By Judi Straughan
In baseball, players step up from the minor leagues to the
major league; in hockey, the farm teams feed the NHL.
Theatre has its own stepping stones to reach its major
league.  Just ask Nathin Lambovitch of Sudbury. 
He'll tell you the story of how he has managed to be part of
the incredible company of professionals in the Pulitzer Prize
winning Rabbit Hole at the Sudbury Theatre Centre, and you'll
see that luck can be a significant factor.
Lambovitch, a third year theatre student at Thorneloe
University on the Laurentian campus, heard that STC Artistic
Director was looking for a local actor to play a 17-year-old,
along with the professional cast, in the five-time Tony
nominated drama Rabbit Hole.
"I jumped at the chance.  Usually, you have to be an
equity member to be on the STC stage.  There I was- a
student with a dream and an opportunity."
Lambovitch, who clearly displayed the qualities Pothitos was
looking for, has had the ride of a lifetime.
"I really feel connected to the character of Jason. He's kind
of a regular teenager with ambitions and dreams- like we all
have.  I just have to remind myself to stay focused
and  be in the moment for each performance. That's always
a huge challenge."
"When I approached STC for the first day of rehearsals, I had
five minutes of terror as I was about to sit down with
professional actors," remembers Lambovitch.  "I didn't
know what to expect. And I had to act like I wasn't scared out
of my mind when we began reading through the script. They were
amazing!  They all came so prepared; they brought so much
to the table on the first day. They are all perfect for their
parts."
Clearly, Lambovitch had just learned his first real lesson in
the level of work and skill required to be a true professional
actor. 
"They were so kind to me. They said they really liked my
interpretation of the character.  What a relief!  I
hope they weren't lying," he jokes.
The rest of the cast features Deborah Drakeford and Jeff Miller
as Becca and Howie Corbett.   Becca and Howie, who
have lost their child months before, are in the process of
piecing their lives back together. Both actors are debuting at
the STC, and they come highly qualified having appeared in
professional productions across the country.
They are joined by Jody Stevens for her fifth memorable
performance at STC and Elva Mai Hoover, who has had a number of
memorable television roles such as Mrs. Lawson on Road to
Avonlea.
"It's so different working at this level. Everyone moves in the
same direction; everyone cares about the show more than
himself. I can't say enough about the designers and the
crew.  What a treat."
"And the director is great.  George has a real talent for
casting and a clear vision of what he sees in each
character.  He allows us to make our choices but always
makes sure we stay real."
The play's story involves the loss of a child- not the kind of
story that people immediately gravitate
toward.   
"Granted the play tells a story of something that no one should
ever experience - but it tells it in such a compelling way.
It's so hopeful- so funny sometimes.  The family struggles
valiantly to keep their lives intact and have nothing but each
other to get them through," says Lambovitch.
After all, the play did win the Pultizer Prize for Drama in
2007 and was nominated for five Tony Awards on Broadway. 
Anything that takes Broadway by storm is worth looking into.
Rabbit Hole by David Lindsay-Abaire plays from March 27 to
April 6 at the Sudbury Theatre Centre and is sponsored by 50
Carleton.
Judi Straughan is the education co-ordinator for the Sudbury Theatre Centre.
