4PLAY: AUSTIN Atticus/Kai PT1

A new year ... time to move on to the next FOURPLAY short, AUSTIN, which will be making it's way in the world soon. Simply put, it's the story of young couple, Kai and Lily, who debate independence vs conceiving over the course of an evening and arrive at a startling compromise. Below is part one of my interview with Atticus Rowe who plays Kai.

1) What were your first feelings about being approached to play your role in AUSTIN? First thoughts after reading the script?

My first feelings about playing Kai were apprehension and fear. Not because I was worried about being able to play the part or understand the character, but more because of the parallels that I felt with Kai's life and his relationship with Lily and the precipice at which they stood. It's quite a bit scarier to explore things that are true and meaningful, rather than playing at something you need to create.

2) What, if anything, helped you prepare to play your role?

I was recently married when we started production and I would say that the experience of having recently taken a big step and discovering what that step meant helped me significantly. It's funny how you may think, "Oh, I took this step. Now, I am here." and you think you'll stay there for awhile, but before you know it, you're either thinking about, talking about or taking that next step. There always seems to be a next step and if you are in a relationship and you respect each other, one tends to be waiting for the other to be "ready" and then when they are, the other may have backed off!