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Ian Merrill Peakes posits that the life of an actor is “a dicey one” where practitioners must learn not to let lamentations belittle their prospects for success. Beginning May 12, the former Queen Village inhabitant will have the odds in his favor for the 110th time, as he will portray The Player in a Washington, D.C.-situated production of “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.”
“It’s a great, challenging part,” the 46-year-old said from the Arden Theatre Co., where he just completed a titular turn in “Macbeth,” of the figure, who, along with his troupe of Tragedians, looks to lead the lead characters to realize the frequent absurdity and perpetual brevity of life. “His job is to hijack the play, and mine is to search for the human being within the role.”
The 1966 work by Tom Stoppard draws pieces of its plot from “Hamlet,” in which the Danish prince revises orders calling for his execution and has his childhood friends killed and through which The Player, by way of “The Mousetrap” play-within-a-play during a performance of “The Murder of Gonzago,” channels the royal’s murdered patriarch. The existential tragicomedy has enjoyed remarkable success since its Scotland debut, with Peakes first partaking of its profundity in a 2003 Arden staging, teaming with South Philly resident Scott Greer to embody the doomed individual.
“I wanted to take a crack at it again,” the thespian, who will venture to the familiar confines of The Folger Theatre, said. “I love when I have to call on full brain power for a project, and this is one such endeavor.”
Tabbing Stoppard “a great wordsmith,” Peakes appreciates the scribe’s poignant analysis of humanity’s trappings and feels that his approach to its interpretation need no superfluous elements, as he believes, especially when handling a Shakespearean text, which he has often done for The Folger, that “the script is the Bible.” Reverent of the process of presenting a work, he anticipates enhancing his curiosity and camaraderie with his peers.
“I love helping to tell stories,” the affable actor said, noting how diligent interactions with cast and crew yield intensified layers of information to his crafting convincing conveyances. “To be a part of a cohesion of humanity is a blessing, so I’m thrilled whenever I have an opportunity. Sometimes matters can appear daunting, but you have to leave your exhaustion behind and pursue your art.”
For considerable stretches of his life, Peakes preferred pondering a life on the links to one on stages, as he nourished a love of golf as a Michigan-bred youth. Earning All-State honors as a high school student, he walked on at Michigan State University and became a force at numerous events. Likewise familiar to him through his father, who founded the Lansing-based BoarsHead Theater, the acting world lured him into its environs and though he remains an avid admirer and occasional enjoyer of the sport, golf has not remained on par with theater.
“I was raised in the theater, and I did many shows early on,” Peakes said of his maturation. “I thought about going pro as a golfer, but then the acting bug bit me. Once I realized that, there was no turning back.”
The figurative stingers led the performer, who credits BoarsHead personnel and Michigan’s diverse audiences for piquing his interest, to become a theater professional in 1991, with the scene serving as his sole source of income since ’99, the year before he commenced his seven-year stint in Queen Village. Having begun his journey with immense ambition, he still finds utter fascination in every assignment and derives intense gratitude from his fortune.
“I want to become better each time,” Peakes declared, adding that he has told wife Karen, with whom he has a six-year-old son named Owen, that if he completes a season and feels he has not evolved, he will consider another career. “I think if I bring my ‘A’ game, I will help to up others’ work.”
A “pretty goofy guy,” he has ensured his acquisition of greatness by being gregarious and grounded and has always enjoyed watching theater as a complement to presenting it. That infatuation has bred numerous friendships, especially in Philadelphia, which he esteems as being an exciting theater town with “a ferocious amount of talent.”
“No matter where I’ve been, I’ve relished the chance to be out there each day,” Peakes said. “I’ve definitely had a commitment to growing, and I think what’s also helped me is being nice to people. That gets someone noticed, too. So many folks think this is all about a person’s skills. Well, it is as long as we remember people skills are a big part of that.”
Along with highly regarded roles in such locations as Denver, Louisville and Santa Cruz, his Philadelphia portrayals have won over crowds and critics, with Peakes collecting the 2003 F. Otto Haas Award for Emerging Philadelphia Theatre Artist and three Barrymore Awards. He has prided himself on seeking undertakings that will keep him searching for honesty, something that he finds sexy and appealing to present. Such searches reduce all reliance on what he referred to as an actor’s bag of tricks and helps him to put his stamp on every role, especially within the Shakespearean realm.
“It’s like a snowflake,” he said with a laugh. “Each time I head on the stage, I have an opportunity to achieve a different response and experience a different energy. It’s kind of like golf in the sense that though we go through repetition, nothing feels repetitive.”
Though he has left the Arden for The Folger, Peakes anticipates a thrilling fall return for “Equivocation” with Greer, which will mark his 20th assignment for the Old City entity, and he has two Walnut Street Theatre gigs lined up for next season. He deems domestic bliss with his bride and their boy in Merchantville, N.J. as his passion and the primary factory in seeing himself as a very fortunate soul who, if life were a golf course, could say he has birdied, even eagled, many holes. “It’s not been without its challenges, but they’re not worth worrying about,” he said of his success. “It’s all about being prepared for what’s next.” ■
For tickets, call 202-544-7077, or visit folger.edu.
Contact Managing Editor Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
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