"I came to theater sort of by accident," says Tyler Reilly, who graduated from BU in December.
(Dina Rudick/Globe Staff)
Stages
When Prior Walter pleads for "more life" in Boston Theatre Works' production of "Angels in America," actor Tyler Reilly's anguish and fear are so palpable it's hard to believe he's only 21.
"It's true, I was born in 1986, so this era of the AIDS crisis is kind of an abstract period of history to me," says Reilly of Tony Kushner's epic play, in which he stars as a "prophet" afflicted with AIDS. "I think the power of the play comes from the fact that AIDS is only part of the story. [Kushner] has laid out stories of human problems that we understand on an elementary level."
Playing both halves of "Angels" - "Part I: Millennium Approaches" and "Part II: Perestroika" - in repertory is a prospect that might be daunting for even the most experienced actor. For Reilly, taking on the complex role of a young man confronting death and loss was especially overwhelming because it was only his second professional gig. He made his debut last summer in Spontaneous Theater Project's "The Shape of Things" at the Bernard Toale Gallery in the South End. He just graduated from Boston University in December.
"I came to theater sort of by accident," Reilly says. "I originally enrolled in Boston University to study journalism, then switched to history, and by the time I figured out my real passion was theater, I couldn't afford to go back and take more courses."
Reilly's talent was recognized quickly, earning him an offer to appear in a small role in the Huntington Theatre Company's "Streamers" last fall. "It was kind of crazy that I would have been hired on an Equity contract my first time out," Reilly says, "but I had to say no because I'd already accepted the role in 'Angels.' "
Director Jason Southerland says he wasn't worried about Reilly's lack of experience. "He's so natural," Southerland says. "Nothing gets in the way of his emotions, and he connects easily with the other actors."
Reilly says that in the beginning he did feel like "the 10-year-old who accidentally sat at the grown-ups' table," but he notes that Southerland and codirector Nancy Curran Willis spent the first week of rehearsal with everyone sitting together talking about the play. "It put everyone on the same footing," Reilly says, "so that when we did break up into scene work we were all on the same page about where we were going."
There might even have been an advantage to not having the theater background of the rest of the ensemble, Reilly speculates. "My knowledge of the American dramatic canon is somewhat limited, but maybe being unaware of Kushner's importance kept me from getting weighed down. Whenever I did start to feel overwhelmed, Jason would say, 'Let the language do the work for you.' "
The hardest part about finding the truth in his portrayal of Prior, Reilly says, came from trying to connect with the fear associated with watching so many colleagues and companions die.
"The only way for me to figure that out is to do the homework. [Boston Theatre Works' resident] dramaturg Bridget Frey put together a binder of research, which was interesting until I came to a photo that stopped me cold. It's a man sitting in a wheelchair in a hospital johnny. He's in profile, and he's basically a skeleton, with sarcoma lesions all over his left arm. And the look of fear in his eyes strikes me to my core. I keep that picture on my dressing room mirror and it's the last thing I look at before I go onstage."
At the Roberts Studio Theatre, Boston Center for the Arts, through Feb. 10. Tickets: $25-$48, with two-play passes for $80. 617-933-8600, bostontheatrescene.com.
Berkshire bounty
The Berkshire Theatre Festival in Stockbridge will celebrate its 80th anniversary season with Edward Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" starring Richard Chamberlain and Jan Maxwell (Aug. 12-Sept. 6), a new satire called "Pageant Play" by Mark Setlock ("Fully Committed," "This Wonderful Life") and Matthew Wilkas (July 1-26), and "Waiting for Godot" (July 29-Aug. 23) with Randy Harrison ("Queer as Folk"). Other productions include "Candida" (June 17-July 5), "The Book Club Play" (July 8-19), "A Man for All Seasons" (July 22-Aug. 9), "The Caretaker" (May 22-June 28), and "Eleanor: Her Secret Journey," a one-woman play about Eleanor Roosevelt (Aug. 26-Nov. 9). Tickets: $19-$68. 413-298-5536, ext. 33, berkshiretheatre .org.
Notes
SpeakEasy Stage Company is offering $19 mezzanine tickets for Sunday's 3 p.m. performance of "The Little Dog Laughed" at the Wimberly Theatre, BCA. 617-933-8600, bostontheatrescene.com. . . . Broadway Across America is sponsoring Kids Night on Broadway for the Tuesday performance of "My Fair Lady." Tickets are buy one, get one free for kids under 18. Pre-show events include face painting, beanbag toss, crossword puzzles, and craft tables. 617-931-2787, ticketmaster.com.
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