INTERVIEW: Want to explore the theme of death? Send in the clowns.
Photo: Richard Saudek not only stars in Dead + Alive; he’s also the co-director and creator. Photo courtesy of Russ Rowland / Provided by DARR Publicity with permission.
The new show Dead + Alive, wrapping up its off-Broadway run at the Connelly Theater on Dec. 10, finds a clown duo facing an uncertain future. One of the clowns has sadly died, and their partner needs to ensure that the soul of the beloved deceased doesn’t escape as a dybbuk, which, according to the encyclopedia, is a disembodied spirit in Jewish folklore. The new play molds together Jewish burial rites with vaudevillian antics for a wholly original evening at the theater.
The clowns are played by Richard Saudek and Dana Dailey, and they are joined onstage by Benjamin Domask-Ruh and Pher. Saudek pulls double duty because he is the creator of Dead + Alive and co-directs with Pher. Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Saudek about the new clowning show.
He joined the circus at a young age, according his official biography, and over the years has performed in a variety of roles, including Lucky in a Yiddish version of Waiting for Godot. His other credits include Beep Boop and Salome, and in the summers, he can be found in northern Greece teaching the art of clowning to up-and-coming performers. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
Where did the idea for Dead + Alive come from?
I was a clown in the circus as a kid, and the very first routine I learned was a basic two-person skit called Dead + Alive. I’ve become fascinated with the idea of using old clown tropes to explore large, sometime unfunny and unsettling topics in my work, so when I wanted to make a show about mourning, grief and loss … I remembered this old routine. I brought in elements of the Jewish observances and beliefs around death and burial to inspire parts of the show as well.
Has the development of this piece taught you a thing or two about death?
What it’s highlighted for me is that the grieving process is an incredibly interesting and endless fact of life. It never really ends, but it changes as the mourner continues living with loss. So it can manifest in a myriad of ways that are sometimes difficult to pinpoint, although people try.
What’s it like to be performer, writer and co-director?
It can be overwhelming. Thankfully, as the process of creating this show has continued, the ensemble has contributed not just their performative talents, but they’ve come up with ideas or worked with existing ideas in new ways that I’d never be able to on my own. There’s much less weight to carry when you surround yourself with very talented, thoughtful and generative creatives. The cast and crew of this show are outstanding.
When did you first fall in love with clowning?
I was 9 years old! I guess it’s just existing in that world of playfulness, but with a structure of performativity that made me feel so invigorated by the idea of clowning. Yes, there’s a bit of “the fool is the wise idiot who tells it like it is,” and “tapping into one’s inner child is a useful therapeutic state to exist in” … but at the end of the day, I like making people laugh at me and themselves.
How difficult is it to produce theater in New York City right now?
I’ll tell ya, it ain’t easy. Things are expensive, funding is scarce (or oversought) and people haven’t been going out to live performance for the past few years in general! That said, it’s always been tough. But New York City is full of passionate artists who live here to make their artistic dreams a reality amongst a community of passionate patrons who live here to see just this kind of thing. That’s what makes it so special, and where there’s a will, there’s a way.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Dead + Alive, created, co-directed and starring Richard Saudek, continues through Dec. 10 at the Connelly Theater in New York City. Pher also co-directs. Click here for more information and tickets.
