INTERVIEW: Comedian Judy Gold joins cast of Joy Behar’s off-Broadway show
Photo: Judy Gold is one of the performers currently appearing in My First Ex-Husband. Photo courtesy of the artist / Provided by press rep with permission.
Joy Behar has been a constant presence on television and comedy stages for years, and now she’s trying her hand at the off-Broadway scene. Her new show, featuring a rotating cast of famous actors, is called My First Ex-Husband, and it’s playing an open run at the MMAC Theater in Midtown Manhattan. The current cast consists of Judy Gold, Susan Lucci, Cathy Moriarty and Tonya Pinkins. They continue until March 23, to be replaced by Talia Balsam, Veanne Cox, Jackie Hoffman and Andrea Navedo.
My First Ex-Husband, directed by Randal Myler and written by Behar, who is a host of TV’s The View, intertwines different monologues about love, sex and relationships, according to press notes. The play is billed as “outrageous yet deeply relatable.”
Gold recently exchanged emails with Hollywood Soapbox about her inclusion in the show. She has many titles to her name, including standup comedian, actor, author, TV writer and activist. Her standup specials, according to her biography, have appeared on HBO, Comedy Central and LOGO, and she’s been featured off-Broadway with her own show, Yes I Can Say That! Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What did you love when you first read My First Ex-Husband?
I loved the brutal honesty and, of course, the humor. Each woman’s story is so distinctive, personal and relatable, and the audience really roots for them. And the bonus is that we all realize everyone makes mistakes!
Do you feel like Joy Behar’s comedy background helps with the telling of these tales?
Absolutely! Joy knows how to tell a joke, and lots of times, a joke is a story. She knows where the funny is. Comedians are truth tellers, and Joy is one of the best. So, I think her fearlessness is very evident in the way she has crafted these tales.
What do you think the piece has to say about love?
I think the piece says a lot about different aspects of love. The blindness and confusion, the desire, willful ignorance, the trust, the passion, and, of course, the battles certainly disprove the saying, “Love cures everything.”
How did rehearsals go? Did you all rehearse together, or was preparation done more independently given the nature of the play?
Rehearsals have been great. The bulk of the preparation is done one-on-one with the director. We are there to share the stage and support one another, but the real telling of the stories is individual.
I’m a fellow New Jerseyan. What are your memories of growing up in the Garden State?
I’m not sure you want me to share all of them! My mother grew up in NYC and always said it would have been so much easier to bring me up there. I will be the first one to defend the Garden State, but it wasn’t easy. I was different, which wasn’t the recipe for a carefree childhood. When people ask me what it was like, I usually tell them to watch Welcome to the Dollhouse. I moved to the city as soon as I was able, and I never left. I will say that there’s nothing like a New Jersey driver. You could be in your car getting attacked with a machete while you’re trying to merge, and the driver of the other car would definitely not let you in.
How does the current political climate change your comedy?
I think the biggest effect it has on me is that it’s hard to make really deep anger and fear funny. Our leaders have all been fodder for comedians, and now there is this threat of being silenced. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this in the world, and frankly, I’m scared. I’m scared about free speech. I’m frightened by the attempts to ban books and to silence comedians. Comedians speak truth to power, and this country seems to have a very precarious relationship with the truth.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
My First Ex-Husband, featuring Judy Gold through March 23, continues at the MMAC Theater in Midtown Manhattan. Click here for more information and tickets.
