Anh takes the stage for the very first time with OpenStage in The Book of Will!

Tell us about yourself! What theatre or other experiences did you have in this discipline before working on this show?

My name is Anh Nguyen. I’m currently a 4th year student at Colorado State University pursuing in Theater Performance. I am a foreign student from Vietnam, I moved to the US in 2016 with my family, so a bit different from other acting students who have done theater in high school, I spent my first years in America learning English. Acting to me has really been always my passion, I don’t know where it comes from, all I know is really just that it is what I want to do in my life. I had the pleasure to be in multiple productions at CSU like These Seven Sicknesses, She Kills Monsters, and Machinal. 

What is something you spend your free time doing, outside of theatre?

Outside of theater, I’m a pretty dreamy guy, I like to go on drives, especially on rainy, cloudy days and just listen to music in my car. You would probably see me sometimes in the Starbucks on College & Stuart, that’s where I go to study when I feel fancy.

How did you hear about OpenStage?

I first heard of OpenStage in sophomore year when I auditioned for Cry it Out, which I had very little experience at the time so I guess it explains why I didn’t get the job. But since then, OpenStage has been my dream, I always hoped one day I would be a part of the OpenStage family.

What has been the most fun part of the rehearsal process so far?

Every rehearsal is a great time to me, I just love coming to rehearsal every night, checking in with the cast, seeing everyone show their works. I learn so much from  each one of these people.

What has been the most challenging aspect of playing these characters?

To me, the most challenging when performing these characters is creating distinct characteristics for each one in order to portray multiple characters in a truthful way. Which Sydney helped me a lot through this process.

What is your favorite scene or moment in the show?

My favorite moment has to be in Act 2 scene one, when John Heminges cries out and says a line from Shakespeare, “It is my lady, O it is my love. O that she knew she were." First because I love Romeo and Juliet so much. Second, I think this moment explains why actors like myself choose to do acting, because you get to feel things that you wouldn’t normally get to feel.

Why is a play like "The Book of Will" important?

The Book of Will is about friendship, love, loss, life, etc. But to me, The Book Of Will is important because of its storyline, a group of friends try to preserve and collect William Shakespeare works into a book, we would’ve lost so many phenomenal plays like Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Othello, etc. And these are beautiful stories that we are now telling around the world because of the effort of these people.

What projects are you working on next? What is your dream role or dream show to work on?

I will be prepping for more auditions at CSU and also at OpenStage so hopefully in the near future you will see me again. I haven’t really thought about my dream roles but I’m really interested in realism plays as I get to perform complex characters, works of Henrik Ibsen or Anton Chekhov would be my dream productions to be in.

By Lauren Gunderson
Directed by Sydney Parks Smith

November 4–December 2, 2023
Playing at the Lincoln Center Magnolia Theatre

Come see Anh take the stage in "The Book of Will" Nov. 4-Dec. 2!

When Hamlet was defaced and debased on a stage near the Globe Theatre three years after Shakespeare’s death, his works were in danger of being lost forever. Enter The King’s Men! Henry Condell and John Heminges get the band back together and race to assemble the Bard’s scattered masterpieces. Their epic undertaking results in the creation of the First Folio and the preservation of their dear friend’s theatrical legacy. The Book of Will is a tale of love, laughter, and loss. Joyously sprinkled with Shakespeare’s most beloved writing, it is sure to put a new spin on the man you think you know.