Reid Sinclair.
Yes.
Which character are you playing?
Jim O’Connor, the gentleman caller.
What town are you from?
Norfolk, Connecticut.
Is this your first time at Hole in the Wall Theater?
It is.
So, what do you think of it?
It’s a great place. I’m about an hour away from here, and saw the audition notice and just decided to come out. Didn’t really know the community but it’s a really great place for theater and arts.
How did you get into theater? What’s your background in theater?
I started in elementary school, and I stuck with it through middle and high school. Around high school I figured out that it was something that I’d like to pursue. Since then I’ve been doing community theater around the area, and trying to get more experience so that I can, hopefully, pursue theater professionally.
Why do you act? What’s your favorite part of acting?
Oh, that’s a tough question. What attracts me to it is the ability to show the human condition in its purest form, to be able to live vicariously through all these different people and experience different walks of life. I think it’s just a cathartic process to get these emotions out and feel all the things that people feel.
What do you do for a living?
I’m in between jobs right now, but usually I’m serving at a restaurant somewhere. I’ve done stuff like, y’know, a janitor, receptionist at a gym. I kinda hop around and do what I can.
What do you like to do besides theater?
I’m a movie guy. I like to watch a lot of movies. A good book, just like anybody else. I’ve been into longboarding for a while. Hiking, you know, trying to get active. I like doing a lot of outdoors stuff, or anything that stimulates my brain in a profound way.
Do you have a favorite movie?
I have a top few that I will always go back to. One of my favorites is this movie called Place Beyond the Pines. Stars Ryan Gosling, Derek Cianfrance is the director.
What are your dreams for the future?
Acting is what I want to do- just be successful at that. As a business.
You wanna do the thing you like, and get paid for it?
Exactly, exactly. Just like anybody else would. I also want to find fulfillment in my career. I want to accomplish good things.
Why did you audition for The Glass Menagerie?
Of course, I had heard of the show before. I knew a little bit of what it was about, I’d never read it all the way through. I knew Tennessee Williams was one of the best playwrights of our time. I’d never done one of his shows before. I wanted to get involved with a show that would challenge you, that has a subject matter that’s profound for a lot of people, and themes that resonate with a lot of people. I wanted to work in that sort of environment, with the language he uses.
How would you describe your character, and in what ways are you like and not like your character?
Jim… he’s an everyday sort of guy. He’s the guy you want to be around. He’s sort of your stereotypical “alpha male” in a lot of ways. Sports guy, jock, easy to please. He’s always got a happy demeanor about him. He’s looking at the brighter side of things. That’s why Tom gets along well with him. He’s able to relate to him in certain aspects of life. I can sort of relate to that, as myself- trying to look at things in a more positive way, I could liken myself to him in that way.
Any ways you’re not like him?
I was thinking about this. He doesn’t really pick up on social cues like most people would. He says what’s on his mind, even if it’s not gonna play the best to the other person. He’ll just blurt it out, you know. I would like to think I’m a little more perceptive than that.
Have you ever collected anything? Cards? Shoes?
I don’t really collect them anymore, but I have a collection of Buddhas.
A collection of Buddhas?
Mhm. Some are big, some are small, some are glass, some are wooden. I liked them for some reason when I was younger, and then people picked up on that and I got started-
They started giving you Buddhas?
Exactly. It kinda grew from there.
Did you have any favorite pieces in your collection? Any memorable ones for you?
Yeah. One of my favorites is this piece my uncle got me for Christmas, which is like a laughing Buddha that’s a big wooden sculpture. It’s a nice piece. Makes me think of my uncle.
Do you have a favorite drink, alcoholic or otherwise?
Guinness.
Guinness?
Mhm. That’s always a go-to. It’s a nice, hardy drink.
Do you have a favorite song?
Again, like with the movies, there are some. It ebbs and flows.
Any of them come to mind right now?
I could say, at the moment, I’ve been listening to a lot of songs from the soundtrack of this movie called Call Me by Your Name. And in particular, songs by this artist- Sufjan Stevens, who did the soundtrack for it. It’s atmospheric, modern music.
Anything else you’d like to say? Other ventures? Shoutouts?
I want to thank my parents for supporting me. I want to thank Steve, the director, for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the show. Everyone here at Hole in the Wall has been really welcoming, since this is my first time.