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Interview with Jeff Gardner

NR: Are there other aspects of theater that you would be interested in, such as directing?

JG: I've done most of the other jobs in the theater. In fact, I would say that there's no job inside a theater that I have not done. There are front office jobs I haven't done. I haven't worked in advertising or marketing. I've never had a job in a box office. But, the actual physical manifestation of a theatrical project - I've done every job. I produced a play in 1996 in San Diego. It took two years to produce. I raised $70,000, developed a script with the writer from a one-act to a full length. It was a very long process. I've directed and produced. I worked as a make-up artist when I was in college. I've done some lighting - essentially everything

NR: Do you enjoy the stage time the most?

JG: It all depends on what you're doing. When I was working as a Supernumerary for the New York City Opera, it was pretty boring, although I was on the stage. It was, however, a good place to listen to the music.

NR: I saw in your bio that you taught speech at NYU?

JG: At the Circle in the Square Theatre School. I have filled in from time to time, when one of their regular staff works on a movie. In one case, Rick Ericson produced The Wind in the Willows on Broadway and I took over his classes for a semester. I coached Geraldine Page in dialects at the Mirror Repertory and coached Malcolm-Jamal Warner on The Cosby Show.

NR: Have you ever experienced anything like the League before?

JG: No. When I did my other Broadway shows, the Internet really hadn't been invented. Actually, it had been invented but it wasn't what it is now. Most of the time in those days, the people who would have been in a "League," were standing at the stage door by themselves thinking they were the only person in the world who loved the show quite so much, and felt lonely or secluded in that feeling. We have no idea whether someone was at Les Miz 25 times in 1988. Now, you go and check out the websites and you'll be guided for a movie, TV show, even a sports team. If you're interested and you have a computer, you'll immediately be hooked up with thousands of people who have the same interest.

NR: Do you think they've had any effect on the show?

JG: Well, it's always nice to have fans waiting outside and know that people care. That's always cheerful. It's always great when they spread the word. They're very good people We've had a good time. I like going to the luncheons and hearing what people have to say, but as far as impact, I really couldn't say. Even if there are 500 Leaguers, it's a third of one performance. If we have nearly 2000 seats, times eight performances, that's 16,000 people a week. The ripples of word-of-mouth certainly generate an awful lot of goodwill towards the show. One person telling another person about a product that they find satisfactory is the best sales tool that anyone ever has. So, there certainly has been an effect. How much of an impact have they had? You'd have to be a statistics expert to really know. But, there would not be a website if it were not for the League, I'm sure of that. I was on the radio show, The Dolans. I did an interview and I mentioned the website. That's coast to coast. The League certainly has had an impact, but you'd have to ask the Producers for a more specific answer to that question.

NR: What do you wish you had more time for in your life?

JG: Sleep.

NR: What would you like to do in the future?

JG: It's really funny when you get into a long run. Because we've been in flux for a year, I can't really project myself past May 30th. Ask me June 1st. I think I'm going to go to Florida. My folks have an apartment there. I'll just sleep for a week by the pool and then sort out what I'm going to do now. There's a novel kicking around in the back of my head that I'd like to take a stab at. I have a couple of ideas for musical theater projects that I can rustle up. I'm going to get my voice back in tip-top shape. I don't know. I don't know what's coming. I never know what's going to happen to me next. That's what I mentioned before about the vagaries of the show business life. I never know what tomorrow's going to bring.

I'd like to find a little romance. That's difficult to do when you're working a theater schedule. You're only going to meet people in show business because the rest of the world is at work, when you are off.

NR: Jeff, I think that's it. Thank you so much.

JG: You're welcome.

I hope Jeff gets that much needed rest, finds that romance, and then an exciting new project to work on. He's a very nice guy and deserves nothing less.

Questions suggested by:

AJ Jacobsen, Frank Boemio, Susan Luchey, Nicole Albertson, Mandy Shekleton, Gillian Girvin, Jimbo Diego, Andrea Galeno, Megan Marod, Talia Krispel, Renee Girard, Anna Wilson, Evan Gadda, BarbaraAnne, Stephanie Henkin, Lauren Teweles, Anne Teitelbaum, Josie Smith, Kate Scibal, Jan Kolb


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Interview conducted and photographs by Nancy Rosati.




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