"I don't pretend that this is the definitive Macbeth," he says. "I don't pretend that it's representative of anything more than one perhaps very troubled mind. Some people think I'm doing a disservice to Shakespeare by doing this show, but, believe me, I've seen far worse productions of Macbeth."
Miller has spent his life combining such diverse interests; relatively few working actors have bachelor's and master's degrees in architecture.
His enthusiasms were so varied he found it hard to concentrate on one discipline. An early mentor, the theatrical innovator Robert Lepage, encouraged his protege to pursue his studies in architecture, reasoning that the lessons about how people interact in space would prove invaluable on stage.
"Two days after receiving my degree, I was doing Shakespeare in the Park for free," Miller says. "It made sense to me, though I'm not sure it did to my parents."
The production? Macbeth. His role? Murderer No. 2. Miller had perhaps six lines and plenty of time to absorb the lessons that the playwright intended and a few that he did not.
"Not too many people can speak The Simpsons' dialogue in iambic pentameter," Miller says.
Miller's audience is as diverse as his interests. He's perhaps best known as the host of ABC's hidden-camera TV series Just for Laughs. Theater elitists know Miller as one of nine featured performers in Robert Lepage's esoteric LipSynch, a nine-hour trilogy performed in four languages that is based on the theme of the human voice. The show is touring the world.
MacHomer exerts much of the same crossover appeal. Miller has performed in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Australia and won praise from Shakespeare scholars and Simpsons' fans.
"The Simpsons are only silly on the surface," Miller says.
"Deep down, that show has a very big heart. These characters have a tragic nobility. We care for these louts, these idiots, in a way we do not care about the characters in South Park or Family Guy. And 400 years ago, Shakespeare was pop culture, and he wrote about the political issues of his time."
Nor has it escaped Miller's notice that the Republican presidential nominee reportedly claims descent from the ancient Scottish monarch Robert the Bruce.
So will McCain, thane of Arizona, stride across Woolly Mammoth's stage this weekend? You'll have to check with the Three Weird Sisters.
Sometimes known as: Patty, Selma and Marge.
IF YOU GO
MacHomer runs at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D St. N.W., Washington, through Sunday. Showtimes are 8 p.m. today and tomorrow; 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Saturday; and 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $40. Call 202-393-3939 or go to woollymammoth.net.
RICK MILLER
Age: 38
Birthplace: Montreal
Residence: Toronto
Claim to fame: Wrote and stars in the solo show MacHomer
Education: Bachelor's and master's degrees in architecture from McGill University
Personal: Married with two daughters, Vivian, 6, and Ellen, 2.
