Actor: Quentin McCuiston
Role: Yasha
Q: What first attracted you to work on this film?A: I really like period pieces for one thing and I also thought it was a very good story to tell.
Q: Tell about your character, Yasha. How do you identify with him?
A: Yasha is a very childlike person. He's innocent and simple. And at one time (when I was a child) I had a greater capacity for those characteristics. As you grow up, they seem to fade a bit. But I can still remember what it was like to see the world through eyes like that and it's actually quite refreshing.
Q: How did you prepare for your role as Yasha?A: I usually take a lot of clues from the script. What the character says, how he reacts and interacts, and the circumstances around him are all usually right there on the paper. Talking with the director helps to get a hold of the big picture and how your character fits in. His vision for the character helped to define things a little sharper. Some research went on as well. Then it was a matter of playing until I felt that the character had come to life.
Q: What was the most challenging scene for you?
A: The most challenging scene for me was the sequence with my father, Oigen. Most all of the other characters in the scene don't care or begin to pick on Yasha at the same moment that he is going through a very heavy experience. I don't know how it looks, but it was a very lonely scene to do. It was also very difficult, being a high emotion scene, to stop and start and shoot out of order. That's always a challenge.
Q: What did you enjoy the most about working on this film?
A: It was a really great group of people. I loved working and learning from everyone and got to make some good friends. I also got to work with a rat. How often does that happen?
Q: Do you have any stories about working on the set?
A: Usually if you weren't in a scene you would go outside and hang around until they needed you again. During the down time in between scenes, some of the other inmates and I got pretty creative. We started to play what we called "Yasha-ball". It was basically trying to toss a rock through a 1' x 6" hole in a dilapidated wall while standing at a certain distance. We had a lot of fun.
Q: How did you get your start in film?
A: Some of my first projects with film were with some friends right out of college. We actually still work together whenever we can. I am currently collaborating with Chapter 2 Studios (located in Dayton, TN) on a web series called "Learning with Lawrence" which launched September 3rd on learningwithlawrence.com.
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