Meet the MFA: Brendan Pentzell (Mr. Hardcastle)

By Tom Robson

In his three years at Indiana University, Brendan Pentzell has played a wide variety of roles. He has applied his skills to such diverse plays as Prof. Dennis Reardon's Last Days of the High-Flier and Anton Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard. Now, in his final semester, his time at IU culminates in a thesis performance that promises to reveal new depths of talent: Mr. Hardcastle in Sir Oliver Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer.

In a season abundant with meaty roles for graduate actors, Mr. Hardcastle called the loudest. Pentzell says, “This was a chance for me to do a period piece and a comic piece, which I haven't done since I've been here. I think those two combined will definitely stretch me as an actor.” While Pentzell has performed in other period pieces, notably Romeo and Juliet, he has never had the opportunity to combine both stylized acting and comedy in an IU production.

She Stoops to Conquer also combines Pentzell with our new acting/directing professor, Fontaine Syer. Pentzell could not be more excited to work with the immensely experienced director, saying, “She's amazing. She has a wonderful eye as a director with an actor's insight. She is very conscious of the stage picture, the rhythm/tempo, and justification for the characters actions.”

As he looks back on his time in Bloomington, where he has also appeared in The Scarlet Letter and Arcadia, Pentzell recognizes the extent to which he has matured as a performer. On entering graduate school, Pentzell concerned himself solely with the internal motivations of his characters, certainly an important element. Through his learning experiences at IU he has added an appreciation for the more technical elements: voice, movement, and interplay with his fellow performers. In addition to that, says Pentzell, “I'm more willing to jump in and take chances with other actors. I'm less fearful.” Indiana has instilled the actor with the self-confidence to take risks on stage, one of the most vital skills an actor can possess.

Looking into the future, Pentzell remains undecided about where his career will take him. Prior to enrolling at Indiana, Pentzell worked in Los Angeles in both television and film. Part of him is drawn back westward, while another part would like to use his knowledge to teach others, either at the university or high school level. “I'm going back and forth right now,” he says. Wherever he goes, he will leave his mark on Bloomington audiences with his parting work in She Stoops to Conquer.

• The People of the Production
• Press Release
• She Stoops to Conquer Homepage
• New Acting/Directing Faculty Fontaine Syer CONQUERS Her First IU Production
• Meet the MFA: Reneé Racan Rodriguez (Kate Hardcastle)
• Meet the MFA: Gregory C. Brenchley, Lighting Designer
• PRESHOW LECTURE BY ROGER HERZEL