Interview: Playwright and Director David Catlin Brings his Epic Spectacle MOBY DICK to The Repertory Theatre Of St. Louis

David Catlin brings his critically acclaimed stage adaptation of MOBY DICK to The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis next month. MOBY DICK will play the Loretto-Hilton Mainstage from February 6 – 25. Catlin will also serve as director. Broadway World had the opportunity to sit down with Catlin to discuss the Lookingglass Theatre Company that he founded, and his adaptation and previous productions of MOBY DICK that Chicago Critic called “one of the best productions of all time in Chicago.”  

Catlin graduated from Northwestern in 1988. While he was an undergraduate at the University, he, and some of his classmates in an acting class formed a group, led by David Schwimmer, to act in a self-produced production of “Alice in Wonderland.” The script was the stripped-down version that was penned and initially produced by theatre pioneer André Gregory with The Manhattan Theatre Project and performed by six students from NYU in the late 1960s.  

Schwimmer directed “Alice in Wonderland,” and his production became a big hit on campus. “It was very physical, almost acrobatic with a lot of the story telling being done by actors transforming their body into trees, toadstools and the various creatures of Wonderland,” Catlin shared. The success of the production resulted in the group taking the production to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland. It was while in Scotland that the idea was hatched to create the Lookingglass Theatre Company.  

Lookingglass Theatre Company was launched just before the group of friends graduated. Catlin shared that the physicality in the work they were doing was extremely exciting. Catlin told Broadway World that he was influenced by the theatrical physicality of the early work of Cirque du Soleil and the Pilobolus Dance Company. He recalled seeing traveling tent shows from Cirque du Soleil and said he was at the edge of his seat watching Cirque’s shows. He said, “They took my breath away.” He called the experience visceral and kinesthetic, and he wondered why theatre couldn't be more like that.  

Catlin also talked about the educational influence of the theatre program at Northwestern. He recalled that one of his professors in the theatre department would impart to his students that ‘to study theatre is to seek to understand what it is to be human.’ He said as a young college kid you went to school to study acting and become a good performer and now this teacher was challenging his understanding of theatre with the difficult and somewhat impossible reality of understanding humanity.  

Catlin’s adaptation of MOBY DICK combines both influences. Multi-talented, acrobatic actors deliver their lines while balancing on moving set pieces high above the stage. Both the cast and crew are pulling on riggings and ropes to move set pieces. Caitlin said, “The actors get callouses on their hand from pulling on ropes.” The blocking has actors flying through the air in what one critic called “wild, brave and innovative staging.”  

Catlin’s script takes us on the dark psychological journey of Captain Ahab. Ishmael and Queequeg have differing points of view but are brought together because they both buy into the noble and heroic vision of their mad captain. They connect in their purpose and volition to rid the world of an evil threat. Starbuck’s calming voice of reason brings needed balance to the crew’s obsessive mission.  

Catlin says that as an audience member he finds the work the actors are doing to be very compelling. “Mehlville has given us a really exciting and thought-provoking story that makes you think about the bigger things in life,” he said. He has found a story to mix the kinetic acrobatics of Lookingglass Theatre Company and Northwestern’s vision to understand humanity while giving the audience a visceral experience.  

Catlin has directed his adaptation of MOBY DICK six times with two productions at Lookingglass in Chicago (in addition to the original developmental production at Northwestern), and one in Washington D.C., Atlanta, and Costa Mesa. His direction is brisk, and the show runs just under two-hours and forty-five minutes.  

St. Louis audiences are fortunate to get their opportunity to experience this exciting theatrical epic. Catlin and The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis had previously planned to mount this production in early 2021, but it was cancelled because of the pandemic. Tickets for MOBY DICK at can be purchased by clicking the link below. Don’t miss this harrowing and intoxicating exploration of revenge, obsession, and destiny.  

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