Director Finds That Romance is Alive and Well

L.A. Life Daily News

January 4, 1985

STAGE
From recollections of his youth, to the young lives of the star-crossed pair in ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ Milton Katselas places importance on the notions of love and family

By Jay Reiner

Well, I guess I’m a very romantic kind of fellow, and this play is the epitome of that, says Milton Katselas, laughing at his own self-characterization.

Katselas is explaining why he has decided to open his new Skylight Theater by direction a production of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” The play goes into previews Jan.11 and will have two opening nights, Jan. 25 and 26. The unusual double openings is to accommodate two Juliet’s. Linda Perl and Laurie Walters, who will alternate the part the rest of the run.

To list the accomplishments of Katselas, a man who wears many hats and all of them well, would probably fill a book. Besides being one of the country’s premier acting teachers (Tom Selleck, Joan Hackett, James Farrentino, Valerie Curtain, etc.), his stage, film, and TV directorial credits are equally impressive. Among the highlights are his Broadway and film productions of “Butterflies Are Free,” not to mention the distinction of directing the original off-Broadway version of Edward Albee’s “Zoo Story.”

Katselas is enthusiastic about both of his choices for his current project. Purl, better known as Fonzie’s fiancée, Ashley Pfister on “Happy Days,” is riding the crest of several well-received local stage performances (Prudence in Christopher Durang’s popular “Beyond Therapy” and Nora in Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House”) in recent years. Walter’s, who held down the role of Joanie on TV’s “Eight Is Enough,” won a Los Angeles Drama Critic’s Circle award in 1984 for her part in South Coast Repertory’s acclaimed production of “Playboy of the Western World.”

But why two Juliets?

“Basically because I thought my actors would get work,” says Katselas. “It’s crazy when you do Equity-waiver theater. I mean my hat’s off to anyone who does it because you’re subject to anyone getting gigs and you’ve got to somehow work around them, come back and do other scenes. That’s the trickiest part. On the other hand, the advantage of waiver is I’ve been working on this play for about eight weeks. I couldn’t be doing that otherwise.

Actually, Katselas has been working on “Romeo and Juliet” much longer than eight weeks. He first began working on the play seven years ago, shortly after he finished directing “Streamers” at the Westwood Playhouse. “But it’s really been germinating in my mind for about 15 years.” he says. “I love Shakespeare.”

This may come as a surprise to some people. Katselas’ name isn’t ordinarily associated with production’s of Shakespeare, but Katselas is quick to point out he’s no strangers to his plays.

“The first Shakespeare I did was ‘Mac Beth’ at the Pittsburg Playhouse, with Solome Jens and Bob Loggia. Then I did ‘Coriolanus’ with a lot of expert Shakespearean people-Will Geer, Michael O’Sullivan, Tony Zerbe-at the Old Globe. I had a great time with ‘Coriolanus’. So Shakespeare is something that I love.

About this leading man, Thomas Harrison, Katselas says, “He’s talented, athletic and has lots of range. I’ve tried to make him a very physical Romeo and not just a lyric romantic. And I want him also to be somebody who’s also, to some degree, funny-overwhelmed with love. It’s a play about love in every aspect, so it’s funny, too, Love, I think, is funny.”

Love and romance, however aren’t the only reasons Katselas is attracted to “Romeo and Juliet.” “I’m sort of against parents,” he explains, which is a large part of what this play is about. Going against your parents, the establishment, the church and all those things. All that works in a certain way to excite people.”

Hastening to qualify his last remark (“Oh God, they may run us out of town when they read that”). Katselas goes on to say, “I think too many people look upon their parents as something there are bound to. The fact that we’re bound to people by family is not always the healthiest thing.

Families sometimes get a bit neurotic. What did Shaw say? ‘A family is a tyranny ruled over by its sickest member.’ I love family, but I think if we related more as people, things would go much better. Not, ‘We’re close because we’re family,’ but, ‘We’re close because we’re friends.’”

Following up this point, Katselas tells a story about his own family. “I remember one of the richest things were at my New Year’s. My father would take a pomegranate and go outside the house where all the men would shoot their guns. Then my father would ring the doorbell. My mother would answer and he would break the pomegranate on the door and the juice would run out. My mother would open the door and he would kiss her and then feed her some pomegranate with his fingers. Then he would come in the house and feed everyone some pomegranate. We would hug him and kiss him, and that would be the start of the New Year. Well, you see, I’ve always wanted to break a pomegranate on the door, but I don’t quite have the guts. But it was a beautiful ceremony and a beautiful feeling.”