April 3, 2009.
The Helen Hayes Awards are Monday, April 13th in Washington D.C. Karl has been nominated in the category of Outstanding Lead Actor for his work in the Shakespeare Theatre Company's production of MAJOR BARBARA.D.C. Theatre Scene has interviewed all the nominees about their work. Read Karl's interview below:
Karl Kenzler - Outstanding Lead Actor, Resident Play
Adolphus Cusins . Major Barbara . Shakespeare Theatre Company
Describe the role...
KK: Adolphus Cusins is a seemingly mild-mannered professor of Greek who is engaged to Major Barbara Undershaft of the Salvation Army. Shaw describes him as “”a most implacable, determined, tenacious, intolerant person who by mere force of character presents himself as — and indeed actually is — considerate, gentle, explanatory, even mild and apologetic, capable possibly of murder, but not of cruelty or coarseness.” He pretends to be a Salvationist because of his love for Barbara, though he tells her father, Andrew Undershaft, that he is more of a “collector of religions”. He is revolted by Mister Undershaft’s cynical creed of “money and gunpowder”; but is eventually persuaded to take over his cannon works.
On creating the role …
This play was a real learning experience for me. I always thought of Shaw as a kind of necessary medicine, but I never really cared for his plays. I was always too focused on the intellectual arguments and couldn’t find the humanity in his characters, so the plays always seemed a bit dry. But as we rehearsed Major Barbara, looking around the room at these other talented, smart and FUNNY actors, the things they were saying, I had a profound realization. I suddenly understood that SHAW WAS COMPLETELY NUTS. He was a mad genius with a huge ego — and as a result, all of his characters have a bit of that in them. Once I got that, the rest just seemed to fall into place.
Biggest surprise onstage…
In the second act, Barbara is talking with her father. She asks him if he is religious. He responds, “I’m a millionaire, my dear. That’s my religion.” And on occasion, that line would ACTUALLY DRAW A ROUND OF APPLAUSE and occasionally cheers from certain audiences. That was shocking.
Favorite moment in the production…
My favorite moment in the play actually took place before I ever entered. While Cusins appeared onstage in the first act, I barely spoke until we arrive at the Salvation shelter for my scene with Undershaft (my soon-to-be father-in-law). Any first meeting between a girl’s father and her fiance is bound to have sparks. But Shaw’s dialogue in this scene is so crisp, his arguments so concise, that it required complete and absolute focus. And yet both men are written to appear completely at ease as they match wits. So at the top of the play, Ted Van Griethuysen (our Undershaft) and I would take a walk backstage and run the lines a few times. Quickly, lightly, almost as if we were sparring. Once we’d done that, we could go onstage and the scene played like a fencing match. But it was a true actor’s pleasure to take a walk eight times a week with Ted and speak those words, just for us.
Other than your own work, what were your favorite performances from the past year?
My favorite performance from last year was Andrew Long’s “Bill Walker” in Major Barbara.
What's next?
I’m in Chicago right now playing “George Banks” in the first national tour of Disney/Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins. We’ll be coming to DC in summer 2010. Book your tickets now!
For the full DC Theatre Scene article, click here.
March 25, 2009.
MARY POPPINS is playing at the Cadillac Palace Theater in Chicago through July 12th. Reserve tickets now!
By Phone: 312-977-1710
In Person: Cadillac Palace Box Office, 151 W. Randolph, Chicago, IL 60601
Groups (20 or more) call: 312-977-1710
February 11, 2009.
Karl has been nominated for a 2009 Helen Hayes award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a play for his performance in MAJOR BARBARA at the Shakespeare Theatre in DC.
February 6, 2009.
Karl is the "Guest Blogger" this week on the BroadwayInChicago.com website. Check out what he has to say about Chicago winters, excellent Thai food on Clark Street and the first two weeks of rehearsal for MARY POPPINS.February 2, 2009.
January 24, 2009.
Karl has just begun rehearsals for the national tour of Disney's MARY POPPINS, directed by Richard Eyre and choreographed by Matthew Bourne. He will be playing the role of "George Banks".MARY POPPINS begins previews March 11th at the Cadillac Palace Theater in Chicago. Reserve tickets now!
Online: www.BroadwayInChicago.com
By Phone: 312-977-1710
In Person: Cadillac Palace Box Office, 151 W. Randolph, Chicago, IL 60601
Groups (20 or more) call: 312-977-1710
July 26, 2008.
Karl will be appearing in Brian Kulick's production of THE TEMPEST at Classic Stage Company, starring Mandy Patinkin. Check back later for dates and information.June 3, 2008.
Karl is going to be teaching an eight week intensive games class this summer at the TACT Studios from July 14th through September 1st.Interested in signing up, click here!
July 17, 2007.
Villa America is selling out at the Williamstown Theater Festival. To satisfy demand, an additional performance has been scheduled for this Friday, July 20th, at 3:00pm. Click the link below to order tickets.June 12, 2007.
Karl begins rehearsals for the role of Gerald Murphy in the Williamstown Theater Festival's world premiere production of Villa America. Playwright Crispin Whittell (author of Darwin in Malibu) was commissioned to write this play about Gerald and Sara Murphy and other members of the "Lost Generation" who found themselves on the French Riviera in the 1920's. Performances run July 11th through 22nd. The production will coincide with an exhibition at Williams College Museum of Art that will focus will focus on Gerald and Sara Murphy's influence on modern art, literature, music and taste.
June 1, 2007.
Karl appears on the cover of a new book, entitled St. John Hankin Reclaimed. The wonderful "lost" plays of this writer have been rediscoverd and made available by the Obie award winning Mint Theater Company. Copies will be available soon. Check their website to order your copy now.
April 3, 2007.
Karl begins rehearsals for the Working Theater's production of Back From The Front. This very funny and very dark comedy is by Lynn Rosen, who was recently profiled in The Dramatist Magazine as one of the "50 To Watch". She was a finalist for ATL's Humana Festival and was a writer-in-residence at the 2007 New Harmony Project. Back From The Front runs May 3rd through May 27th.
January 1, 2007.
Just in time for the new year, Karl's latest episode of "Law & Order: SVU" entitled "Scheherezade" will air this Tuesday, January 2nd at 10:00pm on NBC.
November 21, 2006.
Karl will be out of commission for awhile. While performing over the summer in Othello, he suffered an onstage knee injury. After extensive physical therapy, he will soon undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn meniscus. Check back for updates to find out where he'll be working once he recovers.
October 1, 2006.
Karl closes out the Summer Shakespeare Rep season at the Old Globe tonight. Tomorrow morning, he will pile into his car with his dog, Po, for a two-week cross country drive back to New York. He's hoping the experience will be something like this.
September 14, 2006.
(photo courtesy of Craig Schwartz)
Time is running out to see Karl in Othello and Titus Andronicus at the Old Globe. For a complete show schedule, click here.
Here are some more press quotes on Karl's performance as "Iago".
In Jesse Berger's steady production of Othello, Karl Kenzler's rendition of the spurned ancient, "honest, honest Iago" is the trump card. Look into that broad, putty-like face and you see what? A bit of a jester, a guy with a leering mug, a clown's fearlessness. He's no buffoon but an incarnation of utter evil? A rogue can indeed, to borrow from another Shakespeare play, smile, and smile, and be a villain. Kenzler's giddiness at his own ability to destroy the noble Moor of Venice is masking something even more sinister." (L.A. Daily News)
"Karl Kenzler, whose glib, grinning, buttoned-down Iago so ENJOYS his calumny, makes this an “Othello" for the memory book. There is no specific template these days for Iago. His dexterity at psychological warfare, his enthusiastic scorn for ethics, his sense of entitlement seem all too universal. But something about Kenzler’s boyish charm gone sour stirred a comparison that suddenly jolted me right into this morning’s headlines: Iago is the corporate commando maneuvering to shoot down the CEO without accruing a crumb of personal blame. He is the vilest of villains, yet perfectly presentable and, in fact, one of the most convincing con men ever known. It’s fascinating to watch his careful building of deniability. I found myself waiting for his lawyers to appear. " (Welton Jones, SanDiego.com)
"Happiness is extinguished by Karl Kenzler's plotting Iago who presents an outward show of trustworthiness as he drops poison pills of suspicion." (Los Angeles Times)
September 8, 2006.
Karl's new pilot, A/V Club, has been selected for the 2006 New York Television Festival. The festival runs from September 12th to 17th.
A/V Club is the new pilot from the creators of the Tony-award winning Broadway musical Spelling Bee. It is co-written by Karl and in it he plays the role of "Ryan Asher".
To read more and view the A/V Club trailer, click here. Once the new page opens, scroll to the bottom to see the trailer!
August 24, 2006.
(photo courtesy of Craig Schwartz)
From the San Diego Union Tribune review of Karl's performance in Othello.
"Karl Kenzler immediately takes the audience into his gloating confidence. Like a shrewd political operative, his volatile Iago turns his victim's strengths into liabilities. The actor sends a churning energy coursing through his scenes as he manipulates events and then directs them, setting up characters only to spring traps. In Kenzler's reading, Iago is dirty-minded and jealous – obsessed with suspicion that Othello has cuckolded him and secretly outraged that Cassio received the promotion he wanted. We don't see bottomless depths of evil in this hip blond charmer, but rather, the petty passion for revenge that fuels the insecure nasties of Neil LaBute's plays and films. Given Kenzler's quick-on-his feet insinuations, his smooth improvisatory skill, he could easily run away with the play."
To read the full review, click here.
August 23, 2006.
(photo courtesy of Craig Schwartz)
Some press quotes on Karl's performance as "Iago" in the Old Globe's production of Othello.
"As Iago, Karl Kenzler manipulates Othello's emotions as if he were playing an intellectual game of cat and mouse. He's charismatic and engaging and his calibrated ease with the language during his frequent soliloquies grabs the audience's attention." (North County Times)
"Karl Kenzler is terrific as the oily Iago, whom he plays like a Venetian Ken Lay, a man's man, a hail-fellow-well-met kind of guy. Smooth and businesslike in his evildoing, smirking at his own insidiousness, he is relentless, insidious and chilling." (KPBS-TV)
"Tall and handsome, Karl Kenzler plays Iago as a cheerful sociopath unaffected by the mayhem he sets in motion. And withal, so charming -- it's a blood-curdling, magnificent performance." (Gay and Lesbian Times)
May 1, 2006.
See Karl performing this summer at the Old Globe. In the 2006 summer rep, he plays the role of "Iago" in Jesse Berger's production of Othello . He can also be seen in Darko Tresnjak's production of Titus Andronicus playing the role of "Bassianus". For a full production schedule, click here.
March 22, 2006.
Karl just wrapped his first season of "Law & Order: SVU" , the highest-rated program of the "Law & Order" franchise. In it, he plays the recurring role of Father Denis, Detective Eliot Stabler's parish priest. Look for him in the upcoming episode entitled "Fat", which airs Tuesday, May 2nd at 10pm on NBC.