FAVORITE THINGS

Carl Reggiardo, actor and director at the Grove Shakespeare Festival as well as a founding member of the new Shakespeare Orange County company.

* Shakespeare’s “Antony and Cleopatra”: I’ve always wanted to play Antony. It’s such a great play. It’s almost like a film script, Shakespeare keeps it moving so quickly. . . . Ever since I saw the Royal Shakespeare Company do it in London, I’ve wanted to do it.

* Peter Handke’s “The Ride Across Lake Constance”: I saw this play in London, done by the Hampstead Theatre Company, and liked it a lot. . . . It was a very, very experimental show, and it made a big mark on me. I’ve never seen it done in this country.

* Samuel Beckett’s “Endgame”: It really did change my life, in all seriousness. . . . Being assigned to that play in college was my first exposure to it. I went to the bookstore to get it, started reading the first page and a half-hour later--when I came to--I was still standing there reading, totally enwrapped in this play. It definitely changed my philosophy of life.

* Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”: As far as individual parts, “Macbeth” is my absolute favorite role. Maybe it’s because it’s so difficult to do and so many people fail at it. So the challenge is there. I got to play it once, but with luck I’ll get the opportunity to do it three or four more times.