Cosi
nytheatre.com q&a preview by Jesse Michael Mothershed
September 10, 2012
What is your job on this show?
Director.
Where were you born? Where were you raised? Where did you go to school?
I was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. I earned my undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona and my MFA from UW-Madison. I also have a 2-year certificate degree from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Who is more important in the theater: the actor, the playwright, or the director?
I honestly don't think one person is more important than the other. I'm a huge proponent of collaboration working collaboratively and feel this show succeeds because we all worked so well together. There were no egos, whatsoever, and everyone was open-minded, dedicated, supportive, creative, talented and fantastic to work with.
Why did you want to write/direct/produce/act in/work on this show?
I wanted to direct this production for several reasons. First of all, the play is brilliantly written and I knew it would be tremendous fun to work on. Secondly, I wanted the honor of working with Matt & Kat Foster on Australian Made Entertainment's inaugural production; they are very special and I knew this project would be as well. And lastly, I wanted the challenge of tackling a contemporary piece, especially one with so many diverse characters, as I have mostly directed classical theatre/plays.
Which “S” word best describes your show: SMOOTH, SEXY, SMART, SURPRISING?
This is a tricky question. The play is very smart, the actors are incredibly sexy and the production is oh so smooth. But I think it's truly SURPRISING. It's gut-bustingly funny, but filled with great warmth and tremendous heart.
If you had ten million dollars that you had to spend on theatrical endeavors, how would you use the money?
I would join in the cause of getting this tremendously funny and poignant play to Broadway. The actors we were so fortunate to cast are some of the most talented actors I have ever worked with (and I've been at this for over 20 years) and they deserve all the success in the world!
