Pericles actor speaks

“I’m an American and I’m Catholic-and that’s two reasons why I’m better than you,” Michael… “I’m an American and I’m Catholic-and that’s two reasons why I’m better than you,” Michael DeRensis quips to a British audience.

No, he’s not one of those people who regularly embarrasses himself abroad; he was performing some of his material before an audience in London as the final for a comedy course he took last year while studying in England.

“Comedy is more challenging [than drama],” DeRensis asserted. “It’s hard being serious, but it’s hard getting up on stage and getting someone to laugh out loud.”

A senior film and theatre arts major, DeRensis recently starred in the title role of Pitt Rep’s “Pericles,” a Shakespearean tragicomedy.

“It was the only show I didn’t get a callback for,” DeRensis said with a smile. “So I just went to the read through and after two days I got the lead. It’s my first Shakespeare play so it was something to get the lead right off the bat.”

Playing the lead in Shakespeare means an immense amount of lines for the actor to memorize. The play itself, with cuts, ran just shy of three hours.

“Eduard [Butenko, the director] looked at it and saw what needed to be taken out,” DeRensis said. “[He] cut everything that didn’t move the story along. Usually actors are like ‘damn’ when their lines get cut, but me, I was like ‘thank you, Eduard.'”

Butenko, guest artist in residence from the Vaktangov Institute and Russian Drama School in Moscow, had a very particular method and style he wanted his actors to follow.

“His technique is all about imitations,” explained DeRensis. “You don’t become them [the characters], you accept them and then make strong choices based on that.”

DeRensis enjoyed Butenko’s personal directing style as well. “He’s very hands-on, always moving,” said DeRensis. “He just doesn’t think like us. It’s a different culture, being from Russia. It [his style] is simple and brilliant.”

Reflecting for a moment, DeRensis recalled a phrase of Butenko’s that he will always remember.

“When I did something wrong or that Eduard didn’t like,” DeRensis said with a laugh, “he would say [adopting Butenko’s Russian accent], ‘No. You ruin show.'”

As it turns out, DeRensis didn’t ruin the show and the production’s two-week run went fairly smoothly, though one of the challenges he faced was keeping his performance fresh and lively night after night.

“This was by far the longest run I’ve ever done,” DeRensis said. “The first couple nights were all a little different because you’re finally showing it to an audience-the cast finds their footings. Then, the middle of the run, the show is in full swing and everything is clicking. The last three or four nights, we all kind of phone it in,” he said jokingly.

In a more serious tone, he explained that the key for him was not to think about what he had done the night before, but to instead focus on what he was trying to express at the moment. “Then what you do should be truthful and therefore fresh,” he explained.

When performing, it’s important to DeRensis that he stays true to himself and to his role. He works hard to make a connection with an audience, but if they don’t respond, he doesn’t let it alter his performance. He did, however, find himself reading the production’s reviews.

“I told myself at the very beginning, ‘I’m not going to read any reviews, because they can’t help me, only hurt me,’ but of course people talk about them, so I gave in and read them anyway,” DeRensis confessed. “So I look in the Post-Gazette and they don’t even mention my name, so I assume he [the writer went to the bathroom during my scenes.”

But even when he does get glowing feedback, DeRensis takes it with a grain of salt.

“When you’re the lead in a big show, people feel the need to say something to you,” he explained, “and, of course, it’s going to be positive, so it’s tough to cut through all the crap and get a true sense of how you did. All you can do in this business is learn from your experiences and do your best.”

Though “Pericles” has ended, DeRensis can still be found on stage. Working with Shakespeare-in-the-Schools, he plays Chemical Man in “Rachel Carson Saves the Day.”

Graduating in April, he sees New York in his future. “I want to pursue stage acting, but I’ll probably be a server,” he joked. “But whatever happens, happens. I don’t think about my name in lights. I’ll know I’ve made it when my mom and dad can go and see their son on Broadway.”

Ever the comedian, he can’t resist adding with a grin, “Though I may be on Broadway handing out sandwiches.”