photo credit: Lizzy McCabe 

Written by Zack Johnston

For those deeply involved in the world of theater, it is somewhat of a love-hate relationship. For someone like Jarid McCarthy, the part of the craft that can be the most tenuous is also what we love about it. Namely, its ability to undergo constant change.

A resident artist for The Larking House, the constant change seems to be part of what drives McCarthy’s creativity but also provides a source of pessimism when it comes to the profession.

Molière’s Tartuffe @ Larking House (2024)

“I first got involved with The Larking House by participating remotely in their playwrights’ intensive program, back when they were still mostly just an online group of my former classmates dreaming of how to keep talking about theater and working on new plays. Since then, the company has developed into a more rigorous ensemble staging new plays, and I became more involved as a sound designer and collaborator before applying to join the residency officially last year. I’m close to many people in the company, and a couple of them are actually my current roommates, so the company’s tagline of “a home for emerging artists” is quite true for me.”

He describes creating engaging theater today as almost impossible, but that challenge sustains the art form. Whether he’s writing, working behind the scenes, or appearing on stage, McCarthy seems to have mastered the art of embracing change over time.

“I think my favorite piece of mine is still being rewritten somewhere in my brain,”

he said in an email interview.

Lack @ Wayward Artist (2022)

McCarthy’s poetry has been featured in distinguished literary journals, and his original play Lack premiered at The Wayward Artist in 2022. Much of his work centers around themes of introspective self-reflection and is often told through a lens of mythology and folklore.

“The act of deconstructing my own point of view is important to me, even if I don’t succeed,” McCarthy explained. “A lot of my work is set in subconscious and subterranean space, and I’m interested in using the limitations of the stage to capture emotional realities, dreams, and afterlives.”

Normally a behind-the-scenes creative, McCarthy recently returned to his performing roots in Molière’s Tartuffe, presented by The Larking House. He described the experience as a collaborative way of going a bit outside of his comfort zone and regaining some confidence as an actor. The company gave the 17th-century comedy a modern-day twist that breathed new life into the play, becoming one of the Orange Curtain Review’s top-rated shows for April.

No stranger to classical literature or ancient mythology, McCarthy’s new play Abyss premieres in late May at The Larking House and borrows from the myth of Prometheus. After stealing fire from the gods and gifting it to humanity, Prometheus is doomed to eternal punishment by way of his liver being pecked out by an eagle. Each night, he is healed, only for the gruesomeness to repeat itself; however, in Abyss, these two characters eventually strike an unlikely friendship.

What began as an exercise in procrastination amidst finals week morphed into a years-long endeavor developing the script. McCarthy describes it as less of a Greek retelling and more of an absurd existential drama about searching for purpose.

Abyss is just one of McCarthy’s many projects that illustrate his ability to embrace changes and trust the creative process.

Around the same time he started writing the play, he also launched a podcast series, Empty Room, which serves as an experimental platform for radio plays. Initially a response to COVID-19 restrictions shutting down theaters, the project brings together creatives from multiple disciplines to create unique theatrical experiences that transcend live performance. As a self-taught sound designer on productions like WEIRDO and Ju1ce, McCarthy deeply appreciates the power audio has to transform an environment and create a bit of theater magic.

As the theater world continues to change, McCarthy remains hopeful that jack-of-all-trades creatives like him will continue to push the boundaries of the art form in ways that honor its timeless traditions while creating a true sense of community. By staying true to his creative vision, McCarthy’s best work is surely yet to come.