Selected Short Subjects
nytheatre.com q&a preview by Karen Sklaire
September 13, 2012
What is your job on this show?
Playwright/Actor.
When did you know you wanted to work in the theater, and why?
I knew I wanted to be on stage when I was playing violin in the PIT orchastra of a youth theater production of "Oliver". I fell in love with the boy playing Oliver and was determined to be on stage with him. So I put away the violin and started taking voice lessons. I never got the boy- but I developed a life long love affair with the stage.
Why do you do theater (as opposed to film, or TV, or something not in the entertainment field)?
I love theater more than any other entertainment field because its such a collaborative experience. It's about you and the audience creating this journey together. As a comedian, also, there is nothing better than that instant gratification knowing the audience is with you for the ride.
In your own words, what do you think this show is about? What will audiences take away with them after seeing it?
Drama at the Point is about a small town girl teaching theater in the south bronx and the journey she goes from innocence to enlightenment. Its about how as creative teachers- we can find the most difficult student, tap into something they love then watch them flourish and learn something about ourselves in the process.
Which famous New Jerseyite would like your show the best: Snooki, Bruce Springsteen, Thomas Edison?
Bruuuuuccccceeeee! He's in my show? (care of a special principal)
Can theater bring about societal change? Why or why not?
Theater is a powerful tool. People want to go to the theater, not only to be entertained but to be transformed. The best of theater does that. It opens our eyes to situations and ideas that we may not have explored before- or maybe thought we knew about it until we went on a new adventure through the piece of work. Speak Truth to Power is a human rights organization through Kerry Kennedy that has an amazing play about the human rights leaders around the world and it's making a huge impact in the education world. Thats just one example of many types of theater that deal with social issues.
