'Drowsy Chaperone' Revolves Around McGarrahan's 'Man in Chair'

Will McGarrahan has been anything but drowsy this theater season.

On the eve of beginning his run with the new Paul Daigneault-directed production of “The Drowsy Chaperone” at the this weekend, the South End resident took stock of the last few months.

“I’ll be taking the summer off,” he said over the phone. “I did four plays this season… it’s been busy. But this is a nice role to end the season with.”

McGarrahan’s role in ‘Chaperone’ is that of ‘Man in Chair’ and, despite not having existed in the original version of the play (and not having a proper name), his character is very central to the plot: the entire story transpires in his head… sort of. The musical pays homage to the jazz-inflected stage productions of the roaring '20s while poking a little fun at the folks that adore them.

“It feels a little isolating, actually, which isn’t something I’d expected,” he said, going on to describe the strange sensation of being on a stage with numerous other players, none of whom formally acknowledge your presence. “The audience is really my acting partner and I don’t have it yet. But it’ll be there soon enough.”

McGarrahan may be feeling a little isolated in his role, but he‘s far from being alone in Boston’s burgeoning theater community. After 13 years in Seattle, he was ready for a change.

“I moved to Seattle from New York, and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” he said, noting he originally hails from Albany, NY. “I stayed for 13 years… It gave me an opportunity to grow up. I loved the water and the hills and the way everything is so spread out, but I didn’t go out there to do theater."

Perhaps that was just as well since Seattle’s theater scene lacks the middle ground that an actor like McGarrahan needs.

“People out there aren’t interested in theater the same way they are here,” he explained. “Seattle has large-scale, touring productions that employ lots of actors from New York. And then there are small, fringe theater groups, but there’s very little in between the two. Here, there’s so much going on… and it’s well-supported."

"People are interested in making shows a recurring part of their experience in Boston," he continued. "Before I moved, I didn’t really understand the dynamics of the Boston theater scene and how many mid-size companies there are here that actually hire local actors.”

Ironically, ‘Man in Chair,’ begins his role by uttering the words, “I hate theater. Well it’s so disappointing, isn’t it?” The character is a bit curmudgeonly, but the sentiment isn’t lost on McGarrahan.

“The character is living the story in his mind while listening to a cast soundtrack,” he said. “Ultimately, I remember this feeling as a kid. When you listen to soundtracks you develop this world in your head—much like you do when you read books. When you get to know the album first and then see the show afterwards, it’s always a letdown. You finally see it on the stage and think, ‘this just isn’t quite what I imagined.’ I eventually incorporated a policy whereby I wouldn’t let myself listen to the cast recording of a show leading up to my seeing it. After all, it’s meant to work right there—as you’re seeing it—that night.”

The SpeakEasy Stage Company production of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, runs May 6 – June 5 at the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street in Boston’s South End.  Tix/Info: (617) 933-8600 or www.SpeakEasyStage.com.