Catherine & Anita
3rd –26th Aug
(Not 15 not 22)
9.05pm
What was the inspiration for this
performance?
I had wanted to write a one
person show for a decade, but never had a fully formed idea.
When Sarah Roy, the star of the show, came to me last year with the
thought of collaborating on a one woman show, I actually had some
realistic thoughts.
I wanted the story to be about mental
health first off. And secondly, I wanted it not to be
a preachy monologue play or some kind of typical one person
show where one actor was playing fifteen different roles (And
one of them is always a homeless person. I hate that.
Lily Tomlin perfected it decades ago. Retire it.)
So
it had to be a play about mental health that doesn't break the fourth
wall and whose mission isn't to showcase an actor's range through
multiple characters. So Sarah and I spoke at length and
loved the concept of what will result in the production of CATHERINE
AND ANITA.
Is performance still a good space for
the public discussion of ideas?
It's as good as any other forum for
ideas. The medium itself may be the best space for intelligent
debate.
The more important
question is whether the time spent on building an idea is worth
it when the number of people who will participate in such a
discussion is incredibly limited.
How did you become interested in
making performance?
I don't know. There's a lot of time on
earth to fill and I haven't found anything better to fill it with
other than this.
Is there any particular approach to
the making of the show?
Each show is different. But I do
like to spend a lot of time at the table before we get on our feet.
The table is the fun part. It's about learning the
language. The getting on the feet part is about solving
problems.
Does the show fit with your usual
productions?
Not even close. This is a
one woman show. The past five shows I've written
have been with large casts. A couple have had over 25 actors in
them. But my artistic sensibility and my world view
are very much consistent in all productions including this one.
I call them all Gallows Humor Dramas.
My
plays are all about people that are laughing their asses off while
the ship is sinking.
What do you hope that the audience
will experience?
Disorientation. Humor.
Maybe some tears. Mainly I want them to be entertained and for
time to disappear.
This is where artists can really
sound pretentious.
So I try to keep my conversation to this
question limited.
What strategies did you consider
towards shaping this audience experience?
Again... I don't want to know how a
magician does what he does. I'm just grateful that he's trying
to entertain me.
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