BWW Interviews: Actor/Director Doug Zschiegner

Buffalo, New York's Doug Zschiegner recently took some time out to discuss acting, directing and his next project.

MCL: You are a prolific actor and director in this area. Talk about some of the work you have done in and out of the Buffalo, NY.

DZ: The first third of my career was doing the actor thing in NYC and around the country...National Shakespeare Conservatory...MFA from the Professional Theatre Program at U of Delaware...lots of Shakespeare festivals. I landed at Mill Mountain Theatre, an Equity company in Roanoke, VA, and shifted gears, directing 30 shows in 8 years. 10 years ago I shifted again, this time to teaching and directing, and have been Associate Director at the ambitious Niagara University Theatre for almost 8 years. Buffalo lured me back to acting (I kept my Equity card, even though I "quit" acting 10 years before) including Atticus Finch in Studio Arena's last hurrah, Brutus with Shakespeare in Delaware Park, and Jack in David Mamet's Race at Road Less Traveled. I directed at the Kavinoky for a few years and helmed two premiers at Road Less Traveled. I'm currently enjoying focusing on teaching and directing at NU.

MCL: How did you start in theater? How old? Where?

DZ: In my eighth grade yearbook I wrote that I wanted to be an actor (mildly scandalous in a farm town in Southern Illinois).

MCL: First role you played where you really felt like an actor?

DZ: Playing the lead in Fifth of July off-off Broadway in New York was the first time I didn't feel like I had to hide behind a broad character. And he was a bilateral amputee, so I had to sit still the whole time. A little scary but very freeing.

MCL: One acting role you wanted?

DZ: I did both Prospero & King Lear in grad school (!). I guess I should revisit them when I get closer to the right age (day after tomorrow).

MCL: One piece you want to direct?

DZ: Sorry, not just one. I usually want to tackle most of what I see and read. I've focused on plays with distinct language styles, but I love not having to narrow it down to a genre.

MCL: Any directing role models or mentors?

DZ: Mike Nichols combined intelligence and humor like no other. Pam McKinnon and David Cromer both seem to do no wrong lately. And I aspire to the level of insightful, constructive criticism that Derek Campbell seems to dispense effortlessly.

MCL: Do you prefer acting or directing?

DZ: Directing and teaching are hands down more satisfying at this point in my life. Admittedly I went into acting to hide from things I didn't like about myself, but it soon became clear that acting was about being MORE myself. Ultimately, the self-consciousness got frustrating. Worrying about someone else as a director and teacher is far more exciting and challenging.

MCL: How often have you directed yourself? Difficult?

DZ: Never tried it officially. I think as an actor I was always watching and directing myself and that wasn't helpful.

MCL: What's the current project you're working on that has you excited?

DZ: After dabbling in most every position in the theatre, I'm in a new role: writer/adapter. This summer, I took Edmond Rostand's classic Cyrano De Bergerac, researched the playwright, collected 22 existing English translations, and then wrote my own - with all the genders reversed. The initial impulse came out of frustration with the lack of classical roles for women, but there is a lot of resonance in creating a world where women are the dominant gender (not just "playing" men). The real payoff is watching actresses spread their wings in characters with the depth and range reserved for men in classics. I'm directing CyranA now at Niagara U and it's a fascinating process speculating on which behaviors women developed to please men. The men then take on the role of peacocking to get women's attention. I tried not to change the character's behaviors ("oh, a woman wouldn't do that") so the result is an experiment in what a 19th century man's idea of a 17th century man is like as interpreted by a 21st century woman.

Besides the gender issues, the big challenge in the adaptation was identifying Rostand's original intention - without reading French - and making decisions on the use of verse. The original is all in Alexandrine rhyming couplets. 12 beats per line feels awkward in English mouths and texts that rhyme throughout (David Ives and Richard Wilbur adaptations, La Bette, etc) are notoriously difficult to sustain. So I took my cue from Shakespeare and switched between rhymed Iambic Pentameter and slightly elevated prose. Rostand used a lot of literary references, so I sprinkled mine with Shakespeare, classical myths, and a few anachronisms. A juicy new challenge for me. Whether my dialogue ultimately works or not, the story is extraordinary, and the educational experience for the students has been significant.

MCL: What's the play's storyline?

DZ: Classic: someone with remarkable drive, intelligence, idealism, literary skill, military skill and true panache - is terrified of love because of their enormous nose. How much will you do to uphold your ideas?

MCL: What's your "character?" Is it a difficult role to play?

DZ: Adapting when I knew I'd be directing was very empowering. Directing what I wrote is less so... Mostly been just worried about getting it on its feet.

MCL: Why should people see this show?

DZ: A glorious story - fun, epic, accessible, romantic, and tragic - but told in a fresh way. CyranA, March 26 - 31 (yes, Monday & Tuesday evening performances). theatre@niagara.edu

MCL: Finally, promote yourself. What are some of the things coming up for you this year?

DZ: I'm looking forward to sleeping again some time soon... Then waking up and trying to make better careers and lives for our students.

To know more about Doug Zschiegner

https://www.niagara.edu/theatre-faculty/faculty/132

http://nyevents.us/lewiston-cyrana-by-edmond-rostand-adapted-by-doug-zschiegner/57074

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