Beth Cole

Hometown: Detroit, Michigan

Currently: Breaking hearts and attracting Philip Seymour Hoffman's amorous interest as tragedy-prone embalmer's assistant Connie in the LAByrinth Theatre Company's critically acclaimed off-Broadway production of Bob Glaudini's Jack Goes Boating.

Big Dreams: With theater scarce in Detroit, Cole's first exposure to acting was through being an avid moviegoer. Yet she didn't consider trying it herself until she was about to finish high school. "I was 17 and not going to college and I didn't know what the hell I was gonna do," she remembers with a boisterous laugh. "A cousin of mine said, 'Oh, why don't you try acting?' That had never occurred to me!" A few classes and community theater roles later, Cole had discovered her passion and set her sights on the Big Apple. "I was really enjoying it, so I was like, 'I'm not doin' anything else. I'm gonna move to New York and get some training!'"

Hopping the 'A' Train: After arriving in the city, Cole studied with acting greats William Hickey and Mary Boyer while exploring the independent film scene. With a few stage and screen credits under her belt, she took in LAByrinth's production of Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train and fell in love with the company's edgy, contemporary work. "I was like, "I'm sorry, I did California Suite and Lend Me a Tenor in Detroit— what's this?" she exclaims with an infectious laugh. "'This is the kind of work I wanna do!'" Inspired, Cole joined LAByrinth as an intern in 2001, working diligently to help the young company take off. "There were four of us," she remembers, "doing the books, helping run programs; it wasn't a 'fetching coffee' kind of internship. We were actually involved."

Beth Goes Boating: Cole's first encounter with Jack Goes Boating occurred two years ago, during the LAByrinth's Summer Intensive program. This annual event sees company members share a two-week artistic getaway where they take turns writing, directing and critiquing plays in development often 30 to 40 of them before voting on what the upcoming season will be. A most unusual and impromptu audition got Cole the role in that summer's reading of Jack and beyond. "I was sitting at a bar with [playwright Glaudini] and [company co-founder] John Ortiz," she recalls, "telling them a story about this guy I met who was trying to get me involved in his religious cult. It was really interesting, all these different sciences intertwined into one deal. I ended up hangin' out with this guy for a few hours. When I finished telling the story, Bob looked at John and said, 'Who do we have slated to be Connie in the play? I think Beth should do it.' And that was it!"

No Fear! Cole, Hoffman, Ortiz and Daphne Rubin-Vega have been Jack Goes Boating's quartet since its summer '05 reading, forming a tightly knit ensemble both onstage and off. Considering the starry nature of her co-stars—one an Oscar winner and another a two-time Tony nominee—their connection as LAByrinth company members was crucial. "I'm sure that coming into this situation, if I didn't know these people I would've been scared shitless," she declares with a hoot. "But I've had a relationship with them for years, so this has been like, 'Okay, we all love and respect each other; now let's have some fun! Let's do the work and figure it all out.' It helps, tremendously."

Can't Help Falling in Love: In the play, Cole's sweetly neurotic character is courted by Jack Philip Seymour Hoffman, a meek limo driver intent on improving his life. Creating romantic chemistry with Hoffman was a sensitive and careful process for Cole, especially considering a potentially edgy sex scene their characters share late in the play. "It's very delicate," she admits. "You have to be sure that as actors, we're feeling safe and still staying true to where the characters are. It's about being very respectful and clear about what's okay and what's not. We're not here to offend, but the nature of the two characters keeps it sweet and honest."

Going With the Flow: Settling into her first hit show, Cole is taking every day as it comes, staying focused on the spirit of unity she loves about the theater. "I'm just enjoying what's going on right now," she says, "which, for better or worse, is generally how I've dealt with acting. I enjoy the community of it. That's much more important to me than the business side. I've been in no rush [for success], and good things come to those who wait. I genuinely believe that. Whatever happens, this is where I'm at now, and it feels good!"