What's Up, Jesse L. Martin? The Law & Order Star Talks Up His Shakespeare in the Park "Merit Badge"

Jesse L. Martin got his Broadway start doing Shakespeare in Timon of Athens. After taking nearly ten years away from the stage to star on Law & Order, this veteran of hits like Rent is finally getting back to his roots, tackling the Bard again in The Public Theater’s repertory Shakespeare in the Park season. (Merchant of Venice features Martin as Gratiano, friend to the namesake merchant; The Winter’s Tale showcases his regal side as King Polixenes.) We caught up with Martin to check in on his proud New York stage return, earning that Shakespeare in the Park “merit badge” and what it’s like playing with Al Pacino.

Shakespeare in the Park is a career milestone for many performers. Why?
To me it’s like a merit badge you earn as an actor. It’s like when you go to a Broadway show and look at someone’s bio and Law & Order is in there—[that credit] is a sign you’ve made it as a real New York actor, you know? I have plenty of Law & Order on my resume. Now I finally get to list not one, but two Shakespeare in the Park productions on my bio. I finally got my badge!

What badge do you need next?
Underwater magic.

Were you a Shakespeare in the Park devotee before getting your badge?
C’mon—when I first got to the city I was a student. If there was a show to see for free, it didn’t matter how long I had to wait for tickets, I was going! I can’t believe the people I’ve seen on that Central Park stage over the years. Denzel Washington. Gregory Hines. Morgan Freeman. Tracey Ullman. Jeff Goldblum. Stephen Collins. Mary Alice. Plus Christopher Walken, John Lithgow, Raul Julia, God rest his soul—the list goes on. Shakespeare in the Park is one of the greatest gifts in New York City. You just have to wait for the tickets—and it’s worth the wait.

Is Shakespeare in the Park basically the best summer camp ever for actors?
For sure. This year the summer camp vibe is even more obvious, because it’s one ensemble moving between two shows. We’re bonding in the craziest environment imaginable, because jumping between two different characters in two different Shakespeare plays in this amount of time is crazy. There’s no other word for it.

Have you been enjoying the craziness?
The amount of text you have to consume is insane, but once you get that under your belt it’s just fun. We have two very capable directors [Daniel Sullivan for Merchant of Venice, Michael Greif for The Winter’s Tale] and an ensemble that’s more than up to the challenge. Once you realize you’re up and doing it, you start to go, “Wow—if I can do this, I can do anything.”

Why are The Merchant of Venice and The Winter’s Tale good fits to play in rep?
I’m not sure how the two fit together as a unit, but they definitely inform one another. They couldn’t be more different, which may be why they work together—the settings are wildly different, the language differs. The Merchant of Venice is a straightforward, clear story, while The Winter’s Tale, as a general rule, is hard to present because there is so much plot. Fortunately, our Winter’s Tale is in the hands of Michael Greif, who’s taken pains to make sure every detail of the story is very, very clear.

Getting to Merchant: Is Al Pacino [who stars as Shylock] as intense offstage as we civilians expect him to be?
Man, Pacino is so supreme. [Laughs.] You’re right—he’s an extremely intense guy onstage. You’re never going to get the same performance twice from him, which makes standing next to him [on stage] incredibly exciting. You don’t see that many living icons these days doing what he is doing. But offstage, he’s this jovial kind of guy. Always joking. He loves the theater, loves stage actors. He’s done everything possible to be an active part of this ensemble. He’s sweet. Then he gets onstage and he’s like a Bengal tiger unleashed. I really love the guy.

Two years ago, Hair kept getting rained on. Last year, Twelfth Night had raccoons dropping in. What outdoor additions are you getting with these productions?
The coolest thing so far happened during Winter’s Tale. One day, during a really poignant scene, Pale Male—the famous New York City hawk—started flying over the stage at the most perfect moment. That show uses a lot of animals and birds, so it looked like he was staged into it. You can’t get that anywhere else.

Shakespeare in the Park’s a place many great actors cut their teeth. Anyone in these shows we should look out for?
Yes! Heather Lind and Francois Battiste. Heather is just out of school and couldn’t be a more incredible actress. She’s the most perfect ingénue in both plays, and also stunning—we keep joking she went to movie star school, because she doesn’t even sweat and it’s hot up there. And Francois is just plain awesome. Look out for both of them. I’m telling you, they’re going to be big.

This is one of your first hardcore stage commitments since Law & Order. Did you miss the theater?
Yes, definitely. I mean, it’s challenging. The first couple of times we had audiences, the nerves started up. That’s been the funniest thing to reconnect with—getting my nerves under control. Those muscles need exercising! But now I really want to keep walking across the boards any way I can. Law & Order was amazing, but so consuming I couldn’t get to the stage. I’m going to make up for lost time.

Law & Order is a merit badge actors won’t be able to earn anymore. What do you think will replace it?
It really is a big deal that that show is ending—it was something New York actors could always count on. The truth is that while the mother ship is gone, there’s still two satellites [Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order: Criminal Intent] actors can turn to. You can still get your fix! I really am sad to see it go. I’ve got no idea what’s next, but it will be exciting to see what takes its place.