John Marshall
I love it when someone seemingly comes out of nowhere and gives a performance so unforgettable that it is permanently in your head. John Marshall is giving that performance in Tigers Be Still directed by Bruce R Coleman at MainStage Irving-Las Colinas. It’s rare to hear people buzzing about an actor at intermission, but I overheard many people doing just that this past Friday night. “Who is he?” “He’s just incredible.” and “Wow!” are just a few of the comments my eavesdropping caught. John, who is a senior at UTA, is so skilled that he reminded me of a young Dustin Hoffman. John has the skills to have you doubled over laughing one minute and wiping away a tear the next. He’s one of those “old souls” blessed with an innate ability for acting and eyes that keep you transfixed. A star on the rise. Take a few moments to learn more about this unbelievably talented young man and see him in Tigers Be Still through August 26.
When was your first time on stage?
I was in 7 th grade the first time I performed on a stage. I was The Captain of the Guard in my middle school’s production of Shrek the Musical Jr. I had no clue what I was doing, but I went out there and tried my best. I was incredibly frightened of singing (and had zero vocal training at that point of my life) so when I saw the cast list and realized that I had an actual scene with lines, I was ecstatic. If I remember correctly, my middle school’s theatre had an awards ceremony at the end of each year where each student was awarded some made up award. Not to brag, but I believe I ended up with “Best Captain of the Guard.” I may have been the only Captain of the Guard, but I’m certain that had absolutely nothing to do with me being the best one.
When did you know you wanted to be an actor?
I remember the exact moment I realized acting was what I was going to pursue. It was my junior year of high school, and my school had taken me to The International Thespian Festival. I had the chance to be surrounded by so many other theatre lovers, take classes, and watch performances for essentially three straight days. Something clicked in my head that made me think “I don’t see any version of my life where theatre is not a part of it.” I was, however, still unsure if I had the actual ability to excel in theatre. The next year when auditions rolled around for college theatre programs, I realized exactly just how many different universities saw potential in me and it made me realize that the whole acting thing was more than just a dream I had, but instead a very real possibility for my life.
Who is your greatest mentor?
This is probably one of the hardest questions to answer. I have had so many wonderful mentors in my life that it feels impossible to name everybody, but that doesn’t mean I won’t try! Racey Ballard was the man who fostered my love for theatre. Specifically, he was my theatre teacher in 8 th grade, and later would be my theatre teacher again my junior and senior years of high school. Without him, I would never have fallen in love with acting.Additionally, I have my many instructors at UTA who have helped me continue to grow and further my education: Felicia Bertch, Megan Haratine, and Joe Chapa, just to name a few! I also have to mention two incredible people who have created a love that I have for theatre education: Dean McBride and Maggie Gray. Lastly, I have my two wonderful parents. They have both always shown me continuous support starting from the moment I began (all the way back in Shrek the Musical Jr.) and have helped me become the human being I am today.
What role have you enjoyed the most in your career so far?
I really do not think I could pick one singular role as my favorite. Off the top of my head, I would say two of my favorite roles have been (most recently) Zach in Tigers Be Still with Mainstage Irving-Las Colinas as well as Arnold Epstein in Biloxi Blues with Theatre Arlington. Performing as Zach has been an absolute dream. He was one of those roles where when I was reading the show, I just knew that I absolutely had to play this character at some point in my life. He has such a great character arc over the course of the show, and I just get to have so much fun playing a character who can have the audience laughing in one scene and crying in the next. I also adore everyone I have interacted with in the cast and crew. They have made showing up every day an absolute blessing.As for Arnold Epstein, the audition was my first time ever showing up to Theatre Arlington, and I immediately fell in love with the environment. One of my favorite moments from this show is one of the final scenes: Epstein and Sergeant Toomey’s climactic confrontation that involves a gun and a whole lot of pushups. Michael Phillip Thomas (who played Toomey) just gave me so much to work with and helped create one of my favorite scenes I’ve ever gotten to act in. I can’t forget to mention the wonderful Larry Cure (and Jacob Oderberg) of course who directed that scene.
Do you have a dream role?
As generic as this sounds, I’ve always wanted to be Romeo in Romeo and Juliet. I absolutely adore performing Shakespeare and jump at pretty much every chance I get to do it. As for non-Shakespeare roles: Clifford Anderson from Deathtrap by Ira Levin springs to mind. I stumbled upon this play back in high school and have always had an interest in playing this role. I would also love to play either Archer or Aimwell in The Beaux’ Stratagem. I had seen a filmed production of this show and loved it.
What person(s) would you like to be on stage with?
Bethany Mejorado is a very close friend of mine and was recently seen in The Butterfly’s Evil Spell at Theatre Three. While we have appeared in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Winter’s Tale together, our characters had next to zero interaction with each other in the shows. She is so supremely talented, so I would just love to get to perform with her in a production where we actually interact on stage. Landry Beckley is another person I would love to act with. We have actually acted together on stage before in Biloxi Blues but he is one of the kindest people I know so I would definitely seize any opportunity to work with him again. Lastly, Andre Williams is an incredibly talented friend of mine. I do not believe we have ever shared the stage together. Most recently, he has been seen in The Color Purple with Jubilee Theatre. He has such an incredible presence on stage, so acting with him would be a blessing.
What performances have you seen that impressed you?
One of the most recent performances I have seen that impressed me was by David Coffee as Mr. McClam in Theatre Arlington’s Fly by Night. This show already happened to be one of my favorite musicals and Mr. McClam’s song at the end of the show “Cecily Smith” is my favorite part of the show. David Coffee played it so beautifully that it continues to stick with me.
What are your career goals?
As I mentioned earlier, I have a huge fondness for theatre education. I think theatrical education can often be overlooked in schools, but it is such a great tool for children to learn about self-expression, emotion, and art. Because of this, I’ve always had an interest in the theatrical education landscape. I had the chance very recently to work at Theatre Arlington and help with each of their children summer camp programs. Maggie Gray taught me a lot while working there, so I do see myself eventually being involved in some form of theatre education. However, acting is such an important part of my life that I do not see myself giving that up ever, so I would ideally love to find a way to teach and continue working as an actor in DFW. I would love as well to start doing some film work in the area at some point.
What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I am a little bit of a dancer. I spent three semesters at UTA as part of the Maverick Dance Company pretty much just on a whim. I can admit I was a rather weaker dancer when I started out, but I have since improved myself to where I feel confident dancing on stage and am able to actually enjoy myself while doing so.
