David Hornsby, Jessie Ennis, Danny Pudi, and Charlotte Nicdao on “Mythic Quest” Backstage Live
Collaboration Is Key
The ensemble and creatives behind “Mythic Quest” talk about striking a balance on Season 2 By Benjamin Lindsay
The following interview for Backstage’s on-camera series The Slate was compiled in part by Backstage readers just like you! Follow us on Twitter (@Backstage) and Instagram (@backstagecast) to stay in the loop on upcoming interviews and to submit your questions.
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director, and actor when it comes to building these lovably oddball characters. Running “Mythic Quest” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” has taught McElhenney to lean on his actors. “One of the ways that we approach the writing of the show—and I learned this from the other show that I do, [‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’]—is that you can write something in a vacuum, and it works on paper, and then it’s a script that you can read; but that’s just a working document. You have to actually have human beings come in and breathe life into that script. And
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As an example, Burch cites Pudi and Hakim as actors who expanded their characters, Brad and Dana, in the Season 2 writers’ room. “When you get into a Season 2, when you know who your
THEATER
Theater Preps for Long-Awaited Return to NYC By Casey Mink
As Poppy, Nicdao says that not knowing what’s coming next is the most exciting thing. “On the other side of that, it’s always so exciting as an actor to get a new script and not quite know what it is you’re going to be seeing. You sign up to do a comedy, and then you get these scenes where you’re really accessing some very human, human stuff, and that’s such a blessing.” Want to hear more from the cast of “Mythic Quest”? Watch our full interview at backstage.com/magazine, and follow us on Instagram: @backstagecast.
WHEN THEATERS IN NEW YORK SHUTtered to slow the spread of COVID-19 back in March 2020, no one could have known that it would be well over a year before the curtain rose again. But finally, there is light at the end of the tunnel, with several shows and theaters announcing in-person productions. This month, the Boss himself will be first to return to Broadway, bringing his “Springsteen on Broadway” to the St. James Theatre beginning June 26. New York Theatre Workshop also announced its full 2021–22 season, which will include Martyna Majok’s “Sanctuary City” and a new play by Aleshea Harris, among others.
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COURTESY APPLE TV+
JUST WHEN WE THOUGHT we’d seen about everything a workplace comedy can do, Rob McElhenney and co-creators Charlie Day and Megan Ganz came along with “Mythic Quest” on Apple TV+. Following the interdepartmental workings of a popular video game development company, the half-hour comedy boasts one of the funniest ensembles working today—and they all recently joined us as part of our first-ever BackstageFest! McElhenney, writer-actors Ashly Burch and David Hornsby, and stars Charlotte Nicdao, Danny Pudi, Jessie Ennis, and Imani Hakim talked about Season 2 and striking the fine balance between writer,
then what you find is that if you’re open to it, the right actor will take a role that you didn’t necessarily see them playing. In fact, [Charlotte Nicdao’s character,] Poppy, was a completely different character in the original draft of the show; Charlotte came in, and we completely rewrote that character for her, because when you find the right person, you start adapting the character to meet the actor.”
characters are more and you know who’s playing them, I think it gives you more room and more inspiration to try other things. So, for example, with Brad, Danny is the nicest human being on the planet, and he is so good at playing an asshole, but it’s interesting to see someone so kind play someone so nefarious. And in the writers’ room, we talked a lot about: Because Danny is such a sweet pea, is there a layer that we could add to Brad that brings out that element in Danny—that softer, more vulnerable side? And Dana, for example—Dana was a much different character before Imani was cast. And so by virtue of the fact that Imani brought something different and interesting and richer, that changes the character. It’s a give-and-take.”
