nature and craft," he said. "But I gravitate towards plays that are stronger in that regard," he said.

"This play is kind of portrayed as a mystery. It unfolds as it goes along and then you discover the depth of the piece. It's one of the important plays at the right time," Cuccioli said. "It's something you should not miss."

White Guy on the Bus is playing at 59E59, on the Upper East Side at 59th Street and Madison Avenue.