Dan Rodandan: Dan Rodandan is my name. That's a Dan, a Ro, and then two Dans. That's three Dans total. Dan Rodandan, which Rodan was a giant pterodactyl in a Japanese film. Sort of a spin-off of the *Godzilla* genre. *Rodan*. I didn't realize that until recently. I saw that. I was looking, just Googling myself, and that's one of the pictures that popped up. I like to think of myself as a very dangerous sort of pterodactyl, sort of a flying creature, sort of old school, sort of violent here and there, but also interested in eggs, in flight, and things of that nature. I went to a farmer's market this weekend, and I think I overpaid a little bit for some eggs, which I brought home. They just tasted like normal eggs. I made myself an omelet. Probably should have cleaned the pan first. Did not taste great. A lot of garlic salt, I think, left over from some other meals. And I don't know why I'm sharing all of that with my... I have a special guest here today. A special guest who owns a theater company. His name is Lucius. Lucius Alphonse. And he and his wife started their own theater company. It's called Lucite. Is that right? Lucius Alphonse: That's right. Dan Rodandan: Perfect. Now, go ahead and tell us a little bit about this theater company, what the mission statement is, what the goals are, how do you want to accomplish your goals? Lucius Alphonse: I'd be happy to, Dan. Well, Lucite is an amalgam of several different methods that me and my company have been working with for quite some time. And we decided that since we all have a similar vocabulary, that we would just kind of commit to it and branch off and do our own thing. Dan Rodandan: So you have a shared vocabulary. Lucius Alphonse: Yes. Dan Rodandan: You want to commit to it, and then you want to branch off. Like the many branches of a tree. Like the root system of a tree. Lucius Alphonse: No, we're just kind of completely redesigning the whole thing, you know, starting from scratch, as it were. And we thought that, you know, it would seem complicated to someone from the outside, but to us it's just, you know, it's just like cooking eggs, for example. Dan Rodandan: Which can be more difficult than it seems at times. Lucius Alphonse: Obviously, obviously. Dan Rodandan: Which, it sounds, is the analogy, the point that you're trying to make, is that just because you have a shared vocabulary doesn't mean you know how to break a few eggs to make that omelet, get yourself in a position where you can succeed. Lucius Alphonse: Yes. Dan Rodandan: So do you guys do a lot of Shakespeare stuff? Lucius Alphonse: You know, just mostly original work. Dan Rodandan: Original work, like a lot of interpretive dance? Lucius Alphonse: It's not. Dan Rodandan: Movement? Lucius Alphonse: I mean, there is movement, of course. Dan Rodandan: Nudity? Lucius Alphonse: Nudity hasn't come up yet, but we're open to it. Dan Rodandan: Swearing. Drug use? Lucius Alphonse: There's not a lot of speaking in our work now. Dan Rodandan: So you just like mostly roam around and bump into things? Lucius Alphonse: It's experiential and I don't want to nail anything down because a new piece hasn't really found its voice yet. So from what we've done before, we're constantly changing and there's a lot of trust so we're open to— Dan Rodandan: So I come to one of your performances, I sit down in the audience, I pay my, what, $45? And I sit down. The curtain comes up. Lights go on. And then what do I see? Lucius Alphonse: Well, what we hope you see is something that really shocks your foundational beliefs about what theater is. So that you don't actually have anything like your normal theatrical audience experience. Dan Rodandan: So when I leave and somebody asks me, did you go to a play? I would have to look at them and say honestly I don't know. Lucius Alphonse: Yes. Yes. I want something and hopefully something meaningful to you personally. Dan Rodandan: Yes. And there's no nudity. Lucius Alphonse: Um, you know, I, now that you've brought it up, I'm, I think there should be some nudity in our next piece. I'll work on it for you. You tell me when you're coming and I'll take my clothes off. Dan Rodandan: Well, okay. I mean that's, that'll work. It's not the fastest way up the mountain, but it gets me there. So, how many people are in this? Lucius Alphonse: We've got a tight 13 right now. Dan Rodandan: 13 people just sort of walking around, being meaningful, not talking, up until recently not being naked, and it's not, it might not be theater, but it might be theater. Lucius Alphonse: Correct me if I'm wrong, but most plays that you see... what are you really... what's happening? There's just a lot of talking about lots of pointless things. It could be politics or religion or relationships or, you know, adultery. But really, we want to cut down to the bare bones of just people... people looking at each other, sort of walking around. I thought you said you'd seen one of our plays. I mean, I can't believe that you want to become a part of the company without having been exposed to some of what we do. Dan Rodandan: I saw it. I saw it and I basically what I saw was um— Lucius Alphonse: Which piece did you see? Dan Rodandan: I saw the one that was called *Understudy*. The one where the, it wasn't even, there weren't even actors on the stage when I was there. It was a, it was like a script with a lamp and uh and then a bunch of people who I assumed were stagehands but I guess they may have been the actors, people in black clothes just sort of moving things around and like looking at each other, sometimes looking at us, and I honestly I thought that I'd gotten there early and that I was watching everybody get ready. Lucius Alphonse: Well, it's not for everyone, Dan. But that was an early piece, so I mean, you may be surprised at what you see if you come back. Dan Rodandan: Okay. So if I come back this weekend, see what you guys are up to. Lucius Alphonse: Well, we don't have a piece up now, but in about a month and a half, you could come and see something. Dan Rodandan: Okay, a month and a half. What's the name of that one? Lucius Alphonse: Nudity, the musical. I'm joking, I'm joking. As of yet untitled. We're bouncing around a bunch of names. Dan Rodandan: So it's an untitled piece with not a lot of talking, it takes place on a stage, there could be talking, we're not finished yet, might not be theater, might not be actors. Lucius Alphonse: I'm just tired of the same old thing. You teach acting, don't you get the same thing over and over again? Dan Rodandan: Yeah, I only have three or four monologues. Lucius Alphonse: Well you know, you should come in and see if this next piece does something for you. Dan Rodandan: I'm going to come in. I'm going to show up on time, not early, and hopefully I'm going to get my money's worth. Lucius Alphonse: Yes. You're going to get a face full of pubic hair, my friend. Dan Rodandan: That's all I'm really looking for these days. But I appreciate your feelings about theater. What are some of these exercises that you do to sort of craft these pieces in that root vocabulary. Lucius Alphonse: So, what we've coined the term chaos creativity. Dan Rodandan: From *Jurassic Park*? Lucius Alphonse: It's a consciously induced dream state where there's a non-verbal improvisation happening simultaneously. And sometimes we do it in multiple rooms, so you can't even really see the person you're acting with. They're in a different space. You feel the vibrations. You can't see them. You don't speak to them. But you interact from different rooms. Oh, you would be amazed at the sense of longing and loneliness that you will see in an actor who can't even touch or smell their partner, you know, let alone see them. Dan Rodandan: Right. Lucius Alphonse: But we start with that. And then, you know, we may, you know. Dan Rodandan: Let's do a little improv right now. It's you and me. Lucius Alphonse: Okay. Dan Rodandan: We don't talk to each other. Lucius Alphonse: Mm-hmm. Dan Rodandan: We don't. We just sort of try to interact non-verbally. Lucius Alphonse: Okay. Dan Rodandan: Maybe we move around. And go. (nonverbal improvisation) Lucius Alphonse: You want to talk, I can see it in your eyes. Dan Rodandan: And you did talk. Lucius Alphonse: I wanted to talk. Dan Rodandan: You did talk. Lucius Alphonse: I don't know if you're ready, Dan. Dan Rodandan: I won. You're the one who talked. Lucius Alphonse: That was very meaningful for me. Dan Rodandan: I don't think you get it, but... I'm doing... I was pretending to be Rodan. The pterodactyl. Lucius Alphonse: Oh, I forgot. Yes, you are a pterodactyl. Dan Rodandan: Anyway, I'd like to thank you for coming by. It's been a pleasure, Lucius. Say hello to your lovely wife for me. Lucius Alphonse: I will. Dan Rodandan: Do you have any children? Lucius Alphonse: Not yet. Dan Rodandan: Oh, well. I'm sure that will come. Lucius Alphonse: I hope so. Dan Rodandan: Everyone, I'm Dan Rodandan. And my guest today, his name was Lou.