Totally 'Saved': Mary Faber on Hilary Faye

Mary Faber is currently starring in Saved, a new musical based off of the popular film of the same title. In Saved, Faber plays the popular girl Hilary Faye. Hilary and her best friend Mary (Celia Keenan-Bolger) are starting their senior year at the top of the social food chain at American Eagle Christian High School when series of events happens that throws Hilary's world into a tail spin. Here, Mary sits down with BWW and and talks about the important issues presented in this new adaptation and showing the good side of Hilary Faye.

Faetra Petillo: Congratulations on the upcoming opening of Saved- how did you start your career in and make the leap to New York?

Mary Faber: I did children's theater in elementary school and then I went to a performing arts high school in Virginia.  After high school I attended Brandeis University which is right outside of Boston. While I was there I got involved with a lot of different student groups and productions in different departments and studied all different areas of performance like improv comedy. It was right after college that I moved to New York.

FP:  You've certainly been involved with a wide array of performance here too, do you have a specific area of theater you like to focus on- do you enjoy doing musicals or more cabaret or stand up etc?

MF: I'd say I'm primarily an actor who sings. I do a lot of musicals. But I just love working in any medium- film, TV, straight plays. Whatever comes my way.

FP: This production of Saved as many know is based off of a popular motion picture with MAndy Moore playing the same character you play on stage, Hilary Faye. In terms of your preparation for the role- did you go back and watch the film to see how she was portrayed or did you avoid doing so?

MF: Well when I was offered the role I decided I didn't want to go back and watch the movie for a few reasons. MAndy Moore's performance in the film is the one of the main things that sticks out in people's minds and after reading this version of the story, I knew that this Hilary Faye was going to be very different from the character written in the movie.  I think this Hilary is not as cut and dry as just being the popular mean girl she comes across as in the film. I think there is more humanity to her in this musical and I really wanted to show her side and her perspective.

FP: Very true. I really noticed that- even not having seen the movie in some time, I definitely felt your portrayal of Hilary in this musical was very different then the original character. That being said though, is it difficult- when you look at the whole of the story being told- to play what I guess is someone who is still considered "the bad guy"?

MF: Surely, she's definitely still the "baddest" of the girls in the musical. But I think you then have to approach it by finding something you can relate to in her and not judge her. I try not to think of her as just the mean girl. I think it would be easy to play that but that's certainly not how she's written and to play her like that would be very one-level.

FP: In terms of the issue of faith in the musical- one of the great things about the play is that it is very funny and can be very farcical and critical of the community but it also portrays a very honest, real and sympathetic look into the mentality and lives of these young people.  How as an actor do you approach the balance of these two depictions?

MF: I think it really is a delicate balance between the two lines. Again, it would have been easy for the writers to write the play from the perspective of a hard-edged New Yorker and mock these Christian communities but they don't do that at all which is really wonderful. There are definitely aspects of the depiction that are funny and a little crazy but when you get down to the core of what these characters believe you can't just just laugh them off. The script does a good job of neither promoting or dismissing Christianity.

FP: That being said, what do you think is the target audience for this kind of show? Do you think it would be received well in areas unlike New York City where this story is probably closer to real live for many high school students?

MF: It's funny you should say that because Van Hughes (who plays Patrick) and I recently went down to Virginia to teach at our high school, Virginia Governor's School for the Arts. They came to see the show over Memorial Day weekend and it was the best audience we ever had. These kids are very smart and they got it. I think young people are more able to vacillate between the moments of humor and the more serious moments. They just throw their hands up and go on the ride.  I think high school students would really love this play.  

FP: From my experience growing up in a Catholic school, even in a more liberal area, I think it's a very realistic depiction of kids that are just as much part of modern society as they are rooted in their ties to their faith and the conflicts that come up between those two aspects of their culture.

MF: That's cool that you say that because I think one of the things people might not realize about Evangelicial youth is that these are still very, very savvy teenagers. They still listen to rock music and drink Starbucks and wear the same clothes and read the same books. We're not talking about a secluded religious sect in Utah. And I think there are still audience members who will see it and maybe not think it is satirical enough or dark enough but I think there are more people who will like the change in tone and like this perspective of contemporary Christians.

FP: Just changing gears, this is your second time working with Playwrights Horizons- the first was in 2006 in Floyd and Clea Under The Western Sky. What have you like about working with Playwrights and what advantages do you think there are to presenting a new work with them as opposed to on Broadway?

MF: They are so incredibly nurturing to artists. Obviously the writers first and foremost but even as an actor they are great. They are so helpful at making it a wonderful, protective, working environment. You can just do your work and play.

FP: Well thank you so much for sitting down with us. Do you have anything else planned after this?

MF: I'm not sure yet actually. You know you can always just get a call and everything can change but as of right now I am focusing on the opening and having a great run with Saved and then enjoying the summer!

Directed by Gary Griffin (The Color Purple) and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys), Saved has their official opening tonight, June 3rd.  The limited engagement will continue through Sunday, June 22 at Playwrights Horizons' Mainstage Theater (416 West 42nd Street). In addition to Faber, Saved features the talents of Celia Keenan-Bolger,Julia Murney,John Dossett, Van Hughes,Juliana Ashley Hansen,Curtis Holbrook,Jason Michael Snow,Aaron Tveit, Morgan Weed, Emily Walton and Daniel Zaitchik. For more information and to purchase tickets please visit www.playwrightshorizons.org.

First and last photo of Mary Faber from 'Saved'

Middle two photos of Mary Faber from 'Floyd and Clea Under The Western Sky' 

Photos by Joan Marcus.

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