MEET: David Bodenschatz
DAVID BODENSCHATZ is an NYC-based actor. (www.davidbodenschatz.com)
CATHOLIC ARTIST CONNECTION (CAC): What brought you to NYC, and where did you come from? Why did you move here?
DAVID BODENSCHATZ (DB): I grew up in the Hudson Valley of New York State, specifically a town named Saugerties. It’s a pretty suburban/rural area, quite different from what I’ve come to experience living in the city. The hustle and energy of the city feed me, but have also led to a renewed appreciation of quietness and stillness. There’s probably a lesson somewhere in there. And why did I move here? To act.
CAC: How do understand your vocation as a Catholic artist?
DB: There’s a quote I’m very fond of from Sir Alec Guinness, himself a late convert to Catholicism. He writes, “An actor is an interpreter of other men’s words, often a soul which wishes to reveal itself to the world but dare not, a craftsman, a bag of tricks, a vanity bag, a cool observer of mankind, a child, and at his best a kind of unfrocked priest who, for an hour or two, can call on heaven and hell to mesmerize a group of innocents.” Now perhaps that’s a bit philosophical for a discipline that can equally be described as dressing up and playing pretend, but I think it points to a great ideal to which a performer can strive. We are assistant-storytellers, and if the stories we’re able to tell are good and true, then our work can be of a value to the greater society.
CAC: Where have you found support in the Church for your vocation as an artist?
DB: After living in the city for about a year, I attended a program hosted by the Screen Actors Guild Foundation (now called the SAG-AFTRA Foundation). The program quite coincidentally was held at St. Malachy’s - The Actors’ Chapel in midtown Manhattan. I was fascinated by the idea of a parish with a specific outreach to performers, and I’ve been a parishioner ever since. It was through St. Malachy’s that I later met the artistic director of the Storm Theatre and got my stage role in the city.
CAC: How can the Church be more welcoming to artists?
DB: So much of what artists do, regardless of medium, is “putting yourself out there” or “wearing your heart on your sleeve.” It can be exhausting! I think we are in need of spiritual “nudges” more often than others. When the Church understands that and facilitates it, I feel welcomed.
CAC: How can the artistic world be more welcoming to artists of faith?
DB: I think people in general, not just in the arts, need to rediscover the ability to have good arguments when they have a difference of opinion. Too often (in politics especially, but not only) we’re told that we must accept what others believe without reservation or judgement or we must vilify them and their beliefs entirely. If I don’t know where you’re coming from and you don’t know where I’m coming from, why don’t we sit down and hash it out? And enough with “safe spaces;” you’re going to have a very narrow view of the world if you don’t risk being offended by a differing opinion.
CAC: What is your daily spiritual practice?
DB: I like the idea of regular novena prayers, because they have a set start and end time. The website www.praymorenovenas.com is a great resource for this. I’ve gotten into praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet (mostly) daily, and I try to make every other book I read for pleasure something that has some element of spiritually to it, whether it’s something motivational, instructional, or narrative.
CAC: What is your daily artistic practice? And what are your recommendations to other artists for practicing their craft daily?
DB: Actors must always be reading, and I don’t mean clickbait articles on your smart phone! Read to enrich yourself, to learn more about the world around you, or just for the joy of it. And on the other end of the spectrum, go out and meet people you know nothing about. The greater your range of knowledge of your fellows, the greater depth your characters will have.
CAC: Describe a recent day in which you were most completely living out your vocation as an artist. What happened, and what brought you the most joy?
DB: I’m currently in rehearsals for “The Shoemaker’s Holiday” with the Storm Theatre. I went from sleeping in a bit, to an afternoon rehearsal, to meeting a friend for Saturday vigil Mass, to an Off-Broadway show a mutual friend of ours had directed. I’d say that was pretty fulfilling!
CAC: How did you find your current housing situation?
DB: Some time after college, I decided this was where I wanted to be. I picked up and moved here without giving the “how” much thought. I can’t overemphasize how little planning I actually did.
CAC: How do you make a living in NYC?
DB: After having been a parishioner and lector at St. Malachy’s for a number of years, I was asked to volunteer as the coordinator of the lector ministry. That led to a few part-time jobs at the church, which eventually led to my current role as Administrative Assistant. I’ve been very blessed to work under three different pastors who’ve afforded me the flexibility to continue working as an actor.
CAC: What other practical resources would you recommend to a Catholic artist living in NYC?
DB: I love the Performing Arts Library at Lincoln Center. It’s a great resource when looking for scripts or videos, as is part of the New York Public Library system.
CAC: What are your top 3 pieces of advice for Catholic artists moving to NYC?
DB: Get comfortable stepping out of your comfort zone. You won’t get far in the arts without a willingness to experience new things and you won’t get far in your faith if you only meet people who are like-minded.
Have a place or time to retreat to when all that gets to be too much and you need to recharge yourself.
And be willing to make mistakes.
