As a thank you gesture, an architect invites the man who saved him to his home. What’s meant to be a brief gesture of gratitude is confounded when his guest just doesn’t leave.
Alley company member Chris Hutchison has not exclusively but often played a character who’s half a click off. So when the theater was casting for The Nerd by Larry Shue (The Foreigner) it didn’t have far to look.
“This is a wonderful addition to my oddball [resume.]” Hutchison says.
Directed by Brandon Weinbrenner, the two-act takes place in the early 1980s, in a time devoid of our now ubiquitous cellphones. Without the kind of instant communication that offers, mixed signals abound as the architect Wilum (Christopher Salazar) doesn’t know how exactly to get Rick out and on his way.
Describing his character, Hutchison says: “He is the absolute text book nerd. Every trope, every thing you would think what a classic nerd from1980 is, that’s what this character is. Some of this nerdiness comes from — in a sweet way — from a lot of enthusiasm around a lot of things. Maybe kind of the eyes of a child in some ways in every new event and every new person and not really standing on ceremony. That’s what’s fun about this guy.”
During the 1980s, Larry Shue was a big force in theater, Hutchison says. The actor got to do The Foreigner a few years ago and says it’s a testament to how good Shue’s work is since his plays are still being performed today. And they are a good fit for Hutchison’s talents.
“Early on before I was at the Alley and trying to figure out, as people say, what your brand is, it was always a little bit confusing. I was never really — maybe because of my voice or something — I was never really a traditional leading man and I wasn’t what you consider quirky enough to be a classic character actor. And so there’s some space in the middle of those two where I exist. And that is also where some of these characters that I’ve gotten to play over the years exist. People casting me have found that sweet spot.”
Other cast members include Shawn Hamilton as Axel, Chelsea Tyan McCurdy as Clelia, Melissa Prichett as Tansy, David Rainey’s Waldgrave, Sebastian Ramirez as Thor and Dylan Godwin providing Additional Voices.
“Christopher Salazar he is very much the straight man,” Hutchison says. “The thing that’s nice about the way this play is [the way it’s] set up, it’s a real ensemble and a lot of people get their chances to shine. As much as he sort of has to stay contained for a while, he has some real chances to cut loose which he really takes advantage of.
Keeping a straight face during rehearsals can be tough, Hutchison says. “We have to try to get it out of our systems before getting in front of an audience. There was one day that David Rainey was the first to break. I was doing a thing and he just started laughing. And the other day we started tech, I wish I could remember who it was, I couldn’t help it and I just burst out laughing. We’ll buckle down when we need to.”
The play has what Hutchison calls “some real elements of classic Broadway. It takes some time to set up the characters and the story. It’s got witty repartee. I love the way it is structured. It takes its time and then when the pace picks up it really goes.”
“You’d have to be a hard, hard person to not to be taken into this play.”
Performances are scheduled for February 23 through March 17 (Opening Night: February 28) at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sunday and 7 p.m. Sundays at Alley Theatre, 615 Texas. For more information, call 713-220-5700 or visit alleytheatre.org. $35-$81.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
