On the Couch with Jason Klarwein

Jason Klarwein AAR On the CouchWho is Jason Klarwein?
A father of two, a husband, a son, an actor, a director, a producer, a teacher and someone who sometimes has good ideas.

What would you do differently to what you do now?
I would have been more confident in my early years. I would have backed myself a bit more. I was too eager for others to like me. I should have had a thicker skin and just tried to ‘be’ instead of seeing approval.

Who inspires you and why?
At the moment it is Arthur Miller. I just don’t know how he wrote so well. His ideas around theatre and playwriting are so current and the problems of attendance, subsidy and craft that we face in the theatre haven’t really changed much in the 70 years since Death of a Salesman’s first performance. I find myself scratching my head thinking: “Why are artists so deaf to the craftsmanship and lessons of the past?”

What would you do to make a difference in the world?
I’d have a time machine and take politicians forward or back in time so they could make informed decisions about our world.

Favourite holiday destination and why?
Far North Queensland under a waterfall or somewhere in Europe, preferably the Mediterranean.

When friends come to town, what attraction would you take them to, and why?
Anywhere in nature. A beach or a cool river.

What are you currently reading?
Salesman in Beijing by Arthur Miller, Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton and Othello by William Shakespeare.

What are you currently listening to?
Cloud Control, Fleet Foxes and Miles Davis – Bitches Brew.

Happiness is?
A day of nothing. In nature.

What does the future hold for you?
I don’t know. It’s the future. It doesn’t exist… yet.

Jason is directing Queensland Theatre’s production of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman in the Playhouse – QPAC: 9 February – 2 March 2019. For more information, visit: www.queenslandtheatre.com.au for details.

Image: Jason Klarwein (supplied)