Tom Hewitt is starring in the smash comedy Broadway show “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” which had its birth at the Old Globe Theater in 2004. It’s now playing through July 22 at the Civic Theater, 202 C St. For tickets and information, call (619) 570-1100 or (619) 220-TIXS.
La Jolla Village News: How did a boy from Montana get into show business?
Tom Hewitt: I should be behind a plow! Actually, Montana is a great place for a young actor to start. There are a lot of opportunities at small summer theaters that allow you to get your foot in the door.
LJVN: Was it better for you to start there rather than in New York?
TH: My temperament is not particularly outgoing and I don’t have a lot of confidence. If I had been in a large metropolitan area, I don’t think I would have had the chances I had or that it would have given me the confidence at a younger age.
LJVN: It seems to be an occupational hazard for an actor not to have confidence.
TH: So many of us actors aren’t outgoing. What draws us to the theater is a context to behave openly and without apology and get acceptance. Many of us don’t have the best social skills.
LJVN: Many big stars are astonishingly shy.
TH: Surprising, isn’t it? We go below self-esteem. Why put myself out for judgment, ridicule and humiliation?
LJVN: Is it torture for you to get onstage?
TH: No, it’s not torture. You know, I work really hard in rehearsals. I try to be as prepared as I possibly can. When I step in front of the lights and people, I feel confident enough in what I’m doing. Of course I’m afraid, but I practice it enough. It always takes me about three months to settle into a role until I feel I kind of own it. It takes a long time to feel ownership of a role. Thank God for long runs, as opposed to two weeks of summer stock.
LJVN: How did you make the leap from Montana to New York?
TH: Well, it wasn’t really a leap at all. It was a gradual, step-by-step thing. When I was 17 years old, I auditioned for a professional theater program. I auditioned for Juilliard, Southern Methodist University and so forth. You could fly to New York in those days and audition for a bunch of schools at the same time. In those days there was really a high demand for young people who could do classical plays. I got in on the tail end of the regional theater movement.
LJVN: What was your school training?
TH: I went to the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee at the professional theater program there. That program moved to the University of Delaware in Newark. I was in the very first group in Milwaukee when this was started. We got a lot of guest directors who subsequently hired us after we graduated.
LJVN: What did you do after graduation?
TH: I did a lot of classical plays in the regional theater. I met Tadashi Suzuki and worked with his company on and off for 12 years, performing at international theater festivals all over the world. Along the way, I met (director/choreographer) Julie Taymor, who put me into one of her movies and then put me into “The Lion King” on Broadway!
LJVN: What was your best and most interesting experience on Broadway?
TH: I’d have to say “The Rocky Horror Show.” In a lot of ways it was the most difficult. It wasn’t a lot like performing, it was a lot like hosting a party! And you weren’t really sure who the guests were. We tried to encourage people to participate like they do in the movie. From night to night, you never knew what was going to happen. That was thrilling. I’ll never have another experience like that!
LJVN: Are you a scoundrel in real life, like your part in “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”?
TH: Well, I am a little bit. I really love it because I get to do a lot of different things. As a con man, you get to be different people. It’s one of the most fun roles I’ve ever had in my life.
LJVN: You’ve been to the La Jolla Playhouse to do “Dracula, The Musical” and “Zhivago.” What is your impression of La Jolla?
TH: Oh, my goodness. La Jolla has the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen in my life. It’s true. I hope someday that I have the financial status to own a home in La Jolla. I really, really love that place.
