Interview: Penny Paul of THIRD at Nutley Little Theatre

Nutley Little Theatre Veteran Penny Paul has returned to the stage as Professor Laurie Jameson in Wendy Wasserstein's THIRD, directed by Brendan Stackhouse. I had the pleasure of interviewing her.

What was your earliest interest in the performing arts?

Growing up in Manhattan with theater-loving parents, I was fortunate to go to Broadway often (before tickets cost hundreds of dollars). I was passionate about theater as a child: I wrote and starred in an original show based on Egyptian Queen Hatshepsut in fourth grade! In addition to acting in and directing numerous productions at my alma mater Yale, my background includes doing years of summer stock on Long Island (shout out to Gateway Playhouse, still thriving!).: we would put together a full production in a matter of days, and perform a wide range of genres in repertory, from Children's Theater to Broadway musicals to experimental black box shows. I learned the importance of teamwork and collaboration, how to improvise when necessary, and how you have to leave your ego at the door. One day you are the star, the next day you are sweeping the floors! These lessons have served me well, both in theater and in "real life."

Tell us about your history at NLT.

I moved to New Jersey in 1998. Having grown up in New York City, I had no idea that one could continue acting without being on Broadway, so I was thrilled to learn of all the opportunities to perform in community theater. My first show at NLT was a farce by Van Zandt and Milmore, "Drop Dead," where I spent a lot of time running around in a corset and fishnets and where I made lifelong friends and fell in love with this small yet vibrant organization. Since then, I've acted in countless shows at NLT and other New Jersey theaters. At NLT, my favorite roles have been Tibby in "Regrets Only," Felicia in "I Hate Hamlet," Alexa in "As Bees in Honey Drown," Anna in "Burn This," and Mabel in "Most Fabulous Story Ever Told." Since 2004 I have directed ten shows at NLT, including "The Laramie Project," "The Altruists," "Fuddy Meers," "The Tempest," "Cripple of Inishmaan," "Lobby Hero," "Almost Maine," "Fox on the Fairway," "Proof," and "Shows for Days." I've run lights and sound, chaired the publicity committee for years, and even served as President!

Tell us about your character in THIRD.

In "Third," I play Professor Laurie Jameson, who teaches Shakespeare at an elite New England college. She is highly confident in her iconoclastic take on the classics until she meets Woodson Bull the Third, a young student who challenges her perspectives on literature and on life in general. Laurie is at a stage in life where she has reached what she considers professional success, but she is at odds with everyone around her- including her daughter, her father, and her best friend. She is struggling with what she sees as socio political disaster all around her as well as defining her own place in the world.

We'd love to know about your co-stars and the creative team.

Director Brendan Stackhouse https://www.brendanstackhouse.com/ is a young dynamo: this is his first show at Nutley, but he is directing dramas and musicals all over the tri state area and has even worked on Broadway. We have a multigenerational team, including NLT veteran Jim Simpson whom I directed as Prospero in "The Tempest," and Rachelle Rennagle, who starred in NLT's most recent production "I Ought to Be in Pictures,". Rachelle and I are both lawyers and moms who love acting in the little free time we have. There are also new faces who bring fresh energy and ideas to the theater, and whom I hope will return for future productions (unless they become big stars, which I expect they may): NYC residents Alex Ward as my nemesis Third and Jillian Mauro as my daughter.

What do you want audiences to take away from this show?

I hope audiences will appreciate Wendy Wasserstein's sparkling dialogue, which is fast paced and thought provoking while at the same time being both funny and poignant. The show deals with intellectual themes like academic integrity and defying cultural and political norms; however, it also hits many universal themes, like growing older, letting your kids go, and accepting the fact that you don't know everything, nor can you control everything! I think people of all ages will see someone in the show with whom they identify, a situation that they have been in, or a challenge they have faced, whether it is being unjustly accused, realizing your parents' shortcomings, or reconsidering one's career choices. I also think the show's references to the political climate in which it was written- during the Gulf War- will resonate today in light of the many societal issues we are all still wrestling with.

His name is Woodson Bull III, but you can call him "Third." And Professor Laurie Jameson is disinclined to like his jockish, jingoistic attitude. He is, as she puts it, "a walking red state." Believing that Third's sophisticated essay on King Lear could not possibly have been written by such a specimen, Professor Jameson reports his plagiarism to the college's Committee of Academic Standards. But is Jameson's accusation justified? Or is she casting Third as the villain in her own struggle with her relationships, her age and the increasingly polarized political environment?

The cast includes:

LAURIE: Penny Paul

THIRD: Alex Ward

EMILY: Jillian Mauro

NANCY: Rachelle Rennagel

JACK: Jim Simpson

Performances are October 28, 29, November 4, 5, 10, 11, 12 at 8:00 PM and October 30, November 6, and November 12 at 2:00 PM

Nutley Little Theatre is located at 47 Erie Place in Nutley New Jersey.

To buy tickets ahead of time, please visit: https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/66794

For more information, please visit NutleyLittleTheatre.com or follow them on Facebook: @NutleyLittleTheatre and Instagram: @NutleyLittleTheatreNJ

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Penny Paul

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