by: Cat Rondeau
Andre Eaton and Santiago Vargas in The Four of Us by Itamar Moses.
What did you dream about doing with your life when you were younger? What are your dreams now?
And what would you do if all of those dreams actually came true?
For your best friend.
Playwright Itamar Moses tackles that question – and all of the comedy and drama in between – in “The Four of Us,” which has been described as “90 minutes of humor and painful truths that really zip along” by the Chicago Tribune and “a clever comic drama with a nifty twist…a touching, appealing play” by The New York Times.
Actor Andre Eaton Jr plays Benjamin in The Four of Us by Itamar Moses.
Directed by Becca Parker and D. Norris, “The Four of Us” will enjoy its Atlanta-area premiere as a Zoom production with Live Arts Theatre Company on July 16th. Zoom productions have become the new normal over the past year, but in-person rehearsals have been slowly working their way back into theatre life as more and more Georgians get vaccinated. Accordingly, “The Four of Us” has been holding live rehearsals then recording the scenes for the final production so audiences can watch from the comfort of home. Andre Eaton Jr, who plays successful writer Benjamin, says he has missed the in-person connection lacking from Zoom over the past year, so being face-to-face with his scene partner has been both dynamic and refreshing. He explains that this rehearsal process is unique in that “you have maybe one or two takes to nail the performance and so you don’t have time to overthink it, so you’re purely living moment to moment with your scene partner and feeding off of each other,” thus adding to the authenticity of the show.
Actor Santiago Vargas plays David in The Four of Us by Itamar Moses.
Also adding to authenticity is how audiences can relate to the characters. Santiago Vargas, who plays struggling playwright David, says the issues and insecurities David experiences throughout the play are something most people have felt on occasion. “Throughout the play, we see how he struggles with his own self confidence,” Vargas says. He hopes the audience will take with them the message to “believe in yourself. Things may not come as easily as you expect and there are many different ways to find success.” Eaton appreciates the message of “the importance of communication, especially in friendships. I think a lot of the distance and resentment between the two characters could have been solved if they sat down and actually had an honest conversation.”
Prior to their work on “The Four of Us”, both actors have been active in the local arts scene. Vargas has worked as a background actor which he says is partially what drew him to this stage/film hybrid production. Now that stages are reopening, he looks forward to getting back in front of live audiences. In addition to his extensive work with Live Arts, Eaton was last seen in Pumphouse Players’ “Emma: A Pop Musical” and will be performing with Players Guild of Sugar Hill this August in their production of “The Sunshine Boys.”
“The Four of Us” runs July 16-25 via Zoom. Tickets are currently on sale at liveartstheatre.org.