Our first production was Death and Harry Houdini. The show had a lot of magic in it and was a really exciting and highly fictionalized bio play about Houdini. I was lucky enough to play the famous magician…and I loved every minute of it. After Houdini, The House grew at an enormous rate. In addition to acting and directing for the company, I worked as a designer, creating magic for all of our original shows.
Two years ago my grandfather passed away. After he died, I found myself going back and reconstructing a lot of his old magic tricks and routines. I fell in love with magic all over again. The result of this is The Magnificents. The play is hugely inspired by my grandfather and I can only hope it is a fitting tribute to his huge heart, unending patience and inspiring imagination.
What do you think are the key ingredients of good theater? And what are some of the theatrical experiences that have moved you the most as audience member?
There are a lot of things that make good theater. The story is king, in my book, though. In The Magnificents, the story is very simple, but it’s still strong and it still has weight. When story drives a piece of theater, then it has a much better chance of capturing and holding an audience. I’ve been involved in lots of projects where spectacle, production, or any number of other elements get in the way of the story. When this happens, the plays simply don’t work. When all elements serve the story, though, that’s where the magic happens.
Second to story, I think theater makers have to have a strong focus on the audience. It’s for them, after all. If they are the focus of everything you make, then you know it will interest them. There are lots of ways to create work that is FOR the audience…There are lots of tools at your disposal. The most powerful one, of course, is imagination. I don’t mean your ability to imagine or create. I am speaking about the imagination of the audience. Good theater must ignite and inspire the audience’s imagination. You can do this with dance, music, magic, dialogue…any number of methods for communicating story. As long as your method requires the audience to use their imagination, you’re forcing them to invest in what they’re watching. Once they’ve made that investment, most of your work is done.
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