Review Fix Exclusive: Joshua Crone Talks ‘Squatters’

September 28, 2018 Patrick Hickey Jr. Books & Comics 0

Review Fix chats with playwright Joshua Crone, who discusses his production, “Squatters.” Displaying the narratives of those without a place to live following 9/11, the play has also been turned into a film, which ran in both London and Germany. Crone also discusses his newest work, “A Farewell Tour.” Focusing on the chronicling the ongoing issues surrounding the suffering humanity, Crone’s lens is an interesting one.

Review Fix: What was your inspiration to write this play?

Joshua Crone: A need to break free of the past. I was in midtown Manhattan the morning of 9/11. The question “What does this mean?” became an obsession that drove me to study philosophy and, when that failed to supply answers, inspired me to write Squatters seven years later.

Review Fix: What’s your creative process like? 

Crone: With this play I borrowed Pinter’s method of starting with two voices and letting them dictate the story. It’s not an approach that lends itself to linear narratives, but if pursued systematically, it can dredge up images and emotions that resonate universally, because we all share the same fears and anxieties. Directing the play in Berlin felt like choreographing a fever dream, like Black Elk staging his vision. The goal is a cleansing ritual. Not uplifting. Purgation.

Review Fix: What makes this different or special?

Crone: It’s not about 9/11. It’s about our inadequate reaction, our attempt to frame the event in cookie-cutter narratives where we know who we are, where we stand.

Review Fix: What did you learn about yourself through this process?

Crone: That all I really care about as a writer is the problem of human suffering.

Review Fix: What are your ultimate goals for this production and for the future?

Crone: A full run in New York, combined with a reading of stories by New Yorkers about how they spent the rest of September. As for the future, I plan to keep writing, directing, acting and supporting myself as a German and Polish translator.

Review Fix: What’s next?

Crone: I’m working on A Farewell Tour, my second feature. It’s a film about the death of a Japanese-American tour guide, an estranged member of an ancient family of Noh actors.

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 14316 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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