Elena Sgouros interviews Zack Wold, who plays Orpheus in Polaroid Stories

1. What inspired you to go into acting?
When I was 5 or 6 I remember I was with my mom and we were at Blockbuster, and I found The Mask with Jim Carrey and I was like “I don’t know what that is but I want to watch it,” so we took it home, put it in the VHS. You could sit me in front of the TV and I would literally watch tv all day, and I watched that movie literally 15 times and I was like “whatever that is, I want to do that.” Jim Carrey changed me. Jim Carrey changed me forever. I wouldn’t be an actor without Jim Carry.

2. How do you begin your process?
Sitting down with the script, figuring out what the character wants and kind of building on that. Finding an overall objective for the character and then adding pieces of me to that as it goes along. Taking it and then taking each scene one at a time. With Orpheus, it kind of started like, ok “he is the musician.” That is his thing and from there I was like alright “he is in love with Eurydice” so then finding out what his tactics are for that. Then I have fun with it. I’m like “ok he is a musician” so who do I love “ I love Post Malone.” I’m going to put pieces of Post Malone into Orpheus.

3. When did you first read this play, and what did you think?
I thought it was too artsy for me and too metaphoric, but now that I know the real pieces of it I’m focusing on just being real as a human being as Orpheus. It’s made it a whole lot easier to understand, and I am very glad that I am doing it.

4. Using three words, describe our production of Polaroid Stories.
Deceptive, unique, and–if we can keep you locked in for the whole time–powerful.

5. What is your favorite line from the play?
I like the piece that I sing. I like when I get to make fun of Katie (Persephone/ Semele), when I’m like “oh you’re so hard. You’re so tough” in this Long Island accent that she uses earlier. I like that one, too.

6. Without giving too much away, what part of the production are you most excited to do/see on stage?
Not a ton of people like Orpheus in this play, but I think he is kind of…he does something that’s a little unorthodox to a lot of people. But in my mind, I kind of think–this is going to sound cheesy–but I think he is the hopeless romantic who lives in all of us and she’s [Eurydice]… they’re homeless, man, they’re homeless. They don’t have anything, but he has her, and she is walking away, and so I hope that I can at least try to tell a story of somebody that is just going after what they love.

7. What is the biggest challenge playing Orpheus?
Finding the line between falling into the stereotype of “abusive boyfriend” and that hopeless romantic type thing, and like toeing the line of “ok well if I was realistically in this situation … I think I have been finding that Orpheus would approach these things with a good heart, but his personality being like a musician… I think he is kind of cocky.