Nashville Repertory Theatre’s “A Christmas Story” is back for its ninth year of entertaining Nashville audiences during the holiday season! This is the second year that real-life married couple Megan Murphy Chambers and Jack Chambers will share the stage as Mother and The Old Man. We had a chance to ask Megan and Jack a few questions about what it’s like to perform alongside their spouse in this holiday favorite.
Have you performed in a show together before ‘A Christmas Story’?
MEGAN – “Yes! We’ve done several shows together over the last 15 years, including a two-person show that was super intimate and challenging. We’ve fought onstage, made out onstage, made out with OTHER people in front of each other onstage, learned accents together, and done shows where we don’t interact at all. I love working with Jack – He’s brilliant and generous and my favorite person to be around.”
JACK – “Megan and I were in a three-person show (“Tape”) together, and then did “Blackbird” [both with GroundWorks Theatre], which was a heavy-duty two-person drama. We’ve directed each other (her directing “The Pillowman” and me directing “Marry Me a Little” and co-produced shows together, and did other shows over the years in larger casts (“Epic Proportions,” “And a Nightingale Sang ‘Hamlet!’ the Musical,” “How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying.”)”
How has your shared passion for acting played into your relationship?
MEGAN – “Well, it’s the main reason for us meeting and getting together at all – it’s a long, lucky story – so I feel fortunate that we both fell into this field. It’s wonderful to watch your partner excel at what they love, and it’s wonderful to have a shared language. I believe we’d connect no matter what, but when we’re talking, there’s something pretty great about always being able to skip the explanations with each other and get right down to the juicy stuff.”
JACK – “It’s the source of how we got together. I saw her in a production where she was my favorite part and introduced myself. She forgot that and saw me in rehearsals a couple years later at the urging of a friend, and basically fell for me when she saw me playing with a friend’s dog. But seriously, the love of the craft and the literature is a big part of our relationship —reading in general is a huge thing.”
Do you ever bring characteristics from your own marriage on stage, or do you have to leave that behind when you get into character?
MEGAN – “For me, aside from starting at a place of real comfort and trust with Jack, our marriage doesn’t factor into how I approach a character. Once we’re working, we’re colleagues rather than spouses. Just colleagues who like each other a whole whole lot.”
JACK – “It depends on the show. The biggest thing is having total trust in each other, whether it’s physical comedy like in “A Christmas Story” or end-times tragedy like in “Blackbird.” There’s certainly a crusty-yet-twinkly connection between The Old Man and Mother that Rene’ [Nashville Rep Artistic Director Rene’ Copeland] was looking for and encouraged in this process.”
Do you ever find yourself quoting the show or getting into character at home?
MEGAN – “There’s one line in the show that we both quote ALL THE TIME, but it’s a [character] Flick line, not one of ours. We do occasionally pull out an Old Man swear a la ‘Dogblammit,’ but usually we just stick with our full-blown foul mouths and say the real thing.”
JACK – “There are bits that we each have from our parts in the show that we hold on to. But I think the biggest takeaway for us has been a line of Flick’s that we’ve appropriated for all sorts of situations: “That’s dumb. Wouldn’t. Happen.”
What is your favorite thing about being in a show together?
MEGAN – “Actually getting to spend time with him. When we’re working on separate projects, squeezing in time to hang out is challenging. I also love watching audiences eat him up – I feel really proud.”
JACK – “In the most basic sense, it’s the fact that we wouldn’t be able to spend much time together at all in December if we weren’t doing the show together. Between our work and show schedules, there’s only a few extra hours in the day. But even better, it means getting to see her work every night. She’s the best actress in town, as far as I’m concerned. And I’m a fan, so being in a show with her means getting to watch her work.”
What is the greatest challenge you face when playing your character?
MEGAN – “Now that I’m three years in, Mother feels like my most comfortable pair of jeans. I love her, and she and I have a lot in common, mainly that we both like making people feel comfortable and happy. So maybe the most challenging part is not laughing on stage when I’m not supposed to – it’s a good problem to have.”
JACK – “For me, it was mostly a challenge just finding his voice and getting him started. I knew the Darren McGavin version so well after all these years, and with the crazy-abbreviated rehearsal schedule last year I was completely at sea trying to find my own take. Rene’ and I worked through it, and now The Old Man feels like part of me. The physical aspect is tougher for sure, though.”
What is your favorite scene in A Christmas Story?
MEGAN – “I love the whole tire-changing leading into soap-poisoning section, and I also love the final tableau. It’s so genuinely sweet, and we all get to connect as ourselves rather than our characters at the very end. It’s a wonderful, quiet way to wrap up a breakneck and hilarious performance.”
JACK – “As far as my involvement, it’s not even really a single scene, but in the first morning of the story, I get to perform the actual Old Man, Red Ryder and a Gabby Hayes-type old coot in a fantasy sequence, and Mrs. Shields — all within just a few pages. In the show in general, it’s Ralph’s beautiful narrations: Jean Shepherd’s words with Derek Whittaker’s lovely voice.”
I know this is Megan’s third year and Jack’s second year performing in “A Christmas Story.” How is this year different from previous years?
MEGAN – “We all feel super secure and confident this year, which has given us the time and brain space to polish things up and focus on some details. For me, that’s the fun stuff, so I’ve loved dedicating some energy to sprucing up my portrayal of Mother.”
JACK – “It’s more comfortable for me, certainly — last year was a real diving-into-the-deep-end kind of experience for me, and this year things feel much looser.”
Nashville Repertory Theatre’s production of “A Christmas Story” is unique in that adult actors play children. How do you think that affects the dynamic of the show?
MEGAN – “I think it deepens the feelings of nostalgia that we all love to indulge in this time of year. And don’t we all wish we could articulate our favorite memories as beautifully as Jean Shepherd (and Derek Whitaker!) does? There’s something so poignant about watching a grownup let themselves be a kid again.”
JACK – “I love it. I wouldn’t do the show otherwise. For me, the original book and the story are very much a nostalgia experience — the middle-aged Ralph/Jean Shepherd looking back on his childhood. The movie was even very gauzy and grainy to make it more of a memory story. I love the adults-as-children dynamic to help recreate that, but also to allow a smaller, tighter ensemble feel. Plus, I’d just rather hang out with adults every night doing this show.”
Nashville Repertory Theatre’s ‘A Christmas Story” has become Nashville tradition, with many people attending year after year. Do you notice a difference in the audience for this show compared to other shows you have performed in?
MEGAN – Sure. There’s absolutely nothing we have to convince them of – these people come ready to love the show and the experience, and to get ushered into the holiday season in a really special way. It’s lovely to go onstage every night knowing that everyone there has already bought in and can’t wait to have a good time.”
JACK – “There are some super-fans out there, which is kind of amazing. Not in the “I love a particular show and am happy that someone’s producing it” way, but in the “We go to this company’s production as a family event every year and know every line of the movie by heart” way. One such family was there this past weekend, and it’s almost like having regulars at a bar — familiar faces, and picking up conversations, and getting to share in something really meaningful in their holiday.”
Don’t miss the chance to see Megan, Jack and the rest of the talented cast in “A Christmas Story”. The show runs Wednesday-Sunday through December 22 at TPAC’s Andrew Johnson Theatre.
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