Dan Privette’s path to the theater scene in Duluth and the cast of Boat Club’s The Odd Couple is a complex and fascinating one. Born in Anaheim, California, Dan and his family moved to Bangkok, Thailand, when he was just ten months old.
His parents were Evangelical missionaries, so his upbringing meant moving every few years. After Thailand, they moved to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and then to Colorado Springs, Colorado. When Dan was 13, they moved to Bucharest, Romania, where he lived until he graduated from high school.
He attended Southeastern University, a conservative Christian liberal arts college in Lakeland, Florida, where he was a film studies major in a program that emphasized screenwriting and directing. It was here that he first did theater and became a member of the college’s improv team.
“After I graduated from college, I moved to Los Angeles to take a crack at breaking into Hollywood, which, apparently, is harder than it looks. I wandered throughout the city for many years doing a hodgepodge of stand-up comedy, improv, indie productions, and commercials, when I was lucky enough to get them,” Privette explained.
Dan studied improv at the famed Upright Citizens Brigade, which has been a launch pad for many renowned comedians, and he was fortunate enough to be a member of a short-lived house team there, as well as a long-running team he helped found.
“After almost a decade of trying and struggling in LA with little to show for a professional career, I decided to try writing and producing my own solo show about my religious upbringing,” Dan stated.
He would eventually revive the show in 2023 in the Hollywood Fringe Festival, where it would enjoy a sold-out run and be nominated for several awards. After that, performing took a back seat until he was invited to do a play in a “small port town in Northern Minnesota” that he had never been to before.
He came to Duluth to do The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong at the Duluth Playhouse, an experience he said inspired him to move here and immerse himself in local theatre. Since moving here in July, he has worked regularly, appearing in shows at The Playhouse, Zeitgeist, and now Boat Club.
He cites that The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong was the production that changed the course of his life. “I had stepped away from acting for a number of years, burned out by auditions and rejections in Los Angeles, and The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong was the play that got me back on stage, back into theatre, and reminded me how much I love the craft of live performance and acting. It also introduced me to Duluth, Minnesota, and inspired me to take the plunge in beginning a life here, where I have been so warmly welcomed.”
He noted, “I probably owe the most to my long-time friend Sean Naughton, who is a local theatre artist, director, and professor here in Duluth. It was he who asked me to audition for The One-Act Play and ultimately directed me in it. In addition to being a brilliant teacher and source of theatrical knowledge, he’s been a loyal friend, creative champion, and stalwart supporter of my creative journey since I was too young to know how grateful I should be to have someone like him in my corner.”
Privette is thrilled to be part of the powerhouse cast of Boat Club’s The Odd Couple. Of his character Oscar Madison, “He is a very fun character to play because he’s so effortlessly comfortable in his own skin. He’s messy, scattered, and maybe a bit selfish, but he’s jovial and fun-loving, sarcastic and quick-witted. He also genuinely loves Felix as a friend, and that’s the most important emotional core to make him come to life.”
He added, “Neil Simon’s writing is so razor sharp and specific, the biggest challenge is simply doing it justice. There’s a rhythm he intentionally wrote into the play, like a conductor might, so you have to keep the tempo while hitting the right notes that make it come to life. He’s already written so many jokes and brilliant moments for his characters to do, my job is simply to hit all of them as he intended and let none of them go to waste.”
“We have a remarkable cast of local talent, all led by the very energetic direction of Peter Froehlingsdorf. I hope this production pays homage to the play so many know and love, while offering new takes and laughs that they haven’t seen before,” Privette explained.
“Ultimately, I hope the audience not only laughs hysterically, but also enjoys the heart of a show about friendship, growth, and the realization that just because you love someone, doesn’t mean you should live with them!”
More Information about The Odd Couple
April 17-18 7:30 pm | April 19 2:00 pm*
April 23-25 7:30 pm | April 26 2:00 pm*
Spirit of the North Theatre, Fitger’s Complex – 3rd Floor
Tickets at destinationduluth.co/odd-couple
Box Office Phone Number: (218) 623-7065
This classic comedy opens on a friendly card game in the untidy apartment of divorced Oscar Madison. And if the mess is any indication, it’s no wonder that his wife left him. Felix Ungar, who has just been separated from his wife, arrives late. Fastidious, depressed, and tense, Felix seems suicidal, but as the action unfolds, Oscar becomes the one with murder on his mind when the clean freak and the slob ultimately decide to room together. (From the Boat Club website)
