Henry Godinez, resident artistic associate at the Goodman Theatre and Northwestern theater professor, talks with THE SUMMER NORTHWESTERN about directing “Boleros for the Disenchanted” as the production enters its final days.
The Summer Northwestern: Why “Boleros for the Disenchanted?”
Henry Godinez: I had been asked by the playwright to direct the world premiere of this last year at Yale Repertory Theatre, which I did, and I had a great time and I love this playwright and I love this play. So I proposed to the artistic director at the Goodman that we do it. I thought our audience in Chicago would enjoy it.
TSN: Have you done anything differently this time around?
HG: The playwright calls for the actors that play certain characters in Act 1 to play different characters in Act 2. Even though we’re following the same characters throughout the play, the actors that play in Act 1 have to play being older in Act 2. It’s really a cool thing to see actors flex their acting muscles like that. What’s different this time around is we have the ability to do different things with the set in Act 1 that makes a huge difference from Yale Repertory. It’s built on a huge turntable in the Goodman so at the end of Act 1, the entire set revolves. It represents the years between Act 1 and Act 2 and the movement of the set enables us to meet (the characters) when they’re 40 years older. In a way it felt like two different plays (at Yale). Here there’s more of a transformation.
TSN: Who does this play speak to?
HG: I think it speaks to everybody, people both young and old, people who are Latino and non-Latino. It’s a universal piece, that appeals to our subscription audience at the theater and particularly to Puerto Rican audiences. The playwright is from Puerto Rico and the characters are all Puerto Rican in the play. It takes place in 1953 in Puerto Rico, and jumps to the same characters 40 years later, after they’ve immigrated and are now living in Alabama, of all places.
TSN: Did anything change unexpectedly over the course of production?
HG: Not really, it feels funnier than it did at Yale. I feel like the audiences are really laughing more than before, and that’s a little unexpected.
TSN: What’s the greatest lesson you’ve learned as an artist?
HG: There’s two that are connected. That is to trust the actors. Sometimes they know more about a play at some point than I do, and also to trust the audience. And if you can do that I think you are able to take a play a lot further than if you think you know it all.
TSN: What has been your best job to date?
HG: Directing “A Christmas Carol” at the Goodman was one of them because it’s such a great story and such a tradition here in Chicago at the Goodman. My oldest daughter ended up being in it, not while I was directing, so it became a family tradition as well. The fact that so many people see it and children are seeing theater for the first time – I love reaching children for the first time. “Boleros” is a close second. It really does move audiences, and people leave crying, and it makes them reflect on their lives and their relationships. That’s why we do it.
TSN: Worst job?
HG: None come to mind, so maybe I’m lucky. I’ve had some bad jobs like being a telemarketer, but not as a director, in the theater.
TSN: What or who inspires you?
HG: Not Johnny Depp. Sorry, my daughter’s sitting next to me. I think the material inspires me, if it’s the right thing to work on that’s what inspires me.
TSN: What advice do you give to theater students at Northwestern?
HG: I would give them the advice to keep studying, to keep reading, to keep learning. But also follow their instincts in creating the kind of work they feel is meaningful and makes a difference but not to make money. Money’s good, but if we could also make a difference in the world.
TSN: What are your future career goals?
HG: I think it would be cool to direct a play like “Boleros” on Broadway in New York. To do work that I feel is meaningful and that kind of continues the sort of mission I’ve been on here in championing new Latino artists and actors and playwrights and audiences in a big arena like Broadway. Not that that validates what I’m doing, but it would be cool. Beyond that it would be great if through this kind of work we could really help diversify the student body at NU and the faculty as well. I think that would enrich the experience for everyone at NU.
