Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Spotlight On...Greg Mullavey

Name: Greg Mullavey

Hometown: Jamestown, NY

Education: Hobart College, BA

Favorite Credits: Theatre: The Price (Guthrie Theatre where my performance as the older brother, Walter, gave Arthur Miller, its author, reason to shake my hand afterwards and compliment me with "terrific performance," and we had a good long chat along with his wife afterwards over dinner as guests at the owner"s of the Pillsbury estate...), King Lear (Lear, Oklahoma City's Center Theatre), Rumors (Lenny, Broadway starring opposite Veronica Hamel), Clever Little Lies (Bill Sr, opposite Marlo Thomas), Names (Lee Strasberg, opposite Dixie Carter, which prompted Lee’s wife Anna after opening night to hug me afterwards and say "Oh, my God , I thought you were Lee, you were amazing and I loved you "); Television: “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” (Tom Hartman), “Centennial” (Mule Canby); Film: “Bob&Carol&Ted&Alice", “The Desperate” (General Von Ulbricht, Best Actor at Iowa Short Film Festival)

Why theater?: Because it's live and it's more of an actor's medium as opposed to film where the director and editor are in charge

Tell us about Two Rooms: Even though it was written in the 80s about the Lebanon war and factions like Hezbollah in that period resonates even more today with even more violent extremists at large e.g. ISIS  and what a  hostage goes through being held as a political and financial pawn in the pursuit of power and the devastating  effect it has on his wife, a young liaison official of The State Dept. and a reporter trying to harness the power of the 4th Estate and its media to get the hostage freed.

What inspired you to direct Two Rooms?: The minute I was asked by our actor//turned producer Monica Cangero  I jumped at the opportunity .. The timeliness of the subject matter resonated  with me and the brilliance of Lee Blessing's words prompted me to say yes because I knew  the journey would be an exciting one and it is definitely one for all of us involved with the project.. And we're loving the process and very excited to share our exploration of Two Rooms with our audiences come opening on the 13th of April .

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: What kind of theatre speaks to me is hard to categorize but suffice it to say that any that has a fresh and innovative way to story tell because that's what we do;  story tell with creative interpretive artistry. Music from opera to rock that soars with its story

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: Cate Blanchett, Martin Scorsese , Danny Boyle, John Malkovich, Jeremy Irons

What show have you recommended to your friends?: The Woodsman

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: Daniel Day Lewis  in "The Madness of Long Distance Running"

If you could go back in time and see any play or musical you missed, what would it be?: I would love to have seen Marlon Brando in Streetcar.... and Laurette Taylor in The Glass Menagerie

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Digital TV with Acorn and British Mysteries

If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?:  teaching acting at a University/College.. I teach the Meisner technique now at Michael Howard's Conservatory here in NYC

What’s up next?: After Two Rooms I'll be heading to LA for some meetings for TV pilots through  my LA manager

For more on Greg, visit gregmullavey.com