Q&A With Joe Tantalo, Artistic Director, Godlight Theatre Company

Our new Q&A is with Joe Tantalo, who recently opened a stage version of "A Clockwork Orange" with the Godlight Theatre Company.

Why A Clockwork Orange? What are you trying to get
across?

The loss of individuality, and at what cost, is the central theme in Anthony Burgess's novella. Additional realities in the journey that our young narrator, Alex, and other the characters take are: over bearing government, censorship, drugs, violence and essentially losing their humanity. Begging the question again: And at what cost do we allow these things to happen? It doesn't take me to point it out, as I'm sure that an audience can see that Anthony Burgess's world of Nadsat, evil government, the old Moloko, and religion and faith in politics is clearly to be seen as it weighs heavily on our 2005 minds.

What are the challenges in bringing a classic movie to live theater? Do you feel you have to walk a fine line between staying true to the movie and doing your own thing?

It is a fine line, isn't it? The expectation is the movie and there is no real effective way to get around that. But I don't mind it. The movie served and continues to serve its purpose as an important piece of cinema. However, for the theatre, we are dealing with an entirely different beast. The play is based on the novella, not the movie. We stay true to the intention of the author/playwright (Burgess) and really dive into the raw material that is very available to present as live, edge-of your-seat theatre. We have had a blast working on A Clockwork Orange. You just don't see this type of theatre out there and I think it's refreshing as an artist and as a patron to allow yourself these types of experiences that you really can only find the world of theatre.

What's your favorite Stanley Kubrick film?

I really enjoy Full Metal Jacket the best. I remember watching it with my father for the first time when was I young and it scared the shit out of me. Vincent D'Onofrio? C'mon, he is extraordinary as Private Pyle. But going beyond my first response and seeing it again some years later, I was struck by how haunting Kubrick's direction is. Although, that same idea can be found in many of his films though. Especially A Clockwork Orange.

Tell me about your background. How did you get into theatre?

I grew up in Connecticut with my parents and younger brother. I went to public grammar school and Catholic all-boys high school at Notre Dame. After high school I went to Southern Connecticut State University and studied theatre. My background in theatre begins "officially" during my senior year of high school (but really it began in second grade when I played the dancing mummy in a production of The Monster Mash...). Economic times had forced the high school to make some cut backs and of course drama was one of the many things to go. I didn't want to lose the opportunity to be in the school play as my high school career was coming to an end, so I went to the principal and headmaster and asked if I could direct the school play. No student had made such a request before, so for whatever reasons, they let me do it. I assembled a cast from Notre Dame and our sister (all-girls) high school Sacred Heart and we went into rehearsals for Agatha Christie's The Unexpected Guest.

What a year. The high school custodian built our amazing set (an interior of a mansion) and we spent so many hours on that stage just being happy that we were actually going to pull it off. And well too. I had never directed a play before, but everything came naturally to me. I really enjoyed it. I almost knew what I was doing. And so, now cut to the performances, and it was magical. We had done it. So, from there onward it was in me and my course was set.

Godlight Theatre Company began in 1994 as I broke away from Southern's theatre dept a bit and wanted to do my own work. We had humble beginnings in a church basement in downtown New Haven. Sounds like cliché, but there is something extraordinary that Godlight began that way. Since then the theatre company has worked at some amazing places and not so amazing places. Every circumstance was different, but it built our character.

What are you most proud of in your career?

Continuing to build Godlight Theatre Company and working with people who challenge and inspire me.

What advice would you give a actors and directors trying to make it in New York?

To make your own way. No one will hand you anything. Work for the sake of the work and all else will follow. Too often I've talked with people who are guided by other reasons and it just doesn't work that way.

How does one get involved in your productions?

The best way is to see one and see if you want to get involved. I have found some of my best and most respected collaborators that way...because if you don't like our work, then why bother?


Thanks to Joe for taking the time for the interview.

Here's my previous interview, with former presidential candidate Mike Dukakis.

Also check out my interview with Good Day Live correspondent TJ Allard.

Check out my other Q&As