Today, we have the pleasure of welcoming someone who might just be the most versatile person you’ll ever meet. He’s a classically trained actor who has played kings, husbands, jealous boyfriends, and everything in between. Originally from the Netherlands, he’s lived all over Europe, from France to England, before making his mark in New York City. And if that’s not impressive enough, he’s also taken part in the biggest theater festivals in the world: the Edinburgh Fringe, UK, and the Camden Fringe, London. Recently, he was nominated as one of the top 3 classical actors of 2024 by New York Today Magazine. Let’s dive into his fascinating journey and see what makes Hraban Luyat tick. Welcome, Hraban!
So, Hraban, you’ve lived in so many different places—France, England, and now New York. Do you feel more like a European in New York or a New Yorker in Europe?
Hraban: Neither–I feel like an American in New York! I’ve been here for three years now and nobody has yet asked me, “why are you yelling?” It’s liberating. Every time I go home, everybody always wants to whisper. Why are we so quiet? Let’s yell about things. How can you ask other people to believe in your ideas if you don’t believe them enough yourself to yell about them?
Let’s talk about the Edinburgh Fringe! What’s it like to be part of the biggest festival in the world? Is it as chaotic and fun as we all imagine?
The sheer amount of raw talent present every day at that festival is off the charts.
You can’t turn your back without bumping into the most amazing show or performance you’ve seen in your life. There isn’t enough time in a day to see it all, and the festival lasts only a month, which is about 11 months too few. It is theater and entertainment in its truest form: you have to hustle for an audience every day on The Mile, the competition is ruthless, and only the best shows survive. Every performer has to do it once in their lives.
You were also at the Camden Fringe, which has a bit of a different vibe. How would you compare the two?
The Camden Fringe originated as an alternative festival for people who couldn’t make it to the Edinburgh Fringe. Over time, of course, like all things do, it got its own life, and now it’s this fantastic festival in its own right, in the heart of London. It’s less of an island. There is less camaraderie between the shows; it takes itself more seriously (and in one way that’s true, in another way it absolutely isn’t). It’s a bit smaller, but it’s in the middle of London, England. In short: they both have their unique strengths, and neither is clearly better or worse.
From classical theater to contemporary roles, your range is impressive. How do you switch gears between playing a king in Henry V and, say, a modern husband in Girls and Boys?
My approach to any character starts with one core commonality: our shared humanity. From the King down to the lowest tramp, we are all humans. That’s precisely why we tell those stories: to carry in our culture the lessons we can learn about being human, from people of all walks of life. So all those roles start with being human, and go from there: add the circumstances. The husband was human, Charles VI was human, and Leonato is human, but they all had a different life: go through that life, as that core human, and ingest the circumstances. The more you add those layers of circumstance, the more you will eventually start to “act” (“behave”) like that character. But if you start from the outside, with the behavior, all that happens is that you “act” (“pretend”) like the character.
You’ve been named one of the top 3 Classical Actors of 2024 in New York Today — congratulations! What do you think it is about your approach to classical roles that resonates with today’s audiences?
H: Thank you! There is this hidden society in New York called Speakeasy Shakespeare. They meet monthly and do Shakespeare scenes and monologues, for fun, for themselves and for nobody else. I’ll never forget the first time I attended: there was this woman, this incredibly loud, open, energetic woman, who just loved everything and thought everything was Amaaaazing. “Oh my God, I love that scene so much; it is my favorite scene everrrr!” I immediately judged her. “Ugh, please. Not everything is amazing, actually.”
But suddenly, it’s her turn to do a monologue. And that energy she had—that loud, open, always-at-100% energy? That was right there on stage. And it was the most captivating work I had ever seen in my life. She saw everything, it was so real to her, and everything down to the smallest detail meant the world to her, and beyond. I couldn’t look away. Her images forced themselves into my head. I can still remember everything about her monologue, everything she saw. I decided right there to forget everything I thought I knew about acting, and replace it with what I learned there. “Really see everything, and make it mean the world to you.” And it changed everything for me. I started booking callback after callback for Shakespeare auditions. I started letting go of “acting” and being able to play. I started to have fun.
Her name is Lucy Lavely, and to this day, every time I go on stage, I say to myself: “add a little Lucy to it.”
Stella Adler Professional Conservatory has a reputation for producing top-tier actors. How did your time there shape you as a performer, and what was the most unexpected thing you learned?
H: A school is nothing if not for its teachers. The staff at the Stella Adler Studio are all individually incredibly strong performers and instructors, but they also work together to provide something that is greater than the sum of its parts. The voice and speech department, in particular, is legendary. The techniques they gave us are useful in every rehearsal room and in every performance, but it is their focus on steady repetition of foundational exercises that sets it apart: you don’t need any “tricks”, you don’t need secret lore. You just need to work on your body and your voice every day and believe that you are enough. The rest is having fun. Oh and you need to learn your lines, of course.
With such a diverse career, what’s next for you? Any projects or roles you’re particularly excited about?
H: I am very fortunate for the incredible talent I’ve met and worked with here in New York. Doing a “first project” together is always exciting, but sometimes it clicks in a special way, and you immediately know: this is special. This works. It feels like we’ve been working together for years and I’ve only just met you this morning. While I can’t yet give details, I am very excited to say there’s a few promising productions coming up very quickly, with some of my favorite companies to have worked with. RiffRaff in particular is an outstanding company, quite exceptional in their approach to modern Shakespeare and theater in general. That’s in large part because it’s led by Joe Staton, who is both very adept at realizing and producing plays, but also a very strong actor himself; you need someone with both those abilities combined to truly make extraordinary work happen in modern theater.
Another fantastic example of this is First Maria, led by the international powerhouse Celeste Moratti. She has worked with these legendary figures like Patsy Rodenburg, and she manages to combine that all into these powerful high-flying productions that she leads at 100 mi/h.
There’s one thing I can talk about, because I’m producing this myself: a modern, physical theater production of the theater classic Rhinoceros by Ionescu. I say “I’m producing it,” but honestly, the only reason we can even get this off the ground at all is because of Elena Lozonschi; I worked on Girls & Boys with her, and her ability, both as an outstanding actor and also off-stage as someone who can do the necessary work around a production to make it a reality, is unparalleled. My career would be measurably less fruitful if it weren’t for her.
I absolutely can’t wait for next year!
Thanks, Hraban, for hanging out with me and chatting about your journey. We’re excited to see what’s next for you. Best of luck with your upcoming projects, and we hope to see you around again soon!
For more information, please visit, https://luyat.com/
