ANARCHY! ACTORS NYC RESIDENCY

May 5th - July 22nd 2025

www.anarchyactors.com/nyc

"As a storyteller, I’m captivated by moments that transcend the screen, scenes where characters breathe, tension simmers, and history comes alive. My film THE PRINCE OF SAILORTOWN, delves into the tumultuous world of Alexander Robinson, a Belfast boxer thrust into the heart of Prohibition-era Chicago under the shadow of Al Capone. In this piece, I’ll not only unpack the craft behind a pivotal scene in the film but also reflect on the legacy of iconic portrayals of Capone and his world across cinema and television. Let’s start with one of THE PRINCE OF SAILORTOWN most complex scenes: a charged exchange involving Caitlyn (Jazz Singer and Alexander’s Lover) and Capone himself. It’s a nexus of emotional subtext, power struggles, and finely tuned performances, a microcosm of what the film strives to achieve. At the core of the scene is a triangle of tension. Caitlyn represents a woman caught between loyalty and self-preservation, navigating the dangerous terrain of Capone’s favor while building a fragile connection with Alexander. Meanwhile, Capone looms as a figure of both menace and vulnerability. The portrayal of Capone is instrumental in avoiding the pitfalls of cliché. Rather than delivering a cartoonish gangster, you must embody a character whose weakening grasp on power rendered him more dangerous, a predator wounded but still lethal. Caitlyn, in contrast, maintains an almost unshakable poise, even as her eyes betrayed layers of fear and defiance. This interplay kept the audience hooked, the balance of power shifting with each glance, pause, or shift in tone. It’s often the simplest choices that leave the deepest impression. Emply controlled breathing and deliberate posture to command Capone’s presence in the scene. A shallow breath before delivering a line hints at the character’s impatience, while a subtle lean forward during silence ads menace. Similarly, Caitlyn uses physical stillness to her advantage, punctuating her dialogue with a tilt of the head or a hand gesture. These choices underscore the character’s resilience, a quiet defiance in a world that demanded submission. One of the scene’s strengths lay in its pacing. Dialogue isn’t rushed; instead, it allows silences to speak volumes. For example, when Capone questioned Caitlin’s loyalty, the beat of silence afterward wasn’t just a pause, it was a battlefield. The actors’ reactions during these moments of stillness told as much of the story as the dialogue itself.

THE PRINCE OF SAILORTOWN is more than a gangster film; it’s a story about survival, identity, and the choices that define us. Through meticulous performances and careful attention to history, my hope is that it offers a fresh perspective on a world we think we know."