Christine Ebersole - American Academy of Dramatic Arts

Gabriel Barre Interview by
Kathleen Germann
I recently had the opportunity to talk with Gabriel Barre,
an AADA alumnus (1977), accomplished director and
Tony-nominated actor.
In what ways do you value the training you
received at AADA?
I came to AADA directly from high school. One afternoon I
was on the corner of 28th and Park and I was thinking about
class work and I realized how much of yourself you have to
invest in becoming a good actor. That as an artist you have
to be aware of everything – especially behaviors. The teachers
at AADA were instrumental in getting me to that point.
Ian Richardson, who directed me in A Mid-Summer Night’s
Dream and Herbert Maches also continue to influence me
today. Ruth Neuman would get us tickets to see Broadway
shows, and I formed lasting relationships with my classmates
by going to see plays with them.
Do you remember your audition piece?
Yes, it was the “nose” speech in which Cyrano lists the
myriad ways he might have been insulted had the young
nobleman,Valvert, who has just insulted him, possessed a
small portion of wit.Years later I would play Cyrano at the
New Jersey Shakespeare Festival where I met my wife
(actress Tricia Paoluccio) who was playing Roxanne.
What was your first acting job?
My first Equity show was Barnum. But my first job after
AADA was with Richard Morse who was an instructor at
AADA who taught mime. After graduation we toured
throughout the world including Greece and Afghanistan.
Eventually we operated our own theatre company in NYC,
and I stayed with that company for about five years.
Last year you directed a National Tour of Pippin
which originated at the Goodspeed Opera House.
Are there any particular challenges in directing for
a tour?
The casting for the tour took months because I was looking
for a group of people who could sing and dance and were
interesting and fun. I was able to find actors who worked
really well together and bonded together. Although that tour
is over, the actors continue to keep in touch and to get
together.Technically, there were also challenges.The space
at the Goodspeed was small with very limited wing space,
but we knew we would play larger houses on tour so we
had to work with two physical sets and scales.All the sets
were built a year before the tour.
As a director what type of input do you have
in the casting?
Usually 100%. Sometimes there is a collaborative process
involved in a new play – but generally as a director
I have the final decision. I look for people who have the
appropriate attitude, professionalism and behavior and who
will work well with others. If there is an actor I haven’t
worked with before, I call other directors they have worked
with and ask for their input. As a director I also receive
phone calls from other directors asking about actors.
Something that I learned at AADA is to have the proper
attitude and professionalism as an actor and I expect to see
this in others.
Do your acting skills help you in directing actors?
Very much so. I have also learned a great deal by watching
other directors.
You directed the Barnum & Bailey Circus.
What was that like?
It was a very different environment than theatre, closer to a
corporate atmosphere. I helped to develop the show that is
on tour now.
You have some interesting special skills listed on
your resume: wire walking, stilt walking, juggling
and unicycling. Did your special skills help you
with the circus?
I have always been interested in circus skills. I was in the
original cast of the show Forever Plaid, and because I could eat
fire, that became something my character did.That skill is
now in the character description, but other actors bring their
unique skills to that role.
You directed Eartha Kitt in the tour of Cinderella.
What was that like?
I have worked with Eartha Kitt seven or eight times now.
She is wonderful to work with.
Do you have projects coming up that you want to
let us know about?
I am working on a production of All About Us which recently
premiered at The Westport Country Playhouse. It’s a Kander
and Ebb musical based on Thornton Wilder’s The Skin of Our
Teeth, and I am currently working on getting that show to
New York.
Gabriel Barre, segued his
skills as an actor to become an
accomplished director. His
special skills run the gamut
from wire walking to fire-eating
and he has used his AADA
training in everything from
Broadway to the Ringling Bros
and Barnum & Bailey Circus.