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COLLEGE LIFESpaceywatching his example. When I’m asked why I’ve turned the focus of my career awayfrom films and towards the theatre (with educational projects and the developmentof emerging talent as the centrepiece of our efforts at the Old Vic), the answercomes tumbling out; I do it because a long time ago people took a chance on me,and I’m now repaying the debt.I want to talk to you about a man to whom I owe a large debt of gratitude. JosephPapp was one of the most remarkable figures the American theatre has ever seen.He helped to create some of the most successful productions ever to hit Broadwayincluding Dreamgirls, A Chorus Line and Hair, and was the first to discover thetalents of Meryl Streep, Raul Julia and countless young writers and directors. My veryfirst professional job as an actor was in Joe’s production of Henry IV, Part I in CentralPark – I played a tavern patron, a guard, a priest, a messenger and a rock. And I wasa good rock. At that point in my career I would have played a Shakespearian frogif they’d asked. Following my debut, I couldn’t get arrested as an actor. Frustratedand determined, I went back to the Public Theatre and asked if I could see Joe.He remembered me, and after I begged him for a job, any job, hired me to work inthe theatre’s stock room. During this period I was cast in an off-off-off-off Broadwayproduction of a play in a dance space on 13th Street. A paper called The VillageVoice reviewed the production, and someone showed it to Joe.The review happened to be a good one. The following night, Joe came to see the playand then called me into his office the next day and fired me. When I asked why hewas firing me, he said he thought I’d become too comfortable working at the Publicand that the night before he’d gone to the theatre and had discovered an actor onstage. Four months later, Joe and his wife were in the opening-night audience ofmy first Broadway play. I have always been eternally grateful for that little push.Some twenty-seven years later, I played my first major Shakespearian role in RichardII at the Old Vic, under the direction of the remarkable Trevor Nunn. In between I’vetackled other classic work and I always try to remember that what we today callclassics was at one time new work. Like Joe Papp, we must consistently spend ourresources and our time developing, encouraging and giving opportunities to emergingST CATHERINE’S COLLEGE 2008/11