Interview: Meet A TURTLE ON A FENCEPOST Star, Garth Kravits

A Turtle on a Fence Post, a new musical comedy, is currently in performances at the newly renamed Theater 555 (555 W. 42nd Street), where it will open on November 14.

In 2010, Hank Morris, a political consultant and broker, pleaded guilty to involvement in a fraud scandal. Andrew Cuomo, who was then serving as New York's attorney general, successfully prosecuted the case against Morris.

After more than a decade, Cuomo is now involved in his own scandal that has prompted his resignation as governor, while Morris is about to debut a new musical comedy based on his own brush with ignominy.

Inspired by true events, A Turtle on a Fence Post fictionalizes the inside story of a prominent New Yorker thrown into an unknown world by New York's most powerful man. At heart a vibrant tale of love and friendship, Turtle... uses humor and song to deal with themes of freedom, forgiveness and truth, revealing how meaningful learning can arise in the most unexpected places and from the most surprising sources.

Below, BroadwayWorld is checking in with Garth Kravits, who plays Hank- the leading character and writer of the show!

Performances just began! What has the response been like so far?

Its been so exhilarating to perform in front of audiences after all this time away due to the pandemic. So there is a mix of excitement, a little hesitancy, but ultimately the crowds have been so open and generous. The energy is really something! Its great to hear the laughter, for sure. Its a great and intimate performance space, so I definitely feel the connection to the crowd. I'm looking forward to more and more as the word spreads about our show!

What has it been like getting to know the real Hank in this process?

Getting to know Hank has been complex. You have to understand that we have Hank the book writer, Hank the Producer and Hank the Political and Prison Consultant, all in one guy!

But all those Hanks rolled into one, all are aiming at the same goal, to have his story told. He's had such an incredible journey in his life and even after spending the last few months with him, I know there is so much more of him to get to know. But we both have a great love for comedy, so we've had some very fun chats along the way, and we'll have many more I'm sure.

Has he given you any particularly interesting tidbits that have helped you to unlock this character?

Oh, absolutely! Just hearing about his experiences and challenges dealing with the prison and parole systems gave me some really great insight to the frustrations he faced and the emotional toll it took on his relationships with his friends and family, and himself. Being able to absorb all of those stories and being given the freedom to explore my connection to those feelings, with the guidance of our wonderful director Gabriel Barre, has allowed me to unlock, and bring to life, the Hank you see on stage. He also shared a video of his stand up routine with me and that taught me a lot about his use of humor to deal with the rigors of incarceration, which I then bring into my onstage Hank.

Is there anything about this story that you think might surprise audiences, especially given the events of the past year?

I don't think people fully understand the power that Cuomo welded, not just over Hank, but of the judicial, prison and parole systems as well. And I think its vital that people understand what happens when politics becomes personal.

Why do you think New Yorkers in particular will enjoy this show? Do you think audience members beyond the tristate will find something to relate to?

The pace, and grit and humor of the show is definitely in line with any New Yorker's vibe. But the themes of this show are also universal and I don't think you need to be from the tristate are to connect with the message of this show. New Yorkers may have deeper personal feelings about Cuomo but this show is relatable to people from anywhere and everywhere.

What are you most looking forward to in the run ahead?

I'm really looking forward to working and growing with this incredible cast. Doing an original show and getting to originate characters, is such an intense process. Once we're through the preview process, where new lines, or musical bits could change daily, and we lock the show and open (Nov 14th!!) we, as a cast and company can start to find the little intricacies that make all the relationships deeper. So I'm excited to continue to work with this company and this material as we start our run! (Nov 14th!! )

Click here to tickets to A Turtle on a Fencepost

Photo Credit: Jeremy Daniel