Steve Snyder is a faculty member of Penn State’s School of Theatre, teaching Shakespeare performance and leading the creation of a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting. His professional work includes productions with American Players Theatre, Drury Lane Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and Writers’ Theatre, among others. He will next be seen as an actor portraying the character of King Arthur in Fuse Productions upcoming production of Camelot, which runs June 22-25 at Schwab Auditorium. Snyder recently answered five questions about the production and his process as an actor.
T&G: King Arthur is a character that certainly has been depicted so many ways on stage, in film, and on television. In fact, there is a new film coming out this month. What, in your opinion, is it that makes King Arthur such a powerful character to play and how will you make your portrayal unique compared to others?
Snyder: King Arthur is one of those people everyone has an idea about–the Round Table, chivalry, the sword in the stone, etc., but at the end of the day, I have to make him a real human being. I have a great friend who is a director, who, as he is preparing to cast and direct a play, always comes back to what a character DOES. King Arthur does some pretty extraordinary things that we take for granted because we’ve all heard the stories. He, according to legend, questioned the status quo and made great moves to have knights use their might for right, for good. Rather than Might Makes Right, Arthur tried Might FOR Right. For the Greater Good, that is. Pretty heady stuff for such a chaotic time. He also, within the Lerner and Lowe version of the legend, creates a civil court, rather than all contentious matters being settled by violent means. Pretty impressive, I think. One of the things I love most about him is that he has a real ache to do something that matters, something great, that will make a real difference in the quality of people’s lives. At such a time as this, that kind of ache really resonates. To abuse power is a terrible thing, but, when one has power, one must use it. Arthur really tried to use his well. And then there’s the whole Guinevere and Lancelot side of things…let’s just say Arthur faces some very human and substantial challenges, and seeks to find the wisest way through them. For all of that, I love and respect him.
As for my unique take, well, I guess you’ll have to come to the theater, won’t you!? Ha! Seriously though, Arthur has a very rich journey, and I really am searching for who this man is and what drives him at each stage. As I come to understand him, I will fight for all I’m worth from his point of view. And sometimes he’s funny.
T&G: What has it been like preparing for Camelot and working specifically with Fuse Productions? What can the audience expect?
Snyder: This is my second production with Fuse, having played Henry Higgins in last summer’s My Fair Lady, which was such a beautiful adventure. You can certainly expect a well-crafted and well-cared-for story. Rich loves this story and this music, and he’s brought together a talented and generous-spirited team. Also, Rich might be the biggest Lerner and Lowe nerd I’ve ever met. The script and score are so strong, and Rich knows them inside and out. I’m very happy to be working with him and Jill again, as I know they are leading us to a vibrant realization of Camelot. This production has further special meaning to me, as I’ll get to share the stage again with my wife, Libby Snyder, with my sons Elijah and Luca, and a few of my students!
Rehearsals are very early stage, so most of my preparation thus far has been reading and re-reading the script, working on the music with Rich and with Norman Spivey, reading from The Once and Future King, from which Camelot is adapted, experimenting with point of view at the various stages of the story, and looking at images and footage from the many iterations of this legend, even the Starz show! Two days ago, as I walked downtown, I passed the Army-Navy surplus store, looked in the window, and noticed a display with a knife stuck in a stone! You notice those kinds of things when you’re preparing a role–all of a sudden everything seems to have something to do with the story.
T&G: Camelot includes exciting music and singing as part of the storytelling. What role do you see these specific pieces playing in creating the magical world of Camelot?
Snyder: Like all really good musical theater songs, the songs in Camelot advance plot, deepen your understanding of who these people are, and the people who are singing them are actively trying to do something through the song. For example, when I sing ‘How to Handle a Woman,’ it’s because I am at an utter loss in my relationship with Guinevere at the moment. I don’t understand what she’s thinking and why she’s doing what she’s doing. As a couple, up to this point, we’ve always been absolutely open and on the level with each other. Something’s wrong (Hint: It has to do with Lancelot!), I feel pretty alone and not understood, and I have to work out how to be with her, how to move forward, what to do! So, naturally, I work it out through the song, and try to come to a way forward. The lyrics and music turn with each new emotional and mental impulse so maturely, so all the clues are there, and we have to be good detectives now.
Lerner and Lowe were masters of this form. Lerner chose which parts of The Once and Future King to use, where to further develop, and how to sculpt the journey. Each major development has a rich song of Lowe’s that both draws the audience further into the story, and is a serious joy for the actors to play.
T&G: Your professional experience is vast with your directing, acting, and teaching credits. What intrigues your the most about acting and/or directing and how does this help you with your teaching?
Snyder: At the end of the day, I am a story maker. In a story, we almost always meet a person or people who ache for something, and then we watch her/him/them strive to get it. Sometimes they get it, sometimes they don’t, but it is the attempt that thrills us, inspires us, moves us, makes us laugh, gives us hope, gives us the reminder we needed of how to be, or not to be, how to love, to be a friend, to take a stand, to take a chance, to put others first, to say the hard thing that needs to be said, to fight for what matters…
As a teacher, it’s important to me that I keep myself sharp by actively practicing what I preach. Each time I work as an actor or director, I get to get better at the very work I’m asking my students to do. I use the tools I teach them. I experiment with new ideas or techniques I’ve learned. I get to go through the humbling and exhilarating process of trying, failing, trying again, failing better, being patient with myself and hard on myself at the same time, searching with my teammates and by myself, growing in trust and excitement as the way becomes clearer, the cost gets higher — but easier to pay at the same time, and a human gets created that is a joyful blend of the king and me. Then we meet the audience and take in what they teach us each night as we learn how the play goes with them in the mix. I get to take all that back to the studio with me. Real world, real life, real battle experience makes me a better, sharper, and more relevant teacher.
T&G: For the up and coming actor or someone who seems drawn to work on stage or in film, what is your best advice to get started and what do you suggest actors in particular do to add their own talent to a role?
Snyder: Getting started:
1) Take in as much as you can — see plays, read plays, watch movies, watch TV.
2) You’ll then start to get a feel for what you like, what kind of stories you’re attracted to and might want to be part of making.
3) Don’t wait to be discovered — get busy auditioning and making work.
4) Respect yourself and the audience enough to really do the work. If you don’t know how to do the work, learn how. Find a class! Audition for productions and watch how the best people work. Watch the Kevin Spacey class online for starters! Read books —AUDITION by Michael Shurtleff is an old one, but a good place to start. TIPS: IDEAS FOR ACTORS by Jon Jory is another good starter.
5) Be humble and keep learning, Sanford Meisner said it takes 20 years to master this craft.
6) Know that the most important person in a scene is YOUR PARTNER. Be deeply interested, and you will be interesting.
7) Be a supportive community member, and know that building relationships is more important than climbing any ladder. People like to work with good people they know. Go see things people are doing in your community. Get involved and ‘play well with others.’
8) Be easy to work with. Be prepared. Be kind. When you are given a note, say ‘Thank You,’ and make the adjustment for the next run or rehearsal. Don’t argue about the note. Don’t be a diva.
9) Remember that, at the end of the day, as Peter Brook said, ‘A play is play.’ It is PLAY. It is pretend. It is very detailed, thoughtful, costly work, but it is, indeed, play. And that calls for a sense of joy and full presence. Can you play like you did when you were 6 or 7?
10) Practice humility and quick forgiveness of others — and of yourself.
Bringing yourself to a role:
Really dig to find, understand, and then fight from/play from the character’s Point of View. How does this person see the world? How does this person see the other person in the scene? What does that make them do/want/need from the other person? What is the problem between you? What isn’t she doing that you need or want her to do?
Then ask yourself: How is this character like me? How is this character different from me?
Simply thoughtfully considering those two questions can both help you bring the most helpful parts of yourself to the role, AND make the needed adjustments so you give yourself permission to do some things you might not normally do.
A play is play.
Jennifer Pencek is a freelance writer based in State College and programming coordinator of Penn State’s Center for Women Students.
