Friday, December 5, 2014

Spotlight On...Zack Calhoon

Name: Zack Calhoon

Hometown: Salem, Oregon

Education: New York University, Tisch School of the Arts

Select Credits: Hamlet in Hamlet (Boomerang Theatre)

Why theater?: I love the adrenaline rush that comes from working in the theatre. The feeling of walking on a high wire without a net.  It’s really addictive.

Who do you play in In Fields Where They Lay?:  I play Sgt. James Woodward, a cockney non-commissioned officer in the British Army.

Tell us about In Fields Where They Lay: In Fields Where They Lay is a beautiful play about the Christmas Truce of 1914.  It depicts a truly extraordinary moment in history.  A moment at the beginning of World War I, when British and German soldiers decided, without any preconditions, to set down their weapons for one day and treat each other like human beings.

What is it like being a part of In Fields Where They Lay?: It is a privilege and an honor to get the chance to tell this story on the 100 year anniversary of the Christmas Truce.  I was in the 2009 production and believe that it was one of my all-time favorite acting experiences ever.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?:  I loved the play, Black Watch. I love theatre that grabs you by the collar and takes you somewhere.  I would have to say I really inspired by actors like Mark Rylance, Sir Antony Sher, Simon Russell Beale, Benedict Cumberbatch, Harriet Walter, Janet McTeer. And that’s just the actors . . . Really I could go on for days.

Any roles you’re dying to play?: I had the great fortune of playing the title role in Hamlet in two separate productions. For a long time, that was my dream role. If I’m honest, I’m dying to play role of Iago in Othello and Leonard in Susan Ferrara’s new play, BUZZ.

What’s your favorite showtune?: “You’re Nothing Without Me” from City of Angels

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: John Tiffany.

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: Martin Freeman. "Calhoon Unleashed: The Quickening".

What show have you recommended to your friends?:  The Country House. Blythe Danner and Eric Lange are wonderful in it.

What’s the most played song on your iTunes?: “Someone Like You,” by Adele

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?:  “SCANDAL”.

What’s up next?:  I am working on the next draft of a screenplay and also have two new plays that are waiting to be written.