Dynamic role unites local actor Richard Marchbanks in on stage, off stage mentor relationship
(Talk of the Town photo by Jennifer Zartman Romano) Local resident Richard Marchbanks, above at The Brew Ha coffee house in Columbia City, is preparing for a lead role in the Civic Theatre's upcoming production of "Tuesdays with Morrie" cast alongside famed Fort Wayne actor Harvey Cocks.
By Jennifer Zartman Romano
It’s not uncommon for actors to build bonds that go beyond the stage, transcending their lives. It’s only natural considering the amount of time they spend together and the level of emotional vulnerability revealed by those who are truly dedicated to their craft.
For Columbia City actor Richard Marchbanks and his co-star, renowned lifelong actor Harvey Cocks, the pair developed a relationship similar to that of the characters they’ll play in an upcoming production of Mitch Albom’s “Tuesdays with Morrie.”
Marchbanks recently landed a lead role in the production alongside Fort Wayne resident and revered local actor, Cocks, in what sources say may be Cocks’ final foray on stage as an actor. The pair will co-star in the Civic Theatre’s production of the show, beginning next Friday, at Civic Off-Main in the Allen County Public Library’s auditorium.
With subject matter relating to the complicated and heart-warming relationship between an aged professor and his former student, a journalist absorbed in his career, Marchbanks hopes to tap into the unique relationship the pair has built off stage to expand what he hopes the audience feels when they are in character.
“We’re kind of getting the relationship they have in the show,” Marchbanks said of Cocks, his octogenarian co-star. “We have a similar age difference to that of the characters…and we have that mentor mentality,” Marchbanks said, considering the long career Cocks has had as an actor throughout his lifetime.
“The end of the show is a very emotional scene,” said Marchbanks, adding that he feels reaching the degree of emotion necessary to accurately portray the role will be easy considering the real life relationship he’s built with Cocks over the course of preparation for the production.
While Marchbanks revealed he has learned a lot from Cocks, he’s a well-seasoned actor in his own right.
Marchbanks did previous cabaret work in New York and was a dance captain for Spirit of Puget Sound. He has also had a 12-year stint in cabaret work in Chicago. He’s acted in several commercials as well. In his youth, he toured with several shows in the Midwest.
A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Marchbanks has been a Columbia City resident for the past three years. During the day, he’s an advertising consultant for the online edition of Auto Trader with a home office in Columbia City.
New in his position with Auto Trader, he hopes to have more time to devote to his passion -- acting.
“I’m hoping my job with Auto Trader will give me a little more flex time to do theatre,” he said, leaning back his chair at the Brew Ha in downtown Columbia City, the diffused morning light shining in the large windows overlooking Main Street.
“It’s a side thing,” Marchbanks says of his acting. “It’s not a full time career.”
Still, he takes it all quite seriously.
“I enjoy the creative aspect,” he said of why he enjoys acting. “It is an outlet for me creatively, emotionally…and where else in your adult life do you get to play dress up and act the fool!”
When asked about his most challenging role, Marchbanks says it is probably his current role in “Tuesdays with Morrie.” Another difficult role was “Frankenfurter” in “Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
He said his most rewarding acting experience came early in life as he toured with “Godspell” in the mid-1980s. “That was a very up show, very fun.” So much fun, in fact, he hopes to one day do it again.
Locally, his most recent acting roles included the Civic Theatre’s “Big River” two years ago and the Presbyterian Theatre’s “Twilight of the Gold’s” last year.
With many exciting roles and acting experiences under his belt, Marchbanks is looking forward to yet another acting goal.
“There’s one more venue to conquer,” he said. “Arena Dinner Theatre.”
Marchbanks plans to audition for a role in Arena Dinner Theatre’s upcoming two-person musical “I Do, I Do” on the closing day of his current show.
For now, Marchbanks is engaged with a busy rehearsal schedule which will increase next week to five hours each night. “It will be a very long week,” he said.
Marchbanks is energized, however, by the amount of interest the show has been receiving. The show has been covered in many local publications, including WhatzUp, Frost Illustrated and Fort Wayne Newspapers.
As part of the 2007-2008 Capture the Magic Season, the Civic Theatre’s “Tuesdays with Morrie” begins Friday, March 28, and continues through Sunday, April 20 at the Civic Off-Main at the Allen County Public Library. Tickets are $15 adults, $10 for age 23 and under and $12 for Sunday senior matinee performances. Tickets are available in advance at the Civic Theatre box office at the Arts United Center in Fort Wayne or one hour prior to the show at Allen County Public Library Auditorium.
For more information, visit www.fwcivic.org