Odyssey Theatre Ensemble and its founder Ron Sossi are well known and respected in LA's theater scenes. They wanted to bring back the off-broadway classic Steambath back on stage at the end of 2018. The role of Gottlieb was an empty canvas comparing to other roles and Ron was looking for someone to assist Paul Rodriguez at the helm.

I joined the strong cast of veteran actors as the last addition. Ron and Paul gave me a lot of creative freedom to explore Gottlieb and make it my own. At the end, Gottlieb was as Turkish as it was artistically possible. I had so much fun breathing life into that character and making people laugh day after day. It was also pleasant to receive good feedback from critics. Being forced to learn how to tap dance in a month was a great challenge that I was able to manage. I think one word succinctly summarizes my experience in this production: FUN

Fun fact: The prayer beads Gottlieb had wrapped around his wrist and occasionally played with on stage were brought from Turkey. They are from my father's special collection.