Take an Exclusive Look Inside Derek DelGaudio’s In & Of Itself
The filmed version of the mystifying solo show debuted on Hulu January 22.
Derek DelGaudio’s one-person show In & Of Itself, which played Off-Broadway’s Daryl Roth Theatre in 2017 following an engagement at Los Angeles’ Geffen Playhouse, debuted on Hulu January 22.
Directed by Frank Oz, the film made its world premiere at the Montclair Film Festival this past fall. The project chronicles conceptual storyteller DelGaudio’s attempt to understand the illusory nature of identity. His journey expands to a collective experience that forces us to confront the boundaries of our own identities.
During the production’s Off-Broadway run, DelGaudio gave Playbill an exclusive look at the stage. While the show did not have a typical scenic designer, everything was created and designed by DelGaudio himself and his long-time collaborator, Glenn Kaino.
“Every physical element, including the set itself, was driven by the ideas and narratives of the show,” DelGaudio explained. “However, every object on stage also has a utility. So, the materials and objects, found or fabricated, are the result of a meticulous balancing act of form and function.”
Get Up Close With the Props of Derek DelGaudio’s In & Of Itself
Get Up Close With the Props of Derek DelGaudio’s In & Of Itself
27 PHOTOS
The stage is set for top of show. A table with two chairs, a ladder, and six dioramas. Each chamber contains different objects, including: an automaton, letters in a mailbox, a bottle of bourbon resting on a pillar, a brass scale, a window shattered by a golden brick, and a wolf holding a deck of playing cards.
Marc J. Franklin
Antique brass scale. Each day the scale is tested and calibrated to ensure it balances properly.
Marc J. Franklin
A golden brick is lodged in the center of a pane of glass. When illuminated from within, the cracks in the glass become more visible and the extent of the damage is revealed.
Marc J. Franklin
Each night a new brick is placed in the glass pane.
Marc J. Franklin
Each performance a new deck of cards is placed in the Wolf’s mouth.
Marc J. Franklin
In the show, Derek tells a true story of being taken to a bar and of meeting a stranger and being told a story. During that encounter, Derek recalls the stranger drinking bourbon.
Marc J. Franklin
The Rouletista, an automaton that plays Russian Roulette.
Marc J. Franklin
Close-up of polished gold Rouletista automaton face, sculpted from a composite set of images of the faces of Derek’s and Jorge Luis Borges.
Marc J. Franklin
Letters in letterbox. Over the course of the run, thousands of letters have been sent to “Derek DelGaudio c/o The Daryl Roth Theatre.” Once received at the theater, letters are sorted and placed on stage for their respective performances.
Marc J. Franklin
Letters, up close.
Marc J. Franklin
Derek DelGaudio’s In & Of Itself, which was filmed in New York City in 2018, is produced by Glenn Kaino, Vanessa Lauren, and Jake Friedman, and executive-produced by Stephen Colbert, Evelyn McGee Colbert, Daryl Roth, and Tom Werner.
