Eric Parker stars in The Full Monty at the Barn Theatre in Augusta.

A FEW MINUTES WITH: Eric Parker of The Full Monty at the Barn Theatre

By Donald V. Calamia

One of the nation's oldest Equity resident summer-stock theaters is right here in Michigan. Located in Augusta, the Barn Theatre's 64th season continues with The Full Monty beginning June 30, with Eric Parker in the role of an unemployed steelworker who convinces his friends to form their own Chippendales-like group to raise some much-needed cash. Parker talked recently with EncoreMichigan.com about the show, getting naked on stage and why the show appeals to such a broad range of theatergoer.

So I guess you had so much fun doing The Full Monty back in 2005 that you're back reprising the role of Jerry Lukowski four years later! (laughs) What is it about this role – or the show – that appeals to you?

This is one of my favorite contemporary shows and one of the first (and best) of the new wave of movies-made-into-musicals that Broadway has produced. I think The Full Monty has a really wide appeal for fans of rags-to-riches, Rocky-type of stories.

There are underdogs of every description in this show. My particular underdog, Jerry, has a lot of facets I feel kinship with. He's unemployed, dirt-poor, bad at relationships and desperate for some type of filial connection other than asking his ex for money. Ask any single thirty-something actor; we're mostly in the same boat, I promise you.

As a veteran of The Full Monty, what is it about the show that appeals to audiences?

I think you can probably look at my previous answer for that. For one night, these seemingly disparate underdogs come together as a band of brothers to win a small battle for themselves and their self-esteem.

And the songs are catchy.

Of course, everyone's always curious about the show's nudity. As an actor, how easy was it for you to get comfortable getting naked on stage – both for rehearsals and for performances?

The first show I did under an Equity contract, Hair (1995 here at the Barn) has that notorious first-act-closing nude scene. Brendan (Ragotzy, director of that production and now Barn producer/director) put me right in the front row. Gotta say, it was liberating in a way. Without sounding too 'incense and peppermints' about it, (the nudity) was an empowering event. It's amazing how much we make of our clothing when our most profound statements of identity are our bodies.

Since then I've done Hair a few other times (mostly on tour), a couple plays requiring nudity, and this'll be my third The Full Monty. Believe me, in rehearsals we're too busy trying to remember dance steps to think about the nudity.

That particular worry is for the lighting crew.

You're a local guy, raised in Adrian and a one-time student at Siena Heights University. (My high school drama teachers were both graduates of Siena Heights.) How long have you been appearing in shows at the Barn Theatre

I was an Equity Membership Candidate (EMC) at the Barn right after I graduated from Siena Heights University in 1992 with my B.A. in Theatre & Speech Communication. I couldn't NOT graduate...dad was the registrar and mom was associate dean! I have always prided myself on my loyalty to whoever's crazy enough to hire me, and the Barn has rewarded me with a career there almost every summer since. I did miss a couple here and there.

How did you first hear about the theater?

I first saw a Barn employment brochure on the bulletin board outside the theater department's office back in the early '80s when I was a kid in Trudy McSorley's Child Drama Program, but I only became an EMC after I followed a girlfriend there.

The Barn Theatre has been around since 1946. Besides its longevity, what is it about the Barn Theatre that keeps you coming back?

Well, being offered a whole summer of work is always nice.

I also really believe in what the Barn is and what its future can be... as a training ground for young talent and a reasonably-priced professional theater for audiences in this part of the country. There ain't much of that out here in these parts.

You've branched out into directing. You staged the last production of West Side Story before its current Broadway revival, and you direct the Bar Shows. Is directing where you see your career heading?

I dunno. Directing is something I'm not sure in my heart of hearts I ever really wanted to do, but I'm enjoying it more and more...which is nice, since I'm growing out of so many roles I used to think I was right for.

For those unfamiliar with the Bar Shows, what are they?

Bar Shows are EMC-led cabarets done after the mainstage performance at the Rehearsal Shed Lounge, which is a fully-stocked bar adjacent to the Barn.

Three sets (about an hour total) of theater and pop tunes (are performed) by young talent that you might not see featured prominently in the big Barn shows. It's a good way to get our EMCs to experience a different kind of performance style, and it also gives our audiences a chance to possibly meet a 'rising star of tomorrow.'

When and how often are they performed?

Bar Shows are done after every show, with the exception of the 6 p.m. Saturday performance or the 5 p.m. Sunday matinee if we are running an extra 8:30 Sunday night show. Sounds confusing? Call the Box Office, and they'll set you straight (269-731-4121). But you can only guarantee a table for the Bar Show if you show up in person at the Rehearsal Shed one hour before mainstage showtime.

Let's assume that there might be some folks out there who aren't sure whether or not to see The Full Monty - for whatever reason. You're the lead actor in the show: What would you tell them to get their (clothed) butts into the seats?

How can you not wanna see something called The Full Monty? The only thing it's missing is a cuddly puppy dog.

Seriously though, if a potential customer is worried about being assaulted by raunch, they need not. It's a surprisingly sensitive, heartfelt show with a lot of fun humor in it...as long as the lights work like they're supposed to.

ABOUT ERIC PARKER:

Parker had a dream season last summer: Tito in Lend Me a Tenor, Roger in Rent, and especially Jean Valjean in Les Miserables. He also made his Barn directing debut, staging our hit West Side Story, the last production allowed before its current Broadway revival. Eric’s Barn credits include Roger DeBris in The Producers, Remnar in all three productions of Escanaba in da Moonlight, Rocky or Eddie in almost all our runs of The Rocky Horror Show, Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar, Freddie in Chess, Jimmy Powers in City of Angels, Cousin Kevin in Tommy, the title role in Pippin and Che in Evita, a role that introduced Eric to Chicago audiences in an award-winning production at Drury Lane Oakbrook. His career has continued there with a variety of credits. An Adrian native, Parker studied at the California campus of The American Academy of Dramatic Arts and at Siena Heights University in his hometown. Eric spent this past winter in Chicago, making trips back to Augusta to co-star in Barn Films’ Fish Mich and playing a gangster at Tommy Gun's Garage in the South Loop. His television credits include Guiding Light, recent History Channel gangster shows and a couple local ads for Behavioral Health Resources. On our offstage staff, he helps oversee maintenance of the Barn's physical plant and directs our popular Bar Shows.

SHOW DETAILS:

"The Full Monty" opens June 30 and runs Tuesday-Sunday through July 12 at the Barn Theatre, 13351 W. M-96, Augusta. Tickets: $29. For information: 269-731-4121 or www.barntheatre.com.

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