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As a Rowan University adjunct professor, Ross Beschler strays from being pedantic, preferring for his theatrically-inclined pupils to pursue their own sense of excitement as text appreciators and interpreters. Art is not necessarily imitating life, though, for the resident of the 1400 block of South Clarion Street, as he is playing the often stringent instructor Arnholm in “The Lady from the Sea,” the second leg of EgoPo Classic Theatre’s Henrik Ibsen Festival.
“He’s a tricky character,” the 30-something thespian said last week just a short walk from the Old City-situated Christ Church Neighborhood House, which is staging the play through Sunday. “He has an image as a confidant and a trustworthy advisor, a corrector and an encourager, but in many ways he seems to support institutional aspects of life and feels people would be better off if they listened to him more passionately.”
Despite his nagging narrow-mindedness, the academic figure, who shows his softer side by courting the titular female’s stepdaughter, has won admiration from the Passyunk Square performer, who seems him as a serenity-seeking soul. Beschler enjoys his emphasis on discovering the best in people and allegiance to believing individuals possess more power than they might suspect surges through them.
“He has his structured stances,” the actor said, “and it’s been interesting to explore such thinking in a work that’s so suitable for the company’s vision of navigating compelling pieces and being explorers of and pioneers for other entities to be our peers in doing the same.”
Along with intensifying his pull toward roles that develop his instrument, “The Lady from the Sea” is allowing Beschler to reaffirm his affinity for EgoPo, with the show partnering him with four South Philadelphians, artistic director and Rowan colleague Lane Savadove, director Brenna Geffers and performers Lee Minora and Ed Swidey. He has assisted the repertory ensemble in such works as 2008’s “Spring Awakening” and ’11’s “The Golem,” with the artists’ bonds helping him to characterize the local theater scene as one teeming with notions of camaraderie and care.
“We’re quite tight,” he said of the group, which commenced its tribute to the Norwegian playwright with September’s “A Doll’s House” and will conclude the honorary trilogy with April’s “Gint,” an adaptation of “Peer Gynt.” “This play is another step toward honing the philosophy that we’re not just cogs in the machine. It’s definitely the Ibsen work most obsessed with images, so there’s special care being taken for us to convey that well.”
Playing a fellow teacher, Beschler is hoping to champion discussions of autonomy and the acquisition of resolve as one pursues goals and dreams. Though his philosophy differs from Arnholm’s, he and his fictitious focus share an easily observable quality, passion.
“I’m committed to learning and progressing,” he said. “So far, Philadelphia has done that for me. It’s helped me to be me on a greater level and has shown that hoping for chances to do that has been a successful tactic.”
A South Philly dweller for seven years, Beschler has come to esteem his surroundings as the source of a communal vibe abounding in support for one’s aspirations, especially if those dreams involve becoming chummy with stages.
“There is a great acting community here,” the New York City native said. “It’s been great to know that so many people have gone from being these sort of fledgling figures to realized artists.”
Growing up as more of a writer who loved drawing ideas from the Theatre of the Absurd, notably Eugene Ionesco, Beschler became a performance buff as a high school student. Describing himself as “an intellectual, heady child,” he yearned to learn how to become integrated into the world of innovative storytelling, gaining priceless tutelage at Columbia University.
“Acting became a way of accessing presence, and it offered a doorway to the real world,” he said of a mindset that he gladly elaborates on when venturing to Glassboro, N.J., to teach. “I’m not going to say it’s without its caution-causing elements, such as the degree to which you can have a say in the sort of energy that something exudes, but it’s where I’ve best felt I could situate myself.”
After a stint in San Francisco and a return to the Big Apple, the latter producing a reputable run of roles, Beschler chose Temple University for his graduate coursework, with the North Philly-based haven proving a heavenly fit for his far-reaching soul.
“It provided a great connection to the world,” he said of the institution, through which he gained teaching experience and a second-year role in Lantern Theatre Co.’s “The Lonesome West.” “I’ve tried ever since to be positive and say ‘Yes’ to the world as often as possible.”
With his affirmative attitude as a beacon, Beschler has become a Pennsylvania staple, helping Pittsburgh’s City Theatre; Malvern’s People’s Light & Theatre Co. through “End Days,” in which he played Jesus Christ and scientist Stephen Hawking; Gas & Electric Arts; New City Stage Co.; the Wilma Theater; and Theatre Exile, 1340 S. 13th St. Through EgoPo, which he lauds for its ambitious commitment to preserving classics, he is balancing a love of established pieces with a penchant for gaining insights on how to approach newer works. That liveliness has also led him to film, with his most notable effort coming in ’10’s “Flight of the Cardinal.”
“We’re in the middle of a cultural watershed,” Beschler, who will appear in the Philadelphia Artists’ Collective’s April production of “Mary Stuart” with South Philly inhabitants Krista Apple-Hodge and Jessica Johnson, said. “There’s definitely a conversation going on surrounding that, and film and theater are in the mix. I’m happy to be a voice, too.”
For tickets, visit egopo.org.
Contact Managing Editor Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
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