Actor Ward Duffy’s credits include productions at New York’s Lincoln Center, New Dramatists, Manhattan Theater Club, Cherry Lane Theatre, and others. He has appeared regionally in SPEAKING IN TOUNGUES (Acclaim Award), OTHELLO (CEA Nomination), THE UNDERSTUDY (Acclaim Award), at the Cincinnati Playhouse in The Park; AS YOU LIKE IT, THE THREE MUSKETEERS, OTHELLO (Arty Award), with the Pioneer Theatre Company; TRUE WEST, at the Banyan Theater Company (Best Actor 2008 Best of the Suncoast); RACE at Hartford TheaterWorks; and productions for the Asolo, Indiana, Kansas City, Merrimack, St. Louis Repertory theaters as well as Portland Center Stage and The Old Globe.  Television and film credits include Law & Order: Criminal Intent, The Knights of Prosperity, Ghost Stories, Liability Crisis, You Can’t Have It All and all the NY soaps. Ward received his MFA in Acting from the FSU/Asolo Conservatory.

Mr. Duffy is currently appearing in GOOD PEOPLE at Penn State Centre Stage. The production makes use of URTA’s Contract Management Program, and Mr. Duffy is an alum of  URTA member training program FSU/Asolo Conservatory.  He recently took a moment to discuss GOOD PEOPLE with URTA.

Is this your first time working at Penn State Centre Stage?  How have you found living and working in State College, PA to be?

This is my first time at PSCS. My time here in State College has been absolutely wonderful. The town itself and Happy Valley are just beautiful and remind me a little bit of the town where I grew up in northwest Connecticut–the rolling hills and forests and farms surrounding the town–it brings my heart-rate down. And everyone from the theater has gone out of their way and taken such good care of us, really welcomed us to their family. It puts you in such a good place to just concentrate on the work, which is of course the point.

Having performed this role in previous productions, has your take on the character of Mike evolved in any ways since you first embarked on the role?

I know it has, but not in any sea change kind of way that I can point to. The connection for me just gets deeper in the same way any long-term relationship deepens. You get to know the other person more intimately over time; their faults and their strengths; their insecurities and fears; the best of them and the worst of them, and everything in between, and in the end you accept and, yes, love them for all of it. All that, of course, is made possible because of David Lindsay-Abaire. It is such a well written play. I count myself so lucky to have had the opportunity to be involved with it. The story is just fantastic. All the characters are written with such humanity and dignity, in a warts and all way that is so truthful and funny and heartbreaking. The great joy for me in working on a play that is so well written is that you can keep exploring; you can open a previously unopened door and you know there’s going to be something of value there. Whether you and this group of people you’re working with choose to highlight that or another facet, who knows–but there is an abundance of riches to choose from.

Are there any things in particular you’re looking to explore in new ways, in this production?

Well, the nuances in the relationships between the characters will, of course, be new. I’ve been lucky enough to work with extremely talented casts and directors before and this time is no different. Johanna Day and Amelia Campbell, two Tony nominated actresses play Margie and Jeanne; the wonderful Jane Ridley, who has made Penn State her home base for many years, is Dottie; the beautiful, talented Joy Hooper, a PSU Alum, is Kate; Kevin Toniazzo-Naughton , a current student, plays Stevie (he’s so young and very talented, you really want to hate him, but he’s too nice a guy). Rob Schneider, who attended and taught at PSU, is the smooth guiding hand directing it all. So the chemistry between Johanna and myself and Joy and myself– the first love, the current wife –and what they bring to each of their characters is all new territory to explore and will help shape this “Mike”.

As an actor, having to leave the place you’re from and set out to a city like New York for your career, how have you handled some of the same issues as your character, Mike?

I see the core issues for Mike and his departure from Southie as fairly different from my own. His leaving Southie is a flight for survival in many ways. Where he was growing up the lack of opportunity, the poverty, the inflamed racism of that place and time, and certain events of his youth shaped his view of Southie as a “black hole” he needed to escape. I don’t view my own setting out from home to be nearly as dramatic, and that’s a good thing. I think I had it pretty easy in comparison.

GOOD PEOPLE explores many different viewpoints on themes dealing with social class, obligations, and what it really means to be a “good person”. What do you hope audiences will come away with?

Great questions. I’ve always felt that’s what the best theater, and art for that matter, provide. Televangelists give us answers; politicians give us answers. Great theater and great plays give us great questions. So along with a wonderful story, wonderful characters, lots of laughs and lots of human truth, you’ll be left with great questions; which I believe, in the end, serve to expand the humanity of those who choose to search for the answers.

Have you found the audience reaction to the play to be different in the different cities where you have performed it?

Definitely. Not that it couldn’t be very different night to night in the same city. When one hears this is a play about “class” one might imagine something that could be academic or dry and that is so far from the truth. This play gets a visceral reaction from the audience, moments of shock and audible gasps and rolling laughs. It is so well written and the audience identifies with the characters so well; and often the audience switch allegiances during the course of the play.

One production was during the election season, right after Mitt Romney’s “47%” comments, so the politics of class were super heightened and you could really feel the “red state” and “blue state” allegiances.

You’ve had a thriving career for many years now, having played great roles at theaters all over the country. How has your training at the Asolo Conservatory helped you along the way?

Coming from and working in the professional atmosphere was great preparation. Working alongside the professionals while still in the “womb” of being in school, still in the learning experience, taught me thousands of things about craft and professionalism; most importantly it taught me that that atmosphere never changes. Every production, every new role, every great cast-mate and director and wonderful play has taught me something. And in a wonderful way, this job has brought me full circle (one of many concentric circles you keep discovering in this business). When I walked into the audition for this production there was Dan Carter, Artistic Director and Head of the program at Penn State…and my fight instructor from 24 years ago when I was at the Asolo, and he was a Dean at Florida State. And his wife Ruby Allen was my voice teacher. And my mind flashed to all the fight shows I’ve ever done or choreographed or captained and all the times my transatlantic [accent] booked me that job or my vocal warm up carried me through 1300 lines of verse for 8 and 10 show weeks.

What’s next for you?

Good question. This year has been New York, Cincinnati, Portland, San Diego, St. Louis and now State College, PA. Whatever the next gig is, for my own safety, I need to be working with or at least in close proximity to this tall, blonde woman who claims she’s my wife (actress Henny Russell).

Thanks, Ward–see you on the boards!

GOOD PEOPLE runs from June 12-June 22 at Penn State Centre Stage, directed by Robert Schneider.  You can purchase tickets HERE.