Spotlight On...David Andrew Laws and Robin Rightmyer

For the record, this interview was conducted while the boys were eating a 2.5 lb bag of half-stale candy corn

Name:
RR: Hi, I'm Robin Rightmyer!
DL: And I'm David Andrew Laws. And we are-
DL & RR: Hamlet Isn't Dead!
DL: As is Marrick Smith. And, like a dozen other people. Too many to thank in one place, but you know who you are.

Hometown:
RR: Louisville, Kentucky!
DL: Also that for me.
RR: You are not. You're from Rineyville. The boonies.
DL: You are so cruel. I was actually born in Nashville, but...wherever.

Education:
DL: I went to Carnegie Mellon!
RR: And I went to LIPA, the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts.
DL: We're fancy.

Select Credits:
DL: Robin and I were in a musical on Theatre Row called Money (because we're a package deal) and I played Mr. Mann. And by Mr. Mann I mean, like forty parts. It was amazing.
RR: He was pretty great.
DL: *blushes*
RR: Yeah, we've been cast...four times together in New York City?
DL: Busy bees.

Why theater?:
RR: Girls.
DL: Yup.

Tell Us about Hamlet Isn’t Dead:
RR: Well, oddly enough, it was a girl.
DL: Oh, you want me to tell this story?
RR: I do.
DL: Okay, well, I was dating a girl and her ex was coming to town and starting a theatre troupe, and she was going to join him. Being the mature adult that I am, I told her "Well, I'll start my own theatre troupe"!
RR: And instead of a girl, he got me. (laughs) Really, we're just Shakespeare dorks, and wanted to perform it as much as possible. So...that's what we're doing.
DL: Definitely. I mean, I'd always wanted to start a company. Robin's passion for Shakespeare just kind of gave it focus.

Tell us about Taming of the Shrew:
DL: (turning intently to Robin) Herr Director...?
RR: Our version of The Taming of the Shrew is a Christmas farce.
DL: Holiday farce. Keep it P.C.
RR: Fair. But Santa does make an appearance.
DL: Shh!!!
RR: But seriously, it's a fast, funny, clever comedy about two...I dunno...loose-cannons. Mavericks? Something.

What is it like being a part of Taming of the Shrew?:
RR: David?
DL: What?
RR: What's it like being a part of Taming of the Shrew.
DL: What?
RR: Tiring. But fun.
DL: Just like me! (the boys laugh for a bit too long) It is though. Long nights.
RR: It's totally worth it though. The rehearsals are really fun and the show is gonna be a lot of fun to watch.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?:
RR: We're big on really engaging theatre. Anything that draws the audience in, either emotionally or literally, and doesn't let go. We hope to do that in our own work and love to see it in others'.
DL: Yeah, as long as I don't get tickled.
RR: Literally?
DL: Seriously.

Any roles you’re dying to play?:
DL: Dying? I've always said if I only had six months to live I'd wanna play Hamlet and have them actually kill me at the end.
RR: Really? Not Macbeth?
DL: No, why?
RR: Yeah! Then when you're dead they chop your head off and bring it back onstage!
DL: (giggling) Ew!

The boys then spend fifteen minutes riffing on "head" puns

What’s your favorite showtune?:
DL: Cats.
RR: That's not a showtune.
DL: Whatever.
RR: Any thing from The Wild Party. The Lippa one. Duh.
DL: Meow.
RR: Stop it.

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?:
RR: Gary Oldman.
DL: That was quick.
RR: Yeah. He's my favorite actor. Actually...I'd probably want to work with a stage actor. Aw, f*** it. Gary Oldman. What about you?
DL: Joss Whedon. He owes me one.

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?:
DL: Oh my god, this is basically something we talk about all the time. We're always like, "In the movie of our lives, this would be the scene where...". Can we just play ourselves? Can someone just make movie about us? Now?
RR: Wesley Snipes.
DL: I'm gonna go with Jennifer Lawrence.
RR: Dang it! That's a good one.
DL: We would have extensive character study rehearsals. Over champagne.

What show have you recommended to your friends?:
DL: Fuerza Bruta keeps saying it's going to close, but I don't believe them, cause it's literally my most recommended show in New York.
RR: That's cause you haven't seen Bedlam's Hamlet yet. Or Saint Joan. Either one of the Bedlam shows. They're absolutely incredible. Come see our show, but then go see theirs.

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?:
DL: We've talked it over and we've decided-
RR: -we can't say.
DL: We can't say. Too many embarrassing things.
RR: We have too many.
DL: Tooooo many.
RR: We're very guilty people.
DL: And well-pleasured.

What’s up next?:
RR: The whole rest of the canon.
DL: And maybe a sitcom!
RR: Ooh, yeah!
DL: We're expanding into a lot of different media. Education. Possibly new works.
RR: So Like us on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter, that whole spiel.
DL: Plugged!

The boys at this point high five and swordfight into the sunset in the most epic display of awesomeness this reporter has ever witnessed

For tickets, visit http://shrew.brownpapertickets.com/