I've always been a fan of Kevin Spacey. In his movies his connection with the camera is so solid he's able to bond with the viewer. As a result his characters gain the upper hand over you -- they almost seem to know what you're thinking and even make fun of your reactions to the plot. I'm sure this effect would be far more visceral when intensified by the intimacy and immediacy of a live stage performance. I haven't seen Spacey in a play but may take a trip to London to catch him at the Old Vic.
In his interview with Renee Montagne Spacey runs down how Eugene O'Neill's A Moon for the Misbegotten is the sequel to Long Day's Journey into Night; how he became the Artistic Director of the Old Vic, the historic London theater formally run by John Gielgud, Lawrence Olivier, and Peter O'Toole; the 'Sweet Spot' in a theater and how an actor projects his voice; the creation of the first Trans-Atlantic theater company, a collaboration between the Old Vic and the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) -- (Sam Mendes [American Beauty] will commit to directing two classic plays a year for the next three years).
Spacey always comes across smart in movies and it's easy to see why listening to this interview. (This is the extended version of the interview which played on Morning Edition 4/9. 22 min).
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