Talking to Peter J. Hill and Ross Collins about their 40 year friendship and starring in Fountain Hills Theater's THE SUNSHINE BOYS

Ross Collins and Peter J. Hill
photo by Patty Torrilhon

by Gil Benbrook

For Fountain Hills Theater's upcoming production of Neil Simon’s comedy The Sunshine Boys, two familiar faces to local audiences, both onstage and behind the scenes, are stepping into the spotlight. 

Longtime friends and collaborators, Peter J. Hill and Ross Collins bring decades of experience to the roles of Willie Clark and Al Lewis, the famously feuding vaudeville duo at the center of the play. What makes this production even more special is that both men have served in artistic director roles for Fountain Hills Theater for over two decades: Hill guides the theatre as its Artistic Director, and has directed hundreds of play and musicals, and Collins oversees the youth shows as Fountain Hills' Youth Theater Artistic Director. Their offstage camaraderie and deep-rooted connection to Fountain Hills promise performances full of heart, humor, and chemistry.

Adding another layer of poignancy to this production is the fact that this show marks a farewell of sorts. Collins, who has been the artistic director of the youth division for over 20 years, will be retiring from Fountain Hills Theater after this run. His contributions to the company and the many young performers he’s mentored have left an indelible mark. 

Before the curtain rises on The Sunshine Boys, Collin and Hill sat down to discuss the joys and challenges of playing such iconic characters, the history of their friendship, and what it means to share the stage during this milestone production.

You two have known each other for years. Do you recall when you first met? Is this the first time you've performed together? And how has that long-standing friendship influenced your on stage dynamic in The Sunshine Boys?

Hill: "Ross auditioned for ‘Frankly,  It’s a Mystery’.  At the producer’s home.  Without an accompanist.  With a German accent. While Noel was getting her hair colored.  AAANNNDD he did NOT get the part!  I wonder if I ever apologized for that?  Hmmmm.  Since then we’ve worked together many times, but none more memorable than the show where we were to hit each other in the face with cream pies.  As usual these were pie tins with shave foam.  Except for closing night, when we purchased real banana cream pies!  Fun, right?  We stacked them up backstage earlier in the day, so they would thaw.  Well….  The one on top thawed beautifully.  The one underneath…not at all.  That night I got a creamy delight.  Ross got hit in the face with a Sara Lee brick.  You’ve never seen such a look of shock and betrayal from someone with a tiny dollop of cream of the very tip of his nose."

Collins: "I answered an audition call in the Republic/Gazette for a show being done by Ala Carte Players.  The address was Jerry Hanson's house.  I showed up and sat in his living  room and Peter introduced himself and called to Noel who was getting her hair colored for a part.  She called greetings from the next room.  Then Peter had me read some lines then asked me to sing a song acapella since they had no accompanist!  I sang “I Left My Heart” and thought It was okay.  Then Peter says, “That was good, but can you do it with a German accent?”  I said I thought so and then the disembodied voice from the next room shouted, “Christ Peter!  Give the man a break!”  Noel came into the room with a towel on her head and sat on the chair with me and said, “We got this honey!”  We sang the duet.  (She has always been my hero since then!)  BTW, I didn’t hear from them.  Long story short…hopefully…fast forward a year and my wife Jane and I are backstage at Stagebrush Theater to congratulate Stephen Mastroieni for his turn in “Death Trap” when I hear Noel’s voice saying, “Peter!  That’s the guy!  That’s the guy!”  I was re-introduced to them and I happened to have a picture and resume with me and handed them over to Noel.  I was called in to do Moon Face Martin at Ala Carte.  That was 1983 and we have been friends and co-conspirators on stage since!  Peter and I have performed together many, many times!  I pretty much know his tells and he knows mine.  It is a comfort to work with Peter on stage because he is very quick minded and our styles click."

Neil Simon’s play is about two old vaudevillians with a complicated history. How do you tap into that love-hate chemistry, especially given your own very real camaraderie?  

Hill: "The hate part comes easy.  That, of course is a complete lie.  I love my work wife.  Ross and I have a great chemistry that comes from respect and love, both as actors and friends.  There’s a line in the show that truly comes from the heart.  “They’ll never be another one like him.  Nobody could time a joke the way he could time a joke.  Nobody could say a line the way he said it.  I knew what he was thinking, he knew what I was thinking.  One person, that’s what we were.  No, Al Lewis was the best.  The best!  You understand?”  That’s Ross and I to a T."

Collins: :I love the man but don’t think we haven’t had issues!  But like Willie and Al, we learn to forgive and move on!  Those moments have really helped create the dynamics of our friendship and partnership on stage and off.  Truth be told, Peter J. Hill is one of the most remarkable and knowledgeable people it has ever been my privilege to work with,  know, and to call my friend. His passion for the stage and the performing arts is contagious and all consuming.  Every time we have worked together has always been a moment enjoyed and cherished.:

Ross Collins

Ross, this season marks your retirement from serving as the Artistic Director for the Youth productions at Fountain Hills. What are some of the fondest memories you have about your years leading the Youth Theater at Fountain Hills?

Collins: "Seeing youth blossom in the lights!  Watching a young person that can’t even face the audience and speak suddenly transform into a confident individual.  I love when they realize that theater is a discipline, not a game to play to achieve entitlement as a lead or “star”.  Watching youth learn that, without the ensemble, they are only empty space shouting lines that fall on deaf ears.  I always hope they understand that, while the words while important, they won’t reach the audience if there is no emotion or history behind them.  As I have always told them, “If it’s real in here, it’s real out there”."

Ross, How does it feel to transition from mentoring young performers to being back on stage yourself in such a prominent role?

Collins: "The old saying is, “You’re only as good as your last show.”  I guess it is time to put up or shut up! "

Peter, what’s it been like working alongside someone you’ve shared so much history with in this kind of “buddy comedy” setting? 

Hill:  "Should I quote Neil Simon again?  What a great ‘capper’ to his tenure at FHT.  But, rest assured, while he might be retired from the day to day.  He’ll be back if I have anything to say about it.  (And, by the way, I do!)"

How does working on this particular show, which reflects on aging, memory, and legacy, resonate in a deeper way for you both at this point in your careers? 

Hill: "A delightful, daily reminder that I suffer from a terrific case of CRS.  (Can’t Remember Sh*t.)"

Collins: " Aging?  Memory…what was the question? "

What’s something the audience might be surprised to learn about your rehearsal process—or a funny moment that’s happened behind the scenes during this production?  

Hill: "We’re both surprisingly focused and professional.  Our daily relationship is, as my wife would, and has, put it, “They’re a pair of nerf balls”.  But rehearsal is serious stuff.  Until we’re done.  Then we’re nerf balls again."

Collins: "When we rehearse, we are there to work.  We have always known that and acted in that kind. Oh, we have fun but the play is the thing.  If someone drops the ball, the other one will remind them to pick it up!  We never lose sight of the fact that when the audience buys a ticket, that is a  promise that we are going to give them the best entertainment we can for their dollar!"

How do you believe your long partnership at the theatre has helped shape its artistic vision, and what kind of legacy do you hope to leave, both on stage and off?  

Hill: "We helped fashion a theater that started in a grade school auditorium and grew to two stages, housing three seasons, workshops, summer camps and produces more shows annually than any other company in the valley.  We’ve survived recessions, loss of Governmental and Private funding, COVID and even Boards of Directors.  In the end, I know we both hope our work speaks for itself."

Collins: "People tend to forget that the productions are the product that the theater sells, not all the peripherals.  We have survived the inputs of some boards of directors that were under the impression that the production was secondary to their “work”.  Thankfully Peter and I never bought into that mindset."

Peter J. Hill

You’ve both worked extensively behind the scenes as directors and occasionally appeared in lead and supporting parts. How does it feel to be playing the leads in this production?  

Collins: "Scary and exhilarating but that just reminds us that we’re alive.  It’s hard to put aside the director hat but the eyes in the house have final say… And you don’t want to cross Noel."

Hill: "CRS"

Theater often reflects life and this play is about two men of a certain age who look back on their lives. How has performing in The Sunshine Boys made you reflect on your own careers in either new or unexpected ways?  

Hill: "There’s a line in the show when Al (Ross) says to Willie (Me)  “We did comedy on stage for 43 years and I don’t think you enjoyed it once.”  Willie replies “If I wanted to enjoy it, I would buy a ticket.”  To me, that’s represents the saddest line in the entire play.  How the hell do you not enjoy this business? I have been privileged to work at a theater where I have thoroughly enjoyed myself for 30+ years.  And I got to work alongside a man who somehow managed to make me laugh every single damn day.  Shit, I’m gonna miss that."

Collins: "A certain age?  Gil, what are you saying?"

What makes this production special to you personally—and why should audiences come see The Sunshine Boys with the two of you leading the charge?  

Collins: "I honestly feel that Peter and I have been growing into this show.  I never saw a production of it or read it until Peter brought it up but, wow, what kind of crystal ball did Simon have that tapped into our energy…or is it the other way around?  Max McQueen said …some…years ago that he thought  he had been cured of ‘Simon-itis’.  I kinda felt the same way but…heck!  One more chance to work with the genius that is Peter J. Hill?  That is something I will never say no to. :

Hill: "Wanna see a couple of old farts soar?  Or maybe crash and burn?  Have we got the show for you!"

CLICK HERE for more information on The Sunshine Boys at Fountain Hills Theater, which runs June 13-29