“The Performance”: interview with the actor Jeremy Piven and the director Shira Piven

At the 18th edition of the Rome Film Fest, Jeremy Piven and his sister Shira Piven presented their first film together, “The Performance”, in the Grand Public section.
Jeremy Piven is the main protagonist of  “The Performance”, directed by Shira Piven, with a cast that also includes Robert Carlyle, Maimie McCoy, Adam Garcia, Isaac Gryn and Lara Wolf to tell the story of the talented Jewish-American tap dancer Harold May.

An adaptation from Arthur Miller

The film is an adaptation of the story by Arthur Miller published in The New Yorker and sees the dancer’s company invited – during a European tour– to perform in Berlin. It was a unique show, the culmination of a career, which, however, could take them on stage in front of Adolf Hitler in 1937.

‘The Performance” was a true labour of love for Jeremy Piven, who credits his mother with introducing him to what he calls the role of his career. “My mother gave me the Arthur Miller piece that appeared in the New Yorker and said, ‘I think you’d like the story and I see you well in the role of Harold.’ My sister Shira and I grew up in the theatre and assimilated the work of playwrights. We come from a family of theater people, both of our parents were actors, directors and teachers. My mother has been my acting teacher since I was 8 years old, and Shira is the best actors director I have ever worked with, so it became a family project.”

The actor and Shira Piven also talked to FRED Film Radio about the relevance of Arthur Miller and his works nowadays, an author who is still capable of talking about humanity and its inner turmoil.

A long journey with tap dancing steps

It took many years to make the film, which allowed Jeremy Piven to dedicate himself even more to dancing, becoming an excellent tap dancer. Piven said: “I care a lot about Harold; he is an exceptional character, and I was thrilled by the idea of being able to play him to the fullest.”

The protagonist of “The Performance” also shared his thoughts about the ambition of his character and his willingness to be a successful dancer.

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