Interview: Theatre Life with Steve Quintilian

Over the past week this column featured two remarkable ladies named Tina Ghandchilar and Julie Dixon. They are currently living their theatre lives as part of a production of Chess at The Theatre Lab School of the Performing Arts. The show opens this evening and runs through May 6th. Now it's time to feature one of the male leads.

Today's subject Steve Quintilian is living his theatre life in that same show playing the egotistical chess champ Freddie Trumper. To give you an idea of the reputation Theatre Lab has, Steve is commuting in from Baltimore to be part of the production. It goes to prove when you put out a good product, people will come from all over to be involved.

After discovering his singing potential through Estill Voice Training clinics and private study, Steve made his first foray into musical theatre two years ago and has been doing it ever since.

Some of his recent roles in the Baltimore area include Macheath in Threepenny Opera at Spotlighters Theatre, Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd at Milburn Stone, and Dick Deadeye in HMS Pinafore with the Victorian Lyric Opera Company. He is a lifelong musician and guitarist who has performed and taught in various venues over the years.

By day, Steve is a music cataloguer for the University of Maryland Performing Arts Library and the music director for Harford Community Church. He also teaches private studio lessons.

Steve is another example of why Theatre Lab is my favorite arts in education institution in town. One look at the classes they offer - including "Create a Musical Role" - and you will likely, as Steve did, say "I want to be a part of this." He was already performing in a nearby area, but Theatre Lab is helping him take his craft to the next level.

"Pity the Child" that doesn't catch Steve in Theatre Lab's production of Chess. You get the chance to welcome a young performer to the DC area; see a show that isn't produced a whole lot; and reap the benefits of everything that Theatre Lab has been doing for 25 years now. You won't ever be considered a pawn for doing so.

How did you get interested in performing?

At first I was attracted to musical theatre as a way to see what I could do vocally. After a couple of shows, I was drawn in by the acting process. I dug in with some challenging roles and acting classes to develop as an actor.

Living in the Baltimore area, how did you come to Theatre Lab in DC?

Theatre Lab has a great reputation. When I saw "Creating a Musical Role" in the course lineup, it really seemed like a perfect fit. I was thrilled to get cast in a principal role, but the really fantastic thing about Theatre Lab shows is the ensemble gets just as much attention as the principals. Everyone is on equal footing.

How do you best describe the character you play in Chess, Freddie Trumper?

Freddie is a brilliant man-child. He never learned how to love or be loved, so his relationships play out as a kind of game. And to him it's a zero-sum game. He really wants love, but thinks the way to make that happen is by getting the upper hand, and by showing his strength, rather than finding real intimacy. It doesn't work too well, obviously. His only real achievement in life is chess, and he has a real need to be respected, but he wants everything on his own terms.

Freddie Trumper might be considered one of the more unlikable characters ever written for a musical. Do you see him like that and how do you, as an actor, make someone like that palatable for an audience?

I've played a lot of villains and unlikeable characters in my short stint on the stage. I don't really worry about being likable - I just try to find the honest heart behind the character's choices. There's obviously a side of Freddie that's "hatable" on the surface, but there's a lot to dig into and connect with as well. You really get to see this clearly in "Pity the Child,"and it also motivates a lot of the choices I make throughout the show. It helps that Florence is no shrinking Violet. Tina Ghandchilar [who plays Florence] is a very strong scene partner, so Freddie's outbursts are matched by her resilience.

You also have a career going on in music. Is Chess the kind of theatre music you like to perform and was the chance to sing a score by ABBA and Tim Rice what sold you on accepting the show?

There is a lot of fun music in the show, and a really challenging book to figure out. Since Freddie is a rock-tenor role, and the lyrics are so explosive, I can sing with an edge, which is a lot of fun. It's been a huge challenge both as an actor and a singer. I'm really a baritone, so singing a part with such a high tessitura has forced me find new places to live vocally. A more sensible person would probably have declined, but I love the challenge.

What is the biggest thing you've learned as a performer during the process of putting Chess together for Theatre Lab?

When I play it honestly and simply, I start to feel the impulse that triggers each moment, and the scene starts to make sense. Working with Deb Gottesman [Founder and Co-Director] taught me about finding an honest emotional core for Freddie, and a physical approach to that inner life. I know this work will illuminate my acting in new ways moving forward. Working with Deb and Buzz Mauro [Founder and Co-Director], and the rest of the cast, has been a transformational experience.

Special thanks to Theatre Lab's Marketing and Events Manager Dane Petersen for his assistance in coordinating this interview.

Theatre Life logo designed by Kevin Laughon.