Other stage work includes High (Broadway); Really Really (MCC); Harrison, TX (Primary Stages), Romeo and Juliet, The History Boys (Arden Theatre Company); Six Characters… (People’s Light & Theatre); Never the Sinner, The Misanthrope (Mauckingbird Theatre Company); A Streetcar Named Desire, Natural History (Walnut Street Theatre); The Glass Menagerie, The Rose Tattoo, Tibet Through the Red Box (Cape Rep Theatre); and Pay Up (Pig Iron Theatre Company).
He has appeared on screen in "Calendar Girl Killer," "The Gift," “As the World Turns,” “Greatest Sport Stories,” HBO’s “Girls" and "X-Men: Days of Future Past."
Full given name: | Evan James Jonigkeit |
Where you were born/where you were raised: | I grew up in Langhorne, PA, and lived in Aurora, IL("Wayne’s World"), before that. I was born in Oyster Bay Hospital in Long Island. |
Zodiac Sign: | Aquarius (Feb. 18) |
What your parents did/do for a living: | Dad works in insurance, Mom is a secretary, both moonlight as parenting gurus. |
Siblings: | Meg and JJ! |
Special skills: | Making a perfect soft-boiled egg. |
Something you're REALLY bad at: | Singing in front of people. |
First Broadway show you ever saw: | Medea with Fiona Shaw in 2003 |
If you could go back in time and catch any Broadway show, what would it be? | I would go back to that same year of 2003 and see Long Day’s Journey with Brian Dennehy, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robert Sean Leonard and Vanessa Redgrave |
Current show other than your own you have been recommending to friends: | Kinky Boots, so much fun... such a lovely message. |
Broadway or screen stars of the past you would most have loved to perform with: | Julie Harris (who had an incredibly beautiful energy each time I met her). |
The one performance – attended - that you will never forget: | Edie Falco and Brenda Blethyn in ‘Night Mother. |
Music that makes you cry, any genre: | Death metal and Electronic Trance music... soul crushing. |
You personal acting idols: | Kevin Spacey, Philip Seymour Hoffman, James Earl Jones, Mark Rylance. |
MAC or PC? | MAC |
Most-visited websites: | Why playbill.com, of course... |
Most played song on your iPod: | Vocal exercise #1 |
Last book you read: | "Duty, Honor, Privilege" (play research) and "Townie" (leisure) |
Must-see TV show(s): | "Breaking Bad," "House of Cards," "Homeland" |
Last good movie you saw: | "Short Term 12" (fantastic cast) |
Some films you consider classics: | "A Woman Under the Influence" is probably my favorite film amongst many close contenders. |
Performer you would drop everything to go see: | Hugh Jackman |
Pop culture guilty pleasure: | Home remodeling shows |
Three favorite cities: | Philadelphia, San Francisco, Denver |
First CD/Tape/LP you owned: | Queen’s greatest hits |
Moment you knew you wanted to perform for a living: | I saw a performance of Pig Iron Theatre Company’s Gentleman Volunteers |
Can you credit any particular companies or people in the Philly theatre community with being most instrumental to your success? | Philadelphia is a really incredible community. I had the chance to work with so many wonderful companies and so many brilliant people. It is its own self-sustaining theatrical paradise. When you get done visiting the Liberty Bell, go see a show! |
Pat's or Geno's? | If those are my choices… Pats, hands down. |
Favorite pre-/post- show meal: (note where) | Post show - delivery.com in bed. |
Pre-show rituals or warm-ups: | Vocal warm ups and some music |
Worst flubbed line/missed cue/onstage mishap: | An actor named Tony Lawton made a joke onstage during the closing performance while I was supposed to be a dead Romeo that sent me into hysterics as I was lying there with Juliet. |
Worst job you ever had: | Denny’s midnight shift |
Craziest audition story: | Chasing Kathleen Turner around a room with my pants around my ankles... that was crazy. |
What drew you to this project? | Everything. The first time I read it I wanted this part and started hounding everyone involved. |
What has been the biggest challenge so far? | Keeping up with intelligence of fellow cast members and Dan Sullivan (believe the hype). |
What has been the most fun or fulfilling aspect of this show? | I find when working on new play that it’s when a breakthrough happens in the writing- seeing how that energizes a room is a really special thing to be around. |
Most challenging role you have played onstage: | Hmmm... I plead the 5th. |
Leading man role you've been dying to play: | Stanley Kowalski, LTJG Daniel A. Kaffee, John Proctor, Iago, Caliban |
Leading lady role you'd like a shot at: | Mary Tyrone |
Something you're incredibly proud of: | My nephews |
Something you're embarrassed to admit: | I can’t remember people’s names til the third time I meet them ... it makes me feel incredibly rude and self-involved. |
Career you would want if not a performer: | Carpenter |
Three things you can't live without: | Love, family and friends |
"I'll never understand why…" | … theatre folk don’t get two days off a week like the rest of the world. |
Words of advice for aspiring performers: | Just do it. |