A historic cottage situated in Westerly Library’s Wilcox Park is home to an Artist-In-Residence program that attracts creatives from around the country. It offers artists of all levels and disciplines to take risks and pursue new projects, while also providing creative and educational programming to the surrounding community. The latest artist-in-residence is Dave Solomon. He’s an award-winning, New York-based writer and director of film and theater. Morning host Luis Hernandez spoke with him for this week’s episode of Artscape.
Interview highlights
On what it means to him to have this residency
Dave Solomon: It’s truly, truly a gift. I had this idea, and it’s literally been a year where I’ve had this idea, and I have like about 10-15 pages of things, and I never get to work on it. And here I am, gifted this time, and I have to. And then I can go out to this beautiful town and sit in The Brazen Hen and get my blackened caesar salad and iced tea, and do some work there too. And the United is right there. There’s culture and art surrounding me, but in this, I have this great little bubble to work in and let my thoughts and ideas come to paper, or computer.
On his advice for actors on auditioning
Solomon: I like to approach from a place, yeah, of “we’re all in this together.” … There’s sometimes this fear of, you’re coming into this room of people behind the table, and we can make mistakes too. We’re all in it together. We also want you to be the best one to come in. And I work a lot with people on how to approach an audition so you’re not coming in, “Well, I have to hit these notes, I have to do this.” And you’re just so self conscious about everything. But who is the character? Why are you singing this? How do you mentally come into this as if you’re performing it?
On the community events he’s offering as part of the residency
Solomon: We’re doing two musical theater audition workshops on a Thursday evening and the end of February, the 20th and the 27th, and that people are welcome to sign up for. And I’ll, and then all skill levels, all sets of people, or anyone just even interested to come and kind of get a look into like how I work and how I work with others in terms of that world, which is very different than my writing career. It’s my directing and theater career. And I’ve worked a lot as an associate director on a lot of Broadway musicals and I’m developing a lot of shows. … We’ve also been reaching out to look for an accompanist for a pianist to join us as well in town. So if anyone hears this and is a piano player who wants to come be a part of this and work with me, reach out.
On the film side I also worked on two movies, major motion pictures with Bill Condon, the Oscar winner, screenwriter and director. I worked on a film, “Mr. Holmes,” with Ian McKellen as an old Sherlock Holmes; and the Disney “Beauty and the Beast” film. So we’re doing a screening of “Mr. Holmes” where I’ll be able to talk about the film a bit and answer some questions in a little Q&A.
