“Superhero Blues” Opens Tonight at The Gallery Players

William Goldberg

The Gallery Players’ annual Black Box New Play Festival is winding down, and tonight marks the opening of the final play in the series — the last “box” of the year. According to the Players’ website, local playwright Judd Lear Silverman‘s new show is a “comedic voyage of self-discovery,”  but to get the real story, we checked in with cast member William Goldberg. The 11-year-old MS1 student and newly-minted actor chatted with us about the play, the process, and what it means to have the superhero blues.

So tell me a little bit about the play.
The play is about a man named Stan. It’s about his life, basically, how he’s dealing with life. He works as a social worker, and he’s trying to comfort himself, and how he deals with everybody else. It’s mainly about his life — and also he finds out he doesn’t have superpowers and…it’s basically a nice story about his life.

You play Stan?
I play the kid version of him, and in the opening scene where his mother tells him he has superpowers.

What superpowers?
Well, actually, he doesn’t know yet. His mother tells him that he has superpowers, but she doesn’t know which superpowers — she says he “didn’t come with a booklet.” He thinks he has to figure them out on his own as an adult.

Is this your first play?
Well, this is my first official play, you know. I’ve done plays at school and stuff.

How’s it been?
It’s been great! Everyone is very nice, and they give great constructive criticism. They completely disregard the fact that I’m 11 — they’re very supportive. And the rehearsals are really fun. I always look forward to them.

What’s been the hardest part?
The hardest part…hmmm…I think the hardest part is to try to take the place of a seven-year-old boy who’s frustrated with his homework. It’s kind of hard to depict his personality, because it changes through the scene all the tme, depending on what his mother says. By [the time the play opens], we have to find just that primary emotion, basically. And it’s really hard to figure out what emotion that is.

Do you think you’ll do more theater?
Yes, I’m gonna try. I’ll audition for everything, basically. I’d like to be an actor…maybe…I do play football, and I do other things, too, so…who knows? We’ll see.

“Superhero Blues” runs tonight through Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 3pm at The Gallery Players, 199 14th St. between 4th and 5th Ave. Tickets are $18.