Life in the theatre has its ups and downs
Jake Epstein lives his performing life onstage
“It’s terrifying being onstage reliving moments from my life. But I’m trying to embrace the fear the best I can. After COVID, I’m embracing every chance I get to be in front of an audience with a great story to tell.”
Jake Epstein’s one-man show, “Boy Falls From the Sky,” is that great story. It begins at Theatre Aquarius Oct. 25.
“I dreamed of performing on Broadway since I was a kid. My parents used to drive my sister and I to New York City to see a Broadway show every summer. It was our family vacation. When I was nine, they took me to see ‘Big: The Musical’ and I couldn’t believe that the ensemble for the show was made up of kids around my own age. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I just knew that I wanted to be one of those kids onstage.”
Epstein didn’t waste time. When he was 11, he was in “Our Town” playing one of the children. Two years later, he was playing a leading role, the Artful Dodger, in Cameron Mackintosh’s lavish production of “Oliver” at the Princess of Wales Theatre.
“My parents were so supportive. They used to tell me to dream big and follow my dreams. They are the best. They have been my biggest supporters all my life.”
Epstein got the role of Craig Manning in “Degrassi: The Next Generation” on television. That connected him with a wider public. He also scratched his musical theatre itch appearing in Broadway tours of “Spring Awakening” and “Green Day.”
And on Broadway he was in the infamous 2010 “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” musical, a rather huge and public flop.
Coming back to Toronto, after the heady experience of Broadway and living in New York City, Epstein felt “stuck.”
“My experience in New York was really disappointing. Around that time my partner, Vanessa Smythe, was hosting weekly storytelling evenings at a theatre in the city and I would go watch people go onstage and tell stories from their lives; stories that were funny, embarrassing and horrific. It didn’t matter what the subject was, there was something about listening to people tell real stories that I fell in love with. Vanessa encouraged me to turn my own experiences into a series of stories that slowly became this
show, ‘Boy Falls From the Sky.’ I pitched the show to my favourite director, Robert McQueen, who agreed to develop it with me.”
Epstein originally performed the show at the Toronto Fringe Festival.
“I was fortunate that Mirvish Productions came and saw it and offered me a slot in their season. Unfortunately, COVID stopped us in our tracks. Of course, it was awful. I felt like an Olympic athlete training all year for a race, and right before getting to do it being told it’s been cancelled. It was gut-wrenching. But everyone in Canada and around the world was in the exact same boat. Somehow, we all managed to survive one way or another.”
Epstein is philosophical.
“I’ve been so unbelievably lucky in my career. One of the reasons I’ve found it hard to talk about my experiences in New York was the feeling, who was I to complain about anything? But the reality of show business is that it’s filled with big highs and sometimes even bigger lows. Yes, I’ve had success that I’m really proud of. But underneath that success are stories of debilitating stage fright, scathing reviews, steroids, injuries and even being booed at my curtain call.”
Epstein has no idea where the stage fright comes from.
“I wish I could tell you. It’s always been there, since I was a young actor. But I think at some point I learned to embrace the fear and appreciate it. Fear means you care about the story and want to do a good job. My wife said if I’m really nervous people will see that and feel sorry for me. When I am nervous, I think about that and smile.”
Epstein loves the title “Boy Falls From the Sky.”
“It has several meanings. It’s the climactic song in ‘Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,’ which I performed on Broadway. The song refers to the Icarus myth of flying too close to the sun and falling. ‘SpiderMan: Turn Off the Dark’ gained an infamous reputation for injuring many of its actors, including myself. So, the idea of a boy falling from the sky in Spider-Man tights became literal. But most important to me, it’s a nice metaphor for what my show is all about; dealing with life’s disappointments.”
People respond to Epstein’s story, and they laugh and cry in equal measure.
“I think people respond because the show doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s fun and entertaining. But secondly, I think the question of what to do when your dreams don’t turn out the way you want them to, is a universal question. I’ve had people come up to me after and tell me the show is their story. It’s so relieving to laugh at the absurdity of life.”
Epstein is realistic about what he must do.
“My responsibility is to move and entertain the audience. But if it happens that it is cathartic, and in my case it truly is, then I think that’s a gift and a bonus to myself.”
I think at some point I learned to embrace the fear and appreciate it. Fear means you care about the story and want to do a good job.
JAKE EPSTEIN ACTOR