His ambition was to become a monster — a movie monster, that is.
In fact, when Richard Ruiz was just a little boy growing up in New York, he was so fascinated with the special effects he saw in monster movies that he hasn’t really outgrown the fascination even today, he says.
"The drama seemed so real. I remember watching Poltergeist and thinking that the all-star cast was so committed to this absurd notion that the acting seemed less absurd and so wonderful — it inspired me to try to figure out how they did what they did so I could do it too."
Well, Ruiz must have figured something out, since he was tapped to return several times to the Arden Theater, this time to appear in Michael Hollinger’s An Empty Plate in the Café du Grand Boeuf, which is on the Arden stage through Dec. 9.
Ruiz plays the part of Gaston, the chef in the café — the world’s finest and most varied restaurant reserved solely for the private use of Victor, the ultimate gourmand and the restaurant’s owner. Victor’s fastidiously French staff lives for him and enthusiastically caters to his every culinary whim. But one evening, Victor announces his decision to starve himself to death.
"Gaston is a kind of rough, tough and simple man who lives to serve Victor in this decidedly dark play," Ruiz explained. "But this play is a fine balance of farce and drama, which is not always easy to do. But Michael has the ability to keep it real while at the same time still having some slapstick moments in the piece. It’s almost surreal in that regard."
So the challenge, Ruiz explained, is the ability to keep the pace of the piece moving — a piece that is essentially about one man sitting at a table surrounded by a bunch of staff members who sort of revolve around him.
"The pacing is so important, because as soon as you lose the audience you’re in trouble," he said. "There’s no way to get them back. The ensemble work in this play is like a tennis match. You have to make sure the ball is in the air at all times."
Ruiz received a degree in theater from Buffalo State University and a master’s in fine arts from the University of Connecticut, so he is well-schooled in his profession. One of his first jobs out of graduate school was in 1998 at the Berkshire Theatre Festival.
"I had heard that since graduates from Juilliard used to appear in the festival, many agents would be on hand to give them a once-over. Well, my dastardly plan worked and I got an agent about two months later. Luckily, he’s kept me working ever since," Ruiz said.
And work he has. Ruiz has appeared in several national tours, including Man of La Mancha, the European tour of Jesus Christ Superstar, Sweet Charity and Urinetown (his personal favorite).
Returning to the Arden, Ruiz has been seen in four previous productions, including A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum and Baby Case, both of which earned him a Barrymore nomination.
What about those monster flicks?
"No, I haven’t done a horror movie yet, but I’m still waiting. Maybe some day," Ruiz said with a laugh. "But I have been very, very lucky, knock on wood. This can be a very tough business where you have to make huge sacrifices — financially, emotionally, physically. So if somebody you know really wants to do it, let them, as long as they’re prepared for the sacrifices. And if you can help them out with a few extra bucks, well, that would be really great too!" •• For ticket information, call 215-922-1122.