The trust that developed between Moore andRonis had to overcome remarkably differentbackgrounds. As Moore remarked ironically, "we'reabout as different as an Irish Catholic from theBoston area and a Jew from Long Island can be."
Moore was born June 12, 1964, in Salem, Mass,and he grew up in nearby Peabody, Mass, attendingSt. John's Preparatory School, a Catholic boy'sacademy. He is the second youngest of sevenchildren--four girls, three boys, a descendent ofIrish immigrants whose grandparents came over asdomestics and laborers.
At St. John's Moore excelled in English and wasa prize pupil of Brother Santoro's acclaimed highschool company, which won statewide "mini-academyawards" in repeated drama festivals. As a kid herecalls loving disaster movies and wanting toactually "play the Towering Inferno," and hismother says he annually staged a backyard pick-upplay, the way other kids would organize astreet-wide round of touch football.
Since freshman year, when he was cast in threeout of four Harvard-Radcliffe Drama Company (HRDC)productions on the Loeb mainstage, Moore has beena campus superstar. A Lowell House resident, hehas spent two summers at HRDC summer theater andtoured Europe a third summer as a featuredperformer in the A.R.T.'s production of KingStag. Among his many roles he counts hisrendition of Lady Macbeth in Rauch's highlyoriginal Medea, Macbeth, Cinderella andRichard in Ronis's Richard the Second ashis personal favorites.
He has also acted in three A.R.T. shows, wherein addition to King Stag he currently starsin Robert Wilson's Alcestis and OlympianGames, both of which will rotate at the Loebthrough July. And though Moore graduates cumlaude General Studies today, the Fine Artsmajor estimates he has "almost never had time toopen a book before reading period."
Ronis's mother describes him as a strong-mindedboy who never alienated anyone, despite hisflamboyant talent and ambition. She likes to tella story to illustrate her son's highly independentspirit. "As a baby I remember one time he woke meat three in the morning and I went to get him abottle of milk so he would shut up," she recalls."But when I gave him the bottle he threw it out ofthe crib and said, `I want chocolate milk.'"
Born September 26, 1964 in Queens, Ronis wentto G.W. Hewlett High School, in the Long Islandtown bearing the same name--the exact town, Ericwryly remarks, which was recently listed "amongthe nation's 5 Jappiest townships in the JapHandbook."
Ronis, who now lives in North House, was adynamo in high school, snagging avaledictorianship after captaining the math team,being on the debate team, getting straight `A's,'winning a National Merit Scholarship, whileconstantly involved in theater. His firstshow--"which may still be my mother'sfavorite"--was Once Upon a Time on aMattress. He entered Harvard a hesitant butprococious pre-med--taking organic chemistry hisFreshman fall--but a stint in several excitingproductions persuaded him his vocation was thestage.
Since freshman year Ronis estimates that he,like Moore, has never spent a moment at Harvardwithout being in at least one play. This term, forinstance, he directed or acted in six shows whilewriting a magna thesis on the dramatic monolguesof Robert Browning. With Ronis, as with Moore,quality has never suffered due to quantity: theRichard the Second and the Romeo andJuliet he directed this year earned gushingpraise.
Unlike Moore, Ronis has spent a great deal ofhis time directing, and he vows to pursuedirection in the future. Of the two, Ronis is morecommitted to being a director. "I definitely wantto do both act and direct," he says. "One hasreinforced the other. I'm definitely a betterdirector because I act and a better actor becauseI direct." Moore says he ultimately wants to workin film.
Both have indeterminate longterm plans,although in the immediate future Moore plans tocontinue at the A.R.T. through July and then joinRauch's Cornerstone Theater Company in Virginia totour and do ensemble theater next year, whileRonis is set to try out for the Second City comedytroupe in Chicago and remain there as an actorregardless of whether he makes the company. Bothclaim to be skeptical about what's in store,although Moore says "we're willing to sell out ifwe have to."
But they probably won't.