Infamous world leader resurrected in ‘Britannicus’

Susan Daniels

Being the most powerful man in the world may be enticing for many, but for New York actor Alfredo Narciso, the experience has a tendency to bleed into his personal life.

“I’m having more nightmares. Partly, it’s the stress of the role — a hefty part that asks a lot of an actor,” said Narciso, who plays the infamous Roman emperor Nero in “Britannicus,” Jean Racine’s 18th century classic, running at the Loeb Drama Center in Cambridge through next week.

“I’m playing the ruler of the world,” he explained during a recent telephone interview. “One of the most evil people to have ever lived, at least from a normal person’s perspective. Anyone capable of matricide or patricide is an abhorrent individual. And my goal is to find ways to realize he is a human being with dreams, desires and fears, although that doesn’t excuse all of the horrible things he did.”

Set in the palace, where private and public worlds collide, the play — part thriller, part family drama — documents the beginning of the decline of the Roman Empire.

Running wild and leaving a mass of political and personal scandals in his wake, Emperor Nero attempts to seduce the girlfriend of his half-brother Britannicus while Nero’s mother, Agripina, steps in to prevent him. Chaos ensues.

“The text has so many twists and turns. These people can turn on a dime,” said Narciso, who prepared for the role by visiting his own dark places.

“The places you have to go — jealousy, death — human experiences that everyone goes through, although I don’t take pleasure in going there,” explained Narciso, who also composed some original music, which he plays on the guitar, for the production.

Growing up in Wisconsin, the 33-year-old Narciso took up music, along with juggling and unicycling, “because we didn’t have anything to do there.”

“It’s part of my tool kit as an actor. I needed to feel a little different. It helped me to identify that I was different from other people,” said Narciso, the son of a Filipino father, a doctor, and a Brazilian mother, who raised their family in a neighborhood populated by Swedes, Danes and Germans.

“I felt different, but we were welcomed by most,” he said.

Narciso credits his father as a catalyst for his professional success.

“I took some time off — involuntarily — from school, due to bad grades. During this time, my father took me to New York, and instead of chastising me, he took me to some shows,” recalled Narciso, who was inspired to return to college.

“I returned to school, and aced all my classes,” he reported. “Because of my father’s generosity, I was able to get back on track.”

As for “Britannicus,” Narciso has managed to stay the course as well, even during the rigors of the audition and rehearsal phase, describing the former as “somewhat of a blur.”

“We started the audition experience in late September. It was really tough, and I was sweating bullets,” he said. “Next was the waiting game. Then the call back. I got the part and was relieved. Then petrified. I still remember one particular rehearsal [where] I was asked to move slowly, but speak very fast. It’s the equivalent of patting your head and chewing gum.”

Though the play may be preaching to the converted, judging by the typical audience American Repertory Theatre tends to attract, “Britannicus” offers parallels between ancient Rome and our current administration.

“It’s a political thriller that shows how the private seeps into the public and vice versa,” Narciso noted.

Racine wanted to create an experience that paralleled ancient Rome with 17th century French sensitivities. Written during the reign of Louis XIV, the playwright was cautioning the Sun King to take a higher road than the path Nero chose.

“I hope the audience sees the parallels between ‘Britannicus’ and everything that’s going on right now with our leaders,” Narciso said. “I hope this alerts them.”

“Britannicus,” through Feb. 11; Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle Street, Cambridge. Tickets are $25-$50. For tickets, 617-547-8300 or visit www.amrep.org.