TALK THROUGH IT ◊ EPISODE FIVE
STUART MELTZER CATCHES UP WITH CAST MEMBER OF THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME, MICHAEL MCKEEVER AS HE PREPARED FOR THE SECOND WEEKEND OF PERFORMANCES
Stuart: Hi Michael, How are you?
Michael: I’m good how are you, Stuart?
Stuart: Welcome to my Talk Through It for this week.
Michael: I’m thrilled to finally be asked to do one of these!
Stuart: I know you wanna go and take a shower….
Michael: I do! But hey…. Whatever….
Stuart: We’re speaking from our living room, and we’re about to go to the theatre to do the second weekend of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. How does your body feel?
Michael: My body feels like it would much prefer to be doing a…Eugene O’Neill play…however, my heart is full and very happy.
Stuart: Okay, why is that?
Michael: Because this is one of those experiences where everyone has been such a joy. It’s been such a collaborative, exciting, theatrical experience for all involved and we’ve all fed off each other’s creativity.
Stuart: You don’t get a chance to do a lot of these physically demanding shows that often.
Michael: Less and less these days, yeah.
Stuart: The last really physical piece that I remember you doing was Seascape at Palm Beach Dramaworks about 13 years ago.
Michael: Yes, and that was physically demanding by the fact that I had to keep my body pressed to the ground and move about like a lizard. The physicality in this show is completely different, where I’m constantly moving, and pushing doors, and carrying blocks, and picking up actors. Again it’s very exciting but at the same time, using muscles I haven’t used in a while.
Stuart: And also at the same time you play several different characters, and this is part of the magical experience others involved have spoken of, and I imagine looking at it from our perspective in the audience it looks incredibly fun!
Michael: Well from the perspective of the actors onstage, it’s fun as well! It’s one of those shows that from the moment the lights come up to the final word spoken by the lead actor, we never stop. Backstage is just as active as it is onstage and as a result of that there is this incredible energy that just propels you through the show. It’s really like something I’ve never done before.
Stuart: Well I’m really glad that you’re a part of it.
Michael: I’m thrilled! I always like being in a Stuart Meltzer production.
Stuart: I bet you do!
Michael: I do!!… Can I go take a shower now?
Stuart: Yes, you may!
(laughter)