In the Spotlight: Kevin Maroney

Name: Kevin Maroney

Character: Camillo

Why Acting?

It is truly an amazing experience to put together a production with a dedicated cast and crew. In the process or creating the play, you get to explore another person’s psyche, and present that person to an audience. It’s terrifying and exhilarating, and I recommend it highly.

As Marcellus in "Hamlet"
with Andrew McClelland as Horatio

How and why did you get involved with Hampshire Shakespeare & this production?

I was a part of the cast of “Hamlet” last year, and it was a great experience all around, so I tried out again this year, and was fortunate to be picked. I think any kind of work with Shakespeare can be intimidating – there’s no margin for error or paraphrasing; the language is so precise – but it is great fun once you go through all the work to get the words and thoughts down. I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to give it a go.

As Franz Liebkind
in "The Producers"
(with Dave Neil as Max)

Do you have a favorite role from any past productions?

I have been very fortunate, and have enjoyed every opportunity I’ve been given to be on stage. Last summer, it was great fun playing Marcellus in the first act of “Hamlet,” and the English Ambassador in the last. But probably the craziest and funniest role was Franz Liebkind in “The Producers.” Both he and Mel Brooks are insane.

What is your Favorite Word?

Supercalifragilisitcexpialidocious (though spellcheck does not like it)

What is your Least Favorite Word?

No

What sound or noise do you love?

Waves crashing on the shore

What sound or noise do you hate?

Ringing phones (especially during a show)

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

Major League Baseball manager

What profession would you not like to do?

Commercial fishing

What is your earliest memory of theater?

I remember going to see “Carousel” at the Jones Beach Theater in New York when I couldn’t have been more than 5 years old. I was awed by the whole spectacle. I still try to go to live theater whenever possible. There’s nothing better, in my opinion, as far as an entertainment experience goes.

As The Detective in
"Some Mother's Son"
at Smith College

Why is Theatre Necessary?

Staging a live production is the ultimate in teamwork and collaboration. Everything conspires against you: time, resources, weather, etc. And when the show finally goes up, it is, literally, a once-in-a-lifetime event. That show will never again be performed in that place, with that cast and those costumes & props, and that audience. It can’t be captured or duplicated; it can only be experienced in that moment. And, in spite of these unique aspects, our show has been performed for hundreds of years. It is fleeting and eternal at the same time. But I don’t think an audience consciously considers any of this. They just want to be entertained. They want to care about the characters – their lives, relationships, cares and concerns – characters who, by definition, are fictitious. It’s an amazing dynamic.

Has performing Shakespeare given you any interesting insights into Shakespeare?

I have a degree in English, and the nice people at my university required all majors in the department to take an advanced course in Shakespeare, on top of the lower-level literature survey courses that included a great deal of Shakespeare as well. I thought I knew his work, but nothing compares to performing the plays, saying the words, to get the full effect of the brilliant mind that created them. I attended a workshop at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox last year that was absolutely stunning. There are countless buried treasures in these scripts that, it seems, are only uncovered when the lines are spoken.

In Jekyll & Hyde
with
Jason Czernich

What’s next for you?

Rest! I have been performing rather steadily since last summer, and this seems to be a good time to be an audience member for a while. Right after “Hamlet”, I worked with the inestimable Kevin Tracy and a great cast in “Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde,” by Jeffrey Hatcher. (Our own Jason Czernich was also in that show.) Immediately following Hyde, I was in the world premier of an original play: “Some Mother’s Son” at Smith College, with another brilliant cast and great director, Kendra Arimoto. Then Kendra invited me to be in a staged reading of one of her plays, and Melissa Cleary cast me in a staged reading for a workshop at Umass – (where Lily Kaufman also played the part of my wife.). And now we’re bopping ‘twixt Sicilia and Bohemia in “The Winter’s Tale” for most of July. It’s been quite a year!

----------------------------

Kevin Maroney (Camillo) is thrilled to be back performing with the HSC! He played multiple roles in last summer’s Hamlet. Kevin works at WGBYTV-57, and lives in Shelburne Falls with his lovely wife and their two teenagers. He has appeared in many stage productions throughout the Pioneer Valley. Enjoy the show!