Actor Marcus Wells. Photo Credit: Darnell Bennett.
Actor Marcus Wells chatted about starring in the forthcoming production of “Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead” in Los Angeles.
‘Dog Sees God’ show
“I am very excited about it,” he said about getting the opportunity to play the character CB. “This show has been around for quite some time, and it has a very special place in a lot of young actors’ hearts. I am excited to bring it back for people. We will be running from June 7th to June 23rd, which will be our closing date.”
“It’s very thrilling,” he admitted. “That opening monologue (and the first speech) in the show was one of the first things that I learned as a young teen actor. I learned a portion of it for an audition. So, in a way, it has always been a dream.”
“Honestly, I never thought that would be the part that I would play, so I am very grateful. It’s a hefty load to bear but I feel very supported by the people that we’ve got in the cast, so I am definitely super stoked about it,” he said.
Colin McCalla and Anthony Turpel
Wells is looking forward to working with actor Colin McCalla. “Colin is just incredible,” he admitted. “Watching him work is just crazy.”
He also had great words about Emmy-nominated actor Anthony Turpel from “Love, Victor” and “The Bold and The Beautiful” fame. “While I haven’t met him yet, I am super stoked about that. I have watched some of Anthony’s work and he is just awesome.”
“This cast is unmatched, and I am really excited to get in a room with all of them and give into the new script and everything,” he added.
‘Generation Me’
Wells described “Generation Me” as a “pretty life-changing production” to be a part of. “I was a part of the original cast and the creation of it. That was when I was a teenager,” he reflected.
“It taught me a lot of what I know now. It really taught me a lot, especially because it is heavy material with a similar scene to ‘Dog Sees God.’ Those are very real things that we need to be putting on stage and it’s good to have that representation of having younger people to play those parts because you get a real, honest reflection of those themes from them,” he elaborated.
“I get to be reunited with Ryan Warren from ‘Generation Me’ on this production, who is directing ‘Dog Sees God.’ I worked with him a long time ago, when I was very young, so this is a full circle moment for both of us,” he acknowledged.
Dialogue-heavy
When asked how he handles being dialogue-heavy, Wells said, “It has its challenges, but the pandemic gave me a lot of time to work on my acting skills, and I think I will get to apply a lot of those skills into this show.”
“It’s very word-heavy and it is going to present a big opportunity for us to dive into those words with the cast of these wonderful actors. I think that’s what is exciting,” he noted.
“There are no bells and whistles with this production… We are here looking for the truth and we are hoping to bring the truth out,” he added.
The digital age
On being an actor in the digital age, Wells said, “It’s cool. A big part of this production is being able to get our news out on social media and getting it out digitally. We are really trying to take advantage of that.”
“This play is meant for a younger audience, in a lot of ways, because it deals with very real themes so appealing to them, digitally, will be really helpful for us in getting this story out,” he acknowledged.
“Originally, the play was written in 2004, so this is the 20th anniversary of it. This isn’t a revival; this s a revised version entirely, and I am excited to dive into it, so it’s cool,” he noted.
“The themes from the original production are going to be maintained but we are going to see them in a new light and in a more contemporary light, and I think that’s exciting. The only way to really match that is to meet it digitally, like we have been, and I am excited to see how it progresses,” he elaborated.
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Wells said, “Resilience.”
“Ironically enough, I think that is the same title of my character’s CB’s life as well,” he admitted. “In a way, I feel very lucky to be in a similar part of my life because I think I can bring a lot of myself to that character.”
Superpower of choice
Wells listed “shapeshifting” as his superpower of choice.
“I’ve always been very passionate about physical theater and being a physical actor, and I think that being able to shapeshift is the place to go,” he said.
Success
On his definition of the word success, Wells said, “Success is an evolving word for me, recently. There are a lot of ways to find success. I really think that success means being happy doing what I love with people that I love.”
“Also, being able to survive being surrounded by love and surrounded by things that make me happy and things that make the people around me happy,” he added.
Closing thoughts on ‘Dog Sees God’
For fans and viewers, he remarked about the play, “Again, this is not a revival of a play; it’s a revision. People are going to see a story that they know, and they are going to see it evolve in a really cool way. We are very excited to be doing this story during Pride Month.”
“There are so many themes that are going to run parallel with what is going on right now,” he said.
“We have been presented a cool opportunity to tell a really cool story with a lot of wonderful people that are passionate about it. I am excited about what’s to come with it. I think it’s going to be a lot different than any production of ‘Dog Sees God’ that anyone has seen before,” he concluded.
To learn more about this upcoming “Dog Sees God” show, check out the official homepage.
For more information on Marcus Wells, follow him on Instagram.