Interview: Bob Ari in MY NAME IS ASHER LEV at GSP

The hit play, My Name is Asher Lev will be onstage at George Street Playhouse (GSP) from April 12 through May 1. The show is being directed by the GSP Director of Education and Outreach, Jim Jack. The three-person cast includes Miles G. Jackson, Bob Ari and Lena Kaminsky.

My Name is Asher Lev is adapted from the best-selling novel by Chaim Potok that tells the story of a young Jew growing up in post-war Brooklyn. His artistic talent is apparent from an early age and he can't imagine himself doing anything else. He must create art at any cost, regardless of the will of his family, his community and tradition. Broadwayworld.com had the opportunity to interview Bob Ari who plays "The Men" in the show.

Bob Ari returns to George Street Playhouse, where he starred as artist Mark Rothko in John Logan's Red in 2012. His Broadway credits include Frost/Nixon (u/s Nixon), The Constant Wife, Bells Are Ringing and Laughter on the 23rd Floor. Mr. Ari has also appeared in the U.S. tour of Frost/Nixon and the European tours of West Side Story and Guys and Dolls. He has an impressive array of Off-Broadway, regional and film credits and has performed in over 30 television programs. Ari was born and raised in Manhattan.

We asked Ari when he knew he was bound for a theatrical career. "I knew at a very early age. I grew up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan where my grandfather was a producer of the Yiddish Playhouse, Anderson Theatre. As a youth, I had the full run of the house and I would watch shows. It was then that I caught the bug." Ari's first performance was when he was 8 years old. He was in a community theatre production of West Side Story as Baby John. The classic musical was also the first Broadway show he ever saw. It is remarkable that he also toured Europe in the early '90's in the show's original production.

Several people mentored Ari's early career, His grandfather Sol Dickstein and his involvement with the Anderson Theatre was significant. Also, in high school, Ari participated in his neighborhood Boys Club where Fred Feldt worked with him. He said, "Fred really put me onto the task of acting." Ari's training continued when he was accepted to the prestigious theatre program at Carnegie Mellon University where he earned both his BFA and MFA.

With such an impressive list of credits, we asked Ari what some of his favorite roles have been. He told us that the role of Mark Rothko in Red at GSP was very important to him. "It was a landmark for me because I identified with that role tremendously." He also talked about the thrill of playing Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof at the 1990 Galveston Outdoor Musicals. Also called the Texas Family Musicals, it is a summer venue that is performed in a 3,000-seat amphitheater.

Ari believes that New Jersey audiences will really relate to My Name is Asher Lev. "It's a family drama identifiable for everyone. The show speaks to the conflict between the expectations that your parents have and what you want for yourself." Ari plays the two father figures in the show, Asher Lev's real father, Aryeh Lev and the father figure, Jacob Kahn, the painter-sculptor who nurtures Asher's art.

We asked Ari to tell us a little about working at GSP. "It's a wonderful experience and I hope to have a long association with them. I like their sensibility, choice of plays and how they run things. There's a tremendous amount of artistic freedom that allows me to do my best work. It's so good to find a home that is warm and encouraging. I am privileged in this production to work with two wonderful actors, Lena and Miles."

Ari shared a little bit of advice for young performers. "Keep studying, even when you're off, even when you think you know it all." Ari still takes class whenever he is not working. He added, "Expose yourself to people that can bring out your talents and instincts. Be there, show up, have stamina and network."

Individual tickets to My Name is Asher Lev start at $25 and are now on sale. Contact the George Street Playhouse Box Office at 732-246-7717 or visit www.gsponline.org for tickets and information. George Street Playhouse is located at 9 Livingston Avenue in the heart of New Brunswick's vibrant downtown dining and entertainment district, convenient to mass transit with plentiful parking options.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of George Street Playhouse

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