BWW Q&A: Ian Melamed on GOODBYE DOCTOR at Psykout

We talk to Ian Melamed about his new theater company Psykout and ther upcoming production of Goodbye Doctor.

Ian Melamed is an actor, director, producer, composer, and classically trained cellist from Larchmont New York. He is a graduate of the USC School of Dramatic Arts, and the President of the newly founded Psykout Inc. (or just Psykout!) A new theatre company dedicated to telling stories that feature science, technology, and philosophy.

What is Psykout! and how did it come about?

Well, Psykout! is my new theatre company. We do shows that feature stories about science, technology, and philosophy. It came about really as a response to what I felt was a lack of attention paid to how big a role science plays in our day to day lives. From a very young age I've always been fascinated with science, and I truly believe that a scientific understanding of the world can be a force for good. Psykout! came out of that desire to challenge negative stereotypes around science and science workers and really get people to see all the amazing benefits science and the scientific method actually make people’s lives better. And if we entertain people along the way that's amazing!

How did you end up back in New York after going to school in LA?

I did go to school in LA. I studied theatre at USC. There was definitely a strong pull to stay in Los Angeles, and who knows I might still end up there someday. I still have a lot of friends out there. But after college I took some time to figure out what I actually wanted to do and where I wanted to be. I spent a summer sort of galavanting around the UK. I did an acting program with the British American Drama Academy (BADA) and met some absolutely remarkable people. I even made a surprise debut at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival! But after all of that I seriously needed a break. It had been a long time since I had been home and I had been firing on all cylinders for more than four years. My Grandfather was also sick at the time so I wanted to come back to New York to spend as much time with him as I could. I told myself I'd give New York a year and re-assess then. I tried getting on the audition grind but I didn't have a lot of luck with that, so I decided "what the hell" if I want to act I gotta make my own opportunities. So me and my co-producer, Barbara Riethe, we started seeing if we could get a show together. We got in contact with Barbara's mentor, Betty Milan, who wrote the play, and is an absolutely fierce woman. We put together a team, mostly my classmates from USC, found our fantastic director, Debora Balardini from Group Dot BR, and held a little reading at the Brazilian Consulate. They were super kind and have been supporting us so much on this project, and now we're only a few weeks away from opening at A.R.T./New York Theatres.

What's the play about and why is it relevant to the zeitgeist?

Oh boy Goodbye Doctor is a really nuts play! It's incredibly cerebral and really digs deep on some of the most complex concepts in psychology. The basic story is about Seriema, who, after miscarrying flees her terrible marriage in Brazil and ends in psychoanalysis with Jacques Lacan, a French psychoanalyst. The whole play is her coming to understand herself and her trauma, and learning how she can heal from the scars in her past. There's also some good old fashion supernatural assistance in the form of Maria, who raised Seriema, and then there's the character I play, "The Voice", who is a manifestation of the unconscious. I basically go around playing tricks on the other characters, and the audience, and causing mischief! Kind of like a holy fool who reveals the truth by being ridiculous. The play also weaves in themes of immigration, gender identity, sexuality, and especially women’s empowerment. It definitely says a lot about the kinds of issues that we’re all talking about. But the play as a whole was so compelling to me because it deals with something that's kind of hard to talk about, shame. Seriema's central conflict is about facing the things she's been made to feel ashamed of, her body, her gender, her ancestry, her sexuality. I feel that a lot of the time we get told to bury our shame, or to be toxically optimistic and just pretend like we don't feel it. But I don't really think that's healthy. I think that in order for us to overcome something we first need to be aware of it. I've struggled with my mental health since adolescence so that kind of journey of learning to accept oneself was really inspiring to me.

What does Psykout!'s future look like?

I'd really like Psykout! to be a sort of incubator for science themed shows, almost like a laboratory where we experiment with different styles, and develop some really interesting stuff. I'm a writer, and director as well as an actor, so maybe I'll get a chance to put some of my own work on stage. I've also got some friends who I'd love to see produce some of their own work, and we're constantly looking for new science-themed shows! We're also in the early stages of preparing for an original musical for younger audiences written by our friend Sonjja Baram. It's a show about environmentalism and about how we can use technology in concert with the natural world to ameliorate the problems of climate change. But that's definitely a story for another time. For now I want Psykout! to be a place where really high quality shows about science can grow, evolve, and get produced.

What it's like being a young producer?

Ahhh yes... that question. I mean there's definitely a bit of a thrill to it. It's really exciting creating these kinds of opportunities for myself and then seeing them through to completion. It's obviously really stressful too. I mean I'm working maybe twelve hours a day on so many things at the same time. But the experience has taught me so much that I couldn't have learned otherwise. There's a whole list in my notes app called "everything I've learned about producing so far" and it's over a hundred points long! I'm also super grateful to all my mentors and those who have supported and guided me to where I am now, because none of this work is done in a vacuum. I've got some really special people on my team, and they really make it worthwhile. So, yeah… it's a lot, but so far I really enjoy it!

To post a comment, you must register and login.