Spotlight On...Justin Phillips

Name: Justin Phillips

Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA

Education: William Esper Studio, St. John's University

Select Credits: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Macbeth, The Christians, Dreamgirls, The Laramie Project, Sweeney Todd, A Raisin In The Sun, but I cd only whisper.

Why theater?: Why NOT theater? A good quote would work nicely here but I only know the over used ones. To me theater is the one and only art form that I can truly say changes me.

Who do you play in The Curse of the Babywoman?: Nimrod Rodham Rodman

Tell us about The Curse of the Babywoman: The Curse of the Babywoman is kind of exactly what it sounds like. Without giving anything away, it’s a story about a town shrouded in secrets and peril. It's up to the town's newest and unexpected visitor to solve its deadly mystery. A classic tale of horror, humor, and fantasy. Heavy on the humor. Nimrod is the big bad villain of the story! It's his mission to save the town from more death and destroy all Babywomen. Obviously in a hilarious way.

What is it like being a part of The Curse of the Babywoman?: Non-stop laughing. We can't stop laughing at each other. This play is truly an ensemble piece and the characters really demand a certain level of fearlessness.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: Theater that dares to push any and all buttons, that crosses the boundaries of what traditional theater has given us. The biggest source of my inspiration is a culmination of all the playwrights, directors and actors I've admired over the years. The characters they've brought to life and all the stories that were told are huge influences. Finding a little bit of myself in all of those characters and stories inspires me to be a little more honest with each role I have the opportunity to play. Plus all my teachers and fellow students from the Esper Studio.

Any roles you’re dying to play?: Belize or Louis in Angels In America. Eventually MLK Jr. in The Mountaintop. I would also love a shot at Elder Cunningham in The Book of Mormon. I think it would be hilarious to have a black Cunningham.

What’s your favorite showtune?: Speaking of The Book of Mormon, "Man Up". God knows I love a good mash up of tunes already sung into one huge exciting act one finale!

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: Brandon Jacob-Jenkins

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: Kenan Thompson. "When's It My Turn??"

If you could go back in time and see any play or musical you missed, what would it be?: Caroline or Change/Angels In America/ the original cast of Ragtime.

What show have you recommended to your friends?: Shuffle Along! "Stranger Things" on Netflix!

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: A social media app called Peach. It's only the newest, hottest app out right now…

What’s up next?: Finishing the run of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee here in NYC!

Review: When Babywomen Attack

By Michael Block

Comedy is subjective. What's funny to one may not be funny to another. With comedy being so broad, an audience is truly the litmus test to discover if something is funny. In Mike Wirsch's intrusively absurd The Curse of the Babywoman, silly fodder and baffling jokes fill the two-act comedy. Be warned, this style of humor is certainly not for everyone. The crazy comedy follows the cartoonish Francisco Sputum as he stumbles into a tavern after a recent sighting of the infamous Babywoman. Wrapped up in an abundance of recurring jokes, many of which don't land the first time, The Curse of the Babywoman is unlike anything you've seen before. Yet it wants to be a comedic steampunk gothic thriller. It's evident that this play will land if it's to your taste. But is it possible that Wirsch's brand of comedy was too smart for this cast? For some reason, there was a massive disconnect between page to stage. Though time and location seemed to shuffle often (Bob's Big Boy anyone?), overall, the accents were not strong enough to be carried through. Going neutral may have added clarity in the comedy. Perhaps defining this world would benefit Wirsch in the long run.

The Babywoman ensemble were game to play, even if it meant throwing puppies out of trees or interacting with straw people. As Philomena, Sarah Misch was the sole performer to grasp the rhythm of Wirsch's comedy. Misch was able to turn from ingenue to diva on a time. Taylor Pedane had a tough task of leading this play. He tried to grasp the absurdity of playing the straight man of the sketch while still engaging in the style.
Director Olivia Hartle kept the energy high from start to finish. She proved what a potential big budget production could be. The inclusion of the shadow puppets, created by Wirsch, was a nice touch that could have gone even further. It was a nice visual gag. The steampunk inspired costumes by Sean Pollock were a nice touch. Just look at Nimrod Rodham Rodman's attire. It elevated his character.
From a score of kid songs to a "Blucher"-esque bit, the moral of The Curse of the Babywoman is that if a recurring joke doesn't work the first time, the audience won't buy it the twentieth time. Mike Wirsch is a smart writer and that should be noted.

Spotlight On...Mike Wirsch

Name: Mike Wirsch


Hometown: Beacon, NY


Education: Bachelor of Science in Communication Arts, St. John’s University


Favorite Credits: Writer: The Journeymen and Womyn With a Y (The Overtime Theatre, San Antonio); Performer: The Dead Sullivan Show, Naked Holidays (EndTimes Productions); Space Captain: Captain of Space! (No Tea Productions)


Why theater?: I used to wrestle (badly) when I was in high school, and when I was sixteen I decided to audition for Mame instead. That was my first taste of theater. Now I tend to do more absurd and comedic shows, because they interest me. Hopefully they interest other people as well.


Tell us about The Curse of the Babywoman: Here’s the elevator pitch : “Shurbtown is a small town for small­minded people preoccupied by social mores and the new Bob's Big Boy. But everyone has secrets, and one secret toddles to life every night. Can Shrubtown stand up to a creature that can barely walk?” I don’t want to sound too pretentious, but on a deeper level it’s a story about fear, denial in the face of evidence, mob mentality, and small town values. What better way to frame this story than with something as innocuous as a giant baby?


What inspired you to write The Curse of the Babywoman: It started with a quip my girlfriend made, something to the tune of, “What if I acted like a giant baby?” For some reason I thought it would be a good idea to expand upon this and write a full length play. This has all gotten way out of hand.


What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I love good improv comedy. It is raw, spontaneous, and cheap. You can see the best improvisors in the city for under ten bucks. No sets, no scripts, no bullshit. This coming from a writer. And if you want to be inspired, watch TJ and Dave. They embody the idea of being “in the moment.”


If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: Either the WWE Hardcore Legend Mick Foley or Louis CK. Either one, and in any capacity.


What show have you recommended to your friends?: I know I don’t need to recommend it, and at this point it’s old, but Sleep No More is just so cool.


Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: I’ve been compared to both Steve Buscemi and Joel McHale, so let’s imagine that they produce a lovechild, and that lovechild becomes an actor. We’ll call him Jeeves McScemi. And the movie is called "Wirsch Nightmare". It is rated NC­17, and it is full of lies about me.


If you could go back in time and see any play or musical you missed, what would it be?: When I was growing up, commercials for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats used to scare the living shit out of me. I had nightmares about these weird human­cat hybrids. So when my mom offered to take me and my sister to see the show, we both told her no way. I still haven’t seen it. But part of me wishes I had faced my fear. And it looks like I won’t have to go back in time to do it, because Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats has returned to scar yet another generation of impressionable youths.


What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: I’m one of those thirty year old men who loves Pokémon GO. We should all be ashamed of ourselves.

If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: Writing short stories, drawing, painting, playing music... I’d be doing something in the arts.


What’s up next?: My musical improv team, Good Catch, has shows coming up in Manhattan, Boston, and Rochester. And I am always writing stuff. Currently, my friend and I are working on a short musical modeled after 1970s pop culture and children’s shows, kind of a weird homage to H.R. Pufnstuf. It is titled, In the Giant’s Soup

For more on The Curse of the Babywoman, visit bigtheatre.org. For more on Mike, visit mikewirsch.com.