Stage Whisper
Whisper in the Wings Episode 636
(upbeat music) - Hello everyone and welcome into a fantastic new whisper in the wings from stage whisper. We have an absolutely amazing experience, not just a show and experience, and it's a perfect time for spooky season. This is the perfect show for you. Joining us today, we have the performer, the actor and magician playing the role of Houdini, Patrick Terry, and he's joining us to talk about his upcoming production, The Spirits Speak Easy. This is happening September 19th through November 3rd at Sincerely Ophelia, which is at 221 Second Avenue, Sweet B here in New York, and you can get your ticket to more information by visiting thespiritspeakeasy.com. Listeners, just in reading the press release, the briefing about the show, I gotta tell you, this is probably, you gotta put this at the top of your list for the spooky season. This is perfect for any theater lover, magic lover, just 1920s lover, whatever, this is a great night out. And so I am doing a terrible job of selling this show. So let's welcome on our guests, who will speak much more fluently on this. Patrick, welcome into Whisper in the Wings from Stage Whisper. - Thank you, Andrea, it's great to be here, and you're doing a great job of describing the show actually. - Well, thank you for that. I'm so happy you're here. When we were talking before we started, I was like, this show, it's an experience. I'm just gonna say, it's an experience. It looks so cool. I'm genuinely so fired up to come see the show. I just, I wanna envelop in the entire experience of it. So why don't we start by having you tell the listeners a little bit about what Spirit Speakeasy is about? - Sure, thank you. Well, as you were saying, this is the perfect choice for spooky season. This is pure immersive theater with magic, and ghost stories. And it takes place in, as you mentioned, the 1920s. So it's a cool period piece. And basically the audience is attending this party thrown by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who is such a luminary in the literature world, very famous for the Sherlock Holmes mysteries. And Doyle is a real believer in spiritualism, which was such a powerful movement back in that time. And so he's kind of hosting the high society of New York to really showcase and kind of flaunt this woman who he feels is the kind of perfect example of a genuine spiritual list. And then Houdini crashes the party. And basically is there to shed some truth into the equation because he was such a famous skeptic and understood theater and understood magic. And I think really understood that sacred exchange between entertainer and audience. And perhaps when that gets a little corroded, it's a slippery slope. So yeah, this is a fun show for people who love magic and really love to explore their own connections and their own beliefs. I think this experience is gonna give them a really fun and unique opportunity to do that. - That sounds incredible. Oh my gosh, I love this. Now I'm really curious to know you've got this great background as a magician as well as an actor. So how is it that you came upon this piece? - Yeah, well, I know the producer, Monica Hammond, fantastic producer. She and I go way, way back and she knew me as a magician and as an actor and she had this idea to really put this experience in motion. And she reached out to me to kind of help with some of the magic designs. And again, just when it was still sort of forming. And I'm like, absolutely, let's jam, let's figure it out. And then she mentioned that Houdini was gonna be a character in this narrative experience. And I'm like, well, hey, I've got some good news for you because I also have a deep experience with this character and with this history. I've played Houdini in the past when a regional theater production about seven or eight years ago. And that was a real treat, a real highlight, loved all of that. And so again, it was fun to bring that history into this new project with a lot of new voices. And so I knew Monica and then met the director. We hit it off, the wonderful Sarah Sutliff, who is such a like seriously like gifted, immersive theater pro. So I'm like, wow, Monica and Sarah, they're gonna really have an awesome show and I'm so lucky to be a part of it. And yeah, so that was a few months ago. And we started developing it a little more, you know, a lot more structure through the summer. And here we are, opening in a couple of weeks. It's incredible, incredible, we love Monica. She's been a guest of our show. Good friend of ours that is. - Oh, well. - Well, I'm curious to know at the time of this recording, we're literally, I believe two weeks away from the show starting. What has it been like developing this piece? - It's been a lot of fun. Again, the team on this is really strong and really collaborative. Another fantastic addiction is Todd Robbins, who I'm not sure if you know him, but he's a living legend in the sideshow world and like a true magic scholar. So he's our kind of in-house magic advisor. And I consider him a real mentor. I've known him for like 20 years. So when Monica mentioned that she was able to get Todd involved, I'm like, oh wow, this thing is really gonna cook. And so yeah, it's been fun. It's been fun to think about magic, to think about history, to think about again, this space and how we activate it for a really kind of spooky season audience. One that has so many interesting options for that time. So to really stand out and sincerely Ophelia is so cool. It's a real East Village downtown, kind of speakeasy venue and really fits for this material. So I don't wanna sound cliche, but it's been magical. You know what I mean? And again, it's really great actors. I must say the dude who plays Arthur Conan Doyle, his name is Brian Silliman. Great actor, great person, just again, such a lovely addition to the ensemble. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention the fantastic Kristen Lambert, who is another magician. She's based in LA, but she's coming in to do this and she really builds herself as a theatrical medium, someone who's an expert in kind of the spiritualist format and sharing those kind of performances. So to have her in the room, to have Todd in the room, Sarah Sutlith, as I mentioned, an exceptional director, it's been really fun to, again, think about magic in a modern way, but also really revere the history that we've inherited. - That's so cool, I love it. - Thank you. - Things are really, really cooking over on urine. And with such a great experience that you're all creating, a unique experience, truly. I mean, there's been many shows, there's been a history of shows here in the city that do that fully immersive, cool experience, but I feel like yours is very unique in the way that you're doing it and the experience that you're offering. So is there a message or a thought? You hope that audiences will take away from this? - Great question. Yeah, I think as theater artists, we're really in the memory business. We have all of these great memories of experiencing shows and getting to know this. And that ultimately inspires us to go into that same field and we hope that people have similarly potent memories. And so I hope people will come to this, again, see some great magic, have some great sort of unique, ghostly, spooky vibes, you know? And maybe ask themselves kind of what is possible, what is within our realm of fantasy versus reality, which theater is such a perfect medium for. And so I think again, it really fits with that spooky season by people who love Halloween and people who really love to see something they've never seen before, you know? Magic is such a singular experience. And I'm so stoked to share that with folks. And again, maybe there'll be a little bit of a history lesson within this. You know, Houdini is such a famous icon, but he's also a New Yorker, you know, a Brooklyn guy. So to really kind of give a glimpse into the living history of that, which is again, I think what wonderful acting and wonderful theater can do. You know, as I mentioned, we've inherited these stories and we have a responsibility to share them with a modern audience, you know? So yeah, I hope people have a fun, magical experience and leave kind of on this note of wonder. - That is fantastic, truly fantastic. So to round out our first part of this interview, I would love to know with such an exceptional experience, you're all putting together. And there are so many moving parts and elements involved in the show. Who are you hoping to have access to this piece, the spirit speaking? - I think anyone in the New York area who is looking for access, yeah. I would say, you know, a discerning theater goer is going to have an exceptional experience. And even anyone who's down just to, you know, have a fun night, you know? People who maybe go to escape rooms would probably dig this or people who, you know, love going to like kind of cool underground concerts, you know? Like this is a non-traditional experience and that's the beauty of it. You know, this is something you're really going to get close to in a magical way. And as I mentioned, that's what the kind of the joy of magic is. It's always a little different depending on what that viewer brings to it. That audience member is going to inform the process in a lot of ways. So I think this show, we hope to have access to people who really care about theater and who really find, you know, people who really are fascinated by ghost stories, I think would also have, have kind of, we would love to have access to that kind of energy. You know, the curious theater goer is our perfect audience. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) - Well, for the second part of our shows, we love letting our listeners get a chance to get to know our guests a little bit better. Pick your brain, if you will. I want to start with our regular first question, which is, what are who inspires you? What playwrights, composers, or shows have inspired you in the past or just some of your favorites? - Okay, wow, great question. You know, again, it's so, I find inspiration on the subway, on the sidewalk, you know, the world itself is so magical and so mysterious and so interesting. So again, it's fun to just sort of embrace that, but theater wise, I was thinking about something, very special, like kind of a theater memory and also a very strong magical memory, which has been inspiring for a long, long time. And it was a play by Arthur Miller, called The Man Who Had All The Luck. And it was actually his first published work. And I think it was first published in 1943, but it only ran for four performances. It's actually a failure, a great failure. But I think in like the early 2000s, it was, you know, reimagined, reproduced here on Broadway. And it's a great story. Again, kind of a classic Arthur Miller vibes, but there's this moment and it takes place in sort of like an auto shop, like this mechanics shop. And the main character is this mechanic. And it's a lovely story, but there's this moment that I still think about so vividly. And basically there's a new customer coming into the garage and the mechanics kind of getting ready to do that. So it's sort of this transitional scene. And the main character was played by Chris O'Donnell in The One That I Saw. And so he's downstairs right kind of at this little mechanics sink or like a little mirror or a little mechanics light. And he's kind of putting on his jumpsuit and washing his hands and just getting everything ready to work on this new car. And again, because of the light, because of the direction, everyone's just kind of got their eyes on this little light, this little mirror. And then as he kind of zips up and gets ready to go, the lights come on and this magnificent car has arrived on stage. Like this beautiful golden, like the thing that he's going to work on. And it appeared out of nowhere, you know, as so to speak. Obviously it's just kind of theatrical mechanics, which is magic. It's light, it's direction, it's misdirection. But that was such a wonderful example, you know, of simplicity, as you said. And so that's something that I always find inspiring, like simple, powerful moments. And again, I love the Bedlam Theatre Company. Eric Tucker's work, always very inspiring, electric, creative. Mac Rogers, wonderful playwright. Always find, you know, inspiration in his work. You know, the circus, the circus is so inspiring. You know, the modern examples and the history of it. I love these great, Kelty photos, you know, of the Barnum and Bailey and just the operations, you know. Like, I guess you could say one of the reasons I became a theater person is because I'm a history nerd. And again, great stories exist in these mediums. And again, I love biographies. And that's why I love our play so much. It's because, again, it's history, but it's also got this modern, creative, magical lens. So yeah, inspiration comes often, I'm happy to say. But yeah, over the, you know, just a few days ago, I saw "Water for Elephants" on Broadway. Very cool show. Again, an adaptation of a novel and a movie. And again, it's about the circus. It's about the passions of those kind of worlds, you know. And again, kind of the really nitty gritty stuff. It's not the glamour, you know. It's the stuff really that you have to dedicate yourself to in order to share, in order to understand. So it was a cool, cool production. But I guess that's a long answer in terms of what inspires me. But it's creative artists in their bliss. That is a fabulous answer, though. I love all of those, great, great. Well, kind of on that note, I'm curious to know, I know you've been very busy getting the show ready, but have you had the chance to see any great theater lately? You might be able to recommend to our listeners. You would mention "Water for Elephants," but any others? Sure, yeah. Well, I would say that anything that Gideon Media produces, they do a lot of audio drama. And I mentioned Mac Rogers. He's a playwright in that space. So, again, I always revered the Mercury Theater and Orson Well. So obviously, the iconic "War of the Worlds" broadcast is so inventive and creative. And so Gideon Media, I would encourage your listeners to check them out. And I was going to say another thing that I saw on Broadway, I guess it was last year, "The Shark" is broken. It was about the making of Jaws and kind of all the drama behind the scenes with the-- I don't know if that was on your radar, but I really enjoyed that, obviously Jaws. Like, my favorite movie. And it's cool to, again, look behind the curtain. Look behind the shark, you know? And understand kind of what the reality was. Because as I mentioned, there's the reality, and then there's the illusion. And then magic exists right in the middle, you know? And anyway, so that one was really fun and interesting. Alex Brightman is a buddy and did a great job portraying Richard Dreyfus, which was, I'm sure, a challenge. But yeah, what else? I mean, I happened to catch Beetlejuice on tour, the Beetlejuice musical. That was a lot of fun, you know? Very creative, very inventive, brilliant, brilliant, and also wacky and wild and super funny. So yeah, you know, I don't really have a type. I kind of like to see everything. Big stuff, little stuff, weird stuff. And yeah, any of those are good. But I also mentioned Bedlam Theater. Anytime they're putting up work or whatever their season looks like, highly recommend. Great actors, great, yeah, just really great direction. And I see everything that they do, for sure. - Those are fantastic suggestions. Thank you for those. - Of course. - So a wonderful show as you named. - And let me mention one more, actually. And this is like not a big show, but I think people would enjoy checking it out. It's a student production happening this fall at the Atlantic. And it's by a playwright that I really care about. His name's Dan Caffrey, and the show is called Madawan. And it's about the first documented shark attacks in America. Takes place in 1916 off the coast of New Jersey. And it is very cool script. And when I saw the Atlantic Conservatory Students were putting it up, I'm like, oh, I really hope I have a day off to check that out. And I do, I do. October 8th, I know where I will be. And it's gonna be seeing Madawan at the Atlantic stage, too. And I would encourage anyone to maybe keep an eye on that or track that down, because Dan is a playwright to note. And I'm sure it's gonna be a beautiful and interesting and yeah, very compelling material. So yeah, and the Atlantic is great, too. They're a wonderful company, but I really wanna see Dan Caffrey's Madawan. - Those are fantastic recommendations though. And I love that you recommended a student production at Atlantic stages, 'cause absolutely. Everything they do is fantastic. So I'm gonna have to check out the show. Thank you for that. - You're welcome. - I want to ask you now, what is your favorite part about working in the field? - So many favorite parts. Obviously the people that you meet is probably the best part of it, you know? Just the folks that really love to share, love to collaborate, love to create. So many dear friends, I've met through this work. So maybe it's the people we get to work with. That's probably the best part of it. And again, the stories that we get to have from those experiences are also quite valuable. So yeah, just being able to jam with fellow artists, that's always the best part, I would say. - That is a wonderful answer. I love that. And you know, that is a great lead into my favorite question to ask guests. And I'm so excited to hear yours. You've kind of already named one, but what is your favorite theater memory? - Oh, wow, God, so many, you know? I would say again, that Arthur Miller moment in "The Man Who Had All the Luck" was a really special one. And yeah, I would say that's probably my favorite theater memory. And otherwise, I will share, or I guess this is a great memory as well, more of a long-term memory. But I was really lucky to work kind of apprentice for a wonderful magician by the name of Steve Cohen. And he still has a show running in New York called "Chamber Magic." And Steve is the best, really a classic magician, you know? And magician, thinker, creator, but just like performer, you know? Really old school, but like so sharp and so clever. And was such a great mentor. And I guess working for him was such a powerful memory. And again, he's the house magician at the Waldorf Astoria for many years. And now people can check out his show at the Lotte Palace, which is again, really beautiful environment in Midtown, like a really classy, really pure kind of old school magic. But again, the material is so beautiful. And he was such a great, again, great teacher, great, just such a great person to learn from. And I feel really lucky to have had those kind of mentors. But so many memories working on that show. I was basically his stage hand, stage manager, usher, anything, you know, but yeah, watching his show twice a night for years, you know, was such a powerful and wonderful experience, such an education, you know? And still, still ripples through me, you know? So I feel like I said, lucky to have so many great teachers in Magic, in life, Steve Cohen, definitely top of that list in terms of wonderful memories. - That is a, those are two fantastic memories I should say, but I thank you so much for sharing that. That's amazing. - Again, if your audience ever, again, I know our show is going to be there for spooky season and I'm so excited for people to check it out. But anyone who really loves magic should check out Steve Cohen's show called Chamber Magic. And you'll never forget it, that's all I can say. - Well, as we wrap things up, I would love to know, do you have any other projects or productions coming in the pipeline that we might be able to plug for you? - Oh, thanks for asking. I would say, you know, everything at the moment is really focused on the spirits be easy. So that's where my attention is. The blinders are on that. After November 3rd, probably gonna take a nap, maybe a small vacation. I'm really looking forward to that, you know? And we'll see what the future holds. I'm lucky to have a production company and we're always developing cool feature film projects. So anyone who looks at my website, which you can list here, it's patricteri.com. There's a hyphen, patric-teri.com. But that's where I list everything that I'm working on and a couple of the films that I've produced and a couple of the things that I'm working on. So I would just encourage folks to maybe keep an eye on that, follow me on social media. But the only thing that I'm really, really care about at the moment is the spirit speak easy. And once that comes down, we'll see. But at the moment, always gonna be trying to find ways to share magic, be it a play or a film or even just a conversation, you know? - It's fantastic. So some things on the horizon, as you said, we should probably, you know, keep tabs on. And that's a good lead into my final question, which is if our listeners would like more information about the spirit speak easy, or about you, maybe they'd like to reach out to you, how can they do, though? You did mention your website, patric-teri.com. Any other ways? - Yeah, thespiritspeakeasy.com. That's probably the best place to go for, you know, tickets and more info about the show. There's a cool promo video with Kristin and I and Monica Hammond as well. So yeah, keep an eye on that. I think tickets are going pretty fast. And again, by the time this comes out, hopefully there'll still be some availability. Yeah, keep an eye on that website. And again, you can follow me on social media at patric-teri. And yeah, I'd love to stay in touch with you as well. And maybe we'll go see chamber magic later in the year, you know? I think you would really get a kick out of that. But yeah, really, really excited for you to be at the spirit speak easy. And like I said, it's such a fun, fun show for spooky season. I think as an audience, but also as a performer, this is exactly where I wanna be at this time of year, you know? Couldn't be luckier. And again, I think all the performers in this are just really exceptional. So I hope that all your listeners can come check it out. - Yes, perfect. Well, Patrick, thank you so, so much for joining us today and for sharing this incredible piece. You're a part of, I truly cannot wait to see it and see all the amazing things that you and your co-stars do. This is fantastic. So thank you so much for your time today. - Thank you, Andrew. I really appreciate this opportunity. And yeah, cool to chat with you. And like I said, a real fan of this podcast. So keep up the great work. - Thank you so much. My guest today has been the incredible performer, magician, just all around amazing artists who was playing the role of Houdini, Patrick Terry. You join us to talk about the show he's part of, which is entitled The Spirit Speak Easy. It's happening September 19th through November 3rd at Sincerely Ophelia, which is at 221 Second Avenue, Sweet Be. And you can get your tickets and more information by visiting thespiritspeakeasy.com. And you probably wanna head over there soon because tickets are going fast and you are not gonna wanna miss this incredible experience. We also have some contact information for our guests, which we'll be posting on our episode description, as well as on our social media posts, but run, don't walk. Head to thespiritspeakeasy.com right now to get your tickets for The Spirit Speak Easy, September 19th through November 3rd. And we wanna add for our American listeners that election day is November 5th. Make sure you are registered to vote. Have a plan to cast your ballot and do your democratic duty. You can find out how and where you can register to vote by visiting vote.gov. The future demands that we fight for it now. So until next time, I'm Andrew Cortez, reminding you to turn off your cell phones, unwrap your candies, and keep talking about the theater. - In a stage whisper. - Thank you. (upbeat music) - If you like what you hear, please leave a five star review, like and subscribe. - You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram at stagewhisperpod. - And feel free to reach out to us with your comments and personal stories at stagewhisperpod@gmail.com. - And be sure to check out our website for all things stage whisper and theater. You'll be able to find merchandise, tours, tickets, and more. Simply visit stagewhisperpod.com. Our theme song is Maniac by Jazar. Other music on this episode provided by Jazar and Billy Murray. You can also become a patron of our show by logging on to patreon.com/stagewhisperpod. There you will find all the information about our backstage pass as well as our tip jar. Thank you so much for your generosity. We could not do this show without you. (singing in foreign language) ♪ We all count, make me there ♪ [BLANK_AUDIO]