The Star-Ledger (Newark, New Jersey)
August 31, 2007 Friday
FINAL EDITION
What’ll it be, Mac?
Gregory Derelian brings experience to bartender role
PETER FILICHIA, STAR-LEDGER STAFF
NEW JERSEY STAGE The Time of Your Life Where: Shakespeare Theatre of
New Jersey, F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, Drew University, 36
Madison Ave, Madison When: Previews begin Tuesday, opens Sept. 8-30.
Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m., Wednesdays-Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2
and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 and 7 p.m.
How much: $28-$52. Call (973) 408-5600 or visit
New Yorker Gregory Derelian, 35, is in his ninth season with the
Shakespeare Festival of New Jersey. While he’s most often been in
productions of the Bard – Petruchio in "The Taming of the Shrew,"
Mark Antony in "Julius Caesar," Macduff in "Macbeth," Cassio in
"Othello" and Caliban in "The Tempest" – he now finds himself in a
far more modern play: William Saroyan’s 1940 Pulitzer Prize-winning
classic, "The Time of Your Life."
Starting Tuesday in Madison, he’ll portray the owner and namesake of
Nick’s Pacific Street Saloon. We caught up with him not while he was
hanging over a bar, but over a table, on a lunch break.
Q. Is Nick happy with what he’s doing?
A. I think so. He’s got himself a place where no one’s competing with
anyone else, and everyone believes in "Live and let live." He likes
that he can provide a haven where people can just come in and be
themselves. It’s a kind of public service. That it’s not so demanding
a job and that he’s used to it appeals to him, too.
Q. How did you discover the Shakespeare Theatre?
A. I actually went to Drew, right on the campus where this theater
is. One night I came over to see "Twelfth Night" with Paul Mullins –
who’s directing "The Time of Your Life" – as Feste. To this day, it’s
still the best production of the play I’ve ever seen, and Paul
remains the best Feste.
Q. So did you say to yourself, "Someday I plan to be on that stage"?
A. Well, I’d hoped to. I was a double major, taking English as well
as theater.
Q. But the English was just something to fall back on?
A. Supposedly. I don’t know if you can fall back on English.
Q. Did you ever use it in any way – teach, write?
A. No, after I graduated in 1995, I moved to New York to look for
acting work. I applied for a job as a short-order cook because that’s
something I can do.
Q. Did you get the job?
A. Actually, while I was being interviewed by the manager, the owner
came in and – right in front of me – fired the bartender. He turned
to me and said, "Can you bartend?" I said, "No." When he said, "Can
you learn?" I said "Yes."
Q. Wait a minute – you’re playing a role you’ve in essence played in
real life? Was that a defining factor in making made Paul Mullins
pick you?
A. I can’t imagine that it wasn’t. I’m able to add things, like the
way a bartender looks over some-one who comes through the door. The
interesting thing about that bar in Brooklyn is that it was much like
Nick’s – the people who came in stayed all night, got drunk, and told
me their life stories – only to come in the next night and do it all
over again, forgetting they’d said anything to me in the first place.
Q. You’re still there?
A. No, now I’m at a place on Hudson Street where I deal with young
urban professionals. That’s much more fun, though I’m starting to
feel that they’re very much younger than I am. The good thing is I
only do it one night a week, because I don’t need to do it as much.
I’ve been on Broad-way ("Metamorphoses") and off-Broadway, too ("The
Hairy Ape"), so in a way, it’s a fun night that gets me out of the
house.
Q. Isn’t "Derelian" a name of Armenian descent?
A. It is.
Q. Given that this play is by a writer of Armenian descent, did you
have an affinity with William Saroyan while growing up?
A. No, there wasn’t much of an Armenian sensibility in my house-hold,
maybe because only my fa-ther’s of Armenian descent, or maybe because
it’s been a long time since my grandfather came over from Armenia and
changed his name to Davis so he’d seem more American. Only after he
was well-established here did he take back his original name.
Q. What happens after this play closes?
A> I’m cast in "Antony and Cleo-patra" in New York, which was great
until the actress who was to play Cleopatra (Christine Baranski)
dropped out. Now I’m not sure they’ll even do the show. You know the
actor’s life.
Q. What other roles would you love to play?
A. Chris Keller in "All My Sons." I played him in high school in
Santa Cruz, but I’d like another shot. Though "Coriolanus" isn’t a
great play, it’s a great role, so I’d like it, even though it might
not be as much fun for the audience as it would be for me. I’ll try
any-thing from "An Enemy of the People" to Hamlet.
Q. Anything that’ll get you away from bartending?
A. That, too.
Peter Filichia may be reached at [email protected] or (973)
392-5995.