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THEATER :: APRIL 28, 2004 Marcus Olson: ‘Hi-Ho, the Glamorous Life!’ By T.E.
KLUNZINGER
Which town is this one? La, la, la. "I played the Baker," he recalls. "That was 36 cities in one and a half years, including one week at Wharton Center. After the tour I thought I’d never have anything to do with the show again, but students love it so we decided to do it. And I found out it was better to see the show from the perspective of a director than an actor." Half-empty houses, la, la, la. It seems Olson’s experience in "Woods" inaugurated him into the elite circle of what could be called the Sondheim Repertory Theater: soon after the tour ended, Olson was cast in the original, ill-fated off-Broadway production of Sondheim’s "Assassins," and then had a featured role in Sondheim’s last major Broadway show, "Passion," in 1994. (It should be noted that after several subsequent productions elsewhere, and the addition of an important song, "Assassins" has just opened on Broadway to excellent reviews. Although whether or not the ticket-buying public will actively support a musical about people who have killed -- or have tried to kill -- U.S. presidents remains to be seen.) Pack up the luggage, la, la, la. Growing up in Montana in the 1970s, Olson knew he wanted to be an actor. "I asked my high-school counselor what was the best acting school in the country, and he said the Julliard School in New York," Olson says. "So I went there and auditioned. I was not accepted, but one of the teachers pointed me to a small, excellent acting school in Boston. I went there and eventually got my degree from Amherst College." Unpack the luggage, la, la, la. Then it was off to New York to become that rare creature, a working professional actor. "I thought I’d give it a try for awhile," he says. "Just trying to survive physically in New York -- things like rent and food -- can be a little daunting. But fortunately I kept getting more work, and that went on for 15 years." Not that he lit up the sky overnight. "There’s a big misconception by the general public about what constitutes a successful actor," Olson says. "You’re off the radar if you’re not on the big screen. I didn’t have to wait tables because I got cast in a lot of shows and also did voice-overs and industrials. Bring up the curtain, la, la, la. "But it wasn’t until I got two scenes on ‘Law & Order’ in 1994, when the people back in Montana could see me right there on TV, that they felt I’d made it." It was also in 1994, during the run of "Passion," that he started to get serious about a course correction in his life. "I’d always thought of teaching and directing at the university level," he says, "so I decided the time had come for graduate school. Two years later I had my degree and was off to academia." Bring down the curtain, la, la, la. That started out with a year at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, and three years at East Carolina State University in Greenville, N.C. He came to MSU in 2000, on a four-year appointment as associate professor and head of acting within the Department of Theatre. Then in the spring of 2003, "I kind of felt it was time to move on. I was offered another four-year reappointment but declined. It was after that that the decision came down to eliminate the M.F.A. program in acting. And that’s a darn shame, because we’ve had lot of good people get their degrees in that program." Youngish admirers, la, la, la. Olson has always tried to be encouraging but realistic with his would-be professional actors. "For those who are so inclined, I do recommend an actor’s life in the big city, with reservations," he says. "Most students are stunned to learn about agents, unions and the professional casting process. It’s called Show Business for a reason, not Show Art. "I don’t try to discourage them, but I want them to understand what they’re getting into. You don’t get your rent on a scholarship - you’ve got to earn it, one job at a time. And you don’t know what it’s like, you don’t know how you’ll respond, until you’re actually there. You really have to want it." That’s why, he says, "it’s always amazing to me how hungry the students are, even after they know the hard, cold facts of life. They treat it as a challenge - it gets their energies up. "And every now and then, someone gets a breakthrough role, like Bernadette Peters in ‘Dames at Sea’ or Kristin Chenoweth in ‘Charlie Brown.’ That gets them into casting consciousness, which means steady work. It can always happen, and does." Over the years, Olson has developed an essential network of show-business acquaintances who range from Stephen Sondheim in New York to former students from East Carolina State, one of whom was recently in town in the touring production of "Oliver!" Pack up the luggage, la, la, la. He may have to rely on that network, since he doesn’t yet have a definite destination after the MSU school year ends. "If I don’t find an academic position I like," he says, "I’ll probably go back to New York to pursue directing, acting and teaching. I don’t own property, don’t have a family, don’t have kids. I think it would be nice to settle down someday, but as of right now I don’t know where." Hi-Ho, the Glamorous Life! Care to respond? Send letters to letters@lansingcitypulse.com. View our Letters policy.
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