THE AUTHOR OF "A BRIGHT RAY OF DARKNESS." ETHAN HAWKE

BESIDES WRITING, DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER CREATIVE OUTLETS DURING

THE PANDEMIC?

BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE -- SOME PEOPLE FEEL SORT OF INNERVATED,

LIKE GROUNDHOG'S DAY.

LIKE THEY CAN MAKE NO PERSONAL PROGRESS.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO STAY SHARP?

>> HAVE I IN ANY WAY GIVEN YOU IF IMPRESSION THAT I WAS STAYING

SHARP?

I DON'T THINK SO.

>> Stephen: ABSOLUTELY.

EXACTLY.

>> I PLAY THE GUITAR WITH MY KIDS.

I LIKE TO DO WATER COLORS.

I TRIED TO EXERCISE.

YOU KNOW, I HAD A GREAT BLESSING DURING THIS WHOLE PANDEMIC OF

HAVING THIS -- THE GOOD LORD BIRD TOOK A TON OF MY TIME

PROMOTING IT.

I FELT KIND OF LIKE AN HONOR.

IT WAS SOMETHING I REALLY ENJOYED DOING.

THAT STORY, I THINK, SPEAKS TO A LOT OF THE CENTRAL ISSUES THAT

AMERICA IS THINKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW.

AND, SO, IN A LOT OF WAYS, THIS WHOLE ZOOMING ALLOWED ME TO DO

MORE INTERVIEWS THAN I WOULD BE ABLE TO DO BECAUSE I COULD ZOOM

WITH SOME JOURNALIST IN ATLANTA AND SOMEBODY IN PARIS.

SO I HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT JOHN BROWN FOR, LIKE, SIX

MONTHS.

AND WHILE THAT MIGHT NOT SOUND THAT INTERESTING TO SOME, IT'S

PROVED ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING.

>> Stephen: HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO PERFORM?

HAVE YOU FOUND ANY OTHER OUTLETS?

YOU CAN'T DO THEATER.

>> WELL, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONE THING I AM DOING.

I'M DOING A ZOOM PRODUCTION OFAT TAREQ FROM THE ROOTS AND WALLY

I'M DOING A ZOOM PRODUCTION OFAT TAREQ FROM THE ROOTS AND WALLY

AND I MEET A COUPLE OF TIMES ON ZOOM AND WE WORK ON SAMUEL BECK

E.L.T.'S WAITING FOR GOODELL.

>> Stephen: VLADIMIR OR ESTRAGON.

>> VLADIMIR.

>> Stephen: AND TAREQ AND KALLIE SCHON, WHO'S LUCKY, WHO'S

POZO.

>> TAREQ IS POZO AND WALLY IS LUCKY.

AND I GOTTA TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SELLING OUT HERE, BUT

IT'S PROVED TO BE ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING THINGS I EVER

DID IN MY LIFE BECAUSE THERE'S SOMETHING SO ALIENATING ABOUT

THIS EXPERIENCE AND, YOU KNOW, THE CHARACTERS CAN'T REMEMBER

WHETHER IT'S SATURDAY OR TUESDAY OR WEDNESDAY AND THEY DON'T

REMEMBER WHAT THEY'RE WAITING FOR AND --

>> Stephen: YEAH.

HEARING THE PLAY IS ENTIRELY NEW, AND MY HOPE IS YOU CAN --

IT WILL BE AVAILABLE, YOU KNOW, ON THE WEB OR SOMETHING FOR A

FEW WEEKS, YOU CAN WATCH IT.

WE'RE GOING TO RECORD IT LIVE.

SO IT'S NOT LIKE A READING.

WE'RE TRYING TO PERFORM IT AND EXPLORE THE MATERIAL.

>> Stephen: WHERE ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SEE IT.

>> IT'S FOR A THEATER COMPANY CALLED THE NEW GROUP, AND IT

WILL BE AVAILABLE -- I THINK IT'S MARCH AND APRIL.

BUT IF YOU GO TO THE NEW GROUP WEB SITE, YOU CAN SEE WHENNETH

GOING TO BE AVAILABLE.

>> Stephen: THEY DO NOT MOVE.

HIS NOVEL "A BRIGHT RAY OF DARKNESS," RIGHT HERE, IS

AVAILABLE TOMORROW.

ETHAN HAWKE, EVERYBODY.

WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH A PERFORMANCE BY MICKEY GUYTON.

♪♪♪