Bright Lights
Alum Naphtali Yaakov Curry takes the stage.
Naphtali Yaakov Curry as Donkey.
Photo: Cody York
In March, Naphtali Yaakov Curry ’20 made his return to Tucson playing the lead role of Donkey in the national touring production of “Shrek the Musical.” The School of Theatre, Film & Television alum, who graduated during the pandemic, had a tough time finding roles at first but was able to land gigs at Chicago theaters while working at a Whole Foods Market to get by. He patiently waited for the opportunity that would finally take him to the next level, and although his journey took a few more turns than expected, he says he landed right where he belonged.
Q: After you graduated, how did some of your first projects influence your growth as a performer?
Well, I graduated in 2020, so for the first two years I wasn’t acting. I was working at Whole Foods and auditioning for what I could. There was a slim number of projects, and since I was new, it was hard to book gigs. In 2022, I booked my first gig in the production of “Rent.” I was in the ensemble and the understudy of Betty. Then I booked my next job in March in a new show called “The Real Housewives of Motown” at a black ensemble theater in Chicago. Through connections I made there, I landed my next job in a production of “Twelfth Night” at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. It was exciting, because that was the biggest theater I had worked at, and I had a moment where I said to myself “OK, things are happening, and I am moving up.” Then I booked “Shrek”!
Q: As an alum, how did your experience and training at U of A help you in your career?
The preparation for long hours: Being in the theater department, my life was in that building, so I was doing my academics throughout the day, then my theater classes and then at the end of the day I would be in rehearsals from 5-10 [p.m.]. Being able to balance the social life [and] work life in college is similar to how I balance my life and career now. So, it has been easy to adjust since graduating.
Q: What was your mindset while working at Whole Foods and waiting for your acting career to jump-start?
It was pretty rough. Originally, I was supposed to move straight to New York after graduating, but after COVID I decided to go back home to Chicago. When I first moved back home, working at Whole Foods was paying the bills, and I started to get comfortable — but that wasn’t what I wanted. I don’t want to say I was miserable, but I wasn’t happy. Doing my theater work helped, but it still wasn’t fulfilling. Then, when I booked Chicago Shakespeare, I quit [Whole Foods] and was able to say I was a full-time actor, because right after that I left for tour.
Cody York
Q: What challenges did you experience preparing for “Shrek,” and how did you overcome them?
The main challenge would probably be stamina. Donkey is so energetic throughout the whole show, and sometimes, as an actor, if the character is high energy you don’t really realize how much energy you are putting in on stage. Another challenge is keeping my performance fresh, because as an actor, when you do things over and over, it can start to feel stale. I wanted to make sure that didn’t happen in this role, because it really shows on stage. Due to that, finding new pieces of Donkey every time I get on stage is something that I am continuously working on.
Q: The theater world is undeniably a hard space to break into. What is one piece of advice for recent alumni hoping to land a dream role?
It’s OK to have a plan, but it is also OK to continue to adjust your plan. A lot of times in theater we say “this is what I want” in a specific order. Then we have things like the pandemic or just any unpredictable circumstances that can derail your whole plan. We can’t determine how our life is going to go or what is going to happen. We just have to continue to take the hits and adjust.
Q: After the “Shrek” tour is over, what do you hope is next for you?
I just want to keep going up, whether it’s the type of show, the pay, etc. I don’t know where I am going to be after this. Whether that be going back to Chicago, making the move to New York, signing on to another tour — I just want to make sure my next project is adding on to what I want my resume to look like. My only hope is to keep moving and going forward.