By J Hunter

We all want life to be simpler, but sometimes that just isn’t possible – mainly because real life just keeps getting in the way. For instance, in Kate Fodor’s play “100 Saints You Should Know,” the lead character Theresa is the single mother of a challenging teenager, while the young priest Matthew is questioning his whole career path under the gaze of a domineering mother.

“100 Saints” is not a new thing to director Tony Pallone, who worked on the play when it was presented by Theater Voices at Steamer No. 10 Theater. Tony’s been banging around the area theater scene since he was nine, acting and directing for (among others) Classic Theater Guild, Ghent Playhouse, Creative Action Unlimited, and Schenectady Civic Players, which is presenting “100 Saints You Should Know” starting this Friday night.

I first experienced Tony as a performer during one of the monthly Shakespeare play readings at Rare Form Brewing Company in Troy. One night we did the climactic scene from “the Scottish play,” and by the end of it, I thought, “I would LOVE to work with this guy onstage!” More than a few years later, I got my wish: In 2022 on CAU’s collaborative original play “Sides,” and last year on Schenectady Civic’s production of “August: Osage County.”

Tony was good enough to take a few minutes to talk about “100 Saints,” Theater Voices, and a few other subjects:

RRX: When did you first get interested in theater, and what/who was it that sparked that interest?

Tony Pallone: I first got interested in acting when I was about 9 years old and had fallen victim to bullying at a new school where I didn’t know anyone. My thought was: if they’re not going to respect who Tony Pallone is, maybe Tony Pallone could be someone else. But at the time, I wasn’t really aware of any local youth theater opportunities – certainly there are many more today than there were back then. As a result, my desire to act mostly took the form of envying the actors on the TV shows I watched regularly — “Happy Days,” “Three’s Company,” the early “Saturday Night Live” era. I also really loved the kooky atmosphere that was created by the B-list celebrities who inhabited the haunts of game shows like “Hollywood Squares” and (especially) “Match Game,” with its unstoppable hilarity from the likes of Richard Dawson and Charles Nelson Reilly. I thought, now THAT’S what I want to be like when I grow up!

RRX: How did “100 Saints You Should Know” come to your attention? What was the main thing that drew you to the play?

TP: Theater Voices produced a staged reading of “100 Saints” in 2017, with Creative Action Unlimited’s Michael Kennedy at the helm. I helped out as an AD and producer, and my wife Colleen Lovett played the role of Theresa, so there’s been a spot in my heart for the show for many years. I give kudos to Theater Voices artistic director Eileen Schuyler for coming across the script – Eileen really has a gift for finding shows with small casts and rich language, which is the company’s focus.

What most draws me to the play (and what I can most relate to) is the fact that all the characters are searching for something that seems just beyond their capabilities. Each of them feels a longing, hemmed in by the fear of their own limitations. And we see them make an early exploration into whether those limitations are real or exist only in their imaginations.

RRX: There are several flavors of spiritual struggles in this play, from the single mother who’s totally unequipped to do the job, to the young priest who’s questioning the whole nature of his job! Have you known anyone who’s gone through these kinds of struggles before?

TP: Whether or not they identify these kinds of struggles as spiritual, I think most everyone goes through them. And constantly, at that.

RRX: You’ve been involved with Theater Voices for some time and you’re currently Board President. For those who’ve never experienced what they offer, please give us your take on Theater Voices’ place in the community.

TP: Not unlike the characters in this play, I think Theater Voices sometimes struggles with that question of identity. When the company started, nearly four decades ago, staged readings were rare enough that we’d actually take time at the beginning of each performance to explain exactly what a staged reading was – that it was meant to be a very blank canvas with minimal scenic elements and actors reading from scripts.

Now that staged readings are more common, it’s become more important for us to find a way of offering something unique, to justify our existence on the scene. I think we’ve done that by gradually shading in more of the elements you’d expect in a full production while still allowing the audience to fill in the rest with their imaginations. Rather than placing their scripts on music stands, for example, the actors hold them in their hands as they walk through the choreographed movements of each scene. And we’ve created conventions for using the books in our hands to suggest actions that might otherwise rely on props, such as raising a glass to make a toast or passing an object from one character to another.

RRX: How has directing “100 Saints” as a full-blown play been different from the Theater Voices iteration (aside from the size of the stage, of course)? What challenges, if any, have you encountered?

TP: A great example of a challenge that needed to be solved is the presentation of the nude photos belonging to the character Matthew, the priest who is put on leave after those photos are found in his study. The script simply calls for these to be “images that appear out of the darkness.” In the staged reading, we used a blank wall and left the rest of the viewer’s imagination. For the SCP production, well – we solved it in a pretty clever way. I could tell you more, but I’d rather just encourage your readers to come see.

Because it’s central to the plot, we also have an abstract representation of a tree in center stage – this is something that isn’t called for by the script, but rather sprung from the head of our set designer, Robin MacDuffie. And the way we’ve used paint and light to make it appear as though it’s made out of stained glass – well, I’ve given away enough already. Just come see!

RRX: Brigitta Rose plays your lead character. You were on this stage last year with Bri in “August: Osage County.” How is directing her versus playing scenes with her?

TP: Bri plays one of the two main characters in the show, although really all the characters are essential to the plot. I just love working with her – even though, less than a year ago, she was just one of those people who you somehow became friends with on Facebook but you don’t even remember how. Bri is a consummate professional, who was off book by something like our third rehearsal, and who is always willing to try different ways of playing her character to support my vision for the show.

RRX: You got nominations from Berkshire On Stage and BroadwayWorld for your portrayal of entrepreneur / “Florida Man” Steve Heidebrecht in “August.” How does it feel getting notice for playing an unmitigated scum bucket like Steve?

TP: It was important for me to play him as someone who didn’t see himself that way – to avoid falling into a caricature of what you’d imagine someone like that to be. I needed to create a person who imagined his choices, disturbing as they were, to be perfectly valid ones. And I need to share any accolades I received for that portrayal with my scene partner, Ashley Schuliger, for her willingness to be exceptionally vulnerable on stage, making choices that were equally real.

RRX: What would you like to do next, either as an actor or a director?

TP: I’d like to do some outdoor Shakespeare again, in either of those two capacities. To me, nothing feels quite so exhilarating – especially when presented outdoors, with minimal tech, and with little more than the sound of his amazing words to create the magic.

Schenectady Civic Players presents “100 Saints You Should Know” by Kate Fodor, Friday, January 24 – Sunday ,February 2. For ticket information and show times, please go to www.civicplayers.org or call (518) 382-2081.