Interview: Dan Lauria Talks Creative Madness in THE STONE WITCH, Joining THIS IS US, and More

Dan Lauria boasts an extensive career both on stage and off. Best known for his starring role as Jack Arnold on "The Wonder Years," Lauria has been seen on Broadway in LOMBARDI and A CHRISTMAS STORY. Now he's back on stage Off-Broadway in Shem Bitterman's The Stone Witch in the role of Simon Grindberg, an illustrious author who may have one more story left in him if the right people can coax it out.

Dan took a moment to speak with BroadwayWorld about his experience in The Stone Witch and his upcoming projects including a recurring role on the hit television series "This Is Us". Find out what he had to say below!

What drew you to The Stone Witch?

I've known the playwright for almost 25 years. When I got to "The Wonder Years" my mentor Charles Durning made me produce a couple of plays, but then we ran a reading series where every Monday night we read a new play to help writers get literary agents. We did almost 500 public readings out in LA. Shem was one of those writers we read. I actually directed the first thing he wrote, SELF STORAGE with Ron Perlman and Joe Pantoliano. There was a workshop of The Stone Witch last summer up in the Berkshires with my good friend Judd Hirsch and because of his series he couldn't do it and said "why don't you do it?" I said sure.

How do you connect to the character of Simon who is in some ways larger than life?

It's always in the writing, which in this play is really about the fine line between creative madness and creative genius. This is one of those parts you can't do halfway. You either have to go all out or just not do it.

How do you think people relate to the story?

It appeals to people that are creative, they understand it. Shem could have made it a little clearer in places, but at one point he just said I don't want to make it too clear. I want the audience to walk out and talk about. So we do have the play to where the playwright wanted it. I had some football players come in and what they essentially said was 'what the hell was that?' Then I had some actor friends like Wendie Malick and Judith Light and they just loved it. I think everybody secretly wants to be creative but they don't get the chance to go out and exercise it. I think there's a little creative madness in everybody.

What is The Stone Witch's role in the play?

This is the big thing that was done in the rewrite. In the Berkshires, The Stone Witch is the idea in the young man's mind, and it sparks something in Simon, and he helps create The Stone Witch for the kid so he ends up with a better book than he came in with. What we've added to it is the kid gives Simon an idea, The Honey Trees, because for twelve years he's been trying to write this book about Bella and let's face it, my character could write anything and they'll publish it. He wants it to be perfect. All these years he struggled and who gives him the idea? This young kid. So he has to help him create The Stone Witch before he can go on and create Bella and the Honey Trees. It facilitates writers sharing ideas.

What I love is the real winner in the story is Clair, played by Carolyn McCormick. You women, you always come out on top! She gets two great books. Meanwhile, the young man not only gets a good book but he also gets Simon's estate. Not only is he going to be a great writer, he's taking on the madness.

After a career in television, film, and theatre, what really sets theatre apart for you?

Television and the movies have changed so much that you really don't get a chance to act anymore because of editing. The longest take in "Argo" is 27 seconds and it won best picture. It's one talking head after another. When I started we did 2-3 minute scenes on television shows without a cut. If you really want to act, you have to go back to the theatre. This is my 63rd play. Acting on television with kids who say one line at a time and then cut and say 'can I say that line again?', I can't stand that, it takes all the fun out of acting. Some of the best things you'll ever do on camera are mistakes, things that come from long takes with no cuts.

You recently joined the critically acclaimed series "This Is Us". What has that experience been like?

Wendie Malick and I are playing Toby's parents. There's DAN FOGELMAN, who I think is the best writer on television, he wrote the show I was on last year, "Pitch". Wendie is my dearest friend, so we're really looking forward to it. Plus Toby, Chris Sullivan, was in LOMBARDI with me for a year. It's been a really easy transition. Wendie and I have been around for a while, so there isn't a set we don't go on where we don't know some of the crew, some of the actors.

How has the industry changed in terms of family shows? How do "The Wonder Years" compare to "This Is Us?"

I think if there are any two shows that are similar it's "The Wonder Years" and "This Is Us" because the writing is so good. As far as regular television, there's nothing compared to some of the shows like "The Wonder Years". But I have seen some really fine work on cable.

I've been pushing my friends that what we really need is a female run Production Company that only makes movies about female heroes. I don't mean heroes like Wonder Woman, I mean real heroes like Dr. Mary Edwards Walker. She's the only woman who received the medal of honor. A lot of people don't think Lincoln would have signed the Emancipation Proclamation when he did if it wasn't for her. We've been pushing for that for years. We need good women writers, good women producers and directors, to make movies about women heroes.

Tell us more about your working relationship with Wendie Malick and your projects together.

THE GUYS is a play written by Ann Nelson and it's about the firemen who died on 9/11. It's a true story. A fireman had to do eight eulogies for the men he lost. He wasn't a writer, so he was put with Ann. The play is about the night they wrote those eulogies together. Everyone reads it like LOVE LETTERS, whereas Wendie Malick and I are the only ones who do it off-book. At every performance a certain number of seats and a certain amount of money has to go to the local fire department, first responders.

Then we also do LOVE LETTERS a lot. We do it at theatres to help raise money for programs to read new plays. We also do a lot of charity performances. Wendie is very much involved with animals so we raise money for that cause, and I'm very much involved with veterans so we do it for that and Big Brother too.

I've been so fortunate, Wendie is the best. You mention Wendie and everyone laughs. She's one of the few people to have three successful sitcoms in three different decades, but I do dramatic plays with her, and everyone I work with always says they can't believe what a great dramatic actress she is. That's why DAN FOGELMAN wanted her on "This Is Us". People in the business know what a fine actress she is.

What's coming up next for you?

I'm doing LOVE LETTERS a couple times with Wendie, THE GUYS as well, and "This Is Us". I have an audition for a Clint Eastwood film in June so that would be nice. I'm one of the lucky ones. I'm not a star, but I'm one of those character guys who just keeps working. It pays at regional theatres, but it's still tough for us to get an audience for a new Off-Broadway play. Just look at how many original non-musicals are on Broadway. I can't think of any. Yet they'll do ICEMAN COMETH again, THREE TALL WOMEN, all these old revivals and they are certainly great and have great casts. But I don't know why all these big names want to keep doing these old plays when they could spark a new writer. I've always said I don't want to do David Mamet's next play, I want to do the next David Mamet's play. I only do new plays. I want to be the one who kicks off a new writer. We have to put the same energy into the new that we put into the old.

The Stone Witch is now playing at The Westside Theatre until April 29th. For tickets, visit: www.telecharge.com.

Photo Credit: Russ Rowland