In the black and white picture on his wall, David Modigliani, stands in front of the Capitol Building decked out in 70s-style hipster tweeds, sunglasses and a pimpin’ hat cocked to the side. He’s got a brash, “what’s it to you” smile and exudes cool—the kind of guy whose name is on every VIP list. Ladies, don’t call him, he’ll call you.
That snapshot captures Modigs, Mr. Personality, the guy who you think you know or wish you knew after having seen him in any number of campus performances. “I spend a lot of time with people doing things other than hanging out; I would include audience members in that. With improv especially, people feel like they are getting to know you very well.” With a blush and a grin that just might be genuine, David denies rumors that he’s the equivalent of a high school yearbook’s ‘most popular guy’ with more than a handful of women waiting to be properly introduced . “As far as girls wanting to date me, I don’t know of any and I can’t really comment on why people find me intruiguing,” he insists.
Perhaps this will clear things up. Much of his charisma stems from the fact that, though his name isn’t in lights, David comes off like a bona fide, A-list star. Everything from his boyish charm and stammering self-effacement to his hawkish concern about which of his quotes are and are not on the record add to the package. As does the number of people who fell comfortably into the role of unofficial press agent when asked to describe their close friend. “I think performing on stage helps me to not perform when I’m offstage,” David says, though his responsive facial expressions, unwavering gaze and comedic self-awareness all seem to prove the opposite.
And all of this might be a bad thing if David Modigliani weren’t so damn good at it.
“I think that anyone who knows me will say that I don’t create personas,” says David, “that I spend my time doing what I like to do.” It’s true that even the best actors can’t be on all of the time and that a snapshot of David the writer would have a very different feel. A lot less bravado, a lot less hype, and some indication that if you get past the bullshit, David is an intelligent, creative artist looking to express himself through his work. Though he confesses to needing the motivation deadlines provide, David doesn’t mind engaging a perfect stranger in conversation about this or that creative project. For instance he is currently preparing for an upcoming performance of Brecht’s Baal, performing with IGP—one of the student improv groups on campus—and writing a creative dramatic thesis whose explanation warrants more space than this profile can give. Commenting on the different perceptions of him floating around campus, David muses, “people that get to know me in one context don’t necessarily know all of me, and I put myself in a lot of contexts.”
Probably the best way to round out this or that perception of Mr. Personality is to just walk up to him and say hello. You’ll notice the charm and smile at the wit. And once you’ve dug yourself into conversations about his cute baby cousin or his gut, named Joe, you’ll realize that it’s actually pretty easy to talk to this somebody who just might be somebody someday.
