”James is 7 years old in the play. To get into character I found myself watching a lot of kids, and seeing how free they are. What I realized about a young character is that probably 85 percent of what they see is new; things they’ve never experienced before. Getting back to that place was interesting. What was difficult and remains to be difficult is that ever since I was young, I have always had an old soul; it’s kind of my blessing and my curse as an actor. One of the most difficult things about playing this character is being able to shed that, almost completely to the point where I feel like I may be losing something. You have to really allow yourself to be truly different. I tend to be cast as characters that are the voice of reason, that are solid and clear-thinking. Letting myself be less serious was hard for me. The story is so beautiful. It shows people that no matter how difficult your circumstances may seem everything can work out in the end..”

>> Through Feb. 8. $30. Arden Theatre, 40 N. Second St. 215.922.1122. www.ardentheatre.org