Interview with Omar Khan

In light of opening night (this evening!) I thought I'd share with you a couple of cast interviews I took earlier on in the process. This one is with Omar Khan, who plays the uber-intellectual, 1930s Hollywood "Script Doctor" Ben Hecht. Enjoy!

A: What kind of prep work did you do for this show, and how does that compare to what you normally do, or try to do?

O: Prep for this show was different for me than normal. The show is based on real events -- there are real people, events, places, and quotes that have existed, or exist, that I needed to research. And there's a wealth of information out there about it. When I did Glengarry Glen Ross (MTC Warehouse, 2008/09), I could have researched the Chicago Real Estate industry, and how a business like that would have operated, but that information didn't factor in as much. With this show, it helps -- and it was fun research. I read Ben Hecht's book, A Child of the Century, and got an impression of what he might have been like.

A: So, if you were to have a conversation with Ben Hecht, what would that be like for you?

O: I would be intimidated. He went to university for a short time and never graduated, but he was a smart, smart guy. He did so much in his life. A really prolific, intelligent person. He was a playwright and an activist.

A: You said he never finished university. Did he have any writing training outside of high school? Or was he self-taught?

O: As far as I can tell he didn't have any journalism training, but he worked in Chicago as a columnist. He had column called A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago -- really well respected by critics.

A: Have you made any discoveries about Ben Hecht during this rehearsal process?

O: Real Ben or Character Ben?

A: Character Ben. Was that a challenge for you? Creating a character from a real person?

O: I struggled with how much of the real Ben I wanted to put in. Ann said we didn't want impersonations. But I was hung up on being "Ben." From my research, I had an idea that he had an even tone, even keel... but then I thought about the extreme situations they're in in this play and how that would push anyone out of that. Just at the end of this last week, I feel like we've all begun to reach that big, big comedy. And if everyone commits to it, it's more fun.

Thanks, Omar!

-- Andrea