Brian Kurlander talks his role in Theatrical Outfit’s The Guys
There are certain topics and moments that are difficult to portray in film, literature, and yes, even theater. I would rank 9/11 up there with the Holocaust. It is emotional and heavy and tragic beyond comprehension. But Theatrical Outfit went for it with The Guys (running till Oct. 6). And Brian Kurlander, one of its stars, took on the task of taking on the role of Nick: a New Yorker, a fire captain, a survivor, and a man who has to write the eulogies of all of the men he lost during 9/11. Understandably, he needed help. This is where Anne Nelson’s The Guys takes place.
Below, Kurlander talks about his traumatic yet humorous role, shinning a light on humanity, and what helps him hop onto stage.
Q. You are currently playing the role of Nick in Theatrical Outfit’s The Guys. As someone who has worked in New York, NY what was it like to portray a role that held this much emotional, and national, weight?
A. There are certain plays that just resonate with you. The Guys is one of those plays for me. I grew up in Upstate New York and lived in Manhattan. My father was involved in law enforcement so I grew up around men and women who served our community in a variety of public safety jobs. These men and women served because it was something they loved doing. It was a calling for them. The same goes for those firefighters and other first responders who lost there lives trying to save others. It’s a true honor to take on a roll that sheds light on who they were and how they lived their lives.
Q. Anne Nelson’s The Guys is about the relationship and understanding between two people after such a massive tragedy. What is it that pulls these two characters together?
A. There are many things about The Guys that I think are relevant 12 years after this play was first produced. Joan talks about how Nick and she were not destined to ever meet. It was only the events of September 11, 2001 that could cause their lives to intersect. They both need each other. Nick needs the words to help express who his men were and Joan needs to feel like she can contribute in some meaningful way. Ultimately what they discover is that you don’t have to be from the same neighborhood, career, school district or income bracket to be moved by the profound humanity that resides in every human being.
Q. The play is based on the creation of the eulogies for the men that your character, a fire captain, lost during 9/11. And though it is an incredibly painful process filled with grief, the show contains humor, a useful and common coping mechanism. How does your character use humor as a way to cope and find a common bond?
A. I don’t think anyone would want to sit through 80-minutes of gut wrenching emotional drama without some relief. Great story tellers know this and give laughter to the audience as a way of moving the story forward. It also makes the characters more accessible and approachable. Nick is one of the guys. He is a story teller. I thinks it’s through Nick’s storytelling and Joan’s talent as a writer more than anything else that brings them together. Nick needs to trust Joan. And it’s her ability to capture the true essence of these men that helps to build that trust. Once the trust is established it’s the honest expressions of love and admiration where the humor really lives in this piece.
Q. Though an 80-minute show, this role must be one of the most taxing. Is there something you do each night, either before or after the show, to regroup and come to terms with the content?
A. I always tell my children, “how you practice, is how you perform.” I really believe that. I have had the great good fortune to work on this play with an amazing director, Elisa Carlson. During our rehearsals she was constantly offering up ideas and insights to help me get closer to the “truth” of each moment. And to make matters even better, I’m on stage with Jasmine Guy. She is a great partner on stage. She is always there with me, always present. Kendall Simpson’s music also helps to set a tone and put me in the right place before I make my entrance. Right before I walk on stage I take a deep breath, I hold the folder with the guys dossier close to my heart and I walk on stage.
Q. What is your favorite moment in the show? And do you think that the audience shares this sentiment?
A. More than a specific moment, I thinks it’s the friendship that develops between Joan and Nick that I like the most. Every night it unfolds before us and it never gets dull or old or sentimental or melodramatic. It just a real friendship. Not unlike the friendships that have developed between all of us who have worked on this play together.
