Big Night
nytheatre.com q&a preview by Dr Patricia Palermo
September 24, 2012
What is your job on this show?
Dramaturg. I have written a book on the playwright of Big Night, Dawn Powelll..
Where were you born? Where were you raised? Where did you go to school?
I was born in Chicago, moved in Southern CA as a toddler and lived there for most of my life. In my 30s I moved east to be close to NYC and to attend graduate school. I attended many universities in So Cal and here in the East.
Who is more important in the theater: the actor, the playwright, or the director?
Obviously, without the playwright, you have nothing. Actors and directors (good ones) can bring the play to life, but without the words on the paper, you are lost. Unfortunately, theatre writers of all kinds are generally under-appreciated.
How did you meet your fellow artists/collaborators on this show?
Actually, we all met on Facebook!
Groucho, Chico, Harpo, or Zeppo?
Groucho, hands down. Then Harpo. Lovely musician. Also, I was surprised to see on a YouTube video that Chico was quite an accomplished pianist. Groucho was funniest, and he was a cat-lover, as I am, and as Dawn Powell was.
