Wherefore art thou, Devin McCall?

Wherefore art thou,
Devin McCall?

Hello Devin.

Hi Caroline.

Usually there’s Frank Sinatra playing, but this is kinda rushed and urgent.

Okay. That’s fine, we don’t need that.

Okay. What is your name?

Devin Mccall.

Yeah, for the viewers.

And where do you go to school?

I go to Pace University in New York City.

And what year are you?

I’m a junior, well, I’m going to be a junior.

Cool.

And where are you from from?

Melrose, Massachussetts.

Great.

What attracted you to this program?

Um, I was really interested in learning about Shakespeare, I was really interested in learning about this company and what they do, uh, cause I think it’s really interesting how they work on the Common and that’s a really cool space, so I was really interested in learning about that. And um, I liked that it was like, a training program and we get to take classes and stuff. So those are some of the things that attracted me.

When did you audition?

Well, I auditioned at NETC and then I submitted my application, my written application and then I emailed Adam because I hadn’t heard anything and he told me I still needed to audition. And I told him I had. And he told me they lost it. So I reauditioned over Skype. So I auditioned twice, technically.

For Adam? Several times?

Twice.

I don’t know if you can put that in.

I’m gonna put that in.

Wow, go Adam.

The second time was over Skype…I was in a closet at Pace, basically…in like, a little tiny room.

What monologue did you do?

I did Miranda from The Tempest.

How was it?

Basically in a room that was this wide with a, with a white…it was like a practice room and had like really bad reception, so I kinda was like afraid it was gonna keep on coming in and out…I was a little nervous.

Yikes. And now you’re here.

And now I’m here.

Um. What’s your favorite Shakespeare play?

I really like Antony and Cleopatra right now, that’s kinda what I’m into right now. But it changes.

Is there a specific character you want to play? Is it Cleopatra?

I would love to play Cleopatra, but right now I would love to play, also to play Miranda. That’d be cool. Or Imogen, or Hermione. That’d be fun.

What characters have you been working on here?

Uh, Miranda and Imogen…and uh, Cleopatra. And um, I’m starting to work on Joan of Arc.

Cool. Is this your first time doing Shakespeare?

I’d done like, I was in Romeo and Juliet when I was in high school, uh, I was in the ensemble of like a regional production and that was like a weird experience. And then I did Hamlet in college and it was like, also like, a really experimental weird version of Hamlet that was like Sleep No More. Everybody walked through this, the show. And that had like, a huge ensemble, kinda like, really involved in like, the world of the play. So, I did that too.

Cause you study musical theater, right?

No, I study acting.

Oh, you do. I screwed up. Sorry.

You just apologized to the…

I just apologized to my phone cause that’s what I’ll be using to transcribe this interview.

This interview.

Can you do a monologue for me…now?

Yeah, sure. So what do you do with the monolgues?

So, you just do it.

I’m just gonna speak the text.

As long as it’s honest.

It’s gonna be honest. Alright, I’ll do Miranda, cause you know, it’ what got me here.

So, do you have a favorite experience here so far?

Well, my Greenshow group got to go to Reed Academy and work with like, um, a bunch of little boys who were there for like, a summer camp and they were awesome. They were so cool. They asked us if we could come back next week. And, um, they really enjoyed the show and they talked a lot about stuff and they were really vocal about “Oh, I’ve been in a play before!” And it was really really cool to watch these kids be so engaged in something, uh, I’m not sure they would’ve thought of, like, that they would be interested in.

I wrote about that in the blog post. The week 6 blog post.

Did you?

What it’s like to work with kids.

Cause you guys went to the West End House.

That was a lot of kids, but it was a really good experience. It’s a really important experience to have, as someone in acting.

I agree.

Because they make choices that are bolder than our choices.

I agree.

You know?

Yeah. Even these kids, and some of them had emotional issues and stuff, and like, they were just really into the games and stuff. They were like super engaged and really interested in stuff. Yeah, it was cool.

One thing that one of my teachers said to me was that he, he likes working with high school kids more than college kids because when you’re at college, you’re kinda like…you’re not in it anymore for the same reason you were in it when you were a kid.

I feel like there is such a freeing, like a lack of, uh, constraint like when you’re in high school. Like when you’re in a show in high school, it’s just fun. You’re hanging out with your friends and you’re playing a weird character and that’s super fun, yeah. And then you get into college and you’re just thinking oh god, I have to make a living at this and this is like a business, how am I supposed to do that…so it kinda changes.

But what does it have to?

It shouldn’t. Back to high school Devin, maybe not, but I wish I had some of that lack of being afraid sort of thing.

Do you have any piece of advice that you want to share?

Well, there’s a go to that I always go to when you first, on one of the first days of school, my college professor said to me…but it has a swear in it, so I feel like I shouldn’t…

It’s okay.

Can I swear on the blog?

We do swear on the blog.

Okay.

Yeah.

So we can swear on the blog?

Yup!

One of my teachers on, one of the first things he ever said to us was, “Don’t flirt with it, fuck it.” And that is a great, that is great. Cause sometimes, I think, I dance around the idea of things but you just gotta fuck it. You gotta get over it and do your thing and be bold and just…

Fuck it.