Writer, actor, and Broadway star Jake Epstein talks to Curtains Up about his tell-all tale, Boy Falls From the Sky
Showbiz tell-all Boy Falls From the Sky is a tale about how dreams don’t always go as planned, told through the eyes of Jake Epstein—Degrassi alumnus and star of Broadway favourites Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.
Epstein brings his unique writing, singing, and acting skills to the stage to share his personal experiences of rejection, stage freight, heartbreak, and more, leading us on a behind-the-scenes journey to see just what it takes, and just what you have to give up, to be a Broadway star.
Curtains Up spoke with Epstein about what inspired him to make the show, and what he wants audiences to walk away with.
CU: What compelled you to develop Boy Falls From The Sky? What did you want to say that you felt just wasn’t being said elsewhere?
JE: I had just moved back home after spending several years living in New York, achieving what had been a lifelong dream of working there. But I came home totally defeated by it all; it was a really disappointing experience. And when people asked me about my time in New York, I didn’t know how to be honest about what it was really like. So, I began writing down some of my experiences and slowly those stories turned into this show. I wanted to tell my own story using as much humour and honesty as I could. The surprise of this whole process was how other people related and connected to my story.
CU: Has this been cathartic for you—laying it all out there, baring your soul, trying to find sense and closure? Is there anything you opted to hold back?
JE: It has definitely been cathartic. I realized early on that this show isn’t a documentary, it’s a story. And like any good storyteller, I have an obligation to entertain and keep people invested in what I’m saying. There are certainly details I have left out. If I was going to include every little detail from life, the show would be 8 hours long instead of 80 minutes!
CU: Why did you pick the stage instead of the screen? What does the stage offer that TV simply can’t?
JE: The show is about my story of trying to work on Broadway. So, it felt appropriate for this particularly play to be a stage piece. However, we recently filmed the show, and I am hoping to share the story with more people through this filmed version.
CU: What’s been your biggest, or most satisfying, takeaway from this experience? What do you hope for audiences to carry home with us?
JE: I think the major realization I had creating this show is that life is sometimes disappointing. Realizing this is part of growing up. In fact, it’s incredibly relieving to admit it and laugh at the absurd parts of this journey we’re all on.
In terms of what I hope audiences will take away, I hope audiences are first and foremost entertained. It’s a big deal for audiences to come to the theatre nowadays. I hope they laugh, I hope they’re moved, and I hope they feel their own cathartic admission that life can sometimes be totally disappointing—and that’s part of life!
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Boy Falls From the Sky is playing at the Segal Centre from November 19 to December 10. Tickets can be purchased here.
