Currently running at The Theatres at 45 Bleecker Street, Ethan Coen's 'Almost an Evening' sold out before performances began in its first home at the Atlantic Theater Company. Actor Tim Hopper joined the cast in this second installation, playing a British spy making some major life choices in "Four Benches" and a high strung restaurant manager in "Debate". Here, he sits down with BroadwayWorld.com and talks about his humble beginnings at Steppenwolf and what it was like to come into the cast of this wildly successful play.
Faetra Petillo: Congratulations on becoming part of the 'Almost an Evening' cast in its transfer to The Theatres at 45 Bleecker Street. How did you come into the cast?
Tim Hopper: I came in through the regular way of an audition. My agents called me and said 'Do you want to go out on this thing?' and sent me the material and I said, 'Yes, of course!'. It was a very fast thing. I think I auditioned on a Tuesday or Wednesday and then I had to wait until Friday evening to find out. So I found out on a Friday night and we started rehearsals on that Tuesday morning.
FP: Wow, that is fast. What was that experience like- did you have to approach things differently than you normally would?
TH: Yes, it's very fast. And it was kind of a speeding train. Seven out of the nine had done it before. It meant working more from the outside in and I'd prefer to go from the inside out, but there just wasn't time. Meaning I had to get the lines down first. So I had to concentrate on getting the lines down and then I had to go back and say, 'Ok, now who is this person and why are they saying this?'. Which ordinarily I would be doing first and spending more time on. So there were run-throughs where it was like, 'Great, Tim you have all the lines but who is the guy who is saying them?' Also, with the British accent I had to work from the outside in and make sure all the sounds were very precise and then you go inside and think about the person saying them so it isn't just an actor up on stage with a British accent.
FP: You play two different roles back to back in "Four Benches" and then "Debate" and the transition between them is very quick. How does that affect you as an actor? Is it more challenging?
TH: It's more challenging to do shorter pieces. I remember reading about jazz solos where you just kind of have to burn, there's not time to build, you just go. And that's kind of what this feels like. You just have to jump in the middle of the thing. It's strange. And I think I'll get more comfortable with it as the run goes on as I begin to know this character and I know where I'm going next. So it is challenging, but in terms of changing between the two characters I have enough time that I have a little break and I just go over the lines of each one before I go on.
FP: You are a member of the Steppenwolf Theater Company and got your start with them in Chicago before coming to New York. Can you talk a little bit about your experiences with the company and what it's meant to you as an actor?
TH: It was just a huge blessing. And every actor wants a home, you want that security. I have that home, I have that security. And then on top of that, I met some fantastic people that are not only great actors but some of the nicest people I know on this planet, like Jeff Perry. I've learned so much. I remember when I first came to Chicago I was a non-equity actor and I would usher for every Steppenwolf show and I would usher two or three times sometimes because some performances to me were the equivalent of two or three months in an acting class. It was just so inspiring. So I saw as much of it as I could.
I worked with them first as a non-equity actor doing some Shakespeare scenes for high school audiences. And they liked me and they said they wanted to look for opportunities to work with me in the future. So they would call me in for closing night parties, because the idea is that when you bring someone into the ensemble you want to know them both personally and professionally. And then eventually I did a show on the main stage as an equity actor, my first one was The Common Pursuit and then I did Grapes of Wrath right after that. I've had the opportunity to observe such amazing actors like Laurie Metcalf and everyone at the company has a fabulous gift.
And that's what it did for me. I had gone to grad school and had a lot of various careful training which to me felt like the externals so I was looking for a way into the internal and the truth. And one of the things about members like Gary Sinise and others is that they grew up on the films of John Cassavetes and that's what theater was to them- brutal honesty, fantastic characters, that kind of stuff. Just being around that I think I learned to appreciate it more and they were sort of the beacon for me.
