Photo by Lynn Lane. Brandon Hearnsberger, Dylan Godwin, and Christopher Salazar in Alley Theatre’s production of Ken Ludwig’s “Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery.”
For nearly a quarter of a century, University of Houston alumnus Brandon Hearnsberger has been perfecting his craft and exploring different mediums. From stage to screen to voiceover work, he carved a niche for himself. Hearnsberger now stars in Alley Theatre’s production of Ken Ludwig’s “Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery.”
Discussing how his Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from UH has prepared him for his career, Hearnsberger name dropped a few influential mentors. These included Sidney Berger, a dialect specialist and Shakespeare aficionado, Carolyn Boone, and dialect coach Jim Johnson.
From them, he learned valuable lessons about potential and pursuit.
In a full-circle twist of fate, Hearnsberger now works with Johnson’s wife, who is the dialect coach for Alley Theatre’s production of “Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery.”
Beyond his education, Hearnsberger also learned a few things through experience.
From UH to The Alley, experience taught him that the stakes are higher.
“It’s easy to forget doing a show eight times a week, but each audience is fresh, and they paid a lot of money and got babysitters to come and see this,” he said. “When you’re in school, it’s fun and your parents and friends come, but here, this is a business…The stakes are much higher.”
Experience also taught him the importance of community and camaraderie. Fresh out of college in 2003, Hearnsberger joined The Alley and learned quickly about the unique community built inside a resident acting company.
Hearnsberger went on to explain more of the electrifying factors of a career in theatre.
Theatre provides performers with an immediate response. The relationship between the performers and the audience is sacred. It varies with every single performance.
“With comedy, you want their laughter and with drama, you want their silence,” he said.
He also described the role of passion in a theatre career.
Theatre is a fully immersive art form. Like many creative mediums, acting is a labor of love. It requires giving oneself over fully to the work.
“You kind of sacrifice your life in a way, so it has to be because you want to be there rather than doing anything else,” he said.
The love of the work is what will fulfill and sustain actors over time, even amid strange circumstances.
“This work requires a kind of obsession,” he said. “It requires a commitment and dedication that is rare.”
Hearnsberger, who prefers the verbal aspect of performance, also had to offer one crucial piece of advice to aspiring actors.
“Do your homework, fall in love with it and get obsessed with it,” he said. “Show up for it in your own life at the theater. If you’re not in something, go watch other stuff.”
In his long tenure at the Alley Theatre, he has played numerous different roles, tackling 15 in this production alone.
“My favorite is Stapleton. He’s an eccentric guy who’s sort of obsessed with butterflies,” he said. “He’s just this really fun character who’s kind of goofy.”
Hearnsberger briefly donned Stapleton’s costume for Cooglife and gave a preview of his character, a comedic highlight of the show.
“This is what I signed up to do. This kind of show,” he said.
“Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery” is now playing in the Hubbard Theatre. The show will run until May 4. “A love letter to theatre,” Hearnsberger says.
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