This fall, a riveting new production is settling in the Chicago and is sure to challenge and inspire every audience that is lucky enough to experience it. “9 Circles,” written by Bill Cain and directed Marti Lyons, provides the deep and psychological account of the journey that Private Daniel Reeves takes as he is discharged and prosecuted for war crimes. The DePaulia had the privilege of speaking with two members of the cast Š—ê and DePaul graduates Š—ê Andrew Goetten and Amanda Dahl Powell who have delved head-on into the kind of show that requires poise and bravery to do so.

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The DePaulia: Tell me a little bit about the character(s) that you portray within the show.

Goetten: I play a private in the Iraq War. His name is Daniel Edward Reeves and he is a 19-year-old from Texas. He has an anti-social personality disorder that he is not fully aware of and he commits some crimes in Iraq. They discharge him and bring him back to the United States and put him on trial. His journey is through the darkness to see the light. He doesn’t really feel empathy or compassion for other people and his journey through that comprises the arc of the character throughout the show.

Powell: I play a public defender who reminds Reeves of the horrific wartime actions he’s being charged with, a psychiatrist with whom he meets during his service, and a prosecutor who argues against him at his trial. It’s been an interesting journey to reconcile where I stand with these women Š—ê that is, to find out why they do what they do Š—ê and I’ve found that they are of the most courageous and compassionate I’ve ever played. I misunderstood their quick and sometimes clipped, clinical speech for apathy in the beginning, which doesn’t work, and I’ve really enjoyed discovering what I needed to in order to make them function.
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The DePaulia: What role has performance and acting played in your life thus far, and where do you see it going from here?

Goetten: [Laughs] I wanted to be Batman when I was little and after that I wanted to be an actor. I have always pursued it whether it was small community theater in my hometown or high school theater. I decided then that I really wanted to pursue it as a career so I auditioned for a lot of schools and I really liked DePaul. I also do commercial work and some television work but I think theater is definitely my first love. More and more I am starting to love film as well and I would love to get into it more. I would love to do that and then come back to the theater where you are in front of an audience, which is amazing. I would love to do it all, eventually. It’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do and I honestly can’t see myself doing anything else.

Powell: I studied acting at DePaul and have been working in theatre and film since I graduated. Performance has always been a joy and point of great interest for me and I hope I can continue to act for a living.
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The DePaulia: While many shows rely on spectacle and theatrics, “9 Circles” seems deeply psychological. What was it like to work on a production that seeks to challenge its audience in this way?

Goetten: We all like things that require us to think and I think that the audience can really question how they feel about certain topics like war and violence in this show. I really enjoy plays that don’t involve a lot of theatrics. I like two people in a scene, talking and wanting something from the other person. Their relationship is just fascinating to watch and that is what this show is all about. It is all two-person scenes and that is what I love about it. It’s very stripped-down.

Powell: I have so enjoyed this play’s reliance on the depth of its subject matter and precision of its writing to deliver us as actors very advantageously to places we need to be to invite the audience into the world of the play. It is a relief to be a part of a play, which doesn’t use, as you say, theatrics, as a mean to this end. I’ve been in many productions in which I’ve been encouraged to tack on emotionality or tricks for one reason or another. The conversations we have on stage with Reeves are honest, direct and authentic, and we are provided with really fertile groundwork to build upon and play with.

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The DePaulia: Do you have any advice for aspiring young actors seeking to make their way in the arts today?

Goetten: You have just got to remember to do what you want to do and to not take anything too personally. It is a business just like anything else. I think a lot of people take things to heart when most of the time it has nothing to do with them. Work hard because it will pay off and be nice to everyone. I really don’t appreciate people who think that they are better than other people. We are all making this art together, so why not work together and be on the same page? Actors are the only people under the lights but there are so many individuals that contribute to it. Remember that you are an artist, too. You need to do what you want to do so that you continue to love it.

Powell: My best advice to young actors is to make auditioning your primary focus. It will be a full-time job (if things are going well). Becoming disdainful towards auditions and the audition process is both very easy and very detrimental. You’re only going to get a very small percentage of the jobs you audition for and you’ll be doing yourself a great favor by cultivating and maintaining a wealth of energy for each opportunity that comes along. And as seriously as you should take auditions, you have to be equally as ready to let them go when they’re done. Also, avoid turning things down, especially when nothing else is being offered. I’ve made friends I will keep for the rest of my life working on projects I wasn’t necessarily dying to do. Also, buy a business casual outfit. Just do it.

“9 Circles” will be at the DCASE Storefront Theater until Oct. 6.