BWW Interviews: Jill Eikenberry in THE M SPOT at NJ Rep

The M Spot, a provocative new play by Michael Tucker, will be at New Jersey Repertory (NJ Rep) from February 26th through March 29th. This World Premiere is directed by Evan Bergman and also stars Michael Tucker and his real-life wife, Jill Eikenberry. Broadwayworld.com had the opportunity to interview Eikenberry about her impressive theatrical accomplishments and the upcoming show.

Eikenberry has a vast array of stage, movie and television credits. She has been seen in Broadway shows that include Moonchildren and Onward Victoria. She received Obie awards for her Off-Broadway performances in Life Under Water and Lemon Sky and a Drama Desk nomination for her role in The Kid. Her film performances include roles in Between the Lines, Arthur and Young Adult. Eikenberry received a Golden Globe Award and five Emmy Nominations for her role in the television show L.A. Law that she starred in for eight seasons.

In The M Spot, Jerry (Michael Tucker) and Maddie (Jill Eikenberry) have been married-forever-and are looking for something to recapture the vitality in their marriage. They've been through the mill when it comes to therapists and well-meaning advice, so when the opportunity arises for them to go on a retreat to a new-age spa, complete with nude massages, Jerry is all for it. Maddie, on the other hand, is a bit more reserved, and is naturally skeptical about the process and her husband's motives. But when Maddie finally lets go of her inhibitions with the aid of a lovely young masseuse, Jerry is left wondering what he missed.

We asked Eikenberry about her earliest interest in theater. "I played Snow White in French class in the 5th grade. As I got older I did high school plays and musicals in community theater. At Barnard College, I majored in physical anthropology and kept telling myself that theater would just be an avocation. I played "Iolanthe" at Barnard, and was Margaret of Anjou in Henry VI Part 2. Then I got cast as Ophelia in the Columbia production of Hamlet. One night in my dorm, as I sat learning her monologue "Oh what a noble mind is here o'erthrown..... I noticed I had huge tears running down my face. I was shocked. I'd never been able to open up like that. And I loved it. That was the moment. A friend told me I should audition for Yale Drama School and I was off and running."

Eikenberry told us about some of the mentors who have encouraged her career. "At Yale I had a remarkable class with Paul Sills, who taught us to improvise and trust our instincts even when we had no idea where we were going. I loved the freedom it gave me. But my favorite acting teacher was Mira Rostova, who's technique came out of Stanislavsky. I took class with her in New York long after I left Yale. I wanted to be like her best student - Zora Lampert."

We asked Eikenberry about some of her favorite roles and those that have been distinctive in her career. "My favorite role was Alma in Eccentricities of a Nightingale by Tennessee Williams, which I did at Playwright's Horizons in the late 70s. Tennessee came to a dress rehearsal and decided he wanted to add to the play. So he wrote 2 new scenes that we put in during previews. He also gave me some invaluable acting advice - about having the courage not to play the outer manifestations of Alma's eccentricity until I understood what was going on inside. On opening night he came up on stage for the curtain call, turned to the audience and said 'I want to thank this wonderful cast for helping me to finally finish my favorite play.' A career highlight for sure."

Eikenberry is working alongside her husband in the show at NJ Rep. She told us more about their current experience together. "I'm really enjoying working with Mike on The M Spot. We've acted together many times, but this is different - because I have an in with the writer. He's very responsive when I have a question about one of my lines. I guess he knows he has to go home with me at the end of the day. We're also having fun acting together. We seem to be better at listening to each other than we used to be. I think Mike has written a very brave play, because it deals honestly with areas of relationship that people don't talk about. I'm excited to be acting in it - and a little scared."

As we look forward to the show, Eikenberry spoke about the role of Maddie that she plays in The M Spot. "Maddie is courageously in search of her true self. She's a bulldog. She wants Jerry to take the leap with her and she won't take no for an answer. She's also very funny and often wise. But she comes up against a challenge in Act 2 that shakes her foundations and takes her much deeper into the truth than she bargained for."

Eikenberry is pleased to be working in Long Branch with NJ Rep. "We're crazy about the NJ Rep. Gabe and Suzanne are terrific people. Their commitment to the theater and to new plays in particular is very pure. It reminds us of why we wanted to be in the theater in the first place. It's the perfect place for us."

Sneak preview performances to this limited engagement of The M Spot begin Thursday, February 26 with opening night Saturday, February 28 at New Jersey Repertory Company (179 Broadway, Long Branch, NJ), and will run through Sunday, March 29. Tickets may be purchased by calling 732-229-3166 or online at www.njrep.org.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of NJ Rep