Américana Passover
nytheatre.com q&a preview by Cyrus Soliman
October 11, 2012
What is your job on this show?
Actor.
When did you know you wanted to work in the theater, and why?
When I was 18 years old I was struggling with the idea of being an actor. I took many theatre classes in high school and loved it, but I didn't know if I could dedicate myself to such a demanding career. After I graduated I saw two plays about a month apart from each other. The Pillowman and Passing Strange, both at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in Berkeley California. Those two plays moved me so much I needed to do something to hopefully recreate that inspiration for others.
What was the last show you saw that really excited you, and why?
There was a play last fall called She Kills Monsters that had a run at a small theatre called The Flea in Chinatown. It was about a woman whose little sister and parents died in a car crash. As a way of trying to get to know her little sister that she grew apart from, she played a Dungeons and Dragons module that her litte sister designed. While playing the game she finds out all of her sister's most intimate secrets and is able to bond with her sister through the adventure. It was a fresh new piece that was both hilarious and surprisingly touching.
What was the most memorable/funny/unusual thing that has happened during the development and rehearsal process for this show?
Since we are constantly devising new moments in the performance aspect of the show there is no shortage of unusual happenings in rehearsal. There is one moment though that stood out in my mind more than others. We were working on a moment were working on a performative moment that was new at the time, had only talked about it but didn't put it into practice yet. We finally performed the moment for the first time and as soon as we finished I looked over and one of my cast mates is in tears because she had connected to the moment so much.
Which famous New Jerseyite would like your show the best: Snooki, Bruce Springsteen, Thomas Edison?
Thomas Edison hands down, since he was such a huge part of American history. I think he would enjoy seeing what has become of America, the people in it, and the many different ways people view it.
