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April 1, 2011
From outside the box
Amitai Marmorstein stars in The Trespassers.
OLGA LIVSHIN
Amitai Marmorstein loves his profession. “I can’t think of a better job than being an actor,” he said in a recent interview with the Independent.
The young Vancouver actor is playing the lead role of Lowell, a 15-year-old boy, in the new Vancouver Playhouse production of The Trespassers by Morris Panych. The show runs until April 16.
Marmorstein has already played the role of Lowell, when The Trespassers was mounted at Victoria’s Belfry Theatre last fall. “It was a good run, but I always want more time to rehearse,” he said. “The more you rehearse, the more you know the character. There is never enough time.”
His fascination with theatre stems from childhood. Marmorstein grew up in a family that was very encouraging of artistic expression. Although neither his parents nor his three siblings have been professionally involved with theatre, acting infused the family atmosphere. His father acted when he was in college; his mother taught theatrical improvisation games. As a young boy, Marmorstein frequently participated in family and school plays and enjoyed it tremendously. He didn’t see any other road for himself than becoming an actor.
“Our house was a good breeding ground for theatre,” he recalled. “My parents were very supportive of my choice. They never tried to discourage me when I decided to go to a theatre school after graduation.” His eyes sparkled as he joked, “I wish they did.”
Serious again, he continued, “I never had any back-up plan, only theatre. I know it’s a terrible choice of profession; it’s an unstable field and very tough, but this is the only one I’m good at. I see myself doing theatre for a very long time.”
Full of optimism, Marmorstein graduated from the University of Victoria’s theatre program in 2007, and already his credits include more than a dozen roles, several of them lead roles in theatre and film. Of course, there are lean times as well when, like many young actors, he has to work a day job to pay the bills. “I worked in hotels, restaurants and coffee shops. I don’t enjoy doing those jobs, but they are part of the profession. Recently, I got lucky. For the last nine months, I’ve been doing nothing but acting. An actor needs his luck.”
But more often than not, Marmorstein creates his own luck. Hungry for work, he accepts any roles that come his way, even if those roles fall outside the proverbial box. “When I’m offered a role, I always say, ‘yes,’” he said with a grin. “Most actors do. Can you ride a horse? Yes! Even if I can’t, I’ll learn. I’ll climb a horse and ride.” One such learning role for him was playing Nelly in Nelly Boy by Dave Deveau.
The role required him to appear naked on stage, and there are photos of him in this role floating on the Internet. “I knew it would come back to haunt me,” he quipped, “but really, during the audition, they asked me if I would be OK with that. Of course, I said, ‘yes.’ I thought I’d deal with that, but it was terrifying every night…. My [character] was going through a sexual identity crisis, and it was actually a good experience for me as an actor to push outside my comfort zone.”
He likes unusual and complicated roles; he also appreciates character roles. “I feel more like a character actor. In small roles, you have to work harder for recognition; you have to be able to catch the public’s eyes without being ‘upstagey.’” Despite his appreciation of smaller parts, he seems to have grown out of them and into lead roles quite quickly.
“My dream role is Roy Cohn in Tony Kushner’s Angels in America. The guy is so mean!” Marmorstein said with admiration. “But I have to wait for about 50 years before I can play him. He’s old. I like the role so much I read his monologue for several auditions before someone told me it’s not age-appropriate.”
Age seems to clinch many parts for him, as Marmorstein frequently exploits his outer attributes: his slight build and his boyish looks. Like many self-assured men, he feels comfortable in his skin and often laughs at himself: “I can never play an action hero, but I often play younger boys. It pays the rent.”
With his deeply ingrained sense of humor, it’s no surprise he relishes playing comedy. “I like when people laugh, but when you deliver your line and they don’t, then it’s crushing…. There should be a dramatic soul in every comedy, a story that needs to be told. When the story is worth telling, then I want to be a part of it.”
According to Marmorstein, The Trespassers, which combines comedy with a set of complex personalities, is a story worth telling. “This play is a murder mystery and a story of growing up. It explores relationships. It’s a story of Lowell finding his place in the world, searching where to belong.”
The actor himself already knows where he belongs: on stage.
Olga Livshin is a Vancouver freelance writer. She is available for contract work. Contact her at [email protected].
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