Salamander Starts Over
nytheatre.com q&a preview by Armando Merlo
July 8, 2012
What is your job on this show?
Playwright, actor.
What was the last show you saw that really excited you, and why?
I saw Leguizamo's Ghetto Klown last summer on Broadway. Like most of his work I was fascinated, entertained and in awe. Towards the end of the show he quoted himself saying that Theater, if done right, is a soul exchange. In that moment it clicked and I realized I wanted to write and perform a one-man play.
Complete this sentence: My show is the only one in FringeNYC that...?
features an 85 pound high school wrestler that will make you laugh, cry, laugh, cry, laugh cry (that many times) all in one hour.
What was the most memorable/funny/unusual thing that has happened during the development and rehearsal process for this show?
There is a funny scene in the show in which the protagonist is warming up for the biggest wrestling match of his life. In researching how it should be performed on stage, my director and I watched a very intense scene from a famous wrestling film from the 80's. Except when when we watched it we both started laughing hysterically. In the film its high tension and taken so seriously, but or us it was total comedy. It served as the perfect inspiration.
Which famous New Jerseyite would like your show the best: Snooki, Bruce Springsteen, Thomas Edison?
The show is about a blue collar kid from Jersey. HELLO? The Boss, Bruce Springsteen.
How important is diversity to you in the theater you see/make?
Very important. I have friends and family from all cultures and walks of life. It shows through the variety of characters in the show. Ultimately, the goal of a diverse show is humanity. It should speak to e everyone's heart.
