In the Bathroom with Frank Gehry

The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre, part of the new Signature Center designed by Frank Gehry

I was chatting with Frank Gehry, architect extraordinaire, while waiting in line to the bathroom. With famous people, the best way to humanize them, is to see them go into a bathroom, it's the great equalizer (next to death).

Let's pull back a little bit, how did I encounter architect Frank Gehry in the bathroom? It was during a press tour of the new in-progress Signature Center, New York City's Signature Theatre's new home, designed by Gehry at a discounted price of only $66 million.

During his speech at the luncheon, which you can read a bit of in the linked article, he demonstrated just how famous he was by calling the greatest playwright who ever lived as "The guy said, 'All the world’s a stage', and I believe that." Did I mention the man is in his 80's and hilarious? He also responded with "Thank God," when I told him I don't write about architecture.

And he's also going to live longer now, because I said that he can. So you're welcome architecture-fanatics. You're welcome.

As for the new center, with three theaters opening into a central space with a cafe and bookstore, it's a theatrical piazza (which was the point). Hopefully I will be able to get in when the place finally opens in January.

So yes, just another day at American Theatre magazine.