Episode 029 – David Marantz – Actor and Voice-Over Artist

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David Marantz and Stephen Bittrich in the webseries OFF OFF.

Dave and I have been working on projects together for a while… in fact he is one of the stars and a co-producer of the webseries I created, Off Off.

But in this interview we concentrate on his newest triumph, Audio Book Narrator.  At this time of this interview he’s narrated 51 books on Audible.com.  (Check out his page!)

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Dave Marantz at work narrating books

I should also mention that Dave is now starring as Malvolio in the Drilling Company’s Shakespeare in the Parking Lot production of Twelfth Night.  (I hear he’s quite fetching in yellow cross-garters.)

For more information about Dave, check out his website.

Topics covered in the interview:

  • Hi Dave! (2:18)
  • Our Drilling Company Theater roots (5:24)
  • The Whisper Room – Sound Booth (8:45)
  • Dave’s impulse to be in the arts (10:03)
  • His job helping lawyers take depositions (15:50)
  • The voice-over artist is born, Audible Books (19:25)
  • The first book, Raising Stony Mayhall, by Daryl Gregory (Audible’s “Zombie Book of the Year 2011) (23:38)
  • Literary porn and truck drivers (28:51)
  • A new Neal Asher project, science fiction writer (31:22)
  • Characters with unique voices, keeping characters straight, the job’s biggest challenges (38:12)
  • The engineer, the studio set up (45:00)
  • Recent book, Innovative State: How New Technologies Can Transform Government by Aneesh Chopra (49:50)
  • The money aspect of the job (52:45)
  • Being naked on stage, Take Me Out (56:00)
  • “Most interesting or bizarre or horrible audition story” (1:03:14)
  • Health Insurance story (1:09:53)
  • Shout out to the webseries Off Off (1:11:53)

Episode 013 – Hamilton Clancy of The Drilling Company – part 1

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Stephen Bittrich & Hamilton Clancy on stage of The Drilling Company Theater

In 2000 I was introduced to a theatre company called The Drilling Company which at that time produced new one-acts in themed evenings.  They’ve since branched out into full-lengths, play development and even Shakespeare in the Parking Lot on the Lower East Side.

I can’t think of many plays I’ve written in the past 14 years which have not been in some way inspired or nurtured by The Drilling Company, which is helmed by my friend, Artistic Director, Hamilton Clancy.

In part 1 of this two part interview, Hamilton and I talk about the history of the company as they begin their 16th season.

Don’t forget that Drilling Company is now running The Norwegians by C. Denby Swanson.  Go to the website for more info:  www.drillingcompany.org.

Topics covered in the interview:

  • Welcome Hamilton and audience  (1:49)
  • How the company began, and the first show (7:00)
  • Second show Neighbors and how I met Drilling Company (12:59)
  • Company member Scott Baker’s Kringled (15:15)
  • The one-act evenings and the themes (18:58)
  • The Drilling Company Theater space on 78th Street (22:12)
  • Why is the company called The Drilling Company (25:08)
  • Political theatre, George Bush years (27:53)
  • A man of many hats, including writer (31:27)
  • Shakespeare in the Parking Lot, crap on the moon (37:33)
  • Dave Marantz’s story about the sword/knife fight in the parking lot (45:53)
  • In the Car stories, the birth of the read-aloud (49:48)

As usual my buddy Sal Clemente (of Ultrasonic Rock Orchestra) who wrote the podcast theme song, “Here We Go Again,” plays us out.