Keira Knightley Talks the Perils of Broadway at ‘Therese Raquin’ Opening
Being onstage with Keira Knightley can be dangerous. But mostly just for Knightley herself.
The actress, making her Broadway debut in the Roundabout Theater Company’s Broadway production of “Therese Raquin,” sprained her wrist early on in the run and it’s still recovering. “I forgot onstage that I was acting,” she said after the Oct. 29 opening of the show, in which she stars alongside Matt Ryan, Judith Light and Gabriel Ebert.
“My character is supposed to be stronger than Gabe’s character, so I launched myself at him, which is not very bright when you’re 5’7″ and he’s 6’4″. It swelled up like you’ve never seen!” she continued. “Sprains takes ages to heal, and I have a six-month-old so I’m lifting her up all the time, which means I’m not quite resting it as much as I should. So my wrist isn’t great, but it’s okay.”
Along with the Knightley and her fellow cast members, the play also stars a whole lot of water — a giant onstage trough of it, impersonating a river. Knightley, Ryan and Ebert all throw themselves into the drink at one point during the show.
The temperature varies. “The matinees can be a little chilly,” Ebert said.
The question for director Evan Cabnet is: If you direct a play in which you make your actors go for a swim, does the director have to take a dip as well, out of solidarity?
“I haven’t gone in yet, but I will,” Cabnet said. “It’s a done deal. Me and my assistant. We’re bringing trunks.”
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