Interview: Marcia Cross' The Substance in THE SUBSTANCE OF FIRE

Currently at the Ruskin Group Theatre, Jon Robin Baitz’s The Substance of Fire which opened last week.

Mike Reilly directs the cast of Rob Morrow and Marcia Cross with Emmitt Butler, Fiona Dorn and Barret T. Lewis. Marcia most genially made time to answer a few of my queries.

Thank you for taking the time for this interview, Marcia!

What initially attracted you to take part in The Substance of Fire?

I was asked by John Ruskin to do a reading of The Substance of Fire and found it heartbreakingly relevant and so beautifully written. The generational trauma and its fall out is excruciating to watch and yet by its end, we are left with hope. I feel so deeply at this moment in history, and with all that is happening around the world, that we need to heal the past and move with hope into the future. I was thrilled when the Ruskin Group Theatre decided to produce it.

In terms of good personality qualities and character flaws, how would you describe your character, Marge Hackett?

I love the character of Marge Hackett because she is a woman who has endured tragedy and has had to reclaim and rebuild her life from scratch to survive. It’s always interesting playing complex women and she is all that and more. And then to pair her with the equally complex Isaac Geldhart, it is just genius writing. 

What would your three-line pitch be for The Substance of Fire?

A man tries to atone for survivors’ guilt and his childhood trauma from the Holocaust by creating a successful niche publication company. 

He passes on his unresolved trauma to his three now adult children and is on the path to dying alone, estranged from all of them.  

A mystery woman enters from his past and he finally shares his deep pain and grief with her opening the door to the possibility of a future of more connection and love with all of those in his life. 

Have you worked with any of this show’s cast or creatives before?

I have never worked with anyone in the cast before though I have known Rob Morrow socially for many years. He is a diligent and passionate actor and working together is pure artistic bliss. 

Had you seen Jon Robin Baitz’ 1996 screen adaptation of The Substance of Fire?

No, but I have since watched it and my character is not in it. Obviously I prefer the play version!  

Are you familiar with Jon Robin Baitz other stage works?

I was familiar with Jon Robin Baitz’s play The Three Hotels. Richard Jordan performed it with Kate Nelligan for American Playhouse.

You’ve done plays Off-Broadway, Williamstown, Hartford and the Old Globe. Is this your first time on the Los Angeles stage?

The last and only time I have done a play in Los Angeles was in the late 80’s at The Tiffany Theatre.  It was called “My Daddy’s Serious American Gift” by John Ford Noonan and starred the late Richard Jordan. That was a defining event in the course of my life. 

You’ve had a very successful career in television and film. How do you like or compare the pace of a stage play versus TV or film?

Working on this play was so joyful because there was time to deeply explore character, relationships, place, history etc. and the play continues to grow through every performance. On TV, the pace is fast, often incredibly fast and it can be frustrating to have to “get it” in a couple of takes having often only a short amount of time to prepare. This work feels more like an oil painting. Detail, depth and specificity are there, and yet spontaneity in the moment to moment of performance is fresh every time. 

If financial compensation were not a factor, in which field of entertainment would you focus your talents: television, film, or stage?

I feel so fortunate that I am able to do theatre now for two reasons. The first being the age of my children and the second that I can afford to do it! In my early days in Los Angeles, I had a wonderful acting teacher named Roy London who told me I should play all the great leading ladies of the theatre. Maybe I am finally coming around to that now. It certainly does and would continue to bring me deep fulfillment. It’s not that I don’t love TV and film, I just feel less burdened by having to prove that I am not one of the iconic characters I have played. 

The days of proving are over. And it’s a beautiful and freeing place to be. 

What else is in the near future for Marcia Cross?

Next up is a movie with the brilliant Susan Sarandon and William H. Macy. 

It is about a subject that is deeply important to me, and I am honored to be a part of it. 

Thank you again, Marcia! I look forward to meeting your Marge.

For The Substance of Fire tickets through September 1, 2024: click on the button below:

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