Review Fix chats with playwright Jacques Lamarre who discusses his new production, “Save The Robots,†set for a run at this year’s Midtown International Theater Festival.
About the Production:
SAVE THE ROBOTS by Jacques Lamarre, Clark Render and Rob Susman, lyrics by Clark Render, music by Rob Susman and Hagatha, directed by David Rigano; starring Matthew Dyer, Kaila Galinat, Olivia Hoffman, Alexander Kass, Lindsay Lavin, and Sandra Lee. The Earth is being menaced by a government controlled by an evil corporation that may, or may not, be under the influence of cannibal alien forces. Can a narcissistic professor, a sexy scientist and their robot clones save the planet from certain doom? (Sci Fi Musical Comedy)
Performance Schedule:Â Tues 11/15, 6:00pm; Thurs 11/17, 7:30pm; Sat 11/19, 1:45pm
Running Time: 90 minutes
Venue: Jewel Box Theater, 312 W. 36th Street.
Review Fix: What was the inspiration for this project?
Jacques Lamarre: I was approached about helping shape the script for a science fiction musical featuring the music of legendary New York New Wave-punk band Hagatha. The lyricist Clark Render and composer Rob Susman wanted to take these fun, obtuse songs and use them in a story titled after an infamous NY after-hours punk club named Save the Robots.
Review Fix: What’s your creative process like?
Lamarre: My process for SAVE THE ROBOTS was a bit different than usual as I was rewriting (and rewriting and rewriting) a script for a musical. I wasn’t familiar with the music of Hagatha and hadn’t met my creative partners. I was asked to make the plot more streamlined and funnier, so I just took the material and put my own spin on it.
Review Fix: What makes this different or special?
Lamarre: I normally write plays, so working on the book for a musical was special to begin with. In addition, I was working with people I didn’t know and hadn’t met, so I was shooting in the dark. Sometimes I missed the mark on what they were looking for, but I think ultimately Clark and Rob trusted me and accepted me as part of a team that has existed since the 1980s.
Review Fix: What did you learn about yourself through this process?
Lamarre: How patient, insane or medicated one needs to be to work on a musical.
Review Fix: How does it feel to be a part of something like this?
Lamarre: I’m really proud of how far we’ve come in a few years. I must have worked on about twelve different drafts and three completely different versions for us to arrive at a script that everyone is excited about. I’ve never been a part of this type of process and I’m so excited to finally get this on its feet with a gorgeous cast of performers, an amazing director, and a great behind-the-scenes team.
Review Fix: What are your ultimate goals for this production and for the future?
Lamarre: We are hoping to see the show become an underground hit in New York and then move on to have a life of its own, taking over the globe, and making the ROBOT revolution a reality.
Review Fix: What do you think your audiences will enjoy the most?
Lamarre: The inexplicable references to Febreeze.
Review Fix: What’s next?
Lamarre: I always have a number of irons in the fire. The big focus is getting SAVE THE ROBOTS up and running, but I will be appearing as a drag queen pumpkin in a show in Hartford, my latest collaboration with drag chanteuse Varla Jean Merman is currently touring, and I have a reading of my new comedy, A STRETCHMARK NAMED DESIRE, in November.
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