I was a member of Circle Rep; I had done a little bit of directing there. I remember that I had a vacation from 'Angels', in which I remounted a play that I had done out of town called 'Three Hotels.' That's how I spent my week vacation.
I think that from day one, when it became clear that 'Wicked' was going to have a life, that we have set a standard for ourselves that we are never going to shortchange the audience; that every person that we put into that musical is going to be held to the highest standards; and that nobody is going to be coasting.
My associate director, Lisa Leguillou, is remarkable: flying around, visiting all the companies. She is truly the unsung hero of 'Wicked'. She has been by my side from day one, and she is invaluable. I frankly don't know how she does it.
As a director, you're incredibly proud when an individual steps up to the podium and is acknowledged for their work. But to have an entire company acknowledged, there is just no higher honor ever paid for that company - or for the director, for that matter.
I do not resent Sarah Jessica Parker. We've been friends for decades. I just do not like what 'Sex and the City' did to my neighborhood.
I was always the person in our class who was fascinated by new plays. I would go to the library all the time as new plays would come out.
I want to do something very surprising next. I don't know what that is - something that has a high degree of risk.
I think the audiences in Chicago are really open. They're engaged and eager, and they don't feel cynical to me. Sometimes in New York, there's a sense of, 'Prove it to me; prove this is worth my time.' I never felt that in Chicago.
I have a concentrated period of work for about five months, and then I take a bunch of time off. That's just the way I work.
There are plenty of other actors who are wonderful that just don't work in a way that I work, or our methods aren't necessarily compatible. But then there are those you instinctually just are drawn to.
I don't believe really good plays - interesting plays, complicated plays - can mean just one thing to every single person in the audience.
Jayne Houdyshell and I - when I was 17 years old - did summer stock together at the Timber Lake Playhouse in Mt. Carroll, IL. She was the leading lady of the company, and I was an intern.
'Blackbird' is the only one I've ever wanted to redo. It just haunted me, this play. There was a sense of unfinished business because at the time we did it at Manhattan Theatre Club, there was real momentum to move it to Broadway.
I am a very fortunate man, and I don't take it for granted.
I'm friendly with Laurence Luckinbill. He's a great man.
I'm able to think more clearly when I don't have clutter and stuff around.
For some reason, I was deeply ashamed of the theater early on. I think it had to do with this growing sense I was gay, although I couldn't have put a word to it back then.
I was never in the closet as an actor. It never occurred to me that my sexuality was something to be ashamed of.
My first real job as a director was working with Robbie Baitz on his play 'Three Hotels.' It was an incredible collaboration.
Is it perfect? Absolutely not! But there was an audience for 'Wicked,' and our producers were smart enough to reach that audience.
