Wednesday, February 24, 2010

FRIGID New York Interview - Leslie Goshko of Vodka Shoes

By Byrne Harrison
Photo by Craig Ruttle


Name: Leslie Goshko
Show: Vodka Shoes
Website: ohmygoshko.com

How did you first get involved in theatre?

I first got involved with theater the same way most Christian kids do... at church. Countless performances of bad church scripts and nativity plays. Then I did some more bad plays in high school and then finally got my degree in Drama/Television/Film in college. Then I did some bartending...

Who are your biggest influences?

My biggest influences would definitely have to be Gilda Radner, Steve Martin, and Johnny Carson. They're classics! Although I would like to have a word with Steve concerning "Bringing Down the House."

Tell me a little bit about Vodka Shoes.

Vodka Shoes delivers in one hour what it took years for my family to accomplish: 40 years of alcoholism, bankruptcy, emergency room tragedies, religious zealotry, and a little bit of jail time. But don't worry, it's funny. Honestly! It's a storytelling experience that thrusts the audience through the bizarre, extraordinary destruction of an American family that somehow manages to rise again from its ruins.

What inspired you to write it?

This piece actually started as a novel about my family. I wrote it several years ago and then didn't pick it up again. But as I got involved in the NY storytelling scene and heard about the FRIGID festival, I thought it would make a great one-person show; and here we are!

Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?

My two biggest collaborators and most trusted friends are my director, Kyle Erickson (who also happens to be my husband), and my friend and author, Dana Sterling. Kyle, Dana, and I met in Oklahoma and formed a writers group together. About 6 years later, we still bounce ideas off each other and collaborate via the web and phone calls. This will be Kyle and my second collaboration together (he directed my first NY one-woman show last year). His degrees in theater and writing make him an invaluable addition. And Dana's years of experience in the writing world have come in handy on more than one occasion. She's like a walking encyclopedia of writing/marketing information.

What's next for you after FRIGID?

Well, I perform regularly around the city, so I'll continue with the NY storytelling scene (including hosting my own show, Sideshow Goshko and performing with "The BTK Band" @ Under St. Marks). I also have a web series that I want to start filming and I'll probably look for other venues and opportunities to present Vodka Shoes. Basically, anything and everything.

And finally, if you could say anything to your potential audience, what would it be?

"Let's make a baby!" Umm, and by that I mean... please come see the show. You'll enjoy it. I promise!

Vodka Shoes
By Leslie Goshko

UNDER St. Marks
94 St. Marks Place

Thu 2/25 - 7:30 PM
Sat 2/27 - 4:00 PM
Thu 3/04 - 9:00 PM
Fri 3/05 - 7:30 PM
Sun 3/07 - 1:00 PM

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