-Russ, what was it like working on the set of LORD FINN?
“There was a strong sense of camaraderie on the set with a lot of encouragement between takes. Al was steadfast and diligent in handling the Native side of the film, which everyone treated with the utmost respect. It was a good experience.”
-Can you describe your character to us through your eyes?
“Mr. Finley is much more fragile than he appears, especially to Daniel. I think that Mr. Finley reluctantly grew callous over the years as he tried to help his family move forward with broken hearts. In his eyes, Daniel takes the easy way to deal with his pain and I think Mr. Finley resents that. I don’t think either he or Daniel ever forgave themselves for the accident, tough, which is why they both ultimately self-destruct.”
-What have you been working on since we wrapped and do you have anything coming up that you’re really excited about?
“I spend most of my professional time working with my students at Oklahoma City University. In my creative work, I have been focusing on performances of my play “The Chainsaw Artist” https://chainsawartist.net/, which was performed in Norman in August and in Pawhuska in March. “The Chainsaw Artist” is a metaphysical play about an Osage carver named Arty that lives in the woods outside of Pawhuska. No one has seen him in years until a curious young woman named Ella decides to track him down and find out if he is in fact a ghost, as many people believe. What she discovers, however, is much more than just a ghost story. I’ve also started pounding the keys again on the next draft of a book about my great-aunts Maria and Marjorie Tallchief—very famous Osage ballerinas. My cousin, Elise Paschen, a world-renowned poet and Maria’s daughter, is also prominently featured in the book, along with Marjorie’s sons—Alex and George Skibine. The book focuses on life off-stage for the most part. I’ve also been helping promote the book “John Joseph Mathews: Life of an Osage Writer” by Michael Snyder, which I wrote the Foreword for and highly recommend for readers interested in Osage literature and history. Other than that, I’ve been looking forward to the premiere of Lord Finn!”
Thank you so much, Russ! We are lucky to have you on the LORD FINN team and can’t wait for the TBD Premiere as well!
Photo Credit: Fran Kozakowski