East Lynne Theater Co Interviews THE DICTATOR's Tom Byrn

In the spring of 2009, Tom Byrn auditioned for East Lynne Theater Company's world premiere of "The Ransom of Red Chief" and was cast as one of the thieves in this adaptation of a famous O. Henry story. Now, he's currently portraying Charley Hyne, the role originally played by John Barrymore on Broadway, in the hilarious farce, "The Dictator."

But Tom had been to Cape May before performing in "Red Chief."

Recently, on a rainy Sunday morning, sitting in the kitchen of our home in West Cape May, I took the opportunity to ask him a few questions. I'm always interested in what compels people to get into the arts and make theater their profession.

"What really drove my interest in theater was my 9th grade teacher, Sandra Magaril," said Tom. "She taught English and drama and loved nurturing students and was so different from any other teacher I had. She turned learning grammar rules into fun events. She graduated from Vassar in the 1950's where she was friends with Frances Sternhagen."

Tom's first time onstage was in the school production of "George Washington Slept Here" written by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman, directed Ms. Magaril and he was hooked. In 10th grade, he enjoyed being in "The Music Man," also under her direction.

"Growing up outside New York City was a treat," he added. "Ms. Magaril took us on field trips to see shows. I remember her taking us to see "Slab Boys" and there was a question-and-answer with us after the performance. It was moments like this that kept invigorating me about theater. Looking back on it, having been part of a few Q&As myself as an actor, I wonder what Sean Penn was thinking during this Q&A talking with high school students."

This 1983 Broadway production starred not only Sean Penn, but Kevin Bacon, Jackie Earle Haley, Val Kilmer, and Madleine Potter.

In Baldwin, Long Island, Tom and his family were close enough to see the big musicals produced at Jones Beach, and appreciated what New York City had to offer. His father worked in the city and the family attended shows together. The first Broadway show he saw was the 1977 production of "Dracula" with Frank Langella, but others soon followed, including "Wild Honey" with Ian McKellen.
"I was mesmerized by someone being so dynamic on stage," Tom commented.

After high school, he attended Vassar himself, majoring in English, but was still involved in theater. He performed in several college productions including G. B. Shaw's "You Never Can Tell" and Tennessee William's "Summer and Smoke."

Tom moved to Chicago with friends, after graduation, and pursued theater work there for six months. Then he received a call from a high school friend asking if he would be interested in being a part of the Open Door Theater Company.

"The troupe went to small communities to produce classic plays that had a community-colored interpretation," explained Tom. "It was like what Cornerstone Theater was doing on a national level - but this company was only working in Pennsylvania. I saw one of their shows, "Skin of Our Teeth," in a small town near Erie, PA, and found the work intriguing, so I joined the company. We did "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in the coal country, and I wrote a play about the Molly Maguires that we produced. The whole experience was amazing and we met some great people. It was kind of a struggle, though, and ultimately Open Door was hard to keep going. It can be difficult to find funding when you're trying to convince a community to invite you in. And several members were ready to move on. I was with the company for a year-and-a-half out of its three-year existence."
In 1991, Tom attended an audition in New York City for the Bloomsburg Theater Ensemble and was accepted. He remained with the company for twelve years, working as an actor and a director. During that time he co-edited "Letters to the Editor: 200 Years in the Life of an American Town," published by Simon & Schuster, and was an adjunct professor at Bloomsburg University.

Bloomsburg Theater Ensemble was founded in 1978 by Alvina Krause who believed that there should be a theater in every community. She found Bloomsburg, PA, with its 12,000 people, a perfect location for her troupe. Tom further explained:

"The ensemble looks for plays that are a good fit for the actors and for the community. The company produces five or six shows a year, plus a school tour, and an intern show, and added a summer production. If I wasn't rehearsing while performing, I was teaching theater classes. The company created a piece called "Hard Coal" that is published by Theatre Communications Group. I played Frank in "Molly Sweeney," the title role in "Macbeth," and directed "The Laramie Project." The ensemble is the artistic directorate, so everyone of the eight or nine member ensemble is involved in programming. One of the drawbacks of being the only theater company in the area is that there are no other companies and no healthy competition."

And Tom felt the need to move on. He has an ongoing relationship with Mad River Theater Works in Ohio and was in the company's recent national tour of "Everybody's Hero," an original play with music about Jackie Robinson, and directed a new play about inventor Lewis Latimer. He's worked in several Philadelphia-area companies including People's Light & Theatre, Lantern Theater, InterAct, and Act II Playhouse, where he'll be going after "The Dictator" ends on September 4 to play Caliban and Gonzallo in "The Tempest."

But, oh, yes, he worked in Cape May before working for East Lynne Theater Company. I asked him to explain.

"I was called in to Mike Lemon Casting in Philadelphia to audition for the film "Standing Ovation" and was cast as the Commercial Director. Filming was in Cape May in November, 2008, and this was my first time here."

"I so enjoyed getting to know Cape May in the summer of 2009 while working with East Lynne Theater Company," he further explained, "that I rented a house here for two months after "The Ransom of Red Chief" closed. I fell in love with the place and I'm glad to be back. I feel like I've found the same kind of community-oriented mission and understanding of the importance of how your work influences the community in which you're in - and how an artistic institution can influence the people living in the community - that I've had in other towns with other companies."
Tom Byrn along with nine other actors are appearing in "The Dictator" every Wednesday through Saturday at 8:30 through September 4 at The First Presbyterian Church, 500 Hughes St, in Cape May, where the Equity professional East Lynne Theater Company is in residence. To make a reservation or for information, call 609-884-5898 or go online to www.eastlynnetheater.org.