Larry Neumann, Jr.–an affable, lanky guy clad in a Hawaiian shirt–schedules our theatre chat at a diner between two commercial auditions. The omnipresent Chicago actor, with a talent for humanizing a range of off-kilter characters (from Bob Ewell in CollaborAction’s To Kill a Mockingbird to a decidedly dark-tinged Feste in Court’s Twelfth Night to a gleeful flasher in Betty’s Summer Vacation for Roadworks), also has a gamut of stage auditions and callbacks on his plate.

Plus he’s in the midst of rehearsals for the "sad sack" role of Keith in Vincent Bruckert’s new site-specific play, Drinking With Harry on Rush, produced by Aardvark Theatre and running through Aug. 28 at the Cubby Bear Lounge. But Neumann looks remarkably non-stressed and organized. In fact, he jokes easily. And, it’s this combination of not taking himself too seriously while being meticulously attentive to his craft, that makes Neumann’s performances so pitch-perfect yet believable.

"There’s no way I’m going to play a leading man," says Neumann, 42, with a chuckle. "I don’t see life that way. I’m the goofy character guy. The character guys are always more interesting, and you can be more in the moment."

The Equity actor, who grew up in Chicago’s South Holland area, also moves quite seamlessly across small, mid-size and larger theatres–always energized by the scripts and characters who represent the dualities within us all. Most recently, he played a neurotic husband in The Old Man’s Friend at Victory Gardens; Stanley in Pinter’s The Birthday Party at Apple Tree; and the tragically committed photographer-building preservationist Richard Nickel–one of his most heart wrenching portrayals–in Lookingglass’ They All Fall Down: The Richard Nickel Story. He was invited to do the voice of Nickel in Jay Shefsky’s documentary of Richard Nickel as part of the WTTW "Chicago Stories Series," which premiered earlier this year.

His vast and varied credits attest to his eclectic dramatic palette while revealing a deep connection to Chicago theatre, where he has worked steadily since receiving his BFA in theatre from Illinois Wesleyan University in 1981.

A Famous Door Theatre ensemble member–where he served as managing director from 1995 to 2000–Neumann appeared in Ghetto, The Living, Homecoming and Hellcab. He received a 1996 Jeff Award for Actor in a Revue and a 1997 After Dark Award as the Dalai Lama in Hitting for the Cycle. He’s also a founding member of the now-disbanded Blind Parrot Theatre, which focused on absurdist plays. His film and TV work includes Ball in the House; Stir of Echoes; Just Visiting; "Walker, Texas Ranger"; "The Untouchables" and "America’s Most Wanted."

One of his most memorable experiences with Blind Parrot in the late 1980s was playing the title lead in Artaud at Rodez.

"The show was a great influence on me," Neumann explains, "I did a lot of research on Artaud and began to see a theatre artist developing a way of life in addition to a style of performing. There’s a scene in which he’s going through all these gyrations to get into the Compagnie Francais, and he gets very frustrated. He finally blurts out, 'I’m just looking for the opportunity to work.’ "

A similar outlook can be applied to Neumann, who regards acting as a little bit of what he does and who he is. At the same time, he’s constantly seeking out opportunities to perform while not getting too caught up in the posturing and game-playing inherent in the theatre profession.

He adds, "I guess I’m not afraid to fail or fall on my face. That’s the great thing about Chicago theatre. There’s no fear of failure."

To get a feel for Neumann’s unassuming yet focused and slightly off-the-wall approach to his life and art, consider his background. He grew up in a blue-collar household on the South Side and was one of the first in his family to go to college. His grandfather worked in the steel mills, and his dad owned the Jay’s Where Beef Is King stand, where Neumann worked. The actor is quick to note that his father’s name is not Jay, but they kept the name from the previous owner: "I became Jay Junior," he quips. Neumann also helped out in his mom’s candy store.

Neumann cannot pinpoint a specific moment or reason for pursuing theatre; it always seemed to be a part of him. His interest magnified at Thornwood High School, where he competed in IHSA Speech. He took first place in Dramatic Duet and third place in Humorous Duet his senior year.

He credits his speech-drama teachers Pat Wozny and JoAnne Evans with encouraging him via constructive criticism.

"Pat Wozny still comes to see me in shows," he says. "And she always points out to me…'you’ve got that voice.’ She taught me about being aware of my voice and how to play with it. I use my voice as a tool to shape a character."

Neumann, who has a natural affinity for dialects, goes so far as to craft new and unique ways for a character to speak. A large part of the character’s motivation is channeled vocally–and combined with subtle shifts in physicality.

A touring production of Equus stopped in downtown Chicago while Neumann was rehearsing his Dramatic Duet to a scene from this steamy horse-themed play. He went to the show, which marked the first professional theatre production he had seen. It helped push him further into a life in live theatre. Then he admits, "I was impressed by the fact that they actually got naked on stage."

Nudity aside, Neumann won the Speech Team state title during his senior year–an accomplishment that led to a scholarship offer from Illinois Wesleyan University. He was drawn to the college’s more personalized environment and notes that only 90 students (from freshmen to seniors) were enrolled in the theatre program. He concedes that his family worried about his rather unstable career choice, but ultimately respected his decision.

"I also was pretty good in science and biology," Neumann continues, "and the folks were very adamant that I don’t give up on science. When they accepted that theatre was where I was headed, they insisted I also take business classes–which I never did. They were concerned and wanted to make sure I could make a living."

He laughs that it took him at least 10 years to "make a living" in Chicago theatre. And, even though he works steadily, he understands the feast-or-famine nature of the business. But he’s also a risk-taker.

While attending IWU, Neumann was diagnosed with diabetes. He says that he has to consistently gauge his blood-sugar levels–especially during intense rehearsal/performance periods. But he admits with a sly grin, "I think sometimes, when I’m really immersed in a character, I take it [my diabetes monitoring] to the edge. I challenge myself to see how far I can go before I reach that danger point."

His dramatic experiences in high school and college mirrored themselves in Neumann’s professional career. At IWU’s Stanislavky-based theatre program, he studied the classics, contemporary works and scripts that "were a little off base." In the lab theatre, he had the opportunity to direct and polish his absurdist theatre skills.

During his junior year, he interned for six months at New York City’s American Place Theatre, where he stage managed shows. The internship was sponsored by the Great Lakes College Association. He also took classes at the Actors’ Studio. Then a light bulb went off during his New York stint.

"I realized that a degree may help with networking," Neumann shares, "and classes help you gain confidence for the audition process. But a degree isn’t gonna make any difference. As an actor, you’ve got to be out there doing. And, most importantly–if you’re honest with yourself–early on, you need to decide if this is what you really want to do."

Had Neumann ever considered relocating to New York?

"I thought about going back to New York," he responds, "but the pace seemed a little intimidating. I also didn’t want to move on to another pond until I conquered one pond–Chicago."

Neumann hasn’t halted his artistic conquest.

Like most theatre graduates who choose to ply their craft in Chicago, Neumann teamed up with IWU alums to start the absurdist-experimental Blind Parrot Theatre, which opened in the early 1980s with a production of Sexual Perversity in Chicago. He remained an ensemble member through 1989 and then extended his creative reach to local theatres rooted in diverse aesthetics.

Some of his most fulfilling roles include Iago, the Dalai Lama and Richard Nickel: "I seem to be attracted to characters who are outsiders," says Neumann. "They may have something to teach; at other times, they are an example.

"I’ve always been drawn to theatre because of your ability to connect with an audience and go on a journey for a night. And I’ve always liked hopeful things [i.e. scripts]."

Neumann feels especially close to Famous Door, noting that he admires the troupe’s "honesty, frankness and direct connection between the actors on stage and between the actors and audience." His experience doing bookkeeping for Blind Parrot led to his managing director post in 1995 at Famous Door. After five years in that position, he felt he needed to step back from administrative work and plunge deeper into his acting.

A challenge that Neumann has noticed for mid-size theatres here is that it’s tough to expand to that larger next step. Funding becomes an issue and, meanwhile, the core group is getting older and needs to make a living. Some artists gain Equity status, and he has found that opportunities for that core group to work together–often for financial reasons involving Equity contracts–become difficult.

"A lot of the mid-size theatres need to look at some type of merge," Neumann suggests. "They need to come up with a way to combine resources because it doesn’t seem like the resources are going to grow. But I guess we’re dealing with a collective ego, and coming together could be a big bill of fare."

Meanwhile, he continues to intricately morph into the endless emotional dimensions of humanity.

Neumann summarizes his process: "I’ll start with using very large, broad strokes in developing a character. Then, as we get into the rehearsal process, layers start forming. Iago is not just evil. We all have the potential to be a saint or an ax murderer. No character is totally removed from us. I’ll then try to find the opposite of what the stereotype of a character might be, so it’s more of a whole picture of the human being."

Striking a balance has been a key guiding principle. Neumann admits that aspects of whatever character he’s portraying at any given time will seep into his life. Yet he never forgets to be an ordinary person.

"I’m one of those goddamn Method actors," Neumann announces somewhat apologetically. "But the opposite is also true. I have very little patience for people who over-analyze how they’re going to approach a role. Acting is doing. And, in the end, there’s got to be life on stage."

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