Hot yoga instructor by day, prolific performer by night.
Brent Vimtrup (Orry Main Scarlett) is a familiar face to Cincinnati audiences, as a resident company member at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company where he appeared as the title roles in Hamlet and Richard II, John Proctor in The Crucible (LCT Award for Best Actor), Algy in The Importance of Being Earnest, Henry Baskerville in The Hound of The Baskervilles, and Angelo in Measure for Measure. His work spans beyond Cincinnati, as well, with turns at Syracuse Stage, Milwaukee Rep, National Shakespeare Company, and New York Innovative Theatre Award-nominated appearances with InProximity Theatre.
When he’s not treading the boards, he’s working up a sweat as an instructor at Cincinnati’s Modo Yoga–but we caught up with him in a quiet moment to ask him what it’s like to play the slave-owning (and surprising) Orry Main Scarlett in Harry & The Thief.
1. What do you love most about playing your character, Orry Main Scarlett?
It’s always fun to thrust yourself completely into a character who is oblivious to what’s going on around him. Not to mention that charming southern dialect. And a big hat.
2. What would your character’s action-movie theme song be?
The theme song to THE GOLDEN GIRLS.
3. Why should audiences root for your character?
If Orry Main Scarlet can embrace change, we can all embrace change.
4. Say someone sent you back in time to change the course of history: Who would you go to find and what would you do?
Remember the 2000 Election? That would have turned out differently.
5. In 50 words or less, why should Cincinnati come out to see Harry & The Thief?
Well, no other theater in Cincinnati has the balls to produce it…