Plaza Suite - Meet cast member Jack Stein

Tell me a little bit about your character.

Sam Nash can’t accept the inevitability of growing older. He seeks ways to remain young at the risk of losing the very person who knows him better than he knows himself—his loving, devoted, and at times eccentric wife, Karen.  An unexpected stay one evening at the Plaza Hotel brings out more truths than he ever expected, propelling him to make some unexpected decisions that evening.

What were some of the challenges for you in working on this piece?

My biggest challenge has been figuring out how to show the inner softness of Sam’s somewhat gruff exterior. His anger is fueled by fears many of us have faced in our lives. To do so, I tapped into some of my own personal experiences and those of people I know.  Fortunately, Neil Simon’s a master at character dialog and provided a wonderful treasure trove of words to help me uncover the many shades of Sam. I'm also
incredibly fortunate to be partnered on stage with an amazingly talented actress and (new) friend who makes the 45 minute journey an incredible ride!

What do you hope audiences will take away from this play?

It’s a comedy of course, so hopefully, audiences will leave with a big grin.  Having performed in the play (in a different role) many (many!) years ago, it's been fun re-examining the play so many years later particularly with our director’s fresh approach to the time frame and look of the production. I hope audiences also leave with a sense of
what a great observer of life Simon is.

Plaza Suite will be playing at LTA June 14 - July 5.  Tickets can be purchased online at www.thelittletheatre.com