John Kuntz (writer and performer of The Salt Girl) is a founding company member of the Actors Shakespeare Project, where he was seen as Don John in Much Ado About Nothing, Trinculo in The Tempest, Pandaulf in King John, Tamora in Titus Andronicus, Autolycus in The Winter’s Tale, Lucio/Froth in Measure for Measure, Sebastian in 12th Night, Bertram/The Clown in All’s Well That Ends Well, and the title role in Richard III. NY credits include Mrs. Daigle in The Bad Seed (Ohio Theatre), Kurt in Jump/Rope (which he also wrote) with Square Peg Productions at Urban Stages, and his one-person shows Starfuckers (Ohio Theatre and NY Fringe) and Freaks! (Solo Arts Group). Recent Boston credits include Heisenberg in Copenhagen and multiple roles in the world premiere of The Communist Dracula Pageant (ART); Janet and Frick in After School Special (which he also wrote) and the title role in Mr. Marmalade (Company One); numerous productions of The SantaLand Diaries (IRNE Award, Best Solo Performance); Katurian in the New England premiere of The Pillowman, Estragon in Waiting for Godot, the title role in Scapin, Austin in True West and the Emcee in Cabaret (all with The New Repertory Theatre), 20 roles in How I Got That Story and multiple roles in Mere Mortals (all with The Nora Theatre Company); Jane/Lord Edgar in The Mystery of Irma Vep, Carl in The Baltimore Waltz, Nathan Leopold in Never the Sinner, and 40 roles in Fully Committed (all with The Lyric Stage), Voice #1 in Betty’s Summer Vacation (The Huntington Theatre Company) and three seasons with Commonwealth Shakespeare, appearing in Henry V (Fluellen), 12th Night (Sir Andrew) and Hamlet (Guildenstern/Osric).

What is your definition of misery?
Watching FOX news.

What is your greatest fear?
President Palin

What was your first “real” job working in theatre?
I did murder mystery dinner theatre when I was quite young. It was great fun and paid pretty well. I made great friends there.

Are you good at waiting tables?
I’m TERRIBLE at waiting tables. Just terrible. People would complain. It’s a VERY hard job. I am an enormous tipper at restaurants, because, god, I KNOW how hard it is!

Which historical figure do you most identify with?
Scheherazade and Bugs Bunny

Who are your favorite heroes of theatre?
Everybody in Hamlet and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Who are your favorite heroes in real life?
Oscar Wilde and Martin Luther King.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Modesty

What do you consider the most underrated virtue?
Humility

Your favorite painter?
Mark Ryden

Your favorite musician?
Patty Smith

Your favorite playwright?
A four way tie: Genet, Beckett, Albee, Pinter

When and where were you happiest?
It was a day when I was 32, and I came home, and I was alone, and the house was so clean, and I was full of Chinese food, and the light was coming thru the curtains just so

What do you most value in colleagues?
Empathy and honesty.

Is there a class in which you wish you had paid more attention?
I wish I had taken more language classes. And Home Ec. I would love to bake.

If you didn’t work in theatre, what would you do?
I guess I would try to do something with textured spray paint.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Finishing the Proust Questionnaire

What you’d like to be the world’s best at?
I would love, love to sing. And speak several languages.

What book would you read more than once?
Confederacy of Dunces

Who would play you in a movie of your life? Why?
Dustin Hoffman, I guess. Everyone says I sort of look like him. The woman at the post office even calls me “Tootsie” when I go in to get stamps. I’m not sure how I feel about that

What sports teams do you follow?
Oh, the Red Sox. I’m from Boston, after all!

Where would you like to spend a vacation?
Paris, Amsterdam or Barcelona. Anywhere in Italy.

What car would you like to be seen driving around in?
I actually don’t drive, I ride my bike everywhere. But if I did drive I would LOVE to be in a Smart Car, or a Mini Cooper. I imagine it would be like driving in a bumper car.

What book is currently on your nightstand?
The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollen

If you could see a great production of a classic play, what would it be?
That’s a tough one. I would love to see The White Devils, I guess. I’ve never seen it.

If you could travel back in time to visit or live in any time in history, when would it be?
I would like to live in Paris in the 20s, near Gertrude and Alice.

What actor will see in any project they do?
Tommy Derrah, of course! Or else I’m sleeping on the couch!

Thank you to John Kuntz (tag archive). Photo courtesy of Boston Playwrights’ Theatre (website | profile | tag archive).

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