By Matthew Blank
12 Jun 2012

Performer you would drop everything to go see:	Katie Finneran. Everything she does is hilarious and filled with invention and heart.
Pop culture guilty pleasure:	I love Brit pop without judgment, the good and the terrible.
First CD/Tape/LP you owned:	Nirvana’s "Nevermind"
Moment you knew you wanted to pursue a career in the theatre:	Seeing Tommy when I was 13 was a certain kind of revelation. It felt like theater was in dialogue with the popular culture. Then reading Bob Brustein’s book "Making Scenes" in college was what made me want to do this as a career.
What did you find most challenging or taxing about this project?	Without representational scenery, the physical staging has to suddenly explain so many different complex environments, indicate cinematic transitions, as well as stand in for what would be budget-busting action set pieces. Figuring out the uniting vocabulary for all this sort of staging was fun for us but definitely challenging.
Favorite pirate movie:	"The Goonies"
Worst job you ever had:	I drove a truck one summer during college, without a license and with great hazard to the New York population.
If you could play any role in Starcatcher for a week, what would it be?	I can’t imagine doing a tenth of what those actors deliver onstage every night but I have a deep affection for the character of Smee. He has some of the funniest lines and gets to share the stage with some truly riotous scene partners.
Any upcoming projects you can talk about?	The next show I’m doing is an immersive club show about Imelda Marcos with music by David Byrne of The Talking Heads and Fatboy Slim. I’ve done a lot of 360-theater but nothing as crazy as this.
Career you would want if not in theatre:	I've always been interested in urban planning. Reading books about architecture, city planning, and the history of New York are a private hobby. "Lowlife" and "The Powerbroker" are two of my favorites, and the first play I ever wrote and directed was about Robert Moses.
Something about you that surprises people:	I have a bizarre and inexplicably deep knowledge of the Cash Money Records hip-hop catalogue starting from the early ‘90s. I can quote albums at length.
"I'll never understand why…"	Some people don't have an instinct to be quiet backstage.
Words of advice for aspiring performers:	Don’t be afraid of the audition. The writers and director want you to succeed.
Words of advice for aspiring directors:	Make your own opportunities. If people aren’t handing you shows to direct, don’t wait for it: do what you can to create and produce your own work.