Richard Short Shares Favorite Backstage Moments in THE HILLS OF CALIFORNIA

We all know how much hard work goes into the performances that audiences see eight times a week on Broadway. When they're not giving it their all onstage, most performers are backstage doing what it takes to stay happy, healthy, and ready to go between scenes. In Words From The Wings, BroadwayWorld is taking fans behind the curtain to shine a spotlight on the everyday routines that keep Broadway stars moving. 

In this edition, we catch up with Richard Short, who plays Bill/Mr. Halliwell in The Hills of California. Below, he takes us backstage at the Broadhurst Theatre (with photos by BroadwayWorld's Jennifer Broski) to share some of his backstage routines, must-haves, and more.

What’s the first thing you do when you arrive to the theatre?

First thing I do upon arrival each day is head on up to the Green Room and make myself a cup of tea. Lemon & Ginger, something else herbal or what I’d call a ‘normal cuppa’ (English Black Tea). Then I root around for any sweet treats that any of our Producers may have left us. Our company are enormously grateful for the occasional box of cookies…

What’s the last thing you do before you go on stage?

The very last thing I do before I go onstage is a speed run of my dialogue. Quietly, to myself. Just to refocus. I do it in the wings as I’m listening to the preceding scene in order to tune myself into this particular play. Tonally, it’s vital as any Jez (Butterworth) script may have each character making sporadic, drawn out entrances through the night. So, I’ve found that paying attention to the complexities of this particular piece remains an important part of the job. 

What’s your must-have backstage snack?

Backstage, in a play that runs almost three hours, you can only imagine how important a good snack is. To that end, anything chocolate (particularly British chocolate) works perfectly. However, in NYC the salt & vinegar nut varieties are exceptional (almonds, pistachios) and slightly kinder on the waistline. And I’ve already mentioned the importance of a well-timed cookie…

Pre-show ritual that others may think is weird?

Pre-show, after I’ve attended our nightly ‘parish notes’ session, wherein we dedicate our shows to various others and take the chance to say hello to one another, I spend time covering my tattoos with makeup (as our play situates me in the 1950’s and 1970’s) which is quite common practice for actors nowadays. But then, for The Hills of California, I drown myself in Brut aftershave. A classic of its time and now (thankfully) cheap as chips. Anyone backstage will tell you, I absolutely stink of the stuff. Or rather, “Bill” does. 

What are five must-haves in your dressing room?

In my dressing room, I need lenses cleaner for my spectacles (the pair I wear onstage are fitted with my own prescription), a set of darts (with which to routinely beat my colleagues), a couple of ‘James Brown’ dolls (don’t ask) and there’s at least three or four very good bottles of whiskey.

What’s your favorite moment from the show to watch from the wings?

Our show is absolutely filled with stunning performances from what is an incredibly strong ensemble of actors. I could watch any moment in the play but don’t ever watch ‘from the wings’ specifically. There are a couple of sightlines that could prove distracting for those onstage if any of us were loitering there so we tend to steer clear for the sake of one another’s concentration. That being said, I do see Laura’s stunning, wordless, moment of hope/possibility/fear at the end of Act 2 every night, as I’m about to enter in the following blackout. That’s a perfect example of a colleague handing over the baton and saying “THAT’S what’s needed on this field of play so get your head on and deliver the very best you can”. It’s an honor to share a stage with such an actor, or indeed this whole acting company. 

What has been your favorite backstage moment in your time with this show so far?

The favorite moment backstage so far has been a rather obvious one I’m afraid. The sheer ‘release’ of my final scene in Act 3 on Opening Night. I walk offstage up a rather long flight of stairs, alone and in full view of the audience, which leads to a very high, suspended walkway in ‘the grid’ above. Outside of that is my dressing room. On Opening Night, I was being waited for by some of the other actors who handed me a cold beer as soon as I was out of view. We’d all been building to this moment for such a long time and the pressure can be a lot as Opening Night draws ever closer. Sharing that pressure with one another as a team, particularly as Sam Mendes, Zoé Ford Burnett, Jez Butterworth and Sonia Friedman were all still with us daily at that point, was a beautiful, collective exhale. Our play is a complex, very different piece than audiences may expect it to be. It asks a lot of the viewer but gives so much in return. It also asks a lot of those responsible for crafting it but the relief of knowing you’re helping to offer a truly special piece of art is joyous. I’m incredibly grateful to be a part of this entire cast and crew. 

About Richard Short

Richard Short touts an impressive career spanning film, television and theatre. Credits include starring alongside Denzel Washington in The Tragedy of Macbeth, being nominated Best Lead Actor in “Mary Kills People” (TV)and originating the role of Richard Burton in Cleo. Currently Co-Writer/Producer of Two Of Us - A Play (UK).

About The Hills of California

Following their triumphant production of The Ferryman, Tony®-winning Playwright Jez Butterworth and Oscar and Tony-winning Director Sam Mendes reunite for The Hills of California.

In the sweltering heat of a 1970s summer, the Webb sisters return to their childhood home in Blackpool, an English seaside town, where their mother Veronica lies dying upstairs. Gloria and Ruby now have families of their own. Jill never left. And Joan? No one’s heard from her in twenty years… but Jill insists that their mother’s favorite won’t let them down this time.

The run-down Sea View Guest House is haunted by bittersweet memories of amusement park rides and overdue bills. Back in the 1950s, each night the girls rehearse their singing act, managed by their fiercely loving single mom. But when a record producer offers a shot at fame and a chance to escape, it will cost them all dearly.