Interview: Adrian Lukis & Jill Winternitz,’I’m Gonna Pray For You So Hard'(Finborough Theatre)
Adrian Lukis
Halley Feiffer’s black comedy, ‘I’m Gonna Pray For You So Hard’ has received its UK premiere at the Finborough. Feiffer’s play is about an actress who wants to make her famous playwright father proud. Jill Winternitz and Adrian Lukis are the cast members – playing the dysfunctional father and daughter.
I thought it would be nice to catch up with Adrian and Jill to see exactly what’s happening. And I was right – it was very nice indeed.
Here is our chat.
As a creative person, if you have had your sights set on something and then you get there, can it be dangerous?
If you work your balls off to serve a play and render up as true and engaging a performance as you can and you succeed, then that is about as good as it gets. Of course you want to feel that you have honestly and successfully portrayed the character. The danger for actors and for all of us in life, is that we depend on the kind words of others for our self esteem and that is dangerous, because we put ourselves in the hands of other people (and other people do not always have our best interests at heart!
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Jill Winternitz
How was the rehearsal process?
I love rehearsing as I find it such a free and creative time. Working on a two-hander meant that there were only a few of us in the room everyday. We really bonded, experiencing so much together in a relatively short space of time. It’s been a joy to work with Jake Smith as he has an amazing instinct for story and nuance. It’s also worth noting that we rehearsed above a coffee roastery, which was pure aromatic bliss.
You played Baby in ‘Dirty Dancing’, how different is this role?
My gut reaction to this question is that they couldn’t be further apart. But on second thought, both Baby and Ella have complex relationships with their fathers and both strive to make them proud, whilst also trying to assert their own voice and be independent people in their own right. Stylistically though, it goes without saying, that they are very different roles with very different requirements for me as the actor. Though I suppose I could ask Adrian if he fancies adding in ‘The Lift’ during our bows… 😉
Your character, Ella is a ‘precocious and fiercely competitive actress’. Was it hard to get into character? Definitely not. In many ways, this play feels uncannily close to home which is why I am so passionate about doing it.
What is your best advice for auditions?
The advice I give myself is: prepare, prepare, prepare, then throw away your preparation, open your heart, and enjoy the moment. When you’re in the room, that is your chance to play the character. Relish it. And if more chances come to play that character again, fantastic! If not, at least you threw yourself into it when you had the opportunity.
What do you hope your audiences take away from this show?
I hope our audiences will enjoy the brilliance of Halley Feiffer- a bright, brave, thrilling voice of theatre today. I hope we can give them a funny, moving, and thought-provoking evening.
‘I’m Gonna Pray for You So Hard’ runs at the Finborough Theatre from 2 to 25 March, with previews from 28 February.