Sarah Suzuki, spring intern, talked with Nic Adams, assistant stage manager.

TMT: Can you give me a little history about Uriel Acosta the man?

NA: We’ve been calling him an apostate, but he was an illustrious pain in the ass, one of those guys or gals who really changes the conversation for the political, religious, societal culture he inhabits. He was born in Portugal and raised in the Catholic church although his family was Jewish. The more he studied religion, the more he realized he wanted to practice Judaism. He escaped the Inquisition, moved to Amsterdam, and realized that their Judaism was not quite in line with what he was reading. So, he made quite a scene because he wanted everyone to realize what was wrong. What got him in real trouble was his ability to forge power from doubt. He doubted the infallibility of Rabbis, the immortality of the soul, and oral tradition, to name just a few things. His devotion was sincere and passionate, but his ideas—or even the act of argument—were considered too dangerous to tolerate.

TMT: How is Uriel Acosta relevant to today’s culture?

NA: It is the story of this man and the depth of his desire to understand his base, which is a modern story. We hope that’s the loudest theme of the play. There are also a couple of songs that are folksy earworms. One is a Bohemian Rhapsody rock opera kind of thing. There’s also a fun scene about where to buy the best bagels in NYC. In the end, though, it’s really about a man questioning.

TMT: How have you been involved in the process of making Uriel Acosta?

Nic Adams: Target Margin is cool because everyone is involved, so David introduced the source material to all of us, which included dramatizations of Uriel Acosta, accounts of people playing him, and Uriel Acosta’s account of his own life. We made scenes, tableaus, movements, and songs based on what interested us.

TMT: Has the project evolved as you’ve been working on it?

NA: Everything has changed in the way the play has gone. The more we study the more we find out about his life and also other kind of parallel apostates or rebels (political rebels, religious rebels, people who take chances, the comedian Lenny Bruce). We are an ensemble and sometimes we have tangential conversations that lead into the play so it’s freckled with experiences from the rehearsal room. The actors are always emailing monologues and jokes, bringing in poems. Practically, David is narrowing in on a story he wants to tell.

TMT: This is your first production with Target Margin. How do you like it?

NA: It’s been a blast. The people in the room are incredible and talented. They’re being asked to perform in a very specific way and the gusto is amazing. I’m also appreciative to see how David works. He’s an incredible collage artist in the theatrical sense. I like to think I’m a director and so watching David is inspiring and he gives everyone a chance to contribute, which takes a lot of trust and generosity. The show is a living, growing, breathing thing that’s being added to every day.