An Interview with Matthew Arkin

Actor Matthew Arkin made his Broadway debut as Lucas in Neil Simon's Laughter on the 23rd Floor.  He recently completed shooting a role in the new untitled Noah Baumbach project with Nicole Kidman, Jack Black and Jennifer Jason Leigh.  In addition, Arkin also finished a guest spot on the "Law and Order: SVU," which is scheduled to air this fall.

Arkin can currently be seen in Indian Blood at Primary Stages, which opened on Wednesday.  The cast also features Jeremy Blackman, Jack Gilpin, Rebecca Luker, Katherine McGrath, John McMartin, Charles Socarides, and Pamela Payton-Wright.  Right before the show opened, Arkin and I spoke about the production and what's to come.

Nick Orlando: Matthew, you were featured in two Neil Simon productions.  What do you like about his work? 

Matthew Arkin: He's a master at setting up a joke, and at pulling the humor out of universal and easily accessible situations, so that everyone can relate to them.  At the same time, I think that his work shows a lot of heart and depth, so we laugh and we learn about ourselves, which to me is the best of both worlds.

Nick Orlando: Both of the Neil Simon productions were revivals.  Tell us about that. 

Matthew Arkin: Working on the revival of The Sunshine Boys was really a trip, though, because my father directed the original, and I was hanging around a lot at the time.  I would have these weird déjà vu experiences during rehearsal, because we'd be trying to work out a moment, Jack [Klugman] and Tony [Randall] and John [Tillinger] and I, and I'd start remembering the first time it was being worked on by my dad with Jack Albertson and Sam Levine.  The other thing that was really great was that I got to follow in the footsteps of one of my comic idols, Lewis J. Stadlen, who had originated the role in my father's production, and who I had the privilege of making my Broadway debut with the night I ended up going on in Laughter.

Nick Orlando: You have worked on a few television shows.  Which was the most challenging? 

Matthew Arkin: The most challenging television experience I have had, and the most rewarding, was a pilot called "Copshop" that was written by David Black and produced and directed for PBS by my friend Joe Cacaci, a wonderful writer in his own right.Also in the cast were Richard Dryfuss, Jay Thomas and Blair Brown, as well as a bunch of other terrific New York actors.  It was an hour long, and we rehearsed the whole thing for two weeks, beginning to end, with about 14 principals and 20 extras, and then we shot the whole thing in one take, with three cameras.  A lot of pressure, but it made for a great show, very real, very immediate.

Nick Orlando: Any bad or unusual experiences?  If so, explain. 

Matthew Arkin: The only bad experiences have been ones that have involved my own mistakes, either from lack of maturity or experience, or too much ego, and those I hope I'm learning from.  Anything that other people might throw in your path that might, at the time, seem like a stumbling block is really just an opportunity to stretch and to grow.

Nick Orlando: Next up, you will be featured in Indian Blood, which opened on Wednesday.  Describe the rehearsal process. 

Matthew Arkin:The rehearsal process for Indian Blood differed from a lot of shows that I've been involved in because it's a very stylized show, with very minimal set and no props, so there's a lot of mime and physical work to establish the reality for the audience.  There were also a lot of actors on a very small stage, so Mark Lamos had to be very meticulous in how he staged us.  There wasn't the kind of opportunity to explore a lot of blocking choices, as there might be if there are only two or three actors in a scene.  In spite of that, Mark was able to generate a real feeling of freedom within the necessary confines of the situation.  He did a really beautiful job.

Nick Orlando: Matthew, how did you become involved? 

Matthew Arkin: Through normal channels.  I got a call from my agent that they wanted me to come in and audition, which I was more than happy to do to have the opportunity to work with Mark on a new piece by Pete Gurney.  The casting director, Stephanie Klapper, has used me to good advantage before.  She cast Dinner with Friends.

Nick Orlando: Have you worked with any of the cast or production team in the past? 

Matthew Arkin: The only person on the team I had worked with before is our stage manager, Fred Orner, who was stage manager on Laughter.

Nick Orlando: Matthew, now it's time for something I call "Three with Nick."  I am going to ask you three questions, tell me the first thing that comes to mind. 

Favorite thing about New York: The food.  Every cuisine in the world is represented, and I think we get the best of all of it.

Favorite Broadway show: Angels in America, Proof, and anything I might be in at the moment.

Favorite artist: That's an easy one, James Taylor.

Nick Orlando: What else are you working on?

Matthew Arkin: Next up is a comedy, Losing Louie, by Simon Mendes da Costa, which was a big hit in London on the West End.  It's going to be directed by Jerry Zaks for MTC at the Biltmore, with Mark Linn-Baker, Patricia Kalember, Michelle Pawk and Scott Cohen.

Indian Blood is playing at Primary Stages.  Tickets are $60 and are available now at the 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues) box office, through Ticket Central online at www.ticketcentral.com or by calling (212) 279-4200.The limited engagement continues through Saturday evening, September 2nd.  For more information on Arkin, visit MatthewArkin.com.