Bolingbroke. His striking height,
lithe form and piercing eyes add
to the portrait of this highly
ambitious, politically adept
usurper of the throne. His
Bolingbroke is a man of action,
not reflection...
Bolingbroke is a figure of
regal authority, acted with
heroic presence and a
focused measure of
calculating purpose.
Boll opens in 'Richard II'
at Shakespeare Festival at Drew University
By Jim Hague
08/08/2004
Patrick Boll has enjoyed an interesting career as an actor. He's portrayed Heather Locklear's
love interest on the ABC sitcom "Spin City." He spent time on Broadway with Brian Dennehy in
"Death of a Salesman," and just recently had a role in the Broadway production of "Twentieth
Century" starring Alec Baldwin and Anne Heche.
Boll also had a recent important role - as one of the narrators for the re-enactment of the
famed Alexander Hamilton - Arron Burr duel during the bicentennial commemoration in
Weehawken, NJ last month.
But none of Boll's acting roles can compare to the one he is currently tackling, doing
Shakespeare's famed "Richard II" for the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (formerly known as
the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival) at Drew University. In its 41st season, the Shakespeare
Theatre of New Jersey is the longest running Shakespeare theater company on the East Coast.
"It's been a while since I've done Shakespeare," said Boll. "It's been about seven years or so,
since I did 'King Lear' with the Whole Theater in Montclair (run by Oscar-winning actress
Olympia Dukakis). There's almost an element where you're speaking a foreign language when
you do Shakespeare. The language is so rich and so different. It's a different challenge, but it's a
great challenge."
Boll grew up in Michigan in a Detroit suburb and caught the acting bug when he was in high
school. He first went to Michigan State University to "make a go of it in the business world," but
found out that he craved the stage more than the almighty dollar.
"I really wanted to do theater, so I went to NYU to study acting," Boll said.
In the late 1980s, after trying to break into acting while waiting tables and doing odd jobs, Boll
received a break as a non-Equity actor to do summer theater work in Williamstown, Mass.
"My first professional acting job was in a play called 'Death Takes a Holiday,' in Williamstown,
where I got to meet and work with Christopher Reeve, Blythe Danner and Maria Tucci," Boll
said. "I've known Gwyneth Paltrow (Danner's daughter) since she was a teenager. I was able
to work there a couple of years. It was an amazing experience."
Boll also traveled wherever the work was.
"I worked in Utah, Alabama and Texas," Boll said. "Probably my most memorable job was as a
ringmaster for Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus in Dallas. I never worked with baboons
before."
Better than baboons
But the work as a ringmaster led to better acting roles, like supporting roles in a handful of "Law
and Order" episodes and roles in two feature films, "Love Walks In," starring Denis Leary, and
"Somewhere in the City."
However, with all the roles in television and movies that Boll has enjoyed, his true love is theater.
"It's what I've always wanted to do most," Boll said.
But doing Shakespeare isn't just theater. It's elite theater, the crème de la crème.
"I can't lie," Boll said. "It's a lot of work. It's an incredible challenge. It's not just about
remembering the lines, but it's interpreting the play. It's fascinating to pull the lines apart, realize
what he's trying to say in those words. It's an interesting story, a fascinating part of history, great
history."
The play is set in England in 1398, in the court of Richard II. It remains one of Shakespeare's most
rarely performed works. It is the first installment in Shakespeare's royal trilogy about the fall of the
Plantagenet Dynasty and the rise of the House of Lancaster. Richard's detachment from the
common people, combined with his flagrant spending habits, shady funding sources, reliance
on ill-chosen counselors and penchant for war, ultimately leads to his epic downfall.
"It's totally fun in a different way," explains Boll, who portrays Henry Bolingbroke in the play (a
man who later in life becomes King Henry IV). "Every actor dreams of doing Shakespeare. It's a
great opportunity for me."
Boll also likes the fact that he's commuting to Madison for a change and doesn't have to
handle the hustle and bustle of Manhattan.
"It's been a wonderful experience," said Boll. "This is a fantastic theater, a great facility that is
very intimate. Madison is a beautiful little town. It has wonderful people. I've really enjoyed
this."
After Boll's performance with "Richard II" is completed at the end of the month, he will focus his
attentions on an original musical that he has written, called "Dream Street," using the music of
popular folk singer John Gorka.
"It's about an actor from New York who goes to Los Angeles to shoot a television show," Boll said.
"And it becomes a total story of mayhem. I call it a story of a man on the verge of keeping it all
together. The play takes place in a three-hour span in one day. I just want to see where it goes."
"Richard II" begins its run at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey Tuesday and runs through
Aug. 29.
©The Hudson Reporter 2004
