Questions & Answers With Actor:Alex Towers
Article by Kara L. Morrison
Photo by Breanne Clowdus
Alex plays the Tin Man in
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
by Rachel Teagle at Serenbe Playhouse
It's not often that you meet someone with a stand-out, animated, "this kid is going places" kind of personality. Almost two years ago I attended an audition and I saw just that kind of guy, that guy you seem to remember even without exchanging words or conversation. These are the qualities that I saw in Alex Towers the first time that he and I crossed paths at an audition callback (Spoiler Alert: we both got that gig!) I remembered Alex because he has such a unique way of being and I recognized him instantly when we both showed up to an initial read-through for the production in which we were both cast that summer. It's his special brand of fun mixed with his tremendous drive that led me to ask Alex to be our first featured artist for Q&A. Here's what he had to say about life, acting, and his affection for craft beer.
Q: Alex, can you give me five words that you would use to describe
yourself?
A: Loyal, Doofy, Big (in the
non-physical sense), Invested, and Lucky.
Photo by Richard Finkelstein. Alex is seen playing
Truffaldino in The Servant of Two Masters
Q: Could you describe a really unique
experience that you have had while working on your craft?
A: ...I think it would have to be the Avignon
Festival. I got the chance to take a show over to
France and perform for two weeks. We had been working with a French director
throughout the process, and we found out that we were gonna get to go do it shortly
before we opened our run at the school. I was the lead in the show, so I had
some fun kind of challenges when it came to relating to a French audience. I
got to work with an added French counterpart and improv a bit in every show...And let me say, you haven’t lived if you’ve never had an
mentally ill man walk in front of you, with no shirt on, smoking a cigar, while
you perform in the courtyard of a medieval church in the south of France.
Q:Right now, where do you feel the
most at home and why?
A: It has to be a performance
space. I’m living so far away from my actual home, and I’m in a
place where I don’t have any family or previous connections but the theatre. So
that’s absolutely where I’m most comfortable...there isn’t any place else that makes me quite as
happy or free. Which I guess means I did a good job in picking this profession.
Indian Village's Time of War reenactment.
Q: So Alex, tell me, how do you deal with things when your career isn't going according to plan?
A: Talk to people. That’s my favorite
thing to do, and it's the thing that has seemed to propel any success that I have
had throughout my academic and professional career. There is nothing like
getting to know something about someone to enrich yourself. Sure, it might be
that you get some information about someone that helps you out, but that’s not
really what it’s about. Every time you talk to someone, and take an interest in
them, your soul gets a little bit more full, a little bit more complete, and
the more you can do that, the more things tend to come along in a positive way.
Q: Did you or do you ever think about pursuing any
other careers or hobbies seriously?
A: I actually have a very serious
affection for craft beer, and have lately thought about turning that into a day
job...just as there are
Sommeliers for wine, there is something called a Cicerone for beer, and that is
something I would like to aim for. I don’t think I have any plans on ditching
acting as my career, but it is nice to have another option open in something
else that I love.
Q: So could you list some of the things that you have in mind for your career bucket list?
A: Well first and foremost is my
ultimate pipe dream. I want to have Jon Stewart’s job on the Daily Show so
badly. The (slightly) smaller pipe dream is to have a recurring role on a
sitcom. It just seems like it would be the most fun you could ever have, and
I’m a firm believer in the power that laughter has to change people and move
mountains.
Q: Now, can you share some of your personal bucket list goals?
A: At some point I want to hike the Appalachian Trail. I’d also love to reach
a point in my life where I can travel for a couple of months without any
worries about money or anything like that. Having a family is something I look
forward to one day. And I’d like to actually have the balls to sit down and
write a stand up routine.
Q: So finally, What are you working on now or in the near
future?
A: So I am with
Serenbe Playhouse through next May, so everything I’m doing at the moment is
through them. We just opened up The Snow Queen, which is a world
premiere adaptation of the Hans Christian Anderson story. I play a troll named
Malm and a talking reindeer named Bjorn. Both of them are a lot of fun, but the
reindeer has been a really amazing challenge for me physically, as I use canes
as my front legs and travel around on all fours. It’s a solid back workout though!
As for what’s next, the Playhouse will be taking a bit of break until
springtime when we will do Man of La Mancha, in which I will have the only
non-singing role in the show (thank god): the captain.
My sincerest thanks to Alex Towers for participating in our Q&A session! You can learn more about Alex and his projects through his website www.alextowers.com (click the link)
To find out more about Serenbe Playhouse's current season please visit www.serenbeplayhouse.com (Click the link) Serenbe Playhouse has
been nominated for 13 Suzi Bass Awards for the 2014 season
including Outstanding Production of a Musical: Oklahoma! and
Outstanding Production-Theatre for Young Audiences: The Wonderful
Wizard of Oz.
Serenbe Playhouse is located in Palmetto, GA.
Kara L. Morrison
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