Director Q&A Series: Shakina Nayfack

Hello Beautiful People,

I’m absolutely elated to launch our DIRECTORS Q&A SERIES! [Insert squeals of laughter & joy and happiness here.] Our first director, well, I’m going to have to control my gushy tendencies, as she is a phenomenal human being. Shakina and I met in one of those perfect New York moments, outside the Schubert Stage door, chatting with common friends. From the getgo, her zest for arts is apparent and electric, a presence that one loves just to be around.  Shakina Nayack is Theatre director, performer, writer, creator of JUNK: A Rock Opera, an associate producer at Barrington Stage, AND holds a PhD in Experimental Choreography from the University of California at Riverside.  And these things, will amazing, are just the tip of the iceberg, for Shakina has the talent, grace, and passion that will cement her place in the Broadway community for years to come.  Already she is behind TWO back to back concerts at the infamous Joe’s Pub, an accomplishment that many wait years to achieve. I’m thrilled to introduce her to you all, and so very blessed to call her my friend.

TWT: First things first, did you always want to be a director?

SN: Since I was 16 or 17…so for like half my life.  The first half I wanted to be an actor.

TWT: JUNK: A Rock Opera is soon to open at Joe’s Pub. This is a show that you had a hand in writing, as well as directing and producing.  Can you explain to our readers a bit about the show, and what this whole process has been like?

SN: JUNK was created by the Swedish pop band, Brainpool, (Christoffer Lundquist, David Birde, Jens Jansson), after they left their commercial label in search of a new, mature voice.  The show premiered in concert with the Malmö Symphonic Orchestra in 2004, and after that, the guys were looking for a director to help them take the piece from concept album to the stage.  Their manager at the time, Justin Winokur, had seen a lot of my work and put us in touch.   I got the album in the mail in January of 2005 and 8 years later I still listen to it almost every day.  In 2007 I put up a workshop of the show in LA, basically staging the entire concept album.  Brainpool came out for opening night and played a set after the show, it was epic. We learned a lot from that workshop, and I did a bunch of writing on the piece after that. In 2010, I went to Sweden and we wrote about 45 minutes of new music together based off the ideas I had added to the script.  The basic story follows this punk rock chick stuck in a corporate job, but dreaming of changing the world with her all-girl rock band.  But if you asked me what the show is about I’d say “Disposability,” the ways we’re so quick to get rid of the people and things we supposedly care about.

TWT: After JUNK, you have yet ANOTHER show at Joe’s Pub, The Disappearing Man, which is considered to be a folk opera.  Can you explain to our readers about this show, and what drew you to the project?

SN: The Disappearing Man is 100% opposite of JUNK in terms of sound, and the music is actually what first attracted me to the project.  Whereas JUNK is all glam and synth, Disappearing Man is almost completely acoustic and really grounded in a contemporary American folk sound. The show is about a traveling circus troupe in the 1930’s, and what happens when they’re faced with losing their headlining act. But just like JUNK, there’s a deeper human question being asked. Jahn Sood, who wrote the piece, put it like this: “When you realize you’ve been wearing a mask your whole life, do you still choose to keep it on?”

TWT: When directing a show that you’ve also written, what are the biggest challenges that you have faced? And what advice would you give to others who face those same challenges?

SN: Wearing a lot of hats can be fun, but it makes everything harder.  You have to learn how to take distance from your own work and evaluate things without being too precious.  My best advice in the case of writing and directing is to find a smart dramaturge and even smarter actors, and then to trust them when they tell you what they need to make things work. 

TWT: Just for fun, what books are permanently on your bookshelf?

SN: Einstein’s Dreams by Alan Lightman, The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran, Kazuo Ohno’s World: From Without and Within by Kazuo and Yoshito Ohno, and Alchemy is Dancing, a book I wrote with my Butoh master Diego Piñón.

TWT: Just for fun, what sound do you hate?

SN: The rough side of a wet sponge on a vinyl tablecloth.

TWT: Just for fun, what sound do you love?

SN: Anderson Cooper giggling.

TWT: In today’s economy, arts programs are being cut.  What reasons would you give to a politician for preserving the arts?

SN: Arts education develops imagination, fosters creative thinking, encourages resourceful problem solving, and teaches valuable communication skills.  Take that training away from our young people today and what kind of society will we be left with in 30 years? 

TWT: What’s the best piece of advice would you give to high schools students who wish to pursue a career in theater?

SN: I just wrote this on Facebook yesterday: “The true value of our work can only be measured by the quality of person we become while doing it, and that all this theater business is really just an excuse to learn how to connect to one another with more authenticity, vibrancy, and heart.” What I mean is, just keep making the things you want to make with the people you want to make things with.  The rest will come.

TWT: Who is/was your greatest teacher?

SN: I’ve been blessed to encounter many remarkable teachers in my lifetime, but one of the greatest things I’ve been taught is the mantra Ong namo guru dev namo “I bow to the teacher within myself.”

Thank you, Shakina! And friends, be sure to check out the amazing lineup that’s THIS WEEKEND at Joe’s Pub! 

Live, Love, Learn,

Megan & The Write Teacher(s)