Some actors have honed their skills by studying with big-name teachers, going to the best universities and hiring private coaches.
And then there is Roger Larson, who perfected his talent and mastered method acting all by himself, in front of the mirror in his room, after seeing his first play at age seven. He was so enthralled by what he saw on that stage that he spent hours creating emotions and looking at what they looked like in that mirror and then dissecting them to figure out how to arrive at that moment of pain, regret, excitement or love.
As a 20-year-old, Larson moved to San Francisco intending to study acting at San Francisco State. The starving young wanabe actor was walking down the street when he saw “a guy sweeping the street” in front of a small theater and struck up a conversation. Playing at the theater was “The Wild Duck” and Larson was invited to see the show as an usher. He developed a relationship with this theater and soon met with his soon-to-be mentor and teacher Ernst Lonner, who he confesses is the voice of the character he is playing in “Visiting Mr. Green,” showing this month at BRAVO! Theatre.
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