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"When you have done the play in as
many places as we have, you can feel
how the laugh track and mood
changes differ," he says. "Certain cities
are more urban than others, and it's a
pretty urban play.
"A city like Houston is more subur-
ban; therefore [the audiences] respond-
ed more to the familial relationship
than to some of the humor that is
based in urban rhythm or language.
"I don't know if they latched onto
some of the mathematical jokes. When
we played in Boston, which is a town .
that has MIT and Harvard, they were
way ahead of the jokes, which was fun."
As for Detroit audiences, Kunken
expects more of an urban reaction. "I
have a friend, Kenneth Jones, who
used to be a critic in Detroit, and he
tells me it's an incredible city to work
in," says Kunken. "I have never been
to Detroit before, but I hear the audi-
ences are great."

Theater Career

Kunken, 30, says he considers himself
an urban kind of a guy. Born and
raised on New York's Long Island, he
spent many weekends going into
Manhattan seeing Broadway shows
with his family. At age 11, the acting
bug bit him.
"The first show I was cast in was
Auntie Mame," he remembers. "My
brother was having his bar mitzvah at
a temple that was putting on the
musical, and there was a 13-year-old
boy in it. My brother was asked to
audition for the part and I got jealous,
so I asked to audition, too —. and I
got the role of young Patrick.
"They cast my dad in it as well so
he could drive me back and forth to
rehearsals. I remember the excitement
and attention and sense of community
established while doing the show, and
from then on I was hooked."
Kunken continued to hone his act-
ing skills, both in high school and at
Tufts University, where he graduated
with a degree in theater in 1993.

After he earned a graduate degree
from Juilliard in 1998, he landed roles
in a number of Off-Broadway shows,
including a Shakespeare in the Park
production of Henry VIII, Arthur
Laurents' Home of the Brave and Tony
Kushner's The Dybbuk.
"That's what great about coming out
of Juilliard — all the professional peo-
ple in New York get to see you devel-
op over the four years and the transi-
tion from school to the professional
world is very smooth."
While he was raised in a Jewish
home, Kunken says his family is more
culturally Jewish than religious. "But
Judaism is a part of my life," says
Kunken, whose parents helped to
establish a temple near their home.
"I celebrate the holidays and tradi-
tions, had a bar mitzvah and have
Jewish sensibilities. When I get home, •
I love going with my parents to High
Holiday services."
As for future opportunities, Kunken
has talked with David Auburn about
other projects.
"We have discussed working on
more things together — he has a com-
pany that I'll be a part of in New York
City," says the performer, touring with
Proof until July.
"But right now, as an actor, it's hard
to plan too much in advance.
"I would love to do films and TV
because it's a way to reach a larger audi-
ence," says Kunken, who has a serious
girlfriend and an apartment in New
York City. "But the theater is always the
greatest highlight for any actor." ❑

Detroit's Fisher Theatre hosts a
production of David Auburn's
Proof8 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays,
2 p.m. Saturdays -and Sundays
and 7:30 p.m. Sundays, April 23-
May 12. $20-$47.50. To charge
tickets by phone, call. (248) 645-
6666. For more information, call
(313) 872-1000.

Kadima Hosts Benefit

K

adima, a nonprofit, nonsectari-
an mental health agency offer-
ing residential counseling and sup-
ported employment services to
adults with psychiatric disabilities,
holds a benefit 8 p.m. Tuesday, April
30, at the Fisher Theatre featuring a
performance of Proof
"The agency relies on the success
of an evening such as this for 30

percent of our operating budget,"
says Kadima President Rick
Sussman. "With support, Kadima (a
Hebrew word that means "to move
forward") helps clients change the
conditions of their lives."
The agency has reserved 200 seats
for the benefit performance. Tickets
are $75. For more information, call
(248) 559-8235.

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