In what has all the makings of a tale as classic as anything he will ever possibly act in, Bayonne resident Chris Ferretti recalls the moment he got accepted to a master’s program at Pace University that was endorsed by the Actor’s Studio.
Ferretti, who attended Marist High School, had set his sights on what many would consider “a practical life,” but kept being steered towards acting by some inner need.
His father, Dr. James Ferretti, a local doctor from a family of doctors, was dead set against Ferretti’s seeking a career in performance.
Ferretti tried to honor his father’s wishes, even going so far as earning a bachelor’s degree in business marketing from the University of Rhode Island.
He also published a book about the folly and drama of his college experience, called “The College Files.”
Yet, performance – despite family history – was in his blood.
Perhaps his father might never have come around if Ferretti hadn’t been cast in “Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?” in 2006.
“I had to be connected, and I knew I didn’t yet know what I was doing.” – Chris Ferretti
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“He told me I really had a talent for this, something he didn’t realize, and that it was wrong for him to tell me not to pursue it,” Chris said. “It was almost like a Neil Simon play.”
While Chris had done some studying, he felt he hadn’t done enough.
“I had taken classes in HB Studios and other places here and there. I had to be connected, and I knew I didn’t yet know what I was doing,” Chris said.
His father suggested he should consider getting a master’s, and even agreed to help him pay the tuition to the Actor’s Studio program.
The program
The Pace University program is the only MFA theatre program officially sanctioned by the Actor’s Studio (with co-presidents Ellen Burstyn, Harvey Keitel and Al Pacino).
“[My father] even wrote me a letter of recommendation,” Chris said.
Chris got accepted on Dec. 15, 2006.
“I was bartending at the time, and my father insisted that he take me out to diner to celebrate,” Chris recalled. “We went to Caste Dante and had a bottle of campaign. My father held up his glass and said ‘My son’s going to the Actor’s Studio!’ The next day, he died.”
Learning from the classics
At the Actor’s Studio Drama School, he worked on such material as “Long Day’s Journey Into Night,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “Julius Caesar,” “Some Men Need Help,” “A Doll’s House,” “Strange Snow,” and “Brilliant Traces.”
He also made several appearances on the TV program “Inside the Actor’s Studio,” where he got to ask questions to Hollywood heavyweights.
Three years and many hundreds of hours of hard work later, Chris will obtain his master’s in the spring, and will be part of The Pace University Actor’s Studio Drama School showcase of talent in a performance piece called “Snowangel” by Lewis John Carlino.
The play is set in 1963 on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, something of a comedy/tragedy featuring an alcoholic prostitute and a client who looks for lost love in the arms of what may be the wrong woman.
The performance will be at the Theatre at Dance, located at New Amsterdam, 53 Chambers St. (between Broadway and Center Street) in New York City. Admission is free, but seating is limited, so reservations are must. For reservations, email ASDSRepTickets@gmail.com or call (212) 613-6209. Show dates are Wednesday, April 29; Thursday, April 30; and Friday, May 1; at 8 p.m. and Saturday, May 2, at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Going to California
After he receives his master’s, he and some of the other people from the program will head to Los Angeles, where they will give a presentation of their talents for some of the professionals there.
He doesn’t know where he’ll end up, but hopes it is in performance.
“My goal is to do what I love and not have to bartend at night,” Chris said with a laugh. “But if in 10 years people don’t know who I am, I’m okay with that. Art is the only place where I feel I fit in.”
He sees himself as “a kid from Bayonne who got lucky,” and still believes Bayonne has the best pizza on the planet. He still goes to The Big Apple in Bayonne to get pizza and has been known to dissect meaty plays over buffalo wings at Houlihans.
As for his father, he’ll remember that last night together and treasure it. Even though his father told him he owes him nothing, the memory of that moment will likely remain with Chris forever.