Micharne Cloughley is a theatre and television writer. Originally from the Blue Mountains, since moving to NYC Micharne has written for the iconic Law & Order: SVU series and has had plays produced in both Australia and the U.S.
Micharne, what do you miss most about Australia?
Family and friends, of course! But also so many other things. Magpies warbling. Potato scallops with chicken salt. Mochas. Driving on the correct side of the road at wonderfully low Aussie speed limits. People stopping for you at a crosswalk before you even get to the crosswalk (maybe you weren’t even going to cross!).
What do you do to quell the homesickness while in New York?
I have so many strategies that I wrote a list of 30 cures for homesickness during peak pandemic times for America Josh. Perhaps lesser-known tactics for battling homesickness include going to places where you can pretend you are in fact in Australia, like international stores (need anything from IKEA suddenly?) or sitting by a campfire in the dark (which is admittedly a little more work than a nice little ferry ride to the Brooklyn IKEA).
What do you do for work in NYC?
I’m a writer for TV and theatre. I wrote for Law & Order: SVU for three seasons and am now in development on several TV projects. I also have a play coming up in March at the most awesome off-off-Broadway theatre, The Tank. The play is called 43 Stages of Grieving: A Comedy. I started writing it before the pandemic, and at that point, it was just called “43 Stages of Grieving.” Audiences of early readings inherently understood the exaggeration. But after the pandemic, I had to add “A Comedy,” as folks heard “43 Stages of Grieving” and were like yep, that seems about right. It’s a play about a pregnant, dying robot. I’m describing it as a comedy for a grief-saturated world.
What neighborhood do you live in? Why did you choose it? Why do you like living in it?
I live in Jersey City, just across the river from Manhattan. I love the community, the art and music, the restaurants, the bread (I come from a small town that has four bakeries on the main street, and that doesn’t include cafes!). It also means hiking in New Jersey and Upstate New York is much more accessible. When I have guests visiting from out of town, they understandably want to spend a lot of time in Manhattan, but at least one night we have to eat at one of my favorite places in JC!
What were your first impressions of NYC and how has that changed since you have lived here?
I loved everything about it; the energy, the enormity of the theatre scene, the pace at which everyone walked on the footpath. I remember thinking, “If I lived here and I had a day free, I’d just go see a show, any show”. But the possibility of actually living here at that point (I was still in uni) felt like a dream.
I now think I’ve known multiple versions of NYC. When you first get here, you say yes to everything, and go to everything, and I think that’s really important. You make some beautiful “I’M HERE HELLO!” New York memories, like you’re at Marie’s Crisis Cafe in the village and EVERYONE in the bar knows all the words to a random musical theatre song that you thought you were the only person on the planet who knew all the words to that song.
Once you’ve been here a while, life falls into a more regular cadence, and you begin to have places that are your regulars. You also learn the importance of “getting out of the city.” Quite seriously, if you don’t get out of the city every once in a while, you may think you need to leave it forever, when all you actually need is a holiday or to see some nature. But when I have a free day, I do go see a show, which would make 19-year-old me very happy!
What’s your biggest achievement since living in NYC?
I worked on two plays with the theatre company The Civilians, that were produced in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The first play, The End and the Beginning, was performed literally in the Temple of Dendur in the Egyptian Wing. I was then Head Writer for a play with songs, The Way They Live, that was an exploration of the American Wing of the museum. I worked with an incredible group of researchers, and songwriters for the play, including the late Michael Friedman. The play only ran for two nights, but we made some “best of” lists for the year.
Image Courtesy: American Theatre
What are some ‘only in New York’ moment/s you’ve had?
On my first SVU episode, we filmed in Times Square, which is of course as New York-y as you can possibly get (and a crazy place to film). I’d actually worked as a PA (Production Assistant) in Times Square many years prior, so it was kind of a full-circle moment to be back there as a writer.
My first job in the city was selling merch in Broadway theatres, which resulted in a lot of “only in New York” moments! Then Vice President Joe Biden attended one of the shows I was selling at, and his team were just the nicest people—no one usually bothers to interact with the person selling T-shirts.
The holidays are also always super magical in New York City. I love the holiday train, which is a train made from real vintage train cars from the New York Transit Museum. It runs on the regular subway tracks, so while there are lots of people who plan to be on the train (many dressed in vintage outfits!), regular people also end up on the train, and their “wow” reactions are priceless. Also, there will always be one New Yorker who does not have time for a magical train and is yelling, “IS THIS A B TRAIN ON THE D LINE?!”
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given about living/working in NYC?
So this came from my late university professor, director Bill Fitzwater; he said whenever he arrived in New York City he’d go straight to MoMA and up to Monet’s Water Lilies and stare at them for an hour. Then he was ready for anything. Well, I didn’t realize they were an entire room! While I’ve never had to resort to it, it’s just very good advice to have in your back pocket—if you ever need a big boost, go stare at the Water Lilies for an hour.
Who are some Aussie ladies doing awesome things in NYC who are currently on your radar?
I’m currently obsessed with the Aussie sushi from Sushi Counter in the village, owned by Alex Marks. Some extremely talented actresses to have on your radar are Kaye Tuckerman (if you are in China soon, see her in THE GREAT COMET); Eleanor Handley (soon to be performing in CORRUPTION at Lincoln Center); and Clara Francesca (who will be playing the pregnant, dying robot in my play in March!).
What is the best way for AWNY members to get in touch with you?
You can connect via my website, Twitter/X and Instagram.
43 STAGES OF GRIEVING: A COMEDY runs from March 8 – 25 at The Tank (312 W 36th St., New York). Tickets are from $20 and are available here.
AWNY | Australian Women in New York 