UPDATE: In the time between when I sent Lyle these interview questions and getting the whole project together, he has since booked a new job, again on a cruise ship. This time, though, his job is definitely more "Broadway": he's playing Franz in Rock of Ages aboard the Norwegian Cruise Lines' Breakaway, which sails out of New York City. We all wish him the best with this exciting new adventure!
Jeff Kyler (JK): According to your bio in the
program from Crossing Swords, you
graduated from Pace University. What was
your major and when did you finish? Out
of everything you’ve learned, what in your training has helped prepare you most
for a career in the arts? What is
something that college didn’t/couldn’t prepare you for that you’ve learned “in
the real world?” What advice would you
give current and future performing arts majors about school and starting a
career?
Lyle Colby Mackston (LCM): Pace represent! I studied
Musical Theater at Pace University and actually have yet to finish my degree. I
took a leave of absence my senior year to originate a role in a new stage
musical for The Walt Disney Company and worked with them for the better part of
a year. Since then I have been fortunate enough to continue working in the
field on some new projects. I plan on finishing the last of my credits once my
schedule frees up a bit. Pace has a unique way of training and preparing their
students for the real world by using the fact that they are located in downtown
NYC. They are also one of the only (if not the only) schools in NYC that allows
and supports their students auditioning outside of the program, and because of
it, we learn quickly that it’s a dog eat dog business. In today’s day you must
be a thick skinned triple threat to work which only fuels the ammunition to
excel and learn as much as possible while still enrolled in school. Snowballing
off of that, my advice to any current/future theater student would be to stay
positive. Positive persistence is key in this business; it’s almost too easy to
fall into the negative.
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| Rated RSO: A concert of songs by Ryan Scott Oliver (photo by Matthew Murphy) |
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| The Broadway Loves Britney Concert (photo by Angel Joel Ortiz) |
JK: So, in what has to be a short
period of time – you are so young – you have already amassed a pretty varied
resume of credits: TV, film and stage.
Do your career goals continue to include acting in all three mediums, or
is it primarily your hope to simply sustain a career in acting regardless of
the medium? Do you, long-term, hope to
do other things besides acting, like producing and directing?
LCM: What a loaded question! For now
I would say that I’m open and willing to do anything that inspires me
regardless of the medium. I’ve struggled in the past with finding inspiration
but when you’re united with a project like Crossing Swords, its kind of hard to
not get inspired which makes it all worth the while. As I said before, positive
persistence is key. However, I would not be opposed to giving the other side of
the table a try in the future.
JK: Which of the three do you
prefer so far and why? What challenges
and rewards does each provide the artist in you?
LCM: I’m really not sure that I have
a preference; Film/TV and Live Theater have their own unique pros and cons.
There is nothing like feeding off the buzz of an audience when it comes to
performing live theater while on the other hand it can be quite taxing on my
mind and body. The intimacy and financial stability that comes with working on
Film and Television is a whole different story so it’s difficult to choose. I
would say that at this moment in time I’m enjoying playing inside of live
theater over film/TV, but that can change at any moment, depending on whether or
not I get a certain phone call J
 |
| The Company Portrait |
 |
| The Lilo and Stitch Sequence |
Mackston as Aladdin, Prince Charming and Prince Naveen
(photos courtesy of Lyle Colby Mackston)
JK: My favorite credit in your bio
has to be “a year of traveling the world working with The Walt Disney
Company.” I don’t even know where to
start, so you tell us: what did you do, where did you go, what was it
like? Dish on working for the Mouse
House!
LCM: I briefly mentioned in a
previous question that I got to originate a leading role in a new stage musical
with The Walt Disney Company in a show that eventually ended up on their newest
luxury cruise liner; The Disney Fantasy. To elaborate, once I accepted the
offer, Disney flew me out to California for a couple of weeks to work shop a
reading of the show at their Imagineering Studios in Burbank. After the
reading, we started rehearsals for the show in Toronto, Canada for about 4
months and then our travels consisted of Holland, Germany, Portugal, NYC,
Florida, Mexico, St. Thomas and St Maarten among others. It was an
“experience” to say the least, I made some of the best friends and best
memories on my contract and although it was difficult at times I wouldn’t trade
it for the world. How many people get to originate a role with Disney while
simultaneously playing an array of beloved princes?
JK: Finally, for readers who are
just staring out, what advice would you give them about getting a career
started in theater?
LCM: My advice would be to stay
positive, don’t fall into the negative (sometimes it’s a little too easy) and
try to not put all your eggs in one basket. Yes, this business is derived from
passion for most but it isn’t always financially stable so start thinking of
others ways to make a dollar! And of course…never give up.
And now, Lyle answers some more of your questions!
From
JT of Yonkers, NY:
LCM:
Vegetables
or meat? Meat
Laptop
or tablet? Laptop
M
and Ms: plain or peanut? Peanut
Mounds
or Almond Joy? Neither
From
Christopher from Hartford, CT:
Lyle, I am getting ready to start my senior year of high school, and like you,
I am pretty tall – I’m 6’4” and still growing.
Being this tall has probably kept me from getting some parts in our
school’s shows. What advice can you give
me for helping to make my height less of a problem or easier for my director to
look past?
LCM:
Hey Christopher,
The only advice I can give you is to embrace your height! I struggled with the
same problem in the educational and professional world but when it comes down
to it, there is nothing you can do but embrace it with open arms; your height
is unavoidable. The upside is, your height does have the ability to give you an
edge with certain projects and shows…it all depends on which direction the
creative team decides to go with a character, so use your height to your
advantage and make them see past it! I’ve learned that it really helps with
comedic roles. Good luck!
Spelling Bee photos courtesy of Lyle Colby Mackston
From
Mark G. from New York, NY: How did you get your Equity Card?
LCM: Hello Mark, I joined AEA after
landing the role of Leaf Coneybear in The 25th Annual Putnam County
Spelling Bee, which was a co-production with The Philadelphia Theater Company
and Papermill Playhouse. It felt like a mini tour since we lived in Philly
for 3-4 months and then moved to Papermill for about a month. That was
definitely one of the best experiences of my career so far.
JK: Thanks so much for your time, Lyle! I'm looking forward to seeing where your long future takes you... big places, I'm sure!
Check out all of my other interviews by clicking in the "JKTS CHAT" tab at the top of this page!
COMING SOON: Dogfight, Carrie and Wicked star F. Michael Haynie!
Jeff
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