Interview: Director, David Ramón Zayas of RUMORS at Theatre Harrisburg

David Ramón Zayas is a Michigan native who moved to Harrisburg in 2009 to join Gamut Theatre Group's core company of actor/managers. He has performed locally with Gamut Theatre Group (Pierre, Red Velvet; Theo/Vincent, Vincent; many characters, Bunny, Bunny: Gilda Radner: A Sort of Love Story; Touchstone, As You Like It), Open Stage of Harrisburg (Ensemble, Sondheim on Sondheim; Billy, Bill W. and Dr. Bob; Hiram, The Normal Heart), and Theatre Harrisburg (Judge Turpin, Sweeney Todd). He also performs regularly with two local improv troupes, TMI and Safeword.

n addition to his work under the stage lights, he has written and directed adaptations of various classic works, including The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Beowulf, and POE: Much of Madness, a collection of poems and short stories by Edgar Allan Poe. Most recently, he--along with his husband and two good friends--created and mounted an interactive theatre experience, Choose Your Own Adventure The Play - Space Vampire, at Gamut Theatre Group, which performed to sold-out houses every night.

David enjoys passing theatre on to young artists, traveling with his husband, cooking meals for friends, and playing with his dog, Freya, and cats, Crake and Snowman.

BWW: What is your favorite Neil Simon play and why?

DRZ: Honestly, Rumors is my favorite Neil Simon play because, while it doesn't have the sentimentality of, say, Brighton Beach Memoirs, it is non-stop funny. It is fast, crass, and full of desperate people. The way the conspirator characters' lies keep stacking on top of one another feels like you're watching a group of skilled improvisers frantically try to accept and add to increasingly absurd scenarios.

BWW: What are the ingredients of a good farce?

DRZ: Speed, lies, and speed. Also best to add more lies.

BWW: Many actors feel that comedy is harder than drama. What types of skills are required of a good comedic actor?

DRZ: The most important skill for a good comedic actor is listening. If you aren't delivering your scripted lines as an honest reaction to what has happened before it, jokes will fall flat. If you're trying to say something in a "funny" way, rather an honest way, it will fall flat. If you aren't following the ebb and flow of the audience's focus and laughter, you'll talk over them and they'll miss your brilliance! It all stems from staying aware of your surroundings and listening.

BWW: Create a rumor, that while probably false, would guarantee great ticket sales for the show.

DRZ: You know, one rumor I heard was that our opening weekend had two sold-out shows and one just shy of doing so... So it seems to me if you could use a good laugh right now, you might not want to wait to secure your seats.