Andrew Bosworth holds a BA in Theatre from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro; he thereafter performed in small professional theatres in North Carolina, Iowa, and Wisconsin. He also spent several years Austin, Texas, working with the Austin Theatre Project, City Theatre, Austin Shakespeare, and Austin Playhouse; in roles including Cyrano, Iago, and the lead in a (nearly) uncut outdoor guerrilla Peer Gynt.
Andrew earned his MFA at the FSU/Asolo Conservatory, where he was introduced to Andrei Malaev-Babel and the Demidov school of acting. In the second year he had the privilege of being a part of A View from the Bridge, a full production wholly executed in the Demidov approach under Professor Malaev-Babel’s direction with assistance from Andrei Biziorek.
As a practitioner of Demidov he brought the work to shows at Ozark Actor’s Theatre in Missouri, Festival 56 in Illinois, Mad Cow Theatre in Orlando, and Dog Days Theatre in Sarasota, Florida.
As a teacher he briefly served as adjunct professor of Playscript Analysis at the FSU/Asolo Conservatory shortly after graduation. After relocating to Chicago, he began to take steps to establish the Chicago chapter of the Demidov Association, holding an inaugural workshop in early 2020, with the aim of a fresh start as soon as conditions permit.
Today, we would like to ask Andrew some broader questions.
Q: Do you direct and/or act in parallel with your teaching, and how do these activities help or interfere with one another?
A: I am an actor and barista in addition to an aspiring teacher. The free coffee helps the other two, for sure. Being an actor absolutely improves my teaching – I can try my own lessons out for myself, and better explain to actors how to handle the experience. But fortunately the Demidov approach is rooted in your true faith in the actor’s ability, and no hectic schedule can deprive you of that.
Q: Which modern actors in your opinion show acting that is in tune with Demidov School?
A: Hugh Jackman can do no wrong for me. Watch Darren Aronofsky’s the Fountain if you haven’t; Jackman gets to play the same expression of devotion in three drastically different ways. You see a clearly strong man constantly unsure as to what comes next. There are moments where you wonder how Wolverine can pull this off.
Q: Russian acting school is one of the most influential in the world - why do you think that is?
A: I think that Stanislavsky undertook his labors at an opportune time – he provided a relatively simple starting point for actors of all skill levels at a time when theatrical style was shifting, and the world was settling into a new era of interconnectedness. The world’s mysteries were rapidly being clarified and we could more clearly see our neighbors – the way the world was thinking was changing to precisely what Stanislavsky was working at. No wonder people found much to appreciate in his work!
Q: Is there a book that you reread over and over again?
A: I am loath to reread a book, knowing how short life is and how many are yet to be read! But one of the few books I’ve read twice - and know for a fact I’ll read a third time – is Nabokov’s Lolita. Nabokov does things with words I didn’t know you could; he’s so technically adept that it overcomes the sticky subject matter.
Q: If you won a big amount of money in a lottery or a prestigious contest, what would you spend it on?
A: Build the world’s first hybrid dog and cat rescue/cafe/theater.
Thank you, Andrew!