Happyouth
nytheatre.com q&a preview by Jon McCormick
September 24, 2012
What is your job on this show?
Actor.
What type of theater do you like most to work on?
I would say that original theatre turns me on the most. The process of constructing, deconstructing and reconstructing that goes on when your working with a brand new piece is one of the most exciting things for me because there's no precedent. There is no one that can say, 'well, it should be like this because that's how it was done before.' And I find that to be the most fulfilling; creating a entirely new character.
Complete this sentence: My show is the only one opening in NYC this fall that...?
has a dead clown on stage!! That's a little bit of a spoiler but I just couldn't resist; but fear not, there is much more to it.
Are there any cautions or warnings you’d like to make about the show (e.g., not appropriate for little kids)?
Um, cautions... this is definitely not an appropriate show for children. The other warning would be: come prepared for painful amounts of laughter.
Groucho, Chico, Harpo, or Zeppo?
This might be the hardest question on the list-- but I would have to say that I'll take Chico in 'Day at the Races'. He's really an all-star in that picture. Of course his piano number is excellent as usual but the Tuttisi Fruitsi Ice Cream bit with Groucho and the Whistling bit with Harpo are two of Marx Brothers best of all time and Chico is the key.
Theater is a necessary ingredient in democratic societies. Do you agree or disagree, and why?
I would say that theatre is a necessary ingredient in any society. Theatre comes in many, many forms and "the art of performance" has been an important part of culture since the Mayans. But societies that allow artists to speak their minds and say the things they want to say without fear of punishment are the societies that attract me. Theatre, I believe, should be a challenging thing for an audience; it should make you consider things you never have before, it should turn you on and off, it should affect and infect you. I love theatre that generates a personal and emotional reaction whatever that emotion might be.
