Bubba
nytheatre.com q&a preview by Melissa Firlit
September 25, 2012
What is your job on this show?
Director.
What type of theater do you like most to work on?
I really love working on new material. It is an amazing process to collaborate from the ground up on a project. Its exciting and vulnerable to be part of the first group to breathe life into a new piece.
Why is this piece a solo play (rather than a multi-actor play)?
This piece is a solo play because it is Michael's story to find his Dad. It is him showing the various people he came across when he was researching the play. It is his point of view and experience which turns the play into a universal experience when shared.
What was the most memorable/funny/unusual thing that has happened during the development and rehearsal process for this show?
It was a workshop production at Rutgers University this past March, there was an audience member who broke down and sobbed throughout most of the performance. Afterwards he said he had a cathartic experience. When I asked him if he could be more detailed in his answer, he said he couldnt at the time, then hugged me and thanked me for allowing him the experience. I told him, he was the one who allowed himself the experience. That encounter still blows my mind. Some people cry in reaction to some of the stories that take place but we haven't ever had an audience member like that before.
Which “S” word best describes your show: SMOOTH, SEXY, SMART, SURPRISING?
seemly surprising & saturatingly smart
Theater is a necessary ingredient in democratic societies. Do you agree or disagree, and why?
Yes because society needs a forum in which we can watch our lives, times, and circumstances portrayed without it being a direct reference to our personal self. Theater allows that. It allows us to explore things from all sides. It gives perspective and opens up possibility.
