- Priceless Moments with Robert Prosky, Andrew and John Prosky and Leisa Mather
- By Joel Markowitz
These interviews take us inside the hearts and minds of each of the play’s characters to examine the intricacies of Arthur Miller’s The Price: Robert Prosky as the furniture dealer Solomon, Andrew and John Prosky as the brothers Victor and Walter and Lisa Mather as Victor’s long-suffering wife. And the actors look back on their careers.
Robert Prosky has been exploring the character of Solomon for 15 years. Listen as he explains the humor and pathos of the old man. This production is a rare Prosky family affair. What is this father’s experience performing with his sons? Mr. Prosky tells us his reaction when he son said he wanted to be an actor. And he gives advice to actors – whether they be young or in mid-career.
Sibling rivalry plays a big part in The Price and brothers Andrew and John didn’t have to dig deep for material. Interviewed separately because Andrew’s plane was late, it’s fun to hear the similarities and differences as they talk about the father, their careers and their children. One thing they have in common is that they owe their first love of theatre to being backstage at Arena Stage.
Bubbly Leisa Mather is nothing like the long-suffering wife she plays. Re-connecting from the last time Joel saw her in 
Forbidden Broadway – Special Victims Unit Leisa offers up some of the stars she parodied in the long-running biting show.
Our Podcasts: Robert Prosky: click here
John and Andrew Prosky: click here
Leisa Mather: click here
Click here to read our review of The Price.
The Price continues at Theater J thru April 18th.
Mr. Prosky was a very nice man, and blessed us all with his craft. His will be missed greatly.
Mr. Prosky influenced the lives of countless theatre professionals all around the country, including me. Although I lived in Richmond, I subscribed to Arena Stage from 1968 until 1990. Mr. Prosky left a life-changing impression on me during those years when I was really impressionable. He was my favorite Arena actor, mainly because there was always a Prosky heart beating in every role he played. Over the years, I came to feel like I knew him, like he was an old friend. I bumped into him and his wife one night in the lobby at the Kennedy Center, and it was one of those rare instances when I had to go up and tell someone how much I admired and respected their work. He could not have been more gracious. I’ve been an artistic director of a nonprofit theatre now for 33 years. I know I never would have sought out this career had it not been for the influence of Mr. Prosky and his colleagues at Arena Stage. They filled my life, and I can only hope that my work will somehow, in some way have a similar effect on someone else.
I am so saddened at the passing of Robert Prosky. I loved his work on the stage and on TV, and I was so honored to have had the opportunity to sit down with him and his two sons and record this podcast, while they were appearing in The Price at Theater J. Here was a humble man – a great actor – talking about how he loved his work, loved his wife, loved his sons, and loved working on the stage with them. This sad news is heartbreaking. The memory of the joy of interviewing this great man will live on with me forever. My condolences to his family and to the DC theatre community – who will sorely miss him.
Thnaks Joel for an interesting series of interviews. Being an Arena Stage subscriber since about 1973, it brought back many fond memories. Prosky’s Willy Lohman will always be the definite characterization of that role for me. And thinking of Andy as a little boy in Caucasion Chalk Garden and John in Galileo makes me realize that in my lifetime living in Washington, moments in the theatre are among my most fond memories.