Master of the House

With the summer season but a fond, distant memory, many of New England's favorite gay getaways are shuttering up for the off-season. But the curtain is still up at The Ogunquit Playhouse, where Les Mis?rables plays through Oct. 12.

The all-star cast includes several Broadway veterans of the timeless musical, and just happens to star Boston's own beloved playwright, actor and director Ryan Landry. Landry inhabits the villainous role of Thenardier in this classic stage adaptation of Victor Hugo's revered novel, and he took a few moments to chat with Bay Windows about the show.

Q: This is only the second time I remember you playing a man! Earlier this year, you played Roger De Bris in The Ogunquit Playhouse's staging of The Producers... but before that, when was the last time you actually wore pants on stage?
A: What? You didn't see me in the musical version of "Raging Bull"? I was the bull, by the way.

Q: Ahem. And when was the last time you played a straight character?
A: God, who knows? I never think of it that way, anyway. I consider myself a character actor and proud to be one. I never think "gay vs. straight" or "male vs. female" when on stage. And when offered a role I only think, "will this character be fun to play or will this whole process be one big drag?" And no, that was not a pun.

Q: Is that a little surreal for you?
A: No. What seems truly surreal is that some people still think of me, and all that I do, as only drag! [laughs]

Q: How did you approach the part, and what's your spin on Thenardier?
A: I based my Thenardier on the great French playwright Moli?re, and all that I know of 17th century French comedy. I have always been especially fascinated with Commedia dell'Arte [the comedy of artists], which though Italian in origin was instrumental in the French comedies written during the period when Victor Hugo wrote "Les Mis?rables". This is a very gesture-heavy style that is always moving. In the book, Hugo describes Thenardier as an eel slithering backward into a hole. Just think: "theater critic!" I'm kidding. But seriously, there is an actual method to my madness. Try telling that to an assistant director, however, and it becomes a real "Clash of the Titans." Still, the audiences seem to love it so I must be doing something right.

Q: You've been doing progressively butcher roles at The Ogunquit Playhouse.
A: That's because I'm sleeping with the artistic director. Again, I'm kidding!

Q: How far will this trend go?
A: Until I finally get to play Eleanor Roosevelt.

Q: You're paired with Mary Callanan as Madame Thenardier. What has it been like to work with her?
A: Mary is bigger than life, very colorful, lovable beyond words, rules the stage like she's the sheriff and has a really big mouth. So I guess it's just like working with H.R. PufnStuf! She's gonna kick my ass for that one! [laughs] Actually, it's more like "Sigmund and the Sea Monsters."

Q: And speaking of your costars, how about Andrea McArdle?
A: A dream. So funny, and just terrific. Her husband wrote "The Price is Right" theme so of course we have a lot in common. I joke that we like to party a lot together but that's not exactly true. Andrea is a very good girl!

Q: You've worked with a lot of big names in Ogunquit. Who was your favorite and why?
A: Eddie Mekka, one of the stars of "Laverne & Shirley", who played my husband Wilbur in "Hairspray" was and will remain my absolute favorite. He's just a genuine, no bullshit guy with a big heart and a great sense of humor. I love him.

Q: Ogunquit is a bit of a schlep from Dorchester and/or Provincetown. What keeps you coming back to work there?
A: The artistic director - Brad Kenney, who I am NOT sleeping with! - just seems to believe in me and what I do. This is a man who, in the past few years, has taken the Playhouse and totally turned it around. It really is Broadway-quality work they are doing. I am proud to call the Playhouse home and prouder still to be asked back every year.

Q: Any chance of getting the Gold Dust Orphans up there?
A: All I can say is: we're working on that! But first, there's the film version of "Who's Afraid of the Virgin Mary" being shot this winter, as well as the Showgirls documentary/reality show which is in its final stages of preparation.

Q: Speaking of, are you still planning an Orphans Christmas show? Can you tell us anything about it?
A: Sure. We're doing a brand new show called "All About Christmas Eve" in December. So fasten your seat belts and get ready for a bumpy night!

Q: And what other projects do you have up your sleeve?
A: This winter, "Of Mice and Mink" in February and March, and "My Fat Lady" with Varla Jean Merman in April and May.

Ryan Landry stars in Les Mis?rables at The Ogunquit Playhouse through Oct. 12. For tickets, showtimes and more information, visit ogunquitplayhouse.org.