Hometown: Auburn, NY
Education: BFA: Brooklyn College
Favorite Credits: I’ve really enjoyed directing this! I once directed some excerpts from "Reservoir Dogs" (the Tarantino movie) for a fundraiser and that was a blast. I’d love to do a full stage production of that.
Why theater?: Honestly, it was the only thing that’s been able to keep my attention and interest. Plus, I really enjoy working with people, collaborating and storytelling.
Tell us about Wake Up Call: Wake Up Call is loosely based on the time Veronica Cooper (co-writer/Jessica) and I spent working in hotels together and is about that time in your life when you’re trying to figure out exactly what it is to “grow up”... And Christmas… And inappropriate humor.
What inspired you to write and direct Wake Up Call?: Veronica Cooper approached me about 2 years ago with some pages about working in hotels. She’d written them to distract herself from another script she’d been working on. We talked about them, I pitched her some story ideas, and she asked me if I’d be interested in writing this with her. It was a natural fit. We have a similar sense of humor and after our first few writing sessions we found that we genuinely enjoyed working together. We had been writing with the intention of being in it together but somewhere along the way I realized I was more interested in directing it. Plus I think I’m too old to play Derek!
What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: Man! I really wish I had a good answer for this question. Honestly, I get inspired by almost anything. That is to say I’ll go see an amazing show and get inspired by it, obviously, but I’m just as likely to get inspiration from a silly joke someone tells me.
If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: Umm… Daniel Day Lewis?
What show have you recommended to your friends?: The Humans, duh. Anything Annie Baker writes. And find some random off off broadway and go see it. Support independent theater.
Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: What’s funny about this question is that I play a game with my friends all the time about what the name of my autobiography would be. Some favorites have been “I’ll Do It Tomorrow: The Adam Thomas Smith Story” “You Grew Up On a Farm?!: The Adam Thomas Smith Story” “DO YOU GET IT?: The Adam Thomas Smith Story”. I think you’re getting a sense for the formula. As for who’d play me I want to say someone cool like Michael Fassbender or Christian Bale but it would probably be Seth Rogen… maybe Jason Segel.
If you could go back in time and see any play or musical you missed, what would it be?: There’s probably a lot but I definitely wish I could have seen the Philip Seymour Hoffman/John C Reilly True West. Or for that matter the Senise/Malkovich version.
What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: FOOD! I love a good comfort food meal. Anything deep fried.
If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: Probably a tie between Teaching and Farming (I grew up on a small dairy farm).
What’s up next?: Working on bringing back an adaptation of Hamlet I worked on with some really talented people a few years ago. Hopefully next year. And Veronica and I are hoping to write more together. Stay tuned!
For more on Adam, visit adamthomassmith.com
