Dear Reader,

 I am proud and delighted to introduce a guest interview by Mark Joseph Namit with Daniel Goldfarb of MODERN ORTHODOX fame.  MODERN ORTHODOX is currently playing at Boca Raton's Caldwell Theatre.    

Presenting an interview with Daniel Goldfarb.

Written by Mark Joseph Namit.

(Daniel Goldfarb, author of the hit Off-Broadway play Modern Orthodox, was kind enough to have granted an interview with aspiring theater critic Mark Joseph Namit who is currently attending Florida Atlantic University. In this interview, Mr. Goldfarb discusses the writer's craft, and falling in love with the theater at a young age).

MJN: Congratulations on your success.

DG: Thank you!

MJN: Now tell me about your upbringing in Toronto? How many siblings do you have? Did you experience puppy love during high school?

DG: I grew up in the suburbs of Toronto. In terms of Jewishness growing up, we lived like everyone else, it was not always kosher. My parents influenced me to Jewish literature. I come from five kids, three sisters and one younger brother.

I didn't have much of a love life during high school because I was quite shy.

MJN: When did you finally move to New York?

DG: I moved to NY thirteen years ago.

MJN: How did you meet your wife? Was it in Toronto or in New York?

DG: A few years ago, I came to Toronto and met my wife there and I brought her down to NY. I met a girl who lived literally ten minutes away! She is actually from Venezuela, but she grew up in Toronto.

MJN: Did you want to be part of the artistic community from an early age? Were there other facets of art besides theater that you wanted to be a part of?

DG:  No, I only wanted to be a part of the theater. When I was 4-years old, my parents took me to Nova Scotia to see a production of Anne of Green Gables. When I was 6-years old, they brought me to New York City without my siblings and we saw the shows Barnum with Glenn Close,

MJN: While you were attending NYU, what did you study? What were your feelings about the writing process?

DG: I studied dramatic writing at NYU. I also had to take up screenwriting. I resented screenwriting. But then I am grateful I took the class, because there is now an artistic crossover for both facets [theater and film]. To balance life as a writer, I would have to work in all facets. Being a screenwriter makes you a better playwright, being a playwright makes you a better screenwriter.

MJN: Explain a little bit about Modern Orthodox. What was the audiences' initial reaction?

DG: It is a young play, it is about young people. Audiences took it seriously, but it was [intended as] a comedy. But the message of the play is so positive and optimistic and the vast majority of people who come seem to have a great time.

MJN: Assuming you love to read plays, do you like reading other types of fiction?

DG: Yes I love to read fiction.

MJN:  As an English major and being of Asian-American decent, when attempting to write my own fiction, I draw inspiration from writers such as Toni Morrison, Ralph Ellison, Jhumpa Lahiri and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Any writers of fiction you draw inspiration from?

DG: Definitely! Phillip Roth, Gabriel Garcia Marquez is a hero, and John Irving are definitely at the top three. Their fingerprints are in my writing.

MJN: Fingerprints?

DG: Yes. Like me, Philip Roth often questions cultural heritage. I love Marquez's use of reality mixed with magical elements; and I am influenced by John Irving's themes of outrageousness in life, often grounded in reality.

MJN: Do you think cultural and ethnic backgrounds play a huge role in shaping the writer's craft?

DG: In my craft, yes. But not everyone is influenced by it. As a writer, you must write about issues that you are wrestling with or fascinated with. I wrote about my early age, I wrote about my Jewishness. I wrote about my feelings of confusion about being Jewish.

It's a great place to start from. If you can write specifically about your heritage and ethnicity, then it's a great inspiration. When I arrived to NY, I expected Jewish writers to be doing the same thing. But not everyone does it. As my work has matured, that issues I have wrestled with are moving away. There might be Jewish themes…Sarah, Sarah, the play I wrote after Modern Orthodox doesn't explore Jewish identity as much.

MJN: Name some of your favorite plays and musicals.

DG: Definitely Gypsy [with Tyne Daly] and Into the Woods [Original cast]  are up there. I liked the revivals of both [with Bernadette Peters in Gypsy, Vanessa Williams in Into the Woods] but for me seeing them for the first time with the cast I saw them in is the definitive performance. I also like Guys and Dolls. My favorite play is The House of Blue leaves by John Guare.

MJN: Any new musicals or plays today worth noting?

DG: The Pillowman and Doubt are great.  The Light in the Piazza is lovely.

MJN: What are you currently working on?

DG: A few things are up in the air.

MJN: The million dollar closing: What is your advice for future playwrights?

DG: Write about what you know. Write about what you are confused about. If you know the answer then it might not work. There might not be any discovery for the audience.

If you can tap any of this into your writing, you can use it as inspiration.

MJN: Thank you for your time.

DG: Thank you.