JP Carlsen chatted about his “Talent Show” production at The Hudson Theatres in Los Angeles, California. The performances will run from June 20th to the 26th.
Carlsen on the concept for the ‘Talent Show’ play
On the idea for this show, Carlsen said, “I wanted to write something for Fringe. My production partner of ‘Dog Sees God’ wanted to create some artistic story… a story about people in the arts, and people in the arts love telling stories about people in the arts.”
“So, I wanted to try a new angle on it,” he admitted. “I started thinking about talents and different artistic pursuits that are not heavily featured in the traditional stories such as magicians, graphic designers and novelists, and inventors.”
Carlsen on telling stories through an artistic lens
“I wanted to tell these stories through an artistic lens. I wrote eight of them down so these were eight different talents that I had there, and I wanted to show how the different stories play out and how their talents could shape them and vice versa,” he explained.
“I was fascinated by the idea of talent; it’s something that we all agree exists but it doesn’t’ really have a singular explanation of how it comes about,” he said.
“It is something that seems almost innate from another source coming about from these people and I wanted to do a thought experiment of why that is, so I tried to come up with eight different scenarios,” he revealed.
“The more I did it, the more I interwove these characters together and I realized that interweaving is a big part of it. That’s a big reason why we as a society value it so much. It’s all about creation, and I think creation is one of the coolest things,” he acknowledged.
“If we create something good, the whole world agrees on it, and we all come together and have a positive experience. Creation is one of the most unique things about humanity,” he underscored.
“Now, I’m very happy with where it’s at,” he admitted. “We are going into tech rehearsal this week because there are all these technical elements to implement. I wanted to show the struggle of being cursed or gifted or called to a talent of some kind.”
“I also wanted to show the amazing beats that come along with that burden or that gift. It’s a hybrid between a play and a showcase because each of the talents showcases their abilities in the final product,” he added.
Working with actor Marcus Wells
On working with actor Marcus Wells, Carlsen said, “It was great! Marcus and I have been friends since we were 12. He has a good brain. We’ve known each other for a really long time.”
“We are both from Sacramento and we are trying to capture the Matt Damon and Ben Affleck dynamic a little bit. We try to make each other better and we do. He pushes me to be more out there with my talent,” Carlsen added.
Closing thoughts on ‘Talent Show’
For fans and viewers, Carlsen remarked, “My biggest fear was creating something too fluffy because ‘Dog Sees God’ is such an edgy show.”
“There is a line between fluff and purity; pure entertainment and pure beauty in its rawest form is what we are trying to depict and get down to. I would love people to walk away from it.” Carlsen elaborated.
“So, I want it to bring a little bit more than escapism… I hope it inspires people to give them hope and motivation,” he concluded.
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