L'illusion Comique
nytheatre.com q&a preview by Chris Fayne
October 13, 2012
What is your job on this show?
I'm an actor; I play the role of Pridamant..
When did you know you wanted to work in the theater, and why?
I knew that I wanted to work in the theater when I joined my high school's drama club. I had never connected as much with a group of people before, and it wasn't until I started doing theater that I began to find myself.
Why do you do theater (as opposed to film, or TV, or something not in the entertainment field)?
I do theater because of the audience. In the theater, you spend weeks or even months creating something you completely believe in, and then you bring a group of strangers into that creation. Every night, the audience has the power to make our performances completely new and different than they were before.
In your own words, what do you think this show is about? What will audiences take away with them after seeing it?
L'Illusion Comique is about the theater, plain and simple. After seeing this show, audiences will have a deeper understanding of how the theater has the ability to change people's lives and the way they see the world, in a way that's different from every other art form.
Which “S” word best describes your show: SMOOTH, SEXY, SMART, SURPRISING?
I think "surprising" is the word that best describes L'Illusion Comique. It's a reimagining of a classic that works with different styles on many levels, and it's not afraid to ask the big questions about why we love and depend on art in our lives.
Theater is a necessary ingredient in democratic societies. Do you agree or disagree, and why?
I agree; theater is indispensable to a democratic society. It is a form of expression which demands criticism and exploration of our society to evolve as an art form, and it demands change in order to survive.
