Q&A with Michelle Hurd

Michelle Hurd plays Diana in STC's production of The Dog in the Manger, running February 10 through March 29, 2009, at the Lansburgh Theatre.

Hometown:
New York, New York. Greenwich Village, specifically.

Most recent project:
Laurel on GOSSIP GIRL

Favorite role you’ve done:
This one tops the list. Previously, Angela Davis in Angela's Mixed Tapes and Jessie Brewster in Richard Greenberg’s The Violet Hour.

What play would you most like to perform in and what character would you like to play?:
I think Maggie in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, or Medea.

What's on your iPod? (mp3, cd player, etc.):
Broadway show tunes, Italian lessons and Jack Johnson.

Favorite Shakespearean play:
A Midsummer Night's Dream, because I’m a romantic. But the language in Hamlet also attracts me.

Favorite Shakespearean villain:
Lady Macbeth, Richard III, or Iago… but what classifies a villain?

How is performing on stage different from film acting? Which do you prefer?
I like them both. One lets me work on the other. I think working on stage and film is basically the same, you just have to think of them as different playwrights. Each has a style.

Have you had a chance to see D.C.? What’s your favorite spot in the city?:
Not yet. I’ve been immersed in rehearsal. But I did get to see Georgetown and I really liked it. Can’t wait to come up for a breath and explore. I will watch the parade….

Why did you want to do this play?:
So many reasons. The playwright, the director. The character intimidated me, so I felt challenged. It made my heart skip when I read it.

What is your favorite scene in The Dog in the Manger? Why?:
At the moment I really like my scenes with Teodoro. Our wordplay is very exciting.

What’s next for you after The Dog in the Manger?:
My husband’s working in LA, so first on my list is to see him.

Above photo: Michelle Hurd as Diana. Photo by Scott Suchman.