Cancer Can't Dance Like This
nytheatre.com q&a preview by Daniel Stolfi
September 20, 2012
What is your job on this show?
Actor, Playwright, Producer.
What type of theater do you like most to work on?
I love working on comedies. Getting the timing right and finding the perfect moments in a show that gets the audience right in the gut is magic.
Complete this sentence: My show is the only one in United Solo that...?
will take a subject matter as negative as Cancer and turn it into a huge positive. You will laugh, cry and maybe even fart all at the same time.
Has this show been presented in other cities before New York? Was there a place where the response to this piece surprised you, and why?
The show has been presented in a number of cities all across Canada from the East Coast to the West. Everywhere I go with this show I have been pleasantly surprised by the response. I could have never imagined that the show would have the impact it has on so many people. It's about Cancer, so the expectation is sadness and anger, but the reality is, the show is filled with hope, gratitude, inspiration and most importantly laughter. It's a major mind bend and very powerful.
For Election season: which American political figure do you think would like your show best, and why: Barack Obama, Ann Romney, Paul Ryan, or Hilary Clinton?
I'd have to say Obama. He's got a personal grudge against the big C and I'm sure he'd love to watch me kick it in the ass.
Can theater bring about societal change? Why or why not?
Of course! Theatre can be so influential on so many levels in society. As a small example, a number of people have made major contributions to Cancer organisations as a direct result of seeing my show. Theatre changes, inspires and influences like no other art form. It's live, in your face and unobstructed. It’s freedom of speech at its best.
