Sarah Snook set the record straight for us. Her last name is pronounced “snook” (like nook), and not “snook” (like books or stolen).
On Broadway this spring, she is neither Snook nor Snook, but she is 26 totally different people. The 37-year-old Australian is the chameleon from Oscar Wilde’s “Dorian Gray Photography,” telling the story of a man who changes accents, wigs and gender to make spiritual bargains look forever young, and his portrait reflects the horrifying thing about his actions.
The show has suspense, horror, humor and a lot of heart. “People don’t often praise Oscar Wilde with anything sincerely,” I said.
“Yeah, he has a lot of pathos,” Snook said. “I think there’s a lot of empathy about the human condition. I think you’re seeing your soul as a real thing and as part of your body, personality, and mental makeup, you might need to protect and care.”
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This is a performance in which Snook won the Olivier (British Theatre Award) while running a show in London’s West End.
Oscar Wilde published a story (his only novel) in 1890. Now, almost a century and a half later, I feel the story resonates. Snook said today is an interesting time to come to this story. “There’s an image-based culture like this and the ability to build visual images for sale online on Instagram. And part of the reason you play multiple different characters is choosing which masks are public/private masks to show you.
After being known her name overseas, Snook is now loved by American audiences. Her salty taste of Shiv won several awards with fans’ Snook Legion.
However, Snook initially did not want to audition for Shiv. “Yeah, I had nothing to myself that I could see as reflexive or accessible in that character,” she said.
Like Dorian Gray, Shiv is an anti-hero, and Snook has long been attracted to those intricate characters. “I watched a lot of Disney movies as a kid.
In one of Adelaide’s first acting gigs, Snook discovered his own complexity, “I was having a fairy party. It was a very good training ground, “Kids, guys told me if they weren’t interested.”
Has she been wrapped? “Yes. “Fly! Rem sees you flying! Come on! Why can’t you fly? Show us!”
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Kip Williams, director and adapter of “Dorian Grey,” arrived at Sydney’s National Institute of Dramatic Arts in the year Snook just passed. “I had this word around school and this incredible red-headed actress, so my radar as a director stood up to Sarah from the start,” he said.
Williams knew he wanted to work with Snook and felt that one actor could embody all aspects of Wild’s legendary work. “Oscar Wilde talks about this notion that life is a grand act of theater, and that people are always a form of performance where they reveal or hide a part of themselves,” Williams said. “So the form of this piece – one of the performers who play all of these 26 letters – is an expression of that idea.”
It is technology that Williams is illuminating humanity. He calls it “Cine-Theater.” It combines live performances with cameras, large screens and pre-recorded video.
So, is it fair to call this a one-woman show? “I think it’s definitely a one-man show,” Williams said, “But it’s also paradoxically an ensemble production. The camera team and crew are like her co-stars. They’re dancing with her on stage – literally for a moment.”
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Dance that feels friendly to Snook: “I think it’s really useful in “inheritance” so that the camera senses are really close to you and don’t disrupt your lines of thoughts or your flow.
Snook has some extra characters in his life as well. She got married during the pandemic and has a young daughter. But after all, Sarah Snook is not bitten more than she can bite.
“So this is your Broadway debut. Is the pressure off as you’ve already had such a successful run?” I asked.
Snook said, “In fact, one thing that Kip said on the first day of the rehearsal is that “you can only eat one spoonful of an elephant at a time.” “Yeah, that’s right.”
“So you think you’ve eaten everything by now?”
“No, now I have to eat the Broadway portion of the elephant!” Snook laughed.
Online only: Check out our expanded interview with Sarah Snook
To watch the trailer for “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” click on the video player below.
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A story created by Julie Krakov. Editor: Lauren Barnero.
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