SHINER: The Nirvana Play
Never before have I taken on such a role where I would be covered in blood, learn both stage combat and intimacy, and portray a complete 180º character transformation, all in the span of 90 minutes. Not to mention, all this was to be done as one of only two characters on stage for the length of the entire show. No breaks, just transitions. But the quick and conversational writing style had me hooked from the first time I read the script. Jake was going to be my world for the next couple of months and I couldn’t wait to get started.
Shiner is as intense as it is funny. Set in the mid-90’s grunge rock era, two thirteen year old California kids turn to the all-mighty Nirvana as they face the reality of broken home lives and a sucky school. These punks blast Kurt Cobain in an alley after school every Monday until something snaps, and both Margot and Jake aren’t so cute anymore.
Rehearsing this show tested my vocal limits, as many nights were spent screaming at telephone poles, jumping around to Bleach, and using my thirteen-year old “guy” voice. Since it’s a two-person show, the talented Snag Flynn, who plays the rebellious Margot, and I spent hours building a chemistry and rhythm that could be built up and torn down every night. We had to convince an audience we were perfect strangers at the start, and create a relationship that leaps a week ahead every scene. It wasn’t simple. Due to the creative eye of our director, we got to perform a show outside the gender binary. Non-traditional casting helped to make this production more special to our entire team. What is Jake’s deal? Is he straight? Does Margot know who they like? Are they a she? It DOESN’T MATTER is this script! Anyway you cast it and costume it, these two characters tell the same story of what it means to be a teenager on the edge of everything. I knew the script was great from the dialogue, but the way it holds up with any gender or ethnicity makes it gold.
After doing this show, my confidence as an actor has grown exponentially. Thanks to the most supportive and creative director, Peter Murphy, my co-lead Snag, our stage manager Erin Hurley, and so many more talented crew members. We got to make people laugh and cry every night. And as an actor, really what more could I ask for?
