By Eva Trieger
Bringing this play to English-speaking audiences was the brainchild of playwright Jeffrey Hatcher and international actor of stage and screen, Daniel Gerroll. The two met while working on The Importance of Being Earnest, and bought the rights to the translation of the novel. David Barrett is credited with the English translation.
Hatcher has an illustrious track record and has written plays for Broadway, Off-Broadway, a multitude of theaters coast to coast, and everywhere in between. Titles include Scotland Road, The Turn of The Screw, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Television credits include episodes of Columbo and The Mentalist. He is known internationally for his work in theater and television and has won awards and grants from NEA, Lila Wallace Fund, and Rosenthal New Play Prize to name just a smattering.
I had the delightful opportunity to interview Gerroll over the phone and found, first-hand, that the actor has an undercurrent of humor and humility just below his obvious professionalism and craft. Gerroll’s background isn’t the typical actor’s experience. At the age of 16, he went to Israel to volunteer for the army during the Six-Day War. He was sweeping cartridges off the street. This commitment to Judaism and Zionism came from the man who raised him. It was only later that Gerroll learned that his biological father, an entrepreneur and an architect, was also Jewish, and he embraced the religion thoroughly.
After returning home, Gerroll trained in law and philosophy but realized that he had a passion for the theater. In Socialist Britain, the actor told me, though his parents did not bless his choice, he attended university and drama school. He explained that this conservatory approach was invaluable, and after completing London’s Royal Central School of Speech and Drama he was ready to go for the gold!
Gerroll landed a post in a summer stock company where he was tasked with learning a new play every week for six weeks. This experience primed him for a London audition, something rather unheard for a young man of 22. He was picked for the role and discovered just how often the leading man was at odds with the leading lady and became aware of the frequent dysfunction behind the scenes. Although he was warned that an actor’s life was grueling, Gerroll confessed that he “still managed to have a girlfriend, play tennis, and go to the pub.”
Acting clearly suited Gerroll who continued to win roles on Broadway in such plays as Enchanted April, Plenty, and High Society. Since 1981, the actor has performed in over 30 Off-Broadway productions and won a number of awards including an OBIE for “sustained excellence.” Gerroll has also demonstrated great adeptness for his directorial talent in shows including Blithe Spirit, and No Time for Comedy. His legacy in film includes Oscar-winning Chariots of Fire, Drop Dead Fred and Big Business. Television viewers will know this distinguished and charming actor from his frequent appearances in some of the best-loved shows of the past few decades. This versatile actor has been in Seinfeld, Cheers, Ugly Betty, and Blacklist.
For Dr. Glas Gerroll had to learn a 30-page monologue. This is no mean feat especially when one has no audience to reverberate with. The actor spoke to three cameras and his precision in physicality and language was positively riveting as he embodied a small-town doctor, caring for a young woman and the husband she loathes. Pastor Gregorius and Mrs. Gregorius present their complex case to the doctor who listens to each without revealing his emotions. As a physician, he has “becalmed my facial features to a minimum,” yet this does not mean he holds no opinion or withholds judgment for either husband or wife. The story is simple and complex simultaneously, and through this actor’s voice, tone and delivery, we experience his dilemma. The audience struggles with the will-he-won’t he moral tug of war.
When Daniel Gerroll and Jeffrey Hatcher met with North Coast Rep Artistic Director David Ellenstein, they felt “very safe.” Gerroll believed that Ellenstein had the sensibility to direct this collaborative work. Interestingly, when the actor arrived in San Diego, the set, designed by award-winning Marty Burnett, did not match his expectations. The intent was a starker, less elaborate set and Burnett readily adapted the stage to suit their wishes. Gerroll could not say enough positive things about the creative team of North Coast Repertory. He gave lavish kudos to Aaron Rumley, Stage Manager/CInematographer, and Elisa Benzoni, Costume Designer, dubbing them “one of the most amazing teams” with whom he’d ever worked.
When asked who Gerroll might look to as role models, he told me that he admires the creativity and flexibility of young actors in the field. He is “blown away” by watching the developing skills of those who will not limit themselves to being an actor, a director, or a writer, but applauds those talented individuals who do everything. Gerroll’s humility and lack of self-importance were revealed when I asked if there was a role he was dying to do. He reported that while he certainly is passionate about acting, he and his wife, Patricia Kalember, a fellow actor, work for the excitement. They select roles for the experience of living someplace exciting or beautiful.
David Ellenstein did not allow the pandemic to interfere with a successful, exciting season of theater. On the contrary, with nary a hiccup, Ellenstein pivoted to create a streaming season and continued to bring patrons the high caliber of theater to which they’ve become accustomed. This past season Ellenstein delivered Becoming Dr. Ruth, Einstein Comes Through, Trying, An Iliad, A Christmas Carol, Same Time Next Year, and Necessary Sacrifices. It is always a delight to see how Ellenstein sculpts the season out of World Premieres, West Coast Premieres, boisterous musicals, and poignant dramas.
Dr. Glas will stream on Showtix4U.com on demand from July 21 -August 15, 2021.
Tickets are $35 for single viewing, $54 for group viewing and may be purchased via northcoastrep.org.
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Eva Trieger is a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts. She may be contacted via eva.trieger@sdjewishworld.com