General Hospital’s Ronnie Marmo on his character & a new chapter for Theatre 68
by Rene Thurston
Although it seems as though Detective Ronnie Dimestico spends most of his time on General Hospital trying to arrest members of the mob or yelling at others for not doing the same, with new storylines on the horizon, his portrayer, Ronnie Marmo, is hopeful that there will be a new dawn for his character as well. I spoke with Ronnie at the recent General Hospital Fan Club Weekend about his hopes for Detective Dimestico. We also spoke on Wednesday about some exciting news for his creative baby, Theatre 68.
Examiner: So Ronnie, there’s a new head writer at the helm of General Hospital. What does that mean for Detective Dimestico?
Ronnie: I hope it means good things! I just shot some stuff where I’m working with Lucky, so I’m excited about that. I’m hoping to be involved in the whole prescription drug ring story. You know, it’s exciting because it’s a new time. I don’t know, we’ll see what happens. I’m certainly working a lot coming up, I just don’t know what I’m doing yet, so that’s good news. I would love to break out and have other discussions other than police talk. (laughs) Although, I love doing that, trust me, but it would be nice to discuss something else.
Examiner: Or something besides yelling about Sonny?
Ronnie: How about being kind to someone and gentle and loving!
Examiner: Maybe a romance, that might be nice!
Ronnie: A little love, a little humor, that might be nice. But I’m trying to put it in my work anyway. The last few things I’ve shot, I’ve tried to lighten it up a little. I’m excited about the future.
Examiner: So what’s new with Theatre 68?
Ronnie: We’re always working. We have a new show that just opened. It’s just non-stop. Every eight weeks, we’re producing something else. It’s called the elephant, you know, it’s so big, you keep feeding it and it never seems satisfied.
Examiner: Do you like doing GH and the theater, or do you prefer one over the other?
Ronnie: I don’t have a preference. My heart is in the theater, but it’s completely different, and sadly, the theater is where you’re guaranteed not to making any money (laughs). You have to have your head examined to do it. I love them both differently and equally, and I have different reasons for why I love them, you know what I mean?
Ronnie is the artistic director and co-founder of Theatre 68 in Los Angeles. He has produced over 30 stage plays, including the critically acclaimed Bill W and Dr. Bob, which has enjoyed hundreds of sold-out performances, West of Brooklyn with Jerry Ferrara, Bent with General Hospital’s Tyler Christopher (ex-Nikolas), What the Rabbi Saw with Eva Longoria and The Last Days of Judas Iscariot and Subway Series. He has also starred in over 30 stage plays, including two six-month runs of the one man show Lenny Bruce is Back (and boy is he pissed) where he portrayed the legendary comic.
On Wednesday, Ronnie and I discussed the recent announcement that he’s expanding Theatre 68 with a new location in the city that holds the heart of theater, New York.
Examiner: So there’s big news about Theatre 68! What made you decide to expand the theater to New York?
Ronnie: It’s been a dream of mine ever since the theater company started, being that we turned ten on Feb. 14th, 2011. I believe we’re at a place where we can be bicoastal. One of the things missing in my life is the opportunity to perform in NY and go there more often than I do. I would say the biggest reason is that I want to provide a home for my friends and actors in NY looking for a family, like we’ve been able to put together in LA.
Examiner: Will you going back and forth to do shows?
Ronnie: I will absolutely be going back and forth to do shows. How much time I spend there will depend on if I will be acting or directing. I will also be choosing all the material we produce in NY as I do at Theater 68 in LA.
Examiner: What is your hope for this expansion?
My hope is to provide a home for actors who need a place to go, who are as lost as I was when I came to LA – and to produce fantastic work. Any actors looking to audition, please come out on August 25th!
If you live in the New York City area, Theatre 68 is looking for their East Coast 68 Cent Crew! Auditions will be held on Thursday, August 25th at the Tony Award Honored Drama Book Shop, Inc., 250 West 40th St., New York, NY 10018. Please email a headshot, resume and a note for an audition slot to info@theatre68ny.com or you can use the form at the website, Theatre68.com Please note that audition slots are limited, and this is not an open call.
Congratulations to Ronnie on the Theatre 68 expansion, and here’s hoping we learn more about General Hospital’s Detective Ronnie Dimestico in the coming months. Please spread the word about the new theater and visit www.theatre68.com to learn more.