We recently connected with Edward Excaliber and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Edward, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

Every project I’ve developed or worked on throughout my career has had a certain level of meaning, but none more so than my current endeavor – “638: An Uncommonly Comical Review of an Accidental Assassination Attempt on Fidel Castro” – a Havana-set farce being crafted for the stage as part of the 2024 Hollywood Fringe Festival. Not only is this project allowing me to return to my theatre roots after solely developing screenplays for the past ten years, it’s also allowing me to work once more alongside my wife, Elizabeth, who is directing the show. In late 2023, Elizabeth and I put our heads together to “finally do something in LA.” We’d been circling short film ideas and other stage play projects for a while, but they all felt safe. We – and by “we” I mean me, ranting and raving – wanted to make a film or put on a show that pushed the boundaries, felt fresh, took risks, made people laugh, and most importantly, had something to say. We are both huge fans of 80s/90s sitcoms and the stage play-like aspect of their memorable farcical episodes. We thought, let’s do a farce! Replete with slamming doors, spit takes, drink switcheroos, and misunderstandings that snowball into chaos. Okay, but where? Elizabeth, wanting to highlight her Cuban roots, offered Havana as a setting. What a perfect combination – Cubans and comedy. We both agreed it’s time to stop focusing on the trauma of Cubans but instead observe their intriguing wit, insatiable humor, and compelling familial bonds that aided them in enduring a decades-long dictatorship – that unfortunately still thrives today. Inspired by “The Producers” (1967) and “The Great Dictator” (1940), I dove back into playwrighting, crafting a big, funny, risk-taking farce that morphed from character assassination to actual assassination of the infamous dictator. As a writer, some projects slowly leak out of your brain, defiant of any self-set completion goals. “638,” however, was that rare occasion where everything seemed to line up, creatively and practically. We’ve got an amazing producing partner and creative team, a superb cast I can’t wait to unleash upon the world – and we’re all Latine telling an authentically Latine story – even if it is mostly fantastical fiction. We even got a chance to take one more risk, with a last minute casting switch – building our very own puppet (made by Elizabeth) and casting a talented puppeteer to embody the dictator himself. This project has wrung every ounce of creativity from me. As a Puerto Rican who didn’t truly tap into his inner-Latino until his mid-twenties, I hope to have done it justice, both comedically as well as having something to say about America’s involvement with the state of the Cuban people.

Edward, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I think I got into this industry the moment I saw a lightsaber ignite. As part of an all-night movie marathon with my dad and brothers, I witnessed a world I not only wanted to rewatch over and over again, but to participate in: storytelling. It started with writing my own crudely drawn comic books, then shifted to writing song lyrics and poetry, then finally manifested in narrative storytelling in college. In my heart, sci-fi and fantasy always beckoned – call it a rite of passage of having my last name – I chose to channel this love of genre through comedy. The youngest in my family, if I had something I deemed funny to say, I had better be sure to make my voice the loudest in our modest three-two. On paper, I didn’t need to be loud. Which is great because as an adult, I’m a pretty shy, soft-spoken sort of dude. I’m happy to say the projects I’ve written and developed have melded my darkly comedic mind with sci-fi/fantasy worlds, finding a happy middle ground of a voice that attempts to blend the likes of Lucas, Brooks and Waititi. But it’s an ever-evolving process, with no two scripts sounding exactly the same – which is what I love about writing. Being able to reinvent one’s self – from straight comedies, sci-fi worlds, to an alternate history farce – the worlds we’re allowed to play in is the job’s true selling point… and make the prerequisite anxiety and awkwardness at social functions a mere perk of the gig.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I’m not ignorant to AI’s benefits and know it’s not an entirely new creation – but the alarming rise of generative AI in society is concerning. Generative AI is artificial creativity. The dependency on so many to this new “artform” is troubling, not only for the stifling of future generations of creative minds but also for the current state of jobs for artists of all mediums. The most important thing society can do to support artists is to treat them seriously, to respect their craft and not say, “well, I can do that without any training.” And to also stop treating them like they’re expendable. Because if that’s the case, future generations will only be left with vomit-inducing reimaginings of what Seinfeld characters would look like in a Wes Anderson film. Generative AI is neat for a meme but it should remain a novelty not the norm.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

The goal that drives me is getting to write for television. I’ve participated in a couple of fellowships (NBC Writers on the Verge and NHMC’s Writing Program) where I’ve met some amazing writers, executives and mentors. I truly feel I’m on the right track to getting into a writers room, collaborating on creating storylines, characters and worlds I’ve dreamed about since I knew I wanted to be in this industry. I’m also developing features as well as beginning the process of writing my first novel.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwardexcaliber/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-excaliber-4a050869/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/edwardexcaliber
• Other: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/10356?tab=details

Image Credits
Elizabeth Excaliber (all other pics) Jackie Martinez (638 Crew pic) Stephen Heraldo (Hollywood Fringe pic)