Interview: Derek DelGaudio of IN & OF ITSELF at Daryl Roth Theatre
By: Leigh Scheps May. 15, 2017
Derek DelGaudio has got magic to do.
The creator and star of the hit show, In & Of Itself, is currently wowing audiences in New York City until September 3, 2017 after a successful run in Los Angeles. The show is directed by Frank Oz, who is known for voicing both Yoda and Miss Piggy, and executive produced by Tony Award winner Neil Patrick Harris.
As the audience enters the Daryl Roth Theatre prior to the performance, they are greeted by a giant board of over a thousand cards hanging from pegs. Each one begins with "I am" and is followed by a descriptive word or phrase such as 'dancer,' 'mensch' and 'troublemaker.' It's fair to say In & Of Itself begins there as theatergoers choose one that has meaning to them and then hand them off to the usher before taking their seats. They will come into play in the show as a part of the amazing illusions that will blow you away, but they also symbolize the deeper message of the story about how one defines his or her own identity.
BroadwayWorld's Leigh Scheps recently had the opportunity to speak with DelGaudio about the inspiration for the show, working with Oz, and some of the most unexpected celebrity guests, including Stephen Sondheim.
Leigh Scheps: Congratulations on the recent 11-week extension of 'In & Of Itself.' What inspired the show that's now getting the opportunity for a longer run?
Derek DelGaudio: I knew this was going begin [with] the real dialogue of who I am as an artist. In thinking about what that meant -- seeing one another for who we are felt appropriate. Most of it just started from my own personal experience, and I looked for ways of kind of expanding those to other people to jump into the conversation.
How did Neil Patrick Harris get involved?
He directed my last show. When I was starting to work on this show back in Los Angeles, Neil expressed he wanted to be involved but his schedule wouldn't allow it. He was on the other side of the country, which made it difficult. I started asking his Production Company questions because they know the town and I had a few questions about the theater. At some point it was just natural to just say, 'Hey do you guys want to be involved?' It was luckily 'yes' because Neil and his team have been tremendous aspects for helping us get our feet on the ground here in New York.
What was it like working with Frank Oz as a director?
It's unlike any collaboration and unlike anything I've ever experienced. He works from a place that I've never seen before. It's from a deeper place than I've ever seen. He's a genius, but the place he works from creativity is something deeper.
How is it with him in the audience every single performance?He keeps me honest, so I appreciate that. It's not nerve wrecking -- it's comforting. It's nice to have someone there who's a second set of eyes that I trust completely and who will tell me the truth.
How did you get into magic?
I was twelve and got a book on sleight of hand. For some reason, unlike everything else I had tried at that time, I stuck with it and really got inspired by it and dug into it.
How did you come up with 1,000 identity descriptions on the wall for the audience to pick as they walked into the theatre? I picked the card that read, 'journalist.'We thought about how people are either identifying themselves or identifying each other. The most obvious ones that are timely right now like: 'nasty woman,' 'immigrants,' or 'Democrat' and 'Republican.' Then, there's the more general ones like: 'human being.'
Out of all the cards, is there one or two that are picked every single show?No, it varies.
What's been someone's identity card that stuck with you the most?It was someone who thought they were a 'failure' and it was heartbreaking. I couldn't betray their truth -- that's what they wanted and that's what they demanded of me in that moment. But it was very hard for me to say and do. [It was] kind of painful.
What was everyone's reaction when you said 'failure' that to the person?I think they realized in that moment that the truth of the situation was not all self-images are positive. Whether that image was created from them and reflected back or it starts with the way the world sees that person and then that's how they start to see themselves. That's sort of the dialogue that the show hopes to inspire.
Who have been the most unexpected celebrities to come to the show?Woody Allen, Ed Norton, Stephen Sondheim, Jason Sudeikis, and his wife [Olivia Wilde]. The one that surprised me the most was Marina Abramovic.
Of any of the people that you mentioned, do you remember their identity cards that they pulled?The only one that I would feel comfortable saying because it was so intriguing to me [was Stephen Sondheim]. Sondheim decided he was a 'Beekeeper.' I know there was truth to that for him.
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