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PEOPLE & ARTSThursday 25 February 2016
‘I want a challenge’ _ Forest
Whitaker on Broadway debut
In this June 8, 2015 file photo, Forest Whitaker, producer of MARK KENNEDY way revival of “Long Day’s returning to theater.
“Dope,” poses at the premiere of the film at the Los Angeles Film AP Drama Writer Journey Into Night,” sent “He easily could have
Festival in Los Angeles. NEW YORK (AP) — Forest the script for “Hughie” to done a multitude of other
Whitaker has not one or Whitaker in the hope of fi- ensemble plays, which he
Associated Press two copies of the script he’s nally luring him onstage. would have easily gotten
memorized for his Broad- Whitaker over the years amazing acknowledgment
way debut. Not three or had been offered plenty as the featured actor,” said
four copies, either. Try five. of roles in plays or revivals, Bagert. “But Forest said to
The actor, director and pro- but always refused. Even me, ‘I want a challenge. I
ducer pulled them out of his agent warned Bagert want something that’s go-
his backpack recently and that the actor was likely ing to challenge me as an
all of them were battered, to decline. But something actor and a person.’”
underlined and soaked in about “Hughie” — with Mi- Whitaker has typically
highlighter. One was stud- chael Grandage directing thrown himself into the part.
ded with little photographs — grabbed him. He learned the idioms of
he added to evoke feel- “I had never heard of it. I the time (“lousy with jack”
ings. had never seen it. I actually means flush with cash and
Whitaker these days is like couldn’t locate someone “bangtails” are racehors-
a graduate student during who had,” Whitaker said. es). He also was coached
finals. Every word seems to “It’s almost like doing an by professional craps and
have been interrogated, original play because it has poker players. He even vis-
researched and then put no preconceptions around ited horses at Aqueduct
back, gingerly. This is what it and yet it’s written by this Racetrack.
he needs to do. amazing playwright.” Other actors who have
“You’ve got to. Well, I “Hughie” is a two-charac- played Erie on Broadway
mean, I don’t know if ter play set in a rundown include Jason Robards, Ben
you’ve got to. I have to,” New York hotel in 1928. Gazzara and Al Pacino.
he said during a visit to his Whitaker plays Erie, a low- Whitaker will be the first Af-
modest dressing room at level gambler and spinner rican-American, but Bagert
the Booth Theatre. “There of tall tales about himself. said asking him was never
are so many things for me The only other role is a about skin color.
to learn.” bored night clerk, who has “I was trying to think of an
Whitaker this month stars taken over from the recent- actor that I thought was
in a Broadway revival of ly deceased Hughie. one of our greatest char-
Eugene O’Neill’s “Hughie,” Erie is mourning the loss of acter actors who may be
a short play about human the only person who be- willing to take on the in-
connection that requires lieved in him. “He’s a guy credible mountain to climb
the actor to speak for an who likes to tell stories and of this role,” the producer
hour virtually nonstop. likes to hear himself talk,” said.
“It’s really going to force Whitaker said. “There are Whitaker, 54, knows he
me to grow,” he said. “It’s guys like that. I had a friend doesn’t match O’Neil’s vi-
very challenging for me who, even if you left the sion of Erie, which calls for
in so many ways. I guess phone for 30 minutes and an actor with blue eyes,
I didn’t even realize how made a sandwich and sandy hair and medium
challenging until I actually came back, he’d still be height. No matter, it’s the
took it on.” talking.” character that counts.
Like O’Neill’s more famous The play marks Whitaker’s “Color can’t be wiped out
works such as “Long Day’s return to the stage after — it’s there, I’m a black ac-
Journey Into Night” and 30 years. After graduating tor — but you move past
“The Iceman Cometh,” from the University of South- that into the minutia of the
‘’Hughie” deals with the ern California, he was in an story itself and the spirits
pathetic illusions men cre- improv show at the Mark or souls of these particular
ate for themselves to fill Taper Forum and a musical people,” he said.
their sad lives. at the Inner City Cultural Whitaker’s days now are
Tony Award-winning pro- Center, but then movies filled with the “Hughie”
ducer Darren Bagert, who came calling, starting with script. It has taken a lot of
helped lead the last Broad- “Fast Times at Ridgemont work for Whitaker to get
High.” here but he seems jazzed
Since then, Whitaker’s cred- by a live audience after
its include Oliver Stone’s years of movie-making.
“Platoon,” Lee Daniels’ “You can feel the energy
“The Butler,” Neil Jordan’s and the movement of their
“The Crying Game” and breath or their laughter,
his Oscar-winning turn as which, I think, is one of the
Idi Amin in 2006’s “The Last things I wanted to feel,” he
King of Scotland.” He said said. “That kind of connec-
he needed to grow before tion is powerful.”q
