FPCT Spotlight - April 1, 2011

Ann Turiano

 

What drew you to this role?

Ann:  Nell Gwynn is an amazing historical figure. Even though Jeffrey Hatcher took some liberties with the actual events that appear in the play, Nell herself was just as funny and interesting as depicted. All of the female roles in the play are great, but Nell presented a unique opportunity to just cut loose and have a good time. 

 

What has been fun about this production?

Ann:  Anything Nell does onstage is fun. She's delightfully bawdy and generally inappropriate. I've never had a chance to play a character like this before. Usually, I'm cast as the ingénue or her snarky friend. 

Getting to know the cast has been great, too. There are a few of us who seemed very quiet at the beginning, but that was a total misconception. Everyone is hilarious and supportive and, most importantly, talented. It's nice to be inspired by your colleagues. 

 

What has been challenging?

Ann:  Comedy, for me at least, is a lot harder than drama. I'm learning a lot about timing and tone.

 

Are you anything like your character, Nell?

Ann:  We don't have a whole lot in common from the outside--she's a 15-year-old mistress to the King of England. I'm naturally very withdrawn and quiet, while she has no boundaries and no filters. I'd really like to be more like her, actually. 

 

What are the challenges of working on a period piece?

Ann:   One word: corsets. They change the way you walk, sit, and stand. At least they promote good posture, but OW! 

 

What keeps you coming back to the stage?

Ann:   After leaving university, I had worked almost exclusively in film. The immediacy of the stage is just incomparable, and I've very thankful to Sherrionne for giving me the chance to revisit it. The basics are the same--acting is always about listening and reacting--but I've had to push myself to commit to big, bold actions when I'm used to drawing back to maximize subtlety and small moments for the camera. 

 

What do you do when you aren't acting?

Ann:  I have a great job in arts grant making, where I get to support artists every single day. I have an adorable dog that demands frequent walks through Patterson Park, and I spend any spare moments exploring Baltimore or volunteering as an online hotline volunteer for RAINN. 

 

What is the craziest thing you have ever done on stage?

Ann:  I think that gigantic bulbous snake wrestling might be it. But I did devise and perform in an all-female musical version of Rapunzel in 6th grade, and that was also pretty risqué, given our grade-school-age audience. 

 

Who has been your acting inspiration?

Ann:  There are a handful of British film actresses with roots in the stage who just disappear into the roles they play. I want to grow up and be Judi Dench or Vanessa Redgrave. Watching them is a pleasure because they have great instincts, with the technique to back them up. 

 

What is your dream role?

Ann:  I can't pick one! Una in Blackbird, Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, or the title role in My Name is Rachel Corrie. They are all strong, unforgettable women, though for very different reasons. 

 

What would we be surprised to know about you?

Ann:   I'm a relative newcomer to Baltimore, having moved here from Pittsburgh two summers ago. Let the record reflect that I don't even like football, and am therefore neither a Steelers or Ravens fan. 

 

Any good stories about the rehearsal process?

Ann:  Watching Tim Elliott make Kynaston come alive was a real pleasure. There was one sort of difficult day in there when he paused after rehearsal and said, "You learn so much about yourself when you try to play someone else." It's absolutely true, and I thought that statement was especially fitting given the themes of identity that appear in the play. 

I also visited London early in the rehearsal process. It was a trip that had been planned for a while, but it did give me a chance to search out the history of Nell and the Restoration for myself. I did a backstage tour of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, where Nell was an orange seller and (later) actress. The tour guide showed me this ancient stone passage way with underground tunnels. It turns out that one of those tunnels led directly from the theatre to Nell's room and it was used by Charles II for their frequent rendezvous. Scandalous!

 

What is on the horizon?

Ann:  Nothing yet. I'm still getting to know the Baltimore theatre scene, so hopefully I'll see lots of shows and go from there. I'd really like to get back into directing someday soon. 

 


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