Stark Sands Comes to Journey's End's End With No Regrets

By Robert Simonson
09 Jun 2007

Stark Sands
Stark Sands
Photo by Aubrey Reuben

Journey's End actor Stark Sands' pre-Tony Awards experience on Sunday, June 10, will be unlike that of any of his fellow nominees with the possible exception of fellow cast member Boyd Gaines, who is also nominated.

"It will be an amazing, incredible day," he told Playbill.com. "I get to do my final performance of the most satisfying, rewarding experience I ever had working. Then, I'll go upstairs, take a shower in my dressing room, put on a tux, go jump in a limo and be taken to the red carpet at the Tony Awards. I just want to enjoy every last moment on that stage."

The cast of the acclaimed WWI drama Journey's End — a play which is the favorite to take the Best Revival of Play prize — was informed that their run would end June 10 just days after collecting six nominations. Sands said he wasn't surprised by the turn of events.

"Our producers have been very candid with us about the reality," he explained. "It's pretty obvious when the lights come up after the show and you look at the house and you realize, it's not getting bigger, it's getting smaller. They told us before we even started, 'You guys, this is a great show. We believe in this, but it's a long shot. It's a word-of-mouth show.' I believe we have done our best, and I believe our producers have done their best. It just may not be the right temperature for people to want to see this show."

The Broadway show is Sands' first, and the fact that the run was cut short notwithstanding, this is the longest he's performed in one play. Though the experience is almost over, the actor said he's still learning. "Even this past week, there're moments that I discover on stage as they're happening and I walk off going, 'That's how I should have been doing that.' For a second I was kicking myself. I've been sharing that experience with my fellow actors and they say, 'No, that's how it is.' I was glad it wasn't just me."