An interview with the Red Bastard

The Red Bastard is coming to Theater Wit on February 11th and 12th! Who is the Red Bastard? Honestly, I had no idea when they contacted us, but a bit of examination of Eric’s considerable resume and a ton of information online at http://www.redbastard.com has me remarkably enthused to see the show in two weeks. With permission, I’m reprinting an exchange between Chicago’s own Dean Evans (The Magical Exploding Boy and the ChiTown Clown Revue) and Eric Davis (the Red Bastard himself). Enjoy, and I’ll see you at the theater :)

Dean Evans: I noticed on your website that you have a significant amount of new
material. How do you begin to develop new stuff?

Eric Davis: It seems a mystery to me, now.. Like some parts of it were ideas rumbling
around in my mind or in journals unrealized or even untried for years. Then
slowly they edge their way forward. I began to go into studio with my
co-writer/ director Deanna last January and we just slogged away at it. We
would invite people to open rehearsals and workshop material. It's quite
complicated audience interaction, in a way so it's taken time to develop and
figure out how it works, and we're still listening to it and finding its
form. I try to work things out on my feet. It sounds and looks very
different if I write something on the page versus if I improvise it and then
transcribe it. I remember watching a documentary about Lily Tomlin creating
her Broadways show and still look at that as a model. Working with a
cowriter, improvising and taking the best stuff.

Do you find that audience members who resist are the ones who want to be
pried open the most?

I don't open people with a crowbar. I have a gentle touch. I can be
forceful, but inviting someone is always a more effective way.

Have you ever surprised yourself by how far you've been able to push an
audience? If so, what happened?

Again, this implies a sort of violent forceful quality, I think. However
some amazing things have happened. People have crossed amazing boundaries,
shared intimate truths, acted in courageous ways to change their life. In a
way I would rather not name the things, because it gives people a sense of
what they are supposed to do. I want the audience to find their way when
they come to the show. Not before hand.

Does Red Bastard's lumpiness free up Eric's inner madness? Do you find that
the body distortion helps to provoke a response from the audience as well?

It is a way for me to release my shadow self! The space between myself and
Red Bastard is the space in which I get to play. It's a gift to myself and
the audience.

Who or what makes Eric Davis laugh, clown or otherwise?

I laugh at shows when other people are not laughing a lot. Not at the
intended joke, but at the real human moments when I see performers on stage.
Butt Kapinski makes me laugh. She is my director and also a clown. Chris
Rozzi as William Shakespeare. People you probably don't know yet :) And
David Cross.

Word is your moving to LA to create and perform in Cirque Du Soliel's
Hollywood show. Will Red Bastard go to sleep for a while, or will we be
seeing bits of him under the big top?

Well, I suppose that there will be something of him in the show, because
It's me... but It will be a different character, and It will be a very
different performance space. So different tactics must be used. But As I
near the creation of the Cirque show, I feel my Red Bastard show getting
stronger...evolving. I want to know where it is going...

Lecoq said "while we make fun of the clown, the bouffon makes fun of us."
Are you going to laugh and point at us?

Me? Of course not... Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! (fades into the abyss).