Debuting Artists at OpenStage: Bryan Hill

Welcome back to our Debuting Artist blog series! OpenStage is home to many incredible artists, some who have worked with the company for years and others who are brand new. This week we introduce Bryan Hill, playing The Pastor in The Christians. 

Tell us about yourself! Where you’re from, your hobbies, past work, fun facts, or anything that comes to mind!

What made you decide to audition for The Christians? What was the audition like?

So, funny story, I had the audition date completely wrong and only realized that on the same day and rushed over to the audition with about 5 minutes left. I think that auditions are a moment of trepidation for most actors, but it’s also nice to stretch those muscles and read from a script that, as a performer, you may not have read before. In that way, it’s a bit like a moment of discovery.

What were your first impressions when you read the script for The Christians?

I remember reading through the whole thing just a day or two after I had the part and thinking that the play is far more a story of people and perception rather than simply the fallout of a particular message. As you move through this performance, there’s more and more of a sense of people thinking they have answers and then having to reevaluate those answers when they’re presented with a moment of dissonance.

How has your experience with OpenStage been so far?

It has been absolutely wonderful! From the constant contact, helpful information, common-sense precautions, desire to create and maintain a safe space, and personally, to have a place to go play make-believe, it’s just spectacular!

What is your favorite thing about acting?

I think that there’s an element of every character you play within yourself. Acting not only allows you the opportunity to find that piece of you but then to work with a group of dedicated people to bring it forward and hopefully give an audience a moment of joy, clarity, sadness, analysis, or even just an escape is “the juice” for me.

What can audiences look forward to in The Christians?

I think that people can expect not to be told what to believe, but hopefully to be provided with a story that will allow for a deep conversation about belief. I sincerely hope that it will give people the space to think about their own beliefs and relationships, and how those create the complexity of our lives.

Do you have any upcoming projects after The Christians?

It is my sincere hope to be able to say “yes!” to this question in the near future!

Come see Bryan and the rest of the cast in The Christians, opening May 20th!