Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ricky Wood. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Ricky thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The most meaningful project I’ve ever worked on, believe it or not, is the project I’m working on right now. A play called “Mr. Wood’s Safe Space”. Reminiscent of shows like Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood, but taking surreal inspiration from PeeWee’s Playhouse and Andy Kaufman. A children’s TV program gone wrong. The idea came to me when watching a documentary on Mr. Rogers and noticing the strange way he uses his puppets to interact with certain people and it gave me. slight uneasy feeling. The very next day, I approached my friend Dustin, who is a puppeteer, with this idea for the show and from that moment on it seems as though the show has been writing itself. What’s meaningful about it is that I get to make something with my best friend. What’s more is that he and I both agree that it kind of feels like everything we’ve done individually has lead up to this project. So many stories, dreams, jokes, niche interests, and ideas that we’ve had throughout our lives have contributed to this show that we are making. Dustin’s background in puppetry and his love for old media, coupled with my obsession with Andy Kaufman and surrealism/dadism and absurdism have blended together in a way, I think, that compliments a greater project so very well. Thus, Mr. Wood’s Safe Space was born with me as the titular children’s show host and Dustin as the various puppets that pop up throughout the show. Being able to create something with someone who is on the same wavelength as myself and feels like they understand my every idea and vice versa has been very fulfilling.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

As a child I always enjoyed making people laugh but as I got older I became so very interested in art. Surrealist paintings by Rene Magritte, readymades by Marcel Duchamp, and more obsessively, put ons done by Andy Kaufman. Even as a young boy, the clip of Jerry Lawler slapping Andy Kaufman on Late Night with David Letterman and learning how it was staged. Throughout my life, learning more about Kaufman’s staged television hoaxes as well as various other grand hoaxes and performance art pieces has lead me to where I am today… with an intense love of provoking the ire and discomfort from audiences. In most of my performances at various live shows, I attempt to either aggravate the audience or make them feel uneasy as I quietly stand on stage or antagonize certain audience members. This has lead to some having choice words for me, but those who are on the level love it. The people who have seen my performances that are in on the joke praise me for my boldness and admire my quest to entertain myself more than others. Kind of a middle finger to those in the audience or who are a part of the show that take themselves too seriously. When I moved to New York City, one of the first things I did was start signing up for open mics across the city. And since then I’ve been going to open mic, variety show, and comedy festival messing with as many people as I can.

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

My main goal when it comes to my creative pursuits is to continue performing for myself. However, I do have dreams of putting on my own mass hoaxes and put ons, similar to that of Andy Kaufman or Alan Abel. I’d love to pull the wool over the eyes of the unsuspecting public, just for everyone to realize I was behind it and we all let out a collective exhale from our nostrils in disbelief that they had been had. Similar to Nathan Fielder in today’s world.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is truly just the fulfillment I feel. After being on stage and doing my thing and knowing I succeeded in manufacturing the responses and reactions from the audience I was anticipating makes me feel very rewarded. And whether people come to me after the show happy or angry, it fills me with such joy! Providing the audience with a performance that made them feel any emotion is a wonderful feeling and I sincerely enjoy knowing that art, even my art, makes people connect. Including when an entire room turns against me, and leave the theater later talking about how much they hated THAT ONE act.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: mrwoodssafespace

Image Credits
All pictures I submitted of me were taken by Audrey Laine (@audreylstills on instagram) and the Mr. Wood’s Safe Space poster was edited together by Dustin Scully (@dustinscully on instagram)