Press | My New York, April 2009

Cable devotees know her as Clare, the L.A. teen who slouched toward adulthood in HBO’s Six Feet Under, but Lauren Ambrose is East Coast to the core. Born in New Haven, Connecticut, she landed her first off-Broadway gig at 14, soon graduating to parts in Law & Order and movies (In & Out, Can’t Hardly Wait). After her HBO stint, Ambrose debuted on Broadway in Awake and Sing! in 2006, and performed in Shakespeare in the Park twice. Now she’s back on Broadway, co-starring with Geoffrey Rush and Susan Sarandon, in Exit the King. Any New Yorker who makes time for Shakespeare and milkshakes in the same afternoon is worth following. Happy hiking!

What is your quintessential New York meal, and where would youeat it?
Soup dumplings at Joe’s Shanghai (24 W. 56 St. between Fifth and Sixth Aves. Map it!). But go during at an off-hour time. There can be lines around the block. Or a midnight steak au poivre at Raoul’s (180 Prince St. between Sullivan and Thompson St. Map it!).

Who is your favorite New Yorker?
Bernie Madoff-wait, no. Woody Allen.

If you had to recommend three must-see places for visitors to New York, what would they be and why?
Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte Theatre. Try to imagine what it must have been like in the ‘70s, when going into Central Park at night was only for the truly crazy. Take a really long walk—maybe from the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine (W. 112 St. and Amsterdam Ave. Map it!) all the way down to Battery Park (entrance at State St. and Broadway Map it!), and watch the neighborhoods change. Then wander around Chinatown and you will find many hidden treasures.

Do you root for a New York sports team? Which one(s)?
I'm from New England. Let's leave it at that.

What are three items that every New Yorker should own?
Three giant bags of money.

What’s the biggest misconception about New York City?
That young artists can afford to live here.

What stereotype about New York City is true?
It is really loud.

What is your favorite neighborhood and why?
I guess I like the West Village because I like to romanticize what it would have been like to have been there in the ‘20s—like Diane Keaton in Reds.

Is there something you’ve always wanted to do New York, but have not yet accomplished?
Hint to agent: Eat at Peter Luger (178 Broadway at the corner of Driggs Ave., Brooklyn).

What is the best thing you’ve bought in New York, and where did you get it?
Oh, that's obvious—my shruti box at Keshav Music (67 E. 4 St, between Bowery and Second Ave.) in the East Village. (For the uninitiated, it is an Indian droning instrument).

What song lyrics sum up New York for you?
Especially when I am out of the country or in L.A. for a long time: "I'm going back to New York City, I do believe I've had enough." [from Bob Dylan’s “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues”]

What do you love most about being part of the New York theater community?
I love the hard work—showing up, even if you are sick as a dog, for eight shows a week, which can sometimes seem impossible. And after a Sunday matinee, that feeling you and your fellow actors have of collectively really earning that Monday off.

What’s your most cherished New York theatrical memory—of a show you saw, or one you were part of?
I was lucky enough to get to perform last year with the Our Time Theatre Company (307 W. 38 St. between at the corner of Eighth Ave.), a non-profit that provides an artistic home for young people who stutter. Let me tell you, it was the most gorgeous, transporting and inspiring night of theater I have ever been near. Taro Alexander, the founder, and those kids are the coolest people I know. Anyone who has an opportunity to attend one of their shows or benefits should!.