Almost A Fantasy
nytheatre.com q&a preview by Michael Aguirre
July 17, 2012
What is your job on this show?
Playwright.
Where were you born? Where were you raised? Where did you go to school?
I'm a Midwesterner (originally from a suburb of Chicago) and a Hoosier at heart (I graduated from Indiana University)
Have you been part of FringeNYC in the past? If so, how did you particpate? (Be specific! Name shows, etc.)
I, myself, have not been a part of the Fringe, but the company who is producing the play, Chelsea RepLAB, was a co-producer of a Fringe show in 2010 which was awarded Excellence in Directing (Kym Gomes)
How did you meet your fellow artists/collaborators on this show?
I was taking writing classes through Chelsea RepLAB about a year ago in Anne Phelan's playwriting class. Chelsea Rep has an amazing network of talent and teachers, people who have been in the business and who have been teaching classes for many years around New York like Anne, James Price, and John Grabowski. It was only a matter of time before Almost A Fantasy was written, the class ended, and I wanted to continue to work with them. Chelsea Rep and the Acting Studio first helped bring the piece to life with a workshop reading last September, and we decided to pursue a full production of it with the Fringe.
Which famous New Jerseyite would like your show the best: Snooki, Bruce Springsteen, Thomas Edison?
The Boss! The play communicates through music. It's about two people who only have music in common, and two people who essentially only have music as love in their lives. One character is rebellious and reclusive: Her theme song would be 'Born to Run.' The other character is a young man struggling to find his identity. His Springsteen theme song: 'Born in the USA.'
Why should people come to FringeNYC this summer, rather than the beach, mountains, or the latest movie blockbuster?
Don't get me wrong: I love the beach, mountains, and I'll be first in line for the midnight showing of The Dark Night. But I think theatre is not just about the specific performance, it's about the event. It's about joining in a community in the present moment and being a part of something bigger. The Fringe is a perfect place for that.
