Four Inane Questions with KC Rep’s Nathan M. Ramsey
Photo by Don Ipock
Cue the thunderclap—and the Bronx swagger! KC Rep’s debut of Dracula just got a serious shot of adrenaline (and charm) thanks to Nathan M. Ramsey, making his fang-tastic Rep debut!
This Bronx-born, cat-dad, Air Force vet, and man of God has done it all—from Shakespeare in the Park to Blue Bloods—and now he’s ready to bring the drama, the danger, and maybe a dash of divine intervention to Transylvania by way of Kansas City, running through Nov. 2.
In this fearless adaptation of Bram Stoker’s iconic Dracula, the lines between predator and prey blur, and the power of women’s strength rises.
Ramsey’s theatrical passport is fully stamped: Much Ado About Nothing at The Public, The Tempest at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, A Christmas Carol at People’s Light, and Shane at Dallas Theater Center, to name just a few.
Photo Courtesy of Nathan M. Ramsey
MFA? Check. (Literal) killer stage presence? Double check.
We caught up with Ramsey during dress rehearsals to tackle him with our tacky questionnaire. We may or may not have found where they keep all the fake blood props, too. Bless.
The Pitch: You can star alongside any Broadway performer. Who you choosin’?
Nathan Ramsey: It would have to be Jeffrey Wright. While I’ve never seen him act onstage, I have always found myself captivated by the humanity and complexity he brings to his characters on screen. He also originated the role of Lincoln in Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog—one of my favorite plays.
I’ve had the opportunity to work with Suzan Lori Parks before, and she told me, ‘You’re a part of the family now,’ which means Jeffrey Wright and I share the same artistic family. That’s pretty dope.
What’s the world’s WORST Halloween candy, in your humble opinion?
A toothbrush. I cannot tell you how many times I used to get those and a lecture about how candy rots my teeth as a young trick-or-treater. It was the ultimate killjoy. No part of me ever enjoyed receiving a toothbrush as a Halloween candy substitute. I would’ve rather gotten beef jerky or a plain old peppermint from the bottom of someone’s purse.
Dear toothbrush giver, I appreciate your concern, but please spare me the “sugar rots my teeth” speech and ignore my trick-or-treating knocks at your door next time.
Sincerely, a young and well-intentioned Nathan M. Ramsey.
If you were a cereal, what cereal would you be?
Count Chocula, of course. Count Chocula strikes me as Count Dracula’s cool cousin. He may not get talked about as much, but he gets all the perks of being a vampire, has a really cool cape, and his castle is probably just as big.
Instead of a desire for blood, I’d drink chocolate. Who wouldn’t love that? I also love marshmallows in my cereal when I choose to indulge in a sugary cereal.
Photo by Don Ipock
What’s a wholly underrated Crayon color?
Shadow. I had to do some Googling to make sure this color is still in circulation, and it is. It looks dark gray in your hand, but comes out lighter on paper. I think watching a lot of home renovation shows has shown me how much I love darker colors and tones.
When I used to draw, the most fun part was adding the shadows and bringing more depth to the sketches I was working on. And let’s face it, shadow is totally on brand for me right now. Shadow is a winning color all around.
Bonus 5th Question: What’s the longest cell phone conversation you’ve ever had in your entire life? Tell me everything.
I can’t recall a specific cell phone conversation, but I’ve talked on the phone with my wife so long that my phone has died before. Talks varied on everything from the TV shows we were watching to our favorite new restaurants we had recently tried.
When we first got together, I was living in the UK as a member of the U.S. Air Force, and she was in New York. The long distance made things interesting and challenging. But her visits to England (or mine back home to NYC) were always extra special. (This is pre-Zoom, but thankfully FaceTime was already a thing.)
