PORTLAND, Maine — It’s not easy for aspiring actors to break into the world of theatre. But if they’re good and can handle a lot of rejection along the way—and eventually get some breaks—then it’s a wonderful place to be, suffused with a kind of magic not found in any other walk of life.
Consider the experiences of Max Clayton, who grew up in Manchester, New Hampshire. Clayton is now playing the lead role in Ogunquit Playhouse’s production of “Crazy for You," and he can point with utter clarity to a day that was a focal point in time for him.
“I saw my first [Broadway] show at the St. James Theater in New York on a high school trip,” he said.
The show was “The Producers,” and among the performers in that production were “these two,” he said, pointing to Angie Schworer and Jim Borstelmann, the two actors sitting next to him on the 207 set who are also in the cast of “Crazy for You.”
“Years and years later,” he said, his face lighting up, “I get to be on stage with them.”
The connections don’t end there. After he’d made a name for himself in theatre, Max starred in a production of “Something Rotten” with Angie. And where was that?
“At the St. James Theater, where I saw her [before],” he said.
Professional relationships in theatre tend to be fleeting. The actors in “Crazy for You” will spend a couple of weeks together in rehearsal before the show’s month-long run. Then—poof! It’s over, and they scatter.
The memories linger, though, and Max relishes them, from that high school trip years ago when he watched Jim and Angie right up to the present day in Ogunquit.
“Those are the moments and the reasons why I love to do what we do,” he says. “It’s just so special. And now [Angie and Jim] are friends. It’s just so cool.”