“Toxic Avenger,” the off-Broadway musical, will debut in Coral Gables on Oct. 14 and will run through Nov. 8. Based on Llyod Kaufman’s 1984 popular film, “Toxic Avenger” takes us on a journey from zero to hero. I had the chance to chat with Clay Cartland, who plays Melvin, the scientist-turned-superman, and get an inside scoop on how he prepares for the play and what to expect.
What is the play “Toxic Avenger” about?
“It’s a musical about a scientist named Melvin Curd the Third. He ends up uncovering the mayor’s plot to poison the people of New Jersey. Once he reveals to her [the mayor] that he knows her evil plan, she hires two goons to throw him in a bed of toxic waste, and he emerges as a superhuman-size mutant Toxic Avenger.”
Describe the role you play as the Toxic Avenger.
“I play Melvin, who later becomes the Toxic Avenger. It’s kind of like one character, but it’s really two. The hapless hero falls in love with the town librarian, who only loves him because she’s blind.”
How long does it take you to prepare for a role like this?
“We have three weeks of rehearsal before we open the show. Naturally, when you hear you’re being cast in a show, you familiarize yourself with the music, and once the script comes in, you start reading it. Personally, I don’t like to memorize things immediately; I like to be familiar with something. I find that if I memorize all my lines before I hear what anyone else is going to say, I tend to not listen to the person. I just talk at them.”
What other plays have you been in?
“My last play in an Actors Playhouse play was ‘First Date’ last March. Before that, I was Miracle on South Division Street. The most recent show that I was in that was not Actors Playhouse was the concert series of Palm Beach Dramaworks. They did concert versions of some of my music.”
What’s different about the roles you played in the past, compared to your role now as the Toxic Avenger?
“The last show that I was in, I was cast as the town jock, the guy who’s sure of himself. Well, this is the exact polar opposite. In the beginning of the show, I’m shy and weak; I’m very self-conscious and unsure of myself. And then I become this superhero and am still, in essence, very unsure of myself. That goes against what I’m cast as normally, which is someone who’s very confident. “
How does an average day of rehearsal go for you?
“It’s like a normal job. Instead of working 9-to-5, we go from 2 to10 p.m. As soon as we get there, we go over some music, and if we have any questions, we address those immediately. Then we go right into the beginning stages of rehearsal. This is part of the process where the director says we have to bake the cake first, and then we can ice it later.
In what ways, if any, can you relate to your character?
“Even though I know I’m cast as confident people, I’m still very much a nerd at heart ― I’m still afraid to talk to girls. I’m very unsure of myself, and like most actors, I’m also extremely self-conscious. It’s really easy to relate [to my character] in the beginning. Then, once I emerge in this 20-pound rubber muscle suit, covered in mutant boils, it was easy to relate to because I love the Marvel and DC superhero comics. So it was really fun to walk around and be a superhero for a couple hours a day.”
What do you want people to know about your character?
“Just know that he’s relatable. He’s someone who I think we all were at one time in our life. Everyone has that one thing that they’re self-conscious about and wish they could change, and the one thing about Melvin is that he’s in a horrible accident, but with that accident, he can finally fulfill what he wants ― to be the hero he always wanted to be.”
Anything else you’d like to add about the show?
“Everyone in the show is from Miami. We all grew up here, and we all know the area. All the musicians, tech designers, actors, crew people. Everyone is just home-grown in Miami, FL.”
