S2; EP 4 -- Cameron Monaghan & Natalie Rebenkoff: Great Work Survives

Many people go to college for theatre so one can become an educated actor. Through technique and tools, this will help the actor sustain a healthy and rich career. But what are students getting in terms of theatre business? My NYU student, Natalie Rebenkoff, graduated and took off with flying colors by digging into her multi-hyphenate potential and producing her first piece of work, The Nursery, an unpublished Clifford Odets one-act. The production co-stars Cameron Monaghan from the ever popular television show, Shameless.

So how does one graduate and produce their own work? What comes easy? What comes hard? What do we learn along the way? This episode is a great resource for actors who are deep in learning their technique but can also understand how to produce their own work – and not let each artform distract the other. 

Natalie Rebenkoff is a New York-based actor, writer, and producer from Hermosa Beach, California. Her recent theater credits include Smokeshow (Edinburgh Fringe), Hamlet (RADA), MotherBoard (Experimental Theatre Wing), and I’m Sorry for Your Troubles (Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute). Her film credits include Don’t Look Up opposite Leonardo Dicaprio and Jennifer Lawrence. She would like to thank Walt Odets, Robert Ellerman, her family, and friends for all the support in bringing The Nursery to life and is excited to finally share this story.

Cameron Monaghan is an American actor, writer, director, and photographer. With a career of over 25 years, he is perhaps best known for his series regular roles as Ian on ‘Shameless’ and ‘The Joker’ on Gotham. In addition, he stars in the ‘Star Wars: Jedi’ game series. Supporting roles include ‘The Giver’ with Meryl Streep and Jeff Bridges, ‘Paradise Highway’ with Juliette Binoche and Morgan Freeman, and the lead role in ‘Jamie Marks is dead’ which premiered at Sundance, amongst countless other projects. He studied screenwriting at SNHU and has attended directing courses at the Australian Film and Television School (AFTRS), The Actors Studio at Pinewood UK, and Marjorie Ballentine Theatre Company. He most currently filmed TRON: ARES for Disney.

Clifford Odets' The Nursery will be staged Off-Broadway October 10-12 at The Sam Theatre, with Stella Diji directing. The unpublished one-act will be presented by Point 5 Collective, in collaboration with The Lee Strasberg Creative Center. 

Set in the 1950s, The Nursery follows an upper-middle class couple who are forced to confront the long-simmering fault lines in their troubled marriage. When the suppressed emotions of their union explode during a pivotal conversation, the strength of their love is tested.

The Nursery was discovered in the archives of The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute. Visit TheNurseryPlay.com for more information.

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