BWW Interviews: Phil Perry, A Life in the Theatre

Phil Perry is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet - and one of the hardest working actors on the Nashville stage. He's one of those people who moves from show to another with ease, delighting his audiences with his performances and impressing directors and producers with his exemplary work ethic. But here's something I didn't know until now: Phil's not a native Nashvillian! He's from Ohio and he came here to go to school at Lipscomb University. Phil took time off from his always-busy schedule to consider the questions presented to him by way of our weekly feature A Life in the Theatre...read and enjoy!

What was your first taste of theatre?

I saw a production of My Fair Lady by a the Kenley Players touring group in my hometown of Dayton, Ohio, when I was about 13 or 14; at about the same age I memorized "The Gettysburg Address" to participate in an eighth-grade speech contest. It was my first experience with stage fright and with the power of the spoken word to transform my life and the lives of those around me.

What was your first real job or responsibility in the theatre?

In my junior year at David Lipscomb University in Nashville I played Tranio in The Taming of the Shrew. I also helped construct the set and pulled my first "all-nighter." That was the first time I felt a true "responsibility" for bringing a production to stage. My first paying role was in 1978 as a pirate in The Pirates of Penzance at the County Fair Playhouse in Waynesville, Ohio - $40 for the entire run.

When did you know you wanted to pursue a career in theatre?

My high-school drama teacher, Linda VanReeth, gets credit for introducing me to a world which feeds my heart and soul as well as my mind. In the summer of 1988 I had been working a civilian job for 12 years and was performing As You Like It outside in 90-degree heat and rehearsing Saint Joan in between. My immune system crashed and I had to take a month off work. When I returned to work my supervisor restricted my freedoms so much that I reasoned, "Life is too short to be miserable." I looked around and noticed that some of my co-workers loved their jobs as much as I loved theater. I cashed in my retirement and started pursuing acting full-time. Twenty years and I haven't looked back.

Why do you pursue your art in Nashville? What are the best parts of working here?

Occasionally people ask if I've considered moving to a larger base (New York/Los Angeles/Chicago) and I remember several friends who did (or have done) just that. Most of them either came back or stayed but then dropped out of theater. Many actors living in these larger venues frequently find work in regional theaters. Nashville has a rich and vibrant artistic community with many professional and community theaters. It is a great city for young actors to perfect their craft and a convenient base for working actors to venture into regional theater.

If you could play any role, direct any work, design any production, mount any production...what would it be and why?

I suppose that I would like to play Prospero in The Tempest simply because the role speaks to so much that defines the artist - magic, exile, hubris, love and the ephemeral nature of theater and of life itself.

Who would play you in the film version of your life story?

I would play myself in my life story (I need the work)!

What's your favorite play/musical?

Musical - The Fantasticks - a simple staging of a simple story which touches the human heart. Play - probably The Tempest.

If you could have dinner with any three figures (living or dead, real or fictional) who are a part of the theatre, who would you choose and why?

Of course, Shakespeare because of his keen insight into the human condition; Uta Hagen for her wisdom and brilliant vision for the actor; and Sir Laurence Olivier because of his wealth of experience and his awareness of his own humanity.

Imagine a young person seeing you onstage or seeing a production in which you played a major role coming up to you and asking you for advice in pursuing their own theatrical dream...what would you say?

Study history, psychology, art; practice dance, gymnastics, yoga; learn to sing and play at least one musical instrument; audition for everything and learn from observing everyoNe You encounter. Finally, ask yourself what you are truly willing to sacrifice to achieve your dream - because the strength of your integrity and values will shape your destiny.

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