Nina Arianda, a Tony winner for her critically acclaimed work in Venus in Fur, can currently be seen on the silver screen as Agnes Stark in the new Meryl Streep film Florence Foster Jenkins, which opened wide earlier this month. Here, the versatile actress reveals the theatrical performances that most affected her as part of the audience.
Zoe Caldwell in Master Class
One of the most utterly intoxicating and generous performances I've ever had the honor to witness.
Ekaterina Solovyeva in La Boheme
It's my favorite opera, and I got the last student rush ticket, which happened to be in the front row, and when she sang “Addio! Che! Vai?,” I could hardly see her sing as I was hysterically weeping throughout the entire performance.
Cast of Smokey Joe’s Cafe
Best party I've ever been to.
Meryl Streep in Mother Courage
The most relentless, selfless, commanding performance I've ever seen. The show was almost canceled the night I went because of a terrible thunderstorm, but rumor has it that Ms. Streep insisted the show go on because of the handful of soaked, eager audience members who waited out the storm. Very grateful.
Philip Seymour Hoffman in Death of a Salesman
Just...Genius.
Robin Williams in Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
An incredibly fierce, funny and dangerous performance. I couldn't tell if it was the lighting combined with his amazing beard, but I could have sworn that he physically turned into a tiger in the end.
Oliver Platt in Shining City
I hung on to his every word during his incredible 12-minute monologue.
An inspiring and brilliant lesson in a seamless negotiation of the public and private. An absolute master class.
S. Epatha Merkerson in Come Back, Little Sheba
Her stillness, suffering and quiet desperation annihilated me.
Billy took me to church on my birthday that Sunday matinee.
