Vincent Ticali Interview by Jen Bush

A new dark comedy involving breaking and entering. OUR LITTLE SECRET opens Friday, June 16 @ 7:30 p.m. at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater @ Playwrights Horizons, 416 West 42nd Street, NYC, Tickets @ DUAFNYC.com

Picture it: A lonely young girl decided to put on her sexiest nightie (just because) and sits in her apartment watching horror movies. There’s a knock on the door. On the other side of that door is a towering muscular stranger wearing all black and brandishing a gun. That’s only Page 1 of OUR LITTLE SECRET, a dark romantic comedy.

Vincent Ticali plays Lt. Banks in this thrilling thriller.  This New York City-based actor, singer, musician and commercial print model works in film, television and on stage.  He is also an accomplished electric bassist and vocalist.  Perhaps you”ve caught him in the TV show “Blindspot”, in the film “Secret Guilt” or on stage as Bernado/The Priest in Hamlet among his plethora of roles, not to mention the countless commercials he’s been in.  I personally know firsthand what a delight he is to work with and how talented he is.  We were both cast in a production of Masque of the Red Death.  It’s no secret that he’s ecstatic to be in Our Little Secret.  It was wonderful to catch up with him to talk about this production and his life in the arts.

Mr. Ticali does a bounty of on-camera work, but his passion lies in the theatre.  “Well…I’m an actor and a musician. Originally, a musical theatre kid from Queens. (If you have a conversation with me, you will very likely hear a musical theatre reference in there somewhere.) I am a huge fan of and have a deep respect for actors – especially theatre actors. Nowadays, spending most of my artistic life in front of a camera, I am so excited about getting back on stage, in Our Little Secret.”

It’s exciting when an actor is the very first person to play a brand-new character. The character of Lt. Banks is a blank canvas that will be filled with Mr. Ticali’s skill, experience and emotion.  The stellar creative team is on hand for support.  “Creating a character in a new play is a very freeing thing. There is no other actor or performance to “live up to”. When I envision Lt. Banks in my mind, it’s me that I see. So, it’s that much easier, with the help of my Director, Jay Michaels, to access those parts of myself that will best serve the character and the story. Of course, an added, invaluable resource is that we have our author, Rollin Jewett, on hand to provide advice and insights into this wonderful character, and world, he has created.”

Be prepared to be a little scared.  You might even jump out of your seat.  We wondered if there is a “little secret” to conjuring these moments.  “I think the creation and execution of these moments might just be the key to really maximizing the potential of the play. For different reasons – some that will be apparent to the audience, some that might not – the stakes are high for each character. If we set those moments, and play them honestly, we should be creating some real tension. Come and see the play and tell us how we did.”

There’s a good amount of levity in the production to bring your heart rate back down to normal.  “Yes, it’s funny! And the humor is really all in the writing. So, my job is easy…I just have to sit back, be Lt. Banks and let the situation and dialogue do all the work!”

Vincent Ticali has no shortage of amazing projects to keep him occupied for the foreseeable future. 

Vincent is a veteran of film, television, audio /radio/ voiceover, and even billboards!

In the meantime, you can bank on the fact that he knows the secret to bringing Lt. Banks to life in Our Little Secret.  “Next? Well, I have a self-tape due in a couple of hours. Ohhhh…you mean what’s NEXT for me: I’ll be shooting a short film soon and will be playing some band gigs (which are like little vacations for me). Also, I have three other films on the festival circuit and three other films in the post-production stage. And I want to do MORE THEATRE! Very excited, and always hopeful and grateful.”