Gus Krieger, the writer/producer/Walter of Breaking Bard, answered some quick questions for @SeeItOrSkipItLA!
1. Why Breaking Bad and Shakespeare? What made you think the two should be combined?
A. As a lifelong Shakespeare devotee, Associate Artistic Director of a classical theatre company, and dyed-in-the-wool BREAKING BAD fanatic, I would find myself staring at the ceiling many a sleepless night drawing connections between BAD and The Bard. Maybe it was just the universal nature of Shakespeare, or the sprawling themes of Vince Gilligan’s opus, but the dots continually connected: the fly scene in TITUS and the episode “Fly.” The seven ages of man versus the seven stages of cooking meth. Mortality, family, ambition; it was all there. And the opportunity for an atypically academic spoof – call it THRONE OF BLOOD meets AIRPLANE! – was just too good to pass up.
2. Can people who have never seen Breaking Bad see the show and keep up? Or should they at least read a synopsis of the show first?
A. I would like to think that we tell a complete story; obviously BAD fans will enjoy many of the specific antics on additional levels, but special care was taken to ensure that all the major setups and payoffs were self-contained enough to stand on their own.
3. What about your show makes it perfect for the Fringe?
A. It’s a delightful mashup of highbrow, lowbrow, and pop-culture-riffing from several different centuries… all neatly contained within a one-hour one act!
4. What do you hope the audience walks away with after your show?
A. A newly kindled or reinvigorated love for all things BAD and BARD!
5. What show, other than yours, are you most excited to see at the Fringe?
A. Can’t wait for ZIP TIES, SLEEPING AROUND, and NELL GWYNNE: A DRAMATICK ESSAYE ON ACTING AND PROSTITUTION!
Intrigued? You can see Breaking Bard on these days:
ASYLUM LAB! 1078 Lillian Way, LA CA 90038!
Saturday June 6th – 4pm (Preview)
Friday June 12th – 7pm
Saturday June 13th – 11:30am
Sunday June 14th – 8:30pm
Thursday June 25th – 7pm
Friday June 26th – 11:30pm
Sunday June 28th – 4pm
For ticketing click here.
*As a special thank-you to all Fringers following my coverage, please enjoy 15% off purchases at In Heels Productions throughout the month of June. Use code HFF15 at checkout!