Friday, August 14, 2009

Fringe Q&A With Brian Golden of 6 Seconds in Charlack

By Byrne Harrison

Name: Brian Golden
Show: 6 Seconds in Charlack
Website: www.6secondsincharlack.com

How did you first get involved in theatre?
I performed in a few shows in high school - and did a little professional improv with ComedySportz Quad-Cities - but those were fun and games, nothing I took seriously, or even knew how to take seriously. I went to Washington University in St. Louis intent on studying political science and becoming President of the United States. After a semester and a half of constitutional construction classes, I realized that I really wanted to be a campaign manager, not a political scientist. I took Acting 1 with Anna Pileggi. I was on the wait list. I stuck it out. It was an epic challenge - real work. I was hooked.

Who are your biggest influences?
Tough question because I wouldn't consider someone an influence if I didn't think they were way, way better than me at writing. And I don't want to put myself in the same breath as some of those people. How about this: I'll tell you some of my favorite writers, plays or otherwise - Michael Lewis, David Mamet, Marisa Wegrzyn, Carter Lewis, Lanford Wilson, Bridget Carpenter, Jay-Z, Michael Schur, James McManus, Adam Duritz, Matt Nathanson, Howard Zinn.

What is 6 Seconds in Charlack about?
The pain and excitement of being young. Love and its consequences. The human need to fit square pegs in to round holes.

What inspired you to write it?
Heartbreak and deadlines.

Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?
Patrick Mills is the director of this production, and he has been a huge advocate of the play since it played for a weekend at American Theatre of Actors three years ago. Christena Doggrell plays Candy in this production, and she played the role in the academic premiere of the play - at Washington University in St. Louis in 2005 - I really wrote a great deal of that role for Christena's insane talents. I don't know the other actors - Ned Cray, Allison Walton and a gentleman's name i can't remember playing bard. I've heard they're all fabulous!

Fringe shows are notorious for their short rehearsal schedule. How has the rehearsal process been?
Great - I've been in Chicago!

What's next for you after Fringe?
My company, Theatre Seven of Chicago, will conclude its third season with Cooperstown, my next full length play, opening November 16th at the Greenhouse Theatre in Chicago. I'll keep working on Sex Signals, the presentation I direct which is the nation's leading program on sexual assault prevention at college campuses and military bases. And Christena, who plays Candy, is getting married like five days after the last show. Crazy times!

And finally, if a genie were to grant you one wish, what would you wish for?
Maybe if I make it one long run-on sentence, the genie will count it as one wish. I wish for the end of murder, rape, violence, destruction, theft, warfare of all kinds, and I wish for the equal treatment of women, children, people of all races, creeds and appearances and I wish for the allowance of the peaceful pursuit of self-interest by every human being across the universe and I wish for a fresh pair of socks every day.

6 Seconds in Charlack
Golden & Mills
Written by Brian Golden
Directed by Patrick Mills

CSV Cultural and Educational Center Flamboyan
Fri 21 - 4 PM
Sun 23 - 3:45 PM
Mon 24 - 5 PM
Wed 26 - 10 PM
Fri 28 - 7:15 PM

Visit FringeNYC for more information.

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