Interview: THE BOOK OF MORMON on Tour Actor Stanley Mathis

Stanley Mathis is a veteran performer on Broadway playing in such shows as THE LION KING and NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT. Currently touring with THE BOOK OF MORMON, Mathis, shared with BWW some of the great experiences of being out on the road and how he came to play the role of Mafala Hatimbi in THE BOOK OF MORMON on tour.

How did you get interested in performing?

I was born and raised in Washington. DC so I got involved in theater through community theater. That is how I started with a community organization and then also through school. Then I just decided to further that as a professional from there.

Do you remember your first performance you ever did?

My first performance, I would have to say would have to be the Gingerbread Man. I think I was in the second or third grade. My first semi-professional performance where I actually got paid would have to have been with a theater company called "Ebony Impromptu Theater Company" and the show was called, INNERCITY.

Do you have photos from your early performances?

When my mom passed in 2001, going through her things, she had this album full of stuff that she had collected since I was in high school that I had no idea that she was keeping all these things.

What a great memento.

How did you get the role of Mafala Hatimbi in THE BOOK OF MORMON?

I had auditioned for the show in New York when they were doing the workshops and I actually auditioned for another character; the general. I went in for it then and the script wasn't even finished and they hadn't completed everything. So I didn't know exactly what was going on except that it was written by SOUTHPARK and that I liked SOUTHPARK. So I went in and auditioned, didn't hear anything about it, got another job on Broadway with Matthew Broderick called, "NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT" with Matthew and Kelli O'Hara. About a year into my contract with them, they (THE BOOK OF MORMON) contacted me again to audition again for Mafala. So I went in auditioned. This time, the show had come to Broadway and I went to see it and enjoyed it and I said, yes, that's the role that I can play. So I auditioned for them and didn't hear anything back right away. Then they said the guy that was on Broadway that was doing it, Michael Potts, was going away for three months to HBO and would I mind coming in and sitting in for him until he got back. I thought that would be great except I don't have an out for the show that I'm doing right now so I can't do it. I just threw my hands up and thought that's the end of it and I'll just move on. If it's not for me, I'm not going to dwell on it. If it's for me, it'll happen. So, I thought, that's the end of that but then they called back about three weeks later to say that his project had been pushed back to March instead of So, long story short, I ended up rehearsing that show during the day and doing NICE WORK at night. My contract and my last show with NICE WORK was on the 24th. My first show with THE BOOK OF MORMON was the 26th. I didn't have a lot of time to digest it all.

Tell us more about your character.

I always describe him as the elder in the village. He's also like the tour guide kind of character. So, he takes care of the tourists when they come. He's the elder of the village and he's the tour guide. When they encounter him, he of course, he takes them around and tells them what is and what isn't our philosophy in the village which the Mormons are taken back and mortified by.

If you had not gotten into show business, what would you have done?

I love to teach. I still teach even while I'm in a show. I'm one of the older members of the group. When I was in high school, I was majoring in graphic arts so then I switched over to performing arts my junior year. I was actually going to be a graphic artist. And the other thing is that I love to bake. Sometimes I do it when we have sit downs. Everybody else's trunks are full of clothes and my trunk is full of pots and pans; things to bake with. We are getting ready to hit a bunch of one weekers right now so I won't be doing much. When we sat down in Vegas and Denver for four weeks, I baked every Sunday. I bring baked goods for the cast.

Were you part of the cast when they went through Salt Lake?

I was. I only did the first week, because the second week, I went on vacation. But, I do know they loved it and that it was completely sold out. That was a nice surprise. On the schedule, it was TBA (To Be Announced). We didn't know if we were going to have a lay off or what. But, we got the go ahead and it was very successful.

THE BOOK OF MORMON opens in Austin at Bass Concert Hall on December 8 and plays through December 13, 2015. To purchase tickets, go to their website. Tickets are going fast so reserve yours today.