Shimerman in Seafarer
2 min readArmin Shimerman (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Quark) was so impressed after seeing The Seafarer on Broadway several years ago, he called his agent to have the agent find a production of the play in which Shimerman could appear.
“I was just blown away by it,” explained Shimerman. “It’s wonderfully humorous, with hints of the supernatural and a theme of redemption. I told my agent that I wanted to do this show and asked him to find me a production. I’d never done that before. But I knew this was something that I had to do. This show is just so superbly written.”
But when Shimerman did find a production by the san Diego Repertory Theater, he discovered that the role he wanted in The Seafarer was already filled. “Originally, I wanted to play the devil,” he said. “What actor wouldn’t want to play the devil? But Sam (Woodhouse, the Rep’s artistic director) is playing that role, so I’m playing Richard.”
The Seafarer is the story of four friends who get together in a coastal suburb north of Dublin on Christmas Eve to play poker. A guest of one of the friends turns out to be the devil in disguise.
Shimerman is playing Richard, the aging and blind brother of the alcoholic James “Sharkey” Harkin. Richard likes to drink and to aggravate his brother. “I have a brother,” said Shimerman. “Our relationship is not similar to this one, but the show is about our relationships with our families, something McPherson explores with pathos and humor.”
The Seafarer opens November 20 and runs through December 13 at the San Diego Repertory Theater in San Diego. Further information can be found here.
About The Author
