Rising Star Director Kirk Gostkowski Of The Chain Theater On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Entertainment Industry
An Interview With Edward Sylvan
Through the Chain Theatre we are providing opportunities for hundreds of artists to produce their work. Don’t wait on someone else to change your life. If you have a story to tell, get it in motion. Create a community of artists and spread your work.
As a part of our series about pop culture’s rising stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Kirk Gostkowski.
Kirk Gostkowski is the Artistic Director of Chain Theatre ; Select acting credits: Nick Moroni (NYC Premiere Keith Huff’s Six Corners), The Pillowman as Katurian (2016 Queens Kudos Winner Best Actor), Talk Radio as Barry Champlain (2015 NYIT Award Nominee for Outstanding Revival), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest as R. P. McMurphy, Hurlyburly as Eddie, After the Fall as Quentin, Fool for Love as Eddie, In The Boom Boom Room as Al, True West as Austin, Wait Until Dark as Roat (Nominated as Best Director 2016 NYIT). He is the founder and Festival Director of the Chain NYC Film Festival. Kirk made his film directorial debut with the film Leave Me Behind, which was featured in ten film festivals across the world, won awards, and is distributed through Screen Media Ventures. Appearing next in the feature film: My Sister’s Wedding. Kirk is a graduate of Hofstra University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree focused in performance.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
Thank you for having me. I was born and raised on Long Island. Although they had many careers through the years my Dad was a musician and my Mom toured with her own band. She worked at the Copacabana and briefly worked with Sammy Davis Jr. and Tom Jones. I found the path to showbiz on my own making movies on personal cameras and in school. Writing screenplays and working on short films with my friends. Waiting for my parents to go to sleep so I could sneak out of my room and watch movies all night long. In high school, I started going to see actors who I admired on Broadway and that’s when I caught the theater bug.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
I think there were constant signs that I was so obsessed with acting and films and theater that there was no turning back when I look back on it now. But really starring in the first high school play I auditioned for meant there was no turning back. I felt like I was flying. I had wonderful professional directors John Arthur Long and Ted Kastrinos in my school and they saw my passion and fully supported me. Ted ran a regional theater on Long Island and I started acting in shows there and even started working as a stage manager and learning behind the scenes then.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
I’m very fortunate to have begun working with some of my idols. Working with David Rabe on our revival of In The Boom Boom Room was so exciting for me. Getting notes and adjustments, because David is also a brilliant director, felt like I was reaching the next level. I really admire him as a person and his writing.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
In high school, I was playing Romeo in Romeo and Juliet. During the balcony scene, I was looking at the balcony as the scene ended and the lights went out. I turned around in complete darkness and couldn’t see anything. I went over the front row trying to get off the stage. It was a great lesson in spatial awareness and remembering you have to not focus on just playing the character and being in the moment. There are practical concerns as well.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
My brain is fully immersed in this play Garbageman at the moment but our company has a number of shows in development. I’m very excited to be playing Dan Bandana in Garbageman at the moment it’s a huge challenge. I’m very, very excited for G.D. Kimble’s play What Passes for Comedy getting its World Premiere this fall. I’m also in the process of writing an adaptation of a memoir for the stage that will be announced soon.
You have been blessed with success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
What I’ve learned is that even the most successful people in this business have a lot of heartache and stress. What if stories and the ones that got away. I tell people to think of the big picture, the long game, and just keep putting in the hard work. Always be the hardest working person you know.
We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?
We live in a diverse world and NYC is one of the most diverse places in our country. I am so excited to see the road beginning to our actual world being represented in all media.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
- This is a marathon. Not a race.
- Don’t let other people control your emotions.
- Focus on positive actions in as many of your choices as you can.
- Kill them with kindness.
- Keep putting in the hard work and someone will notice.
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
I’m probably not the one to ask about overworking or burn out. I think you just have to know your personal limits. But if you’re serious about this, you need to hustle. I’ll sleep later.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
I hope our company is coming to fruition. Through the Chain Theatre we are providing opportunities for hundreds of artists to produce their work. Don’t wait on someone else to change your life. If you have a story to tell, get it in motion. Create a community of artists and spread your work.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
There are a number of people who have supported me and listened to me. For my journey as an Artistic Director, Jason Steven Cohen has been such an amazing mentor to me. Steven was Joe Papp’s Associate Producer at the Public Theater. Being an Artistic Director can feel like it can be a very amorphous job at times. Steven has taught me so much about business and leadership and friendship. My life has fundamentally changed since I’ve gotten to know him.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I feel like this would imply I know more than I do. I guess off the top of my head. Is it Emerson or Aerosmith: life’s a journey, not a destination. Embrace what you’re good at and it will chart a new course. I don’t think I ever planned to be an Artistic Director when I was so focused on Acting and Directing. But look at all these cool projects I can support and people I can encourage now.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)
Oh, so many people. I love writers especially. Quentin Tarantino or Tracy Letts. Their work has been a huge influence on me. I doubt either of them are on social media.
How can our readers follow you online?
As Artistic Director of the Chain Theatre you’ll see me at the theater almost everyday. Follow our website, newsletter, and social media. Chaintheatre.org FB: @ChainTheatre and Insta @chaintheatrenyc @kirkgost
This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
