For all of the love that summer season in New York will get, spring is basically the place it’s at. The climate is non-oppressive, free outside occasions have began to seem, and New Yorkers have already begun to gentle up the parks.
Molière within the Park checks all of these containers. Since 2019, this world-class manufacturing home has introduced the works of Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, the Seventeenth-century playwright, actor, and poet often known as Molière, to Prospect Park. This yr, from Might 8–25, on the LeFrak Middle, Molière within the Park is presenting the final work Molière wrote and carried out in: “The Imaginary Invalid,” directed and translated by Lucie Tiberghien.
If the thought of getting steeped in classical French theater and comédie-ballet doesn’t sound like an enthralling night, au contraire, mon ami. Like Shakespeare within the Park, Molière within the Park productions are culturally related and designed to be accessible, whether or not or not you occurred to have already learn the play in query in preparation for an Eleventh-grade AP examination. Not like Shakespeare within the Park, the language of Molière, not less than the way in which it has been translated by Tibeghien, is fashionable and instantly accessible. In the meantime, scoring tickets doesn’t require a day-long tour.
Most significantly, the present is a pure hoot. Not solely is it socially insightful and raucously humorous about issues just like the medical industrial advanced and marriage, nevertheless it options show-stopping motion and vocal performances. Fearless in breaking the fourth wall, “The Imaginary Invalid” is intent on entertaining the viewers, not condescending to it.
I had an opportunity to sit down down with Sahr Ngaujah, who performs the play’s titular invalid, Argan, as a part of a principally Black forged. Ngaujah has had an extended and distinguished profession in theater and tv, along with his most notable credit being Tony-nominated turns in “Fela!” and “”Moulin Rouge” on Broadway. Having seen each “Fela!” and precise Fela Kuti performances a number of instances myself, to not point out having attended a Mom’s Day night efficiency of “The Imaginary Invalid,” I used to be notably excited to cut it up with Ngaujah.
AmNews: First, let me simply inform you that I noticed you in “Fela!” The truth is, I noticed “Fela!” thrice, and it stays the one most satisfying expertise I’ve ever had on Broadway.
Sahr Ngaujah (SN): Oh, man. Thanks a lot. Thanks for telling me that.AmNews: Your efficiency was not solely mesmerizing, however you brilliantly captured Fela’s revolutionary bad-boy charisma. Should you have a look at the trajectory of your profession to this point, what significance do you are feeling that function had for you?
SN: It was life-changing. Positively career-defining. I went to see the premiere of Invoice T. Jones’ [the dancer/choreographer who conceived, directed, and choreographed “Fela!” on Broadway] present “Nonetheless/Right here” at BAM a couple of months in the past. He didn’t know I used to be going to be in attendance, and I went to the reception and stood subsequent to him. He was gripping my hand, holding me shut, and stated in my ear, “Sahr, I’m actually completely satisfied to see you. That present we did collectively was essentially the most highly effective present I’ve ever finished in my life.” Or one thing in that ballpark. My level is, if it was a giant deal for Invoice T. Jones, you may think about that it was a giant deal for me.
AmNews: You might be a bit of bit too younger for this, however did you ever get an opportunity to see Fela carry out your self? How a lot did he determine in your life and creativeness?
SN: He wasn’t performing whereas I used to be rising up, however he performed a significant function in my upbringing and in my understanding of music and of African music. My mother and father are music lovers and musicians in their very own proper. My father’s a West African man from Sierra Leone, and Fela is the poster little one of cool, particularly for guys of my father’s technology, so I grew up with that, and I used to be floored once I had the chance to take part within the growth of the play. It was intimidating, however I labored as arduous as I … may each single day. It’s part of my life now and I’m nonetheless in contact and shut with Fela’s household. They made it very clear to me that I might at all times be part of their household, whether or not I favored it or not. And I do prefer it [laughter].
AmNews: You’ve been a little bit of a globetrotter, proper? You labored in Atlanta, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Johannesburg. How do you examine these theater experiences with that of New York?
SN: I used to be concerned with a troupe. On the time, it was known as the Freddie Hendrix Youth Ensemble of Atlanta; now it’s the Youth Ensemble of Atlanta, nevertheless it was primarily based in a theater known as Seven Phases. Seven Phases was the hub of worldwide theater in Atlanta and it was deeply steeped in Theater of the Absurd, extremely experimental theater, so I used to be utterly immersed in that world on the age of 15, till I moved to Europe. [I] was uncovered to corporations from all around the world. We’d do workshops and have interaction within the methods and the practices of these theater corporations.
The work in Johannesburg additionally occurred at a really early age — I used to be in my late teenagers — however of all the businesses that have been coming by means of Seven Phases, the Dutch theater for me was essentially the most fascinating. There was one thing about the way in which they handled scenic design or structure and with design generally — the way in which costumes have been constructed, the connection to the viewers, to the fourth wall, to story, and the way a narrative was constructed or constructed or deconstructed. There was one thing that was simply gentle years away from all the pieces else that I noticed. I stated, What on the planet is the start line? And what are they consuming there? What are they consuming? What are they smoking …
AmNews: And the place can I get some [laughter]?
SN: Proper [laughter]. I ended up residing within the Netherlands for nearly all of my 20s into my early 30s, till Invoice T. Jones introduced me to New York. I didn’t actually have any intention of coming again to the States. Truthfully, I had a special trajectory in thoughts, however he acquired me again.
I’ve been in New York now for nearly 20 years, however that [international work] had an enormous affect on me. I labored as an actor and collaborator with a couple of essential theaters, but in addition started directing theater there. I grew to become identified there extra as a director, theater maker, and ultimately as a celebration promoter, relatively than an actor, as a result of I used to be fairly busy with discovering methods of bringing codes of theater, live performance, membership, and movie environments into the identical area.
AmNews: How did you convey that sensibility and strategy to the USA?
SN: What we utilized in constructing the “Fela!” manufacturing has now turn out to be an business normal, as in we supplied the business theater business a brand new instrument that didn’t actually exist earlier than, which has introduced the music business and the business theater business collectively. Now there’s a template or a foundation for how you can inform the story of a music artist or a bunch of music artists, and also you now have reveals like “MJ the Musical” and “Buena Vista Social Membership.” A lot of that got here from the assemble that we created to construct “Fela!”
AmNews: How did you get to “The Imaginary Invalid”? What was it in regards to the script and function that intrigued you? How did you get entangled within the manufacturing?
SN: I acquired a cellphone name and a suggestion. Initially, I don’t dwell removed from Prospect Park and the spring is a really particular time. I’ve a son who is nearly 5 years outdated, so it’s our yard and it’s an unimaginable place to spend time. I’d heard of Molière within the Park. I by no means noticed a present or a studying, however I believed it was actually cool that Brooklyn has Molière and Manhattan has Shakespeare.
After they known as me, nevertheless, I had been on a two-year hiatus from theater work, partly to concentrate on elevating my son and being obtainable to my spouse and my household. I hadn’t learn “The Imaginary Invalid” on the time. I listened to an audio studying of it, and I began watching tapes of many alternative productions of it, from all around the world. I fell in love with the story, and took a deeper dive into Molière’s life than I ever had earlier than, and have become utterly captivated by him and his journey.
There was not a whole lot of time between getting the provide and beginning rehearsals. I acquired the decision about two weeks out from the beginning of rehearsal, and I used to be like, “Which function would you like me to play?” After they stated, “Argan,” I used to be like, “Whoa, wait a minute, there are 50-plus pages of traces right here, man!”
However I took it anyway. I’ve a whole lot of respect for what Lucie is doing — the truth that she’s providing free theater in Prospect Park. Molière’s work and the location that it had in France, when he made it, made it additionally really feel prefer it was vital to play an element in bringing this work to town of New York, the borough of Brooklyn, and Prospect Park.
AmNews: The character of Argan, whom you play in “The Imaginary Invalid,” [is] a fairly excessive character, proper? I imply, he’s not solely a extreme hypochondriac, however he’s domineering, he’s gullible, he’s silly, he’s cussed. The truth is, he’s arguably lovable as a result of he’s so ridiculous.
As an actor, how do you strategy a personality like that? How do you attempt to find his humanity and attempt to discover one thing that the viewers can empathize with? Or do you simply embrace the ridiculousness as a lot as doable?
SN: That’s an important query. I did watch quite a few productions, and lots of people performed it as broad comedy. Happily, I did some Zooms with Lucie earlier than I even agreed to take the function, to attempt to get into her headspace and perceive what she’s in search of. Early on, she stated, “Look, I need this factor to be very a lot grounded in sensible actuality. I’m not in search of Argan to be a comedy man. If individuals discover him humorous, it’s not since you’re making an attempt to make them chuckle.” That was great course and it was very clear, and that’s how I approached creating the character.
However such as you stated, he’s a really excessive man. To entry his humanity, I needed to make my very own backstory. It’s a direct translation from French, which Lucie did herself. We’re additionally standing in a contemporary context by way of what we’re sporting, the place we’re — actually, in Brooklyn. We aren’t sporting 1600s costume or feigning to be within the 1600s; nevertheless, it’s nonetheless a direct translation, so there may be some area left to the creativeness by way of the place are we? and who’re we? We’re in France, however we’re additionally in Brooklyn.
I needed to make a really arduous choice, and a really fast one. How can I account for this excessive nature? I assumed that he has some excessive anxiousness points, and I additionally determined to permit him to be one who’s perhaps experiencing the primary indications of some kind of psychological fog or confusion that may come alongside whenever you is likely to be in your method down the street to dementia. The primary whiff of early onset, I think about, could be very scary. And it is likely to be that the one that is experiencing it notices it.
To the purpose the place he notices it, first, he’s terrified, and he overcompensates consequently. He has mood tantrums, which is likely to be due to his anxiousness, but in addition due to the truth that he’s dropping management, and needs to carry onto management.
That arrange the whole world for me. He’s astute in managing the affairs of his property, up to some extent. He has married a girl who clearly needs him for his cash and he’s kind of conscious of it, however he doesn’t need to admit it to anyone and doesn’t thoughts being a bit of delusional about it, so he’s devastated when he actually hears the reality.
He takes himself severely, utterly severely, and I believe that’s part of what makes it humorous. On the MTA right here in New York Metropolis, there are lots of people [who] are as critical as a coronary heart assault, saying among the funniest stuff you could possibly ever hear come out of a human being’s mouth. However you have a look at their face — they’re not joking in any respect. Some issues are ridiculous. I believe Argan falls into that class.
AmNews: I need to lean into what you have been saying earlier about doing this in Prospect Park. You’ve been in high-budget productions all around the world, and but this play is free to the general public. It’s in the course of a public park. The efficiency space is on the tail finish of a skating rink and, the night time that I attended, there was really somebody strolling outdoors with a boombox turned as much as 10. I don’t even know when you observed that or not.
SN: Oh, I observed [laughter].
AmNews: There have been some distracting moments, proper? How do you examine this sort of manufacturing with others that you simply’ve been in? What are its charms and its challenges?
SN: It’s humorous that you simply have been there that night time. It was full-on. I believe we had simply come off of perhaps three days of rain, downpours, and that night time was relatively attractive, and it was Mom’s Day, and we had a quinceañera behind us. There was a South Asian marriage ceremony to our proper. There have been scores of kids a bit of nearer to our proper, and the boombox, you understand, handed by means of the area after which one other boombox was within the roof space. Sure, these are the kinds of challenges that we encounter, particularly on a lovely day in Prospect Park.
You’ll be able to’t actually cease individuals from residing their life, you understand, and individuals are going to do what they’re going to do. Happily, I believe New Yorkers are used to focusing by means of distractions and listening to or getting what they need regardless of that, however Godspeed to everyone who was making an attempt to pay attention when that boombox was going.
AmNews: Properly the boombox solely lasted a minute or two, nevertheless it was positively difficult for us within the viewers. And it was additionally a part of what made the night time so particular.
SN: There are additionally hordes of mosquitoes that descend from the lake behind us, so whenever you’re on stage and cease transferring lengthy sufficient, they take a chew. Some [of the performers] have been stung on their faces.
However it’s such a lovely, lovely place to work. And the difficult points of it actually dissolve compared to what’s so beautiful about it. We’re speaking about being in the course of nearly 600 acres of inexperienced area. The whole lot is in bloom. Birdsong is the backdrop of our soundscape. There are nests within the lighting rigs. I rescued a turtle from the stage mid-performance a couple of days in the past. The challenges are environmental, and what’s actually fascinating is since rehearsal, there are some regulars who’ve been standing outdoors the efficiency space trying in. They normally keep up on the roof, or followers and lovers cross by means of and sit on the picnic tables close by. Generally, they’re not watching the present in any respect. We’re simply the backdrop to their lives.
