Wilma opens
with ‘Amadeus’

By Rita Charleston
For the Times

It was seeing a production of Johnny Appleseed when he was in the third grade that ended up shaping Dean Nolen’s life forever.
"The production was done in the round. The performers were running all around us, up and down the aisles, landing and leaving the stage. It was so magical for a little boy that it was at that moment that I was hooked," he said, recalling those early years that brought him to where he is today — playing Antonio Salieri in the Wilma Theater’s production of Amadeus.
The Wilma’s season opener features one of the most acclaimed plays of the 20th century, honored with five Tony awards, eight Academy Awards and sold-out shows around the globe. It continues through Oct. 27.
Amadeus asks the question, "What happens when mediocrity recognizes itself in the face of genius — especially when genius comes in the form of a potty-mouth former child prodigy?"
The play digs deeply into the psyche of court composer Antonio Salieri as he struggles with the growing genius of a younger Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
As Salieri’s jealousy builds, his relationship with Mozart becomes the battleground of the envious composer’s strife with God. This classic looks at their tortured relationship and the notion that divine greatness doesn’t always fall to those society would consider worthy.
Nolen believes Amadeus remains so popular with audiences everywhere because it is "so accessible and epic at the same time. It is a grand story with no limits in terms of being relative to now or the 18th century. The plot is about need, jealousy, rivalry. It’s a universal theme throughout, the biggest universal theme there is, I think. And then there’s the music, which is haunting."
While not intended to be historically accurate, Amadeus is based on Peter Shaffer’s research on Mozart. At the time he wrote the first draft, Shaffer actively read the widely available biographies of Mozart but has stressed that he wrote a play, not history.
Still, for an actor, Nolen admitted, "it is a play that features the kind of role actors pray for, hope for, dream of. It’s demanding in the very best way. Just hearing the words I get to speak is unbelievable for an actor."
And Nolen should know. The Texas native was an actor with a great deal of tenacity, working his way around the Dallas area, then moving to New York, and then Los Angeles. "Eventually, I decided I needed to go to grad school. I applied to Yale, were I spent three of the best years of my entire life at Yale Drama School, receiving my BFA. Then I moved back to New York and got some wonderful opportunities," he said.
On Broadway, Nolen originated the role of Harry Bright in Mama Mia! Off Broadway, his credits include the Pulitzer Prize-nominated Onmium Gatherum, Tabletop (which received a Drama Desk Award), The Vortex and more.
His television credits include Crossing Jordan, Law & Order, As the World Turns, All My Children and others. He also has appeared numerous times in film.
With all this, does Nolen have a preference? "Absolutely. My preference is for work," he says with laughter in his voice.
"That’s my real goal. But seriously, I do love the stage. It’s where I started. I was raised a preacher’s son and moved around a lot. Moving that much gave me a fresh start so often in so many different schools, giving me the opportunity to re-invent myself in some sort of way every time we moved. Not intentionally, of course. It just happened. That might be the thing that inspired me and gave me some sort of early training." oo
For ticket information, call 215-546-7824.