Andy Lecture plays Roy and multiple characters and.is thrilled to be a part of this South Carolina premiere, with such a brilliant cast and crew! This is Andy’s second show with Proud Mary. He formerly appeared as Benny/Iona Traylor in “Southern Baptist Sissies”. Other favorite roles include: Jeffrey/Lamar in “Godspell” and Seymour Krelborn in “Little Shop of Horrors” (FIRE Theatre Co.), Jake in “Second Chance” (Centrestage), Isaac in “Beautiful Child” (Order of Furman Theatre), and ensemble in “RENT” and “Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street” (Furman University Pauper Players). During the day, Andy teaches students with Autism Spectrum Disorder at Project HOPE Foundation, and loves learning from his students and watching them grow. He also teaches colorguard at Riverside High School. Theatre, however, is where his heart truly lies. Thank you, once again, for all of your support, Sandy! Insta: @andyrlecture
What attracted you to
this role? To this musical?
I actually got a message from Sandy after auditions had been held, because they
needed to fill the role of Roy. I didn’t audition due to time constraints, but
when Sandy asked, I knew I had to do it, and I’ve made it work! Fun Home is such a funny but beautiful
show, and the story it tells is SO important – especially here in the South. My
upbringing was nothing like that of Alison Bechdel’s, but so many of my gay
friends had the same struggles she did, and I feel that story needs to be
shared with people who otherwise wouldn’t know what that experience does to
people like us. I wanted to be a part of Proud Mary sharing this story with the
upstate!
What was your
familiarity with FUN HOME?
I saw the touring production when it came to the Peace Center a couple of years
ago. I absolutely loved that cast! Other than that, though, I hadn’t regularly
listened to the soundtrack or anything until I started work with this
production.
Have you read the
memoir was based on?
I have not, but it is on my list! Just after reading Game of Thrones 😉
What can you tell us
about your character?
My main character, Roy, seems fairly two dimensional in this show, because he
is that “other guy”. From an audience perspective, that’s all you
really get. But what I really like about playing all of my characters, is that
they have their own sort of storyline to follow that sort of connect to each
other. After Roy has a brief introduction in the beginning, I start off as
Pete, who has a strictly business relationship with Bruce in the Fun Home.
After that, I return as Roy, who has a casual but intimate relationship with
him. Roy has to hide his sexuality so that Helen doesn’t catch on, and the
literal hiding he does with Bruce through their various encounters is an
interesting parallel to the typical “I haven’t come out to my family, I
have to keep my boyfriend a secret” narrative that so many gay people
experience. After I finish with Roy, I play Mark, who is a minor, and an
unwilling participant to Bruce’s sexual exploration. In that way, my characters
have this flow from professional to victim, and I find that to be pretty
fascinating!
What are some of the
more interesting things you have discovered or done in the rehearsal process?
I particularly enjoyed our movement exercise that we did, where we chose one
line of script from the show and explored different ways of physically
expressing it as we said it. I’m sad, though, that I missed our intimacy
coaching session! From what I heard, I missed some pretty neat ways of ensuring
everyone is comfortable during the rehearsal process.
What is the most
challenging part about your role or songs?
“Raincoat of Love” is a fun song, but sits in the higher part of
my range. Sometimes that A doesn’t come out the way I would like it to! Also,
playing opposite Boyd (Bruce) has been somewhat of a challenge, because it’s
hard to be that ‘other guy’. My challenge has been to make Roy likable despite
that, particularly because Bruce’s kids like Roy so much. Making Helen like Roy
is particularly hard, because she absolutely knows what’s going on, but it’s
necessary to keep the family dynamic remain somewhat intact.
What have you learned
about yourself from playing this role?
I’ve learned the incredible story of Allison Bechdel’s upbringing and life. Her
story is so powerful.
That every person, and I mean EVERY PERSON, is worthy of their family’s love
and acceptance, as long as they aren’t hurting anyone else. That the damage
that not loving and accepting someone for who they are can truly tear a family
apart, and have such a toll on them. But, we can remain resilient, strong, and
true to our character. Allison is so strong to be able to grow from this
experience, and to share it with the world.