Quick Q&A: Nina Arianda

I was overjoyed to chat with actress Nina Arianda who is giving a must-see performance in Venus In Fur at Classic Stage Company.

Have you read your glowing reviews?

I’ve been trying not to, but it’s impossible with family not to get the information. I did read the New York Times review which was very kind.

How did you first meet director Walter Bobbie – did he see you in something at grad school?

No, it was through the audition for this show. I read the script and fell in love with it right away. Part of my research was reading the novel which is fantastic. I worked very hard on the audition, even buying costumes for it. I thought it was going well because I saw (playwright) David Ives out of the corner of my eye laughing. There’s a part near the beginning where she takes off some of her clothes. I did that and they had a big reaction to it; I thought “Oh no! Am I the only girl who did this?” I got the call 5 hours later that I got the part, which is almost miraculous.

When you read with Wes Bentley, what told you that there was good chemistry?

We were both on the page when we read but when our eyes did meet there were moments of great connection and a mutual understanding of the story. It’s hard not to connect with his eyes.

production photos: Joan Marcus

Did the script change once you and Wes were cast?

We were all in the room together for the whole process so yeah, there was some give and take. Maybe we’d say something differently or screw something up a little but David liked it and kept it, that kind of thing.

How would you characterize what Walter Bobbie brings as a director?

First of all he’s one of the most intuitive people I’ve ever met. He has a great sensitivity for actors and for everybody in the room. He brings respect and trust which is so important and what I most cherish about him. He’s like a magician sometimes – he knows what you are thinking and going through and he’s right beside you.

What one personality trait is the most essential to be a good actor?

Curiosity. About everything, animate and inanimate. There has to be a willingness to experience things and to know about them, maybe. That’s what it is for me anyway, an insatiable desire for life, a hunger rooted in curiosity.

Your character brings on a great deal of mystery, but I imagine you had to create a backstory in order to play her. Did you do that with Walter and David or is it something you kept private?

You know, it’s funny. Nothing is exactly clear. We discussed it, but very gently and with sensitivity because for me, as the actress, it’s about making the hottest choice. It’s what will raise the stakes or motivate me to the next beat or the next scene. Walter would sometimes guide me, or David would tell me, but it wasn’t “this is what it is”. That isn’t what the story is necessarily; the story is unresolved in many ways. As Wes and I do more shows we find new layers every night; that’s the most exciting part, that it will never be a finished process. Whether you want to or not, you keep finding new things.

Is there a part of the show that is so especially delicious that you can’t wait to get to it every night?

I really love the whole thing. It’s such an intense piece that we continually surprise each other. That said, the boot scene ain’t bad to do! I think what challenges me every night is to navigate to the part where she takes on the role of dominatrix because it’s so layered. It’s not her just saying “ok, now I’m going to do this to you”, she’s coming from many different angles to get to there.

Do you think the character comes in with the agenda to wind up there?

Absolutely not. That would give me nowhere to go. I come in wanting a job and that’s all I know, and I know what that feels like.

Do you shake this role off once you leave the theatre?

Oh yeah, I can’t wear this hat. I take a deep breath and….you know what? I try to leave it behind but I can’t say I do completely. There are still images in my head that I surround myself with for the play. I take home some aspects of her, but I certainly don’t wear leather around the house.

After the show I thought of so many roles you could play right now. Are there specific roles you are hungry to play?

I’m not old enough yet but I would love to play Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. Another dream role is Fool For Love.

So, more dramatic than comedic?

They go hand in hand. There has to some lightness in drama and comedy is incredibly serious. Comedy isn’t funny if it’s not serious, y’know?