Evan Edwards Discusses Always Finding a Way to Make the "Theatre Magic" Happen!
It is my great joy to introduce you to Evan Edwards. Evan is a working actor that currently resides in New York City! Evan performed in Miss Saigon in Germany as a Swing in the Premiere Cast (he also performed in the original cast recording) as well as in the original West End staging of Joseph... . Other credits for Mr. Edwards include performing at The Barrow Street Theatre, NY Fringe Festival, Gallery Players, Cape Playhouse, Art Park, and The Gateway Playhouse (where he performed in Once on this Island w/ Tony Award Nominee Norm Lewis) among many others.
I have truly admired Evan for many years, and his good and honest energy is what truly needs to be showcased during these tough and unprecedented times for artists. I am so honored to have the chance to interview Evan!
How old were you when you knew you wanted to be an actor?
I never really considered becoming a professional actor while growing up. I certainly had exposure to it seeing plays and musicals. My parents did the quintessential “parent thing” and groomed me to become a doctor or a lawyer. I was in AP classes in school with straight A’s, a member of the Honor Society, the Junior Achievers, the Lions Club, the whole nine yards. In the tenth grade, my mom pushed me to acquire more extracurriculars for college applications, so I started theatre.
By Christmas break of twelfth grade, I decided to go to University to study theatre. Even while studying it though, I didn’t consider being an actor, or rather being in the business of acting. It was just something I loved to do. Then the summer of junior year, I booked my first paying performance gig at an amusement park. I thought “People want to give me money to do what I love to do? Hell yeah! Sign me up!” And here we are.
Are there any mentors in your life who truly helped you become the amazing performer you are today?
In the true sense of the word “mentor”, no. Who I am professionally is thanks to a plethora of artists and theatre people on stage, backstage, and behind audition tables and pianos. Those are the people who have been my champions, my inspirations, and my guiding force. If I was pressed to boil it down to one person, it would be my high school drama teacher, Mr. Eiklor, a big hulk of a man who stood about 6’4” and weighed about 500 pounds. When he talked, you listened. And when you made him upset, he might wing a coffee cup in your direction, so you tried not to do that. If you royally pissed him off, he would literally chase you out of the theatre. He loved his kids. He really taught us theatre and, even with the coffee cup throwing, how to be a true professional. He instilled in me the work ethic I still bring to my career today.
We are living in some unprecedented times in the world. For all artists (especially actors) it is definitely a time of uncertainty. What has your everyday routine been like during Quarantine and what are some things you do to keep your spirits up?
I keep busy. Growing up my family called me “Stevie Bee” (I had to change my name from Steven Hamilton to Evan Edwards for Equity). They nicknamed me that because I was always doing something, constantly moving from one project to the next. I guess I’m kind of like a shark, in a way. Being still is not an option. In the beginning of Quarantine, I turned to baking and doing things in my apartment: I made a German Chocolate cake, painted my bedroom, I rearranged my living room, made “beer bread”, cleaned out my closet. You get the picture. Then I gave myself movie nights, which included watching the entire Avengers franchise, in chronological order of events, one per night. On Fridays, I had themed nights with four friends over Zoom. I guess I was nesting and making myself feel safe.
But it wasn’t enough. When it became clear that this was our situation, at least for the time being, I knew it was time for me to start living my life again. And theatre is a huge part of who I am. I’m currently learning the ins and outs of video submissions and live recordings as they pertain to my talents and situation. When online classes started, I hopped right in. I take Zumba classes taught by a friend in Germany and several virtual dance classes a week. I’m writing more consistently. I’ve finished three major works that were in various stages of completion. I’m currently working on three new pieces, two of which are musicals.
I’m reading and presenting with a couple of writer/performer groups over Zoom and reading/acting the classics with yet another group. I’ve directed a few Zoom theatrical presentations and been in some. I’ve been searching for new audition material. I’ve learned two new songs and am working on two more. And over six months later, my four friends and I are still having online themed nights every Friday. See? Busy like a happy little bee.
Are there any shows or experiences in your career that will always stick out and be near and dear to your heart?
“There was this one time, at band camp...” I’m only kidding. When I was younger, I knew what my hirable qualities were. I knew all the roles in Theatre that my particular brand of talent was suited for. Before I moved to New York City, my dad said “Don’t get discouraged. It’s not going to be like it was here. It’s going to be hard for someone who looks like you to be cast”. And he wasn’t wrong. I would go into auditions and either be completely ignored, or best-case scenario, be hired for the chorus. While being in the chorus of a show is awesome, it can be a little disheartening if it keeps happening when auditioning for a role. I took my dad’s advice. I didn’t give up being who I was artistically or going in for roles I believed I was right for. So, when an audition for “Will Parker” in Oklahoma came around, I attended. To my surprise, not only did I book the show, I booked the role. So, off into the regions I went.
The night before rehearsals started, there was a meet and greet. I was pretty nervous and excited, so I arrived early, scoped out a prime spot, and just waited for my castmates to arrive. As they did, I noticed that every guy who entered looked more and more like he could play “Will Parker”. By the time the last guy entered, he was literally wearing a printed flannel shirt, faded jeans, and cowboy boots.
My brain exploded. I believed all these men had wanted to book the role that I got. I envisioned a horrid summer, alone and trapped with a cast who despised me. And worse yet, a cast who made fun of me and my portrayal of this iconic role. Nothing could have been further from the truth. The entire cast, crew, and creative team were friendly, welcoming, and supportive. If there were any hard feelings, none of those guys ever showed any. And you know how nasty rumors fly around casts? There weren’t any, not about me or anyone else.
The rehearsals were amazing. I could feel the love and support. That freed me up artistically to take chances without fear of consequences and gave me the ability to have an honest dialogue about the show and the choices being made. Existing in that space with those people energized me and made me feel alive. It was the most loving, fun, artistically fulfilling experience I have ever had in the theatre to this day. The icing on the cake came when I later returned to NYC. In the old Equity lounge, there was a map of the U.S. mounted on one of the walls. With a pin in each city, the map was used to denote where successful “non-traditional casting” had occurred. A pin was placed in the city where I had performed “Will Parker” in Oklahoma. I was so proud to not only be recognized for who I was, but to represent a beginning shift in the casting mentality.
What advice would you give any young aspiring artists in these challenging times?
In any career, but especially the Arts where money is scarce and jobs are scarce and stability is scarcest of all, a person has to be in it for the right reasons. Theatre isn’t only about the money, although it is a major business with Broadway alone bringing in over 1.5 billion dollars a year. And it’s not only about the adoration. For a lot of people, both in professional and community settings, Theatre is a part of their very being. It’s at the essence of who we are.
With Covid-19, the political unrest, the call for representation both on stage and backstage, and the demand for justice for those wronged, the world and the theatre are in a process of healing. While this healing is happening, I would urge young artists to take the time and make sure they want to be in Theatre for the right reasons. If someone has survived for these, what almost seven months, without creating or longing to create so badly that it hurts, then it’s probably not important enough to them in the grand scheme of things. Right now, there are Broadway people with extensive resumes doing Zoom readings for $100. To them, creating and sharing is everything. It has to be, because you can barely buy a week’s worth of groceries for $100 in New York City. Bottom line: A life in Theatre is much too difficult for it not to be one of the most important things to you.
If after you assess, you find there’s something else you want to do, or if you need to because of financial reasons or health reasons, go do it. There’s no shame in that. Then down the road, if you decide you can’t live without Theatre, come on home.
Theatre will be here to welcome you back regardless of what some are currently saying about it dying. At one point in the musical Peter Pan, everyone in the audience is asked to clap or Tinkerbell will die (Kinda dark for kids by the way). Artists are like Tinkerbell. If no one claps, we will die, figuratively. But it’s not about the actual applause. It’s about the communion an actor has with the audience. It’s the energy that’s exchanged between the two that turns theater into Theatre. It’s the life force of an Artist. If the desire to tell a story and have someone else listening in person is truly inside of you, then no matter what you do or where you go, it will always be there, and you should always find a way to make that magic happen.
To learn more about Evan make sure you visit his official website at - https://www.evanedwardsaea.org