Life

Apprentice alums add energy to 'Musketeers'

Playhouse apprentice program graduates Jeff Sundheim, Catharine Kay and Michael Luwoye are performing in "The Three Musketeers."

By Bill Moss, Published: November 16, 2013

The young actors say they've gained from Bryant's guidance.
"She's open and kind and patient but she still pushes you past your normal limits or the easy choices," Kay said. "She's never obtrusive. She never makes you feel 'less than.' It's always your part that she's helping you discover.
"This is just a really good group and a really good place to be because graduation has been scary. We've been in school our whole lives, and here we are in one of the most precarious job markets in history and one of the most precarious lines of work. It feels very comforting to be here, doing what we love with people that we love, in a safe family environment. But it's still professional, so we get the best of both worlds."
The actors plunged into sword-fighting under the coaching of Michael MacCauley.
"It's so fun," Luwoye said. "I've only done really limited fighting on stage. It is sort of like a dance. You have to know where the swords go. When you're on defense, you have to know all the positions, so it was really meticulous. It's been a great experience to be able to do it."
The actors practiced for hours and hours, first at half speed, then three-quarters and finally full speed.
"It starts from the ground up, just from the simplest level of learning the mechanics of everything and then it builds into the fight you see on stage," he said.
"We're all pretty bruised," Kay said.