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Dito van Reigersberg’s no stranger to Philadelphia theater. He’s at it again, this time portraying George Tesman in Mauckingbird Theater Company’s Hedda Gabler, playing at the Adrienne Theater’s Second Stage from Jan. 13 through Jan. 29.

Van Reigersberg’s got his work cut out for him as one of only two male actors in this lesbian-themed production about hidden desires and social status. We caught up with him for a few questions about the show and all things Philadelphia theater.

What are you most looking forward to about the show?
To that great feeling of sinking into a great play and believing in that world for an undistracted two hours”¦

What was the most challenging part of your character?
Tesman’s a buffoon in a way, a boyish and innocent academic, but he is intelligent. It’s hard to balance his blindness/ignorance and his wisdom. He really wants things to work, but he has this sinking feeling that they might be too wrong to fix. It’s hard to know when, as the actor, to give in to the worry and when you should try to put a positive spin on things.

How is this production different from your usual work with Pig Iron or your previous work on The Misanthrope?
Well with Pig Iron we start in a totally different, more physical way, and we’re often creating something new. With this piece, such a classic and so demanding of all of us, it’s about coming up to meet the text, rather than finding or forging the text from yourself in my Pig Iron world. And certainly the pressure isn’t as high for me as it was in The Misanthrope, when I just talked for an hour and a half and the point of the play was much more comic. This play is about the serious verbal ping pong, it’s a lot of subtext and listening to the layers.

What’s the best play you’ve seen in Philadelphia recently?
I really enjoyed Cherry Bomb from 1812. I laughed REALLY hard, especially at the séance scene.

What’s your favorite thing to do in Philly?
I love going out for a glass of wine or seeing a movie at the Ritz. Or taking yoga class at Practice Yoga when I can get there.

Adrienne Theatre, Mainstage
2030 Samson St, Philadelphia, PA
(215) 563-4330