Q&A with Judy Gold

Ars Nova will present Judy Gold in 25 Questions For a Jewish Mother, written by Kate Moira Ryan with Judy Gold and directed by Karen Kohlhaas, from January 18th through February 12th at Ars Nova (511 W. 54th St.), with opening night set for January 25th. The show, which was a sold-out hit at the Montreal Just for Laughs Festival, is "a comic's personal journey to find love, laughter and acceptance as a Jewish mother with two kids and a nagging Jewish mother of her own," according to press notes.

On television, Gold is the host of HBO's "At the Multiplex with Judy Gold." Her specials include a half-hour comedy special for LOGO, a TBS special from the Aspen Comedy Festival, "Comedy Central Presents: Judy Gold," Comedy Central's "Tough Crowd Stands Up," and Judy's HBO half-hour special, which received a Cable Ace Award. She has also appeared on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." On film, Gold was most recently seen in The Aristocrats. She won two Emmy Awards for writing and producing "The Rosie O'Donnell Show." Gold was nominated twice for The American Comedy Award's funniest female stand-up. Gold lives in New York City with her two children. We checked in with Gold to get the scoop about the show.

Where did the idea for GOD DOESN'T PAY RENT HERE first come from?

Kate and I happened to be in Chicago at the same time. We were at a party and I was I was telling her that I had always wanted to do a one person show and get out of the clubs for a while. I told her about how after I had done "The Tonight Show," my manager got some complaints that I was promoting this stereotype of the Jewish mother. Now, I have always talked about my mother in my act, and when I do it's all the truth. She happens to be quite funny and quite a character. Kate suggested that we go out and find out if there really is this "stereotype," that people are accusing me of portraying. So we decided to go out and interview all types of Jewish mothers from all over the country, all walks of life, and different affiliations.

I had been struggling with the issues of being a practicing Jew and a lesbian and also being a mom with a very unconventional career. We wanted to find out if there were any other Jewish mothers out there like me, or were they all like my mother. We interviewed about 4 to 6 women per session (separately) and we asked them each about 25 questions. Initially we were out to dispel this stereotype, but ended up happening was amazing. These women had a huge impact on both of us. They changed our lives in ways we never could have imagined.

What was the collaborative process like with Kate Moira Ryan?

Kate is just great to work with. We have been working on this project for 5 years. It is a labor of love for both of us. Kate does not come from a Jewish background, but she and her partner are raising their son Jewish, so she approached this from a completely different perspective. She is fascinated with European history. So when we were interviewing holocaust survivors she would grill them about specific details of their geographical locations and their communities, etc., while I was intrigued with their emotions and coping mechanisms. We each had the same list of about 50 questions that we would choose from depending on whom we were interviewing and often you would hear us during the interviews arguing about which question to go to next – "Go to number 32." "NO!!!! Let's do 25 first!!" We kept up the interviews over the years, and since both of our lives changed drastically during that time, we kept changing the scripts. Kate would say the script was set and the next thing you knew Kate is skiing in Utah and meets a Jewish Mother there. Then she would whip up another draft. I think there are over 30 drafts of the script on her computer.

How many nights did the show run at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal?

6 sold out nights. It was supposed to be 5, but the show was extended for an extra night.

Why do the show again now?

As I said before, this is a labor of love for both of us and our goal was to get it up in New York. As our lives change, so does this show and it is something we are looking forward to doing for a very long time.

The show explores what a Jewish mother is all about, what was your Jewish mother like?

My mother has many of the qualities one would associate with the "stereotypical Jewish mother." You know – overprotective, hypochondriacal, critical, hysterical, etc. BUT, after we interviewed her for this project, I learned an incredible amount about her. My understanding of her has definitely made me much more sensitive to who she really is deep down inside as a person – not as a mother. It's been an incredible journey.

Has she seen the show?

Not yet. She is coming opening week. I'm kind of nervous about it.

What's working with Karen Kohlhaas been like?

Karen is terrific. She has a fantastic sense of humor. She has taught monologue technique for quite some time and has given me a fresh perspective and insight that has helped me immensely.

What do you hope that audiences come away from the show with?

I hope that the audience will realize that everyone has a story. That no matter what you plan, or what rule book you abide by, life throws you punches from out of nowhere - when you're not looking and you're not prepared. I hope it also brings about some acceptance and understanding of alternative families, unconventional life-styles, and I hope everyone goes home and calls their mother or their children or just someone they love.

Does doing more stagework interest you vs. stand-up?

Totally. It is such a pleasure working in a theatre. It really is a dream come true. I love that people are actually listening and not ordering margaritas, paying their checks and filling out comment cards.

What first interested you in live performing? Who were your major influences?

I always knew that I wanted to perform, but I didn't know in what capacity until someone dared me to do stand-up. I got a high from stand-up that I had never experienced from anything else. I used to listen to Joan Rivers and Richard Pryor. I loved Steve Allen, Johnny Carson, Totie Fields, Phyllis Diller. When I started doing stand-up, I would hang out in the clubs all night waiting to go on. I had the opportunity to see so many great talents working on their acts – Larry David, Chris Rock, Joy Behar, Susie Essman, Mario Cantone, Steven Wright, Richard Belzer, Jerry Sienfeld, Gilbert Godfried. I'm sure I'm forgetting a bunch.

What else is coming up for you?

I'm really concentrating on making this show the success that it deserves to be. I know people will see me in different way than they are used to. I'm also working on an animated show, some other writing projects and of course I'll continue with my HBO stuff and I will do stand-up until the day I die.

Showtimes are Wednesdays at 2 PM, Thursdays at 7 PM, Fridays at 8 PM, Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM. (Special added performance on Tuesday, January 24 at 8 PM) (Running Time: 70 minutes, no intermission.) All tickets are $25. To purchase tix, call SmartTix at 212-868-4444 or go to www.SmartTix.com.