Indian-origin actor Vighnesh Dheenadhayalan recently concluded a successful run in the restaging of Moby Dick at The Metropolitan Opera in New York City, which captivated audiences from January to March 2025. The production was a revival of composer Jake Heggie’s acclaimed 2010 adaptation of Herman Melville’s iconic American novel, directed by Broadway veteran Leonard Foglia.
Vighnesh’s involvement in this monumental production marked a significant milestone in his acting career. Speaking about his experience, he described it as “wonderful” and emphasized the uniqueness of the creative process, especially the fight choreography led by renowned Broadway fight director Rick Sordelet and his team at Sordelet Inc.
“Right from the onset of the project, I saw the pre rehearsal work the creative team had put into the staging, movement choreography, etc. So much so that there was very specific direction on what number step I should stand in the ladder. So, when the time came to learn the fight, I was expecting a team of 25 members to walk in and show us each and every single move. But contrary to my expectation, Rick walked in and said ‘you guys have 15 minutes, work with each other and give me a draft fight’. I was very much surprised by this at the time. But Rick, being the master he is, wanted us to find the fight ourselves for many reasons. Primarily because he wanted to capture the bonhomie of the sailors from the get go. He said, “this is not a fight where two gangs are against each other. They are brothers who are risking their lives in the most precarious of situation to secure a better living for their families. And that is what we should focus on capturing”. “It was incredibly collaborative and something I’d never experienced before”, adds Vighnesh.
Performing on the iconic Met stage came with its own set of physical and spatial challenges. The set was ingeniously designed by the Tony award Nominee Robert Brill, whose works have been all around the world. The Opera takes place on a boat, and what better way to put the audience right in the middle of the ocean than to make the bow of a ship into the set. The floor of the ship was curved to resemble an actual bow, so it was an added challenge for the actors in an opera that requires a lot of movement. The set also comprised of multiple 30-foot ladders and narrow rungs which the actors climb and stayed on for long period of time, and bring the nautical atmosphere to life.
“The physicality of the role really excited me,” Vighnesh explained. “It was a test of adaptability, working within a tight space, yet finding ways to make every movement count.” The big challenge, Vighnesh mentions was to strike a balance between making the fight realistic and doing it safely. “We had to get our choreography, inch perfect. A slight misalignment in a punch or a kick could hurt not just our fight partner, but also the singers and other actors around us. Or if we overshot a movement, then there was also the risk of one of us falling into the orchestra pit.” He gave a lot of credit to the work he had done with the View Points technique by Mary Overlie. “Viewpoints has helped me a lot as an actor. And I have found it very helpful in stunt work as well, as I’m able to bring my awareness to space around me, gestures and the pace, which are three important pillars of the Viewpoints.
In terms of character development, Vighnesh found profound inspiration through director Leonard Foglia’s guidance. “Leonard told me to think of my character not as one among many, but as one for many,” he recalled. “That changed everything for me. It helped me forge a deeper rapport with my fellow actors, which was essential for conveying the emotional bonds between sailors—especially between Greenhorn and Queequeg, who are in the same category to us sailors in the Opera.”
While the opera singers conveyed their characters through music, the actors like Vighnesh, brought the narrative to life through body language, movement, and presence—essential components in a production where every gesture counts.
Vighnesh’s performance stood out not just for its authenticity but also for his ability to seamlessly blend into the rhythm and grandeur of the operatic stage. His contribution to Moby Dick adds yet another impressive feather to his artistic cap and reflects the evolving diversity and collaboration in global theatre.
