Meet a Master Mason Monday: Josephine Cashman

Tell us about the first person you met at The Brick. My friend Peter Brown was in a play, and I traveled out to the then sketchy looking Lorimer Street. I think Robert Honeywell sold me a ticket to my very first Brick play (I think it was Jenna is Nuts). But, like Trav, I knew a bunch of people from working at Nada with Ian, Beppo, and many others. I met Ian from being in King John, which Daniel Kleinfeld directed, Berit stage managed, and Ian was hanging lights for the show (even then he favored bare light bulbs). Ian/Berit/Peter went to The Brick, and I happily followed, where I met Robert and Michael and Hope and Jeff and...

Tell us about your first show at The Brick. My first show at The Brick was World Gone Wrong playing Ida Wolfe. Amazing show, amazing cast, and I had a blast. There wasn't AC yet, so I brought ice packs to pass around backstage. The sound/costumes were superb, and I'm very proud to have been in that show. 

How did you first get involved with The Brick? I started seeing shows, and realized I'd found a creative theatrical playground with people who were smart, talented, and hilarious. There was no way I was leaving. 

What aspect of The Brick do you love? It's a place where people are encouraged to take risks and do what they love.  

How has gentrification affected your personal life? The food/drinks are more expensive in the neighborhood. And I don't worry so much about being mugged anymore.

If could move The Brick anywhere, where would you put it? If it had to move and money wasn't an issue, I'd move it to the Union Square area. Right now, I wish we could punch through the east or west wall to have another theatre/cabaret area.

What have you gained from your experience at The Brick? I've worked with brilliant people, made terrific friends, become a better performer, but most importantly, I think we all "get" each other.   

What's the best benefit of being a Master Mason? The Induction Ceremony. And the epic parties.

What's something unknown about you that you want your fellow Master Masons to know? Drat; they know all my secrets. 

What is one thing you would change about The Brick? Two bathrooms and sinks with hot/cold running water. New black curtains.

What do you see in The Brick's future? Greatness. The occasional growing pain. 

If The Brick had its own superhero team, what would it be called and what heroes would be in it? I don't know what we'd call it, but we'd have a Hulk.

What would make a good premise for a Brick-based video game? A Dear Hunter style/Space Invaders hybrid game—you use the rifle to shoot zombies (and the occasional Trustafarian) to keep them from taking over The Brick. Also, a Sims game based on creating and running a theatre like The Brick.