Cast Interview #8: Lee Cavellier as "Baron" in THREE SISTERS

Welcome to our exciting series of interviews, where you can get to know the cast & creative team in our production of Three Sisters -- an adaptation by Brian Friel of Anton Chekhov's classic story.

Three Sisters runs March 9-25, 2012, Wed-Sat at 7:30pm; Sat & Sun at 2pm in New York City.

For tickets, please click here.

For more info about The Seeing Place, click here.

Your Name:

Lee Cavellier

Role in this Production:

Baron Nikolay Tusenbach Krone-Altshauer (but they call me Baron...)

How long have you been acting?

Is that what we're doing? I thought we were living out realistic reactions under fictional circumstances.  Regardless, I've been doing it for about 17 years.

How long have you been in NYC?

Almost 9 years. (I know, I know...I've now given a hint at how old I am. Now you all know that I'm at least 9.)

Where are you from originally?

Dear old Syracuse.

What's been your favorite role, to date?

I really loved playing Matt in The Fantasticks. But Doody in Grease is right up there as well.

If you could play any role in any play right now, what would it be?

Kelly Lee, in Nab-a-Date! (It just needs to be finished first.)

What's the wackiest experience you've ever had onstage?

I got in a sword fight once. He had a broad sword and I had a dagger. I lost, and needed thumb surgery.

What's your experience with Chekhov?

Who?

What's been the most challenging thing about preparing for this role?

Pretending to get along with my castmates...talk about a bunch of lame-os! Seriously, though, it's a different process than most companies I've worked with in the past, and it took some adjustment.

What's been the most exciting thing about the rehearsal process?

Our director is pretty brilliant. That's exciting. He had insights far earlier into the process than I feel most would.

What parts of yourself are similar to the character?

We're both passionate and straightforward with our feelings. I'm pretty sure my speech about loving Irina was plaguerized from my life. We also are both talkers. I tend to have very elaborate thoughts about things, and have no problem sharing them at length.

What excites you about THREE SISTERS?

I'll assume this question is pertaining to the play, and not the potential sexual encounter, so I would have to say that dealing with Chekhov is an amazing challenge. He rarely has anyone saying what is actually on their mind, so each and every time you realize something that brings you closer to comprehending what is actually happening in the scene, it is very exciting.

To learn more about Lee, visit his websites at www.Nab-a-Date.com & www.leecavellier.com.