Bianca Amato

Currently: Making her Broadway debut in Tom Stoppard's Russian epic The Coast of Utopia as a governess in Part One, "Voyage", the wife of a German exile in Part Three, "Salvage" and the leading role of Emma Herwegh, long-suffering wife of a lovesick German poet played by David Harbour in Part Two, "Shipwreck".

Hometown: Cape Town, South Africa

Out of Africa: As the daughter of politically active parents, Amato grew up keenly aware of the "deep, deep troubles" of apartheid. "In my teens, I was a member of a left-wing organization called Pupils Awareness and Action Group," the actress recalls in her lilting accent, and she later became part of the first interracial romance depicted on South African television. "It was wonderful to be part of the slow but healthy process that shifted people's attitudes."

Alien Adventure: After graduating from the University of Cape Town's drama department, Amato built a successful career in film and TV in Johannesburg, but she longed for bigger stages. "I wanted to challenge myself and work in a place where classical theater is a viable option," she explains. Four years ago, she was granted a green card as an "Alien of Extraordinary Ability" in the arts—which basically meant starting over in a country where she knew only one person and had no professional contacts. "My first year in New York was unbelievably tough, with lots of waitressing, after having been a successful actor in South Africa," Amato says. "It was a humbling experience, but a good one because it makes all the lovely things I'm doing now that much sweeter."

Minneapolis, Here I Come: Amato's first break came when she won the lead role of Marlene in the Guthrie Theatre's revival of Caryl Churchill's Top Girls, then went on to play Rosalind in As You Like It, Eliza in Pygmalion and Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice at the Minneapolis-based company. "I developed a really good relationship with the Guthrie and kept going back for delightful roles," she says modestly. "I just wish they were in New York! I finally had to make the decision to try and get work here."

Oh, My Man, I Love Him So: Cast in "Shipwreck" as the outsider in a romantic triangle of Brian F. O'Byrne, Jennifer Ehle and Harbour, Amato says with a laugh, "The songs that are appropriate for Emma are 'Stand By Your Man' and 'As Long As He Needs Me.' Her idea of a relationship is that she will stick with her husband through thick and thin. You could look at her as a masochist, but I feel a real affinity with her strength and pride." The actress participates in one of the production's most talked about tableaus, when Ehle disrobes in a manner that suggests Manet's painting "Dejeuner sur l'Herbe." Notes Amato, "It was fascinating to rehearse, because it's two locations mixed into one and everyone onstage has a massive agenda. The climax of the love triangle is so shattering; it's very special to be part of that scene with Brian and Jennifer."

The Workaholic World of Utopia: Talk about an intense schedule: "The moment we got the first play up, we started rehearsing the second, and once we got that up, we started rehearsing the third," Amato says of Stoppard's nine-hour trilogy. "I'm at work from midday until 11 at night, then I come home and have a hour or so to myself before I go to bed, get up and come back to the theater. We often joke about putting cameras backstage and making a reality TV show, because it's a bit like being in Big Brother. Our dressing rooms have couches and we have showering facilities and a green room. Sometimes we turn to each other and say, 'What play am I in today?'"

Read Any Good Books Lately? Like many theater actors, Amato has developed a sideline business of recording books on tape, including two current blockbusters, Diane Satterfield's The Thirteenth Tale and Philippa Gregory's The Boleyn Inheritance. In the latter, Henry VIII-themed novel, Amato shared reading duties with stage vets Ruthie Henshall and Dagmara Dominczyk aka Mrs. Patrick Wilson, but the three women never met. "We each had a character who alternated chapters," she explains. "I did the whole book in a day, reading solidly for eight hours. It takes a lot of concentration."

Accent on Success: With the help of a dialect coach, Amato finally feels ready to tackle roles that require an American accent. "At first, it made me feel like I was acting through fog," she says. "It's such a different articulation from South Africa, and the placement of words in my mouth felt alien. But now I feel completely comfortable, and I'm looking forward to getting my teeth into something contemporary."