By Gary Wien
originally published: 03/01/2006
What is SAMURAIZATION all about?
...Having my sushi and eating it, too! It's about getting happy - and about celebrating being alive - which means facing the fact that we're all going to be not alive at some point. The show's inspired by a Japanese writer named Yukio Mishima who was deeply into the Samurai culture - which stressed the importance of making bold, clear choices... (you don't see images of whiny, wishy-washy Samurai warriors..."Do I chop off his head now? or now?"). I feel like lots of people - including myself - struggle with how to get the most out of life. The show explores doing that by getting clear about what life is (or can be): an intense, finite experience of calculated risks.
Audiences say the show's hilarious and uplifting -- and hearing everyone laughing, I guess you wouldn't think it's a show about death -- but it is. I've had people tell me that they see the show being about facing fear, about making the right choices, about feeling good. I can agree with all of these.
You've performed one-woman plays before, do you like the challenge of being alone on stage?
I'm thrilled by performing solo on stage - I'm alive and buzzing when I'm out there with the audience. I've been called a 'stand-up poet' - which is some kind of hybrid of stand-up comic and performance poet - and there's accuracy to that statement, I think. Every show is different because of the audience and that makes the whole ride worth taking.
What's the most difficult thing about a one person show? What's the most rewarding?
The most difficult thing for me is rehearsing. It can be really lonely because my whole show rides on the relationship with the audience --- which is the most rewarding thing --- making the connection with the audience.
I notice that you sometimes move back and forth between your works (like going from Fear Junkie to Samuraization) - do you ever find your characters morphing by accident? How do you keep the works straight?
Fun question! I don't actually - it's really fortunate that, for some reason, the pieces are caught in different parts of my brain, I guess... That'd be really fun, though, to see Yukio Mishima show up in the middle of my therapy session for Fear Junkie!
Tell me a little about the Out of the Box series you co-host in North Brunswick.
Oh, yes!! Thank you for asking! OUT OF THE BOX is an open-mic series for performers of all types. We've been running for three years now at the Pride Center in North Brunswick. Each month we have a featured artist - now they're coming in from around the nation - Arizona, Washington DC, Chicago. About 40-55 folks show up each month to listen and share. It's a really special space - where people actually listen and are there to support each other. I couldn't be prouder of this event.
About the author:
Gary Wien has been covering the arts since 2001 and has had work published with Jersey Arts, Upstage Magazine, Elmore Magazine, Princeton Magazine, Backstreets and other publications. He is a three-time winner of the Asbury Music Award for Top Music Journalist and the author of
Beyond the Palace (the first book on the history of rock and roll in Asbury Park) and
Are You Listening? The Top 100 Albums of 2001-2010 by New Jersey Artists. In addition, he runs New Jersey Stage and the online radio station
The Penguin Rocks. His personal website is at
lightyscorner.com. He can be contacted at
[email protected].
EVENT PREVIEWS
Asbury Park Theater Company to Hold Open Auditions for "The Wolves" by Sarah DeLappe
(ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- Asbury Park Theater Company (APTCo) has announced that its first mainstage production under newly appointed Producing Artistic Director Nate Patten will be The Wolves, Sarah DeLappe's Pulitzer Prize finalist play that has captivated audiences across the country with its sharp wit, emotional honesty, and unforgettable portrait of young women finding their voices.
Ferrell Studios Community Theatre presents "Merrily We Roll Along"
(METUCHEN, NJ) -- Ferrell Studios Community Theatre, a nonprofit theatre organization serving Central New Jersey, announces its upcoming production of Merrily We Roll Along, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by George Furth. The production will close the company's 2025-26 season, themed "Our Time," with five performances at St. Luke's Episcopal Church Auditorium in Metuchen, NJ from August 20-23, 2026.
Ritz Theatre Company presents 2026 One-Act Play Festival
(HADDON TOWNSHIP, NJ) -- The Ritz Theatre Company presents their 2026 One-Act Play Festival from August 28-29. The festival features one-act comedies from practicing and promised playwrights from around the world!
Brundage Park Playhouse presents "Anything Goes"
(RANDOLPH, NJ) -- Brundage Park Playhouse presents Anything Goes across two weekends from August 21-30, 2026. Set sail aboard the S.S. America before the end of summer with a dazzling production of the classic musical comedy.
McCarter Theatre presents the Octopus Theatricals Production of "All The Devils Are Here"
(PRINCETON, NJ) -- McCarter Theatre presents the Octopus Theatricals Production of All The Devils Are Here from August 19-30, 2026. Learn how Shakespeare invented the villain in a play created and performed by Patrick Page. The production is directed by Simon Godwin.
George Street Playhouse presents "Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares"
(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- George Street Playhouse presents Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares - a comedy show with original songs from August 26-30, 2026. Direct from an acclaimed run at Edinburgh Fringe and two sold-out Off-Broadway engagements comes this one-woman comedy show from the mind of Tony Award® winner Laura Benanti.
Surflight Theatre presents "1776, the Musical"
(BEACH HAVEN, NJ) -- Witness the birth of a nation as our forefathers struggle to craft the Declaration of Independence when Surflight Theatre presents 1776, the Musical from August 18-30, 2026.
Spring Lake Theatre Company presents "Last Out: Elegy of a Green Beret"
(SPRING LAKE, NJ) -- Spring Lake Theatre Company presents two performances of Last Out: Elegy of a Green Beret from August 29-30, 2026. This is a one-act play from the experiences of America's longest war, blending heartfelt storytelling with a unique cast of combat veterans and military family members.
Bell Theater at Bell Works presents Broadway Sings for Aaron Lazar on August 31
(HOLMDEL, NJ) -- In 2022, as the world was finally coming out of COVID-19, Aaron Lazar was invited to return to the stage to lead the cast of The Bridges of Madison County, playing opposite Kate Baldwin at the Axelrod Performing Arts Center in Deal. Just days into rehearsal, Lazar received a diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, a progressive neurological disease with no known cure. Thus began Lazar's "extraordinary" journey.
Light Opera of New Jersey to Hold Auditions for "Amahl and The Night Visitors"
(BASKING RIDGE, NJ) -- Light Opera of New Jersey will hold auditions for Amahl and the Night Visitors, a heartwarming holiday opera, on August 27th and September 3rd from 7:00pm to 10:00pm. Callbacks will be on September 5th from 2:00pm to 5:00pm. Auditions will be in Basking Ridge. Registrants will be advised of exact location after registering. All roles are opened and paid.
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