Eisenberg & Redgrave Discuss THE REVISIONIST

In a new interview, Hollywood heavyweights and fellow thespians Jesse Eisenberg and Vanessa Redgrave discuss their work together in the new Off-Broadway play THE REVISIONIST, written explicitly by Eisenberg for Redgrave and starring the two (alongside Dan Oreskes; and, directed by Kip Fagan).

Eisenberg reveals that Redgrave was always his first choice for the play, but accessing her was not quite as simple: "One of the hitches was trying to get it to Vanessa. When I had written it, I had seen her [on Broadway] in THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING and I just got it stuck in my mind that she had to do it," he remembers.

Redgrave expresses that she was immediately drawn to the drama. "It's a very extraordinary play. You can tell that straight off, after only two pages. Of course, I read it all the way through. I could see that there were extraordinary histories that had produced these two [characters], who are so unalike."

In remarking upon a potential move to Broadway and any changes he would make to his text, Eisenberg concludes, "I think about that every night, not in terms of future productions, just in terms of, 'What is not working, what is not working?' But then it's this weird process, where the next night the thing that wasn't working is the most interesting thing."

Also, Redgrave adds that who - or what - Eisenberg reminds her of most is an attentive listener, and Shelley. "He reminds me of [the poet] Shelley. I don't know if I can put it into words. A very inquiring mind, interested in everything and everybody. This is quite unusual. A very unique quality as an actor too."

Check out the full interview here.

THE REVISIONIST is currently playing Off-Broadway at the Cherry Lane Theater through April 27. More information is available here.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride