Photo by ©CarolynBates.com What excites you about working on Slowgirl?
The play. Though only a few years old, it has the bones of an American classic. The whole of it is so thoughtfully made you’re unaware of how its artful parts conspire to move you through a very modern drama that is also a timeless human tale.
The people. What fun it always is to collaborate with, and be impacted by, a group of creative others.
The opportunity. Nineteen years ago, the playwright, Greg Pierce, was one of my “Gondoliers” in the CVU High School production of the same name. To work with him now, through his inspired writing, is a rare treat (and much richer than bossing him around in doublet and tights).
What is your favorite line in the play?
The last line is my favorite line in the show because it’s courageous and captures, so simply, how any of us ever allow for fresh possibility in our lives. You’ll have to let me know what you think.
Is there anything about the characters that you can relate to?
Because it’s a human story, I can relate to both characters by analogy. I can relate to Becky’s reflexive impatience with Sterling’s self-deceit; it has sadly changed the Uncle she remembers and obstructs connection. I can relate to Sterling in the way he has woven fiction through the story of his life in order to mend the seams where who he has been has strayed from whom he wants to be. I relate to how the jostle of another can expose these false threads, unravel the fiction, and spur a more meaningful reckoning with the true fabric of a life.
What would you like the audience to be thinking about after the show?
Where can we go to talk about it?!
How have you been preparing to direct this play?
I’ve read and enjoyed the play; then, taken it apart to see how it works. I’ve put my feet in the shoes of each character to understand what they’ve done, what they say, and what they do. I’ve explored the play’s world through each of its five senses, through its symbols, and subtext. And I’ve collaborated on interpreting this work with a really cool design team. It’s definitely time for the next ingredient – Paul and Gianna – the actors!
The play. Though only a few years old, it has the bones of an American classic. The whole of it is so thoughtfully made you’re unaware of how its artful parts conspire to move you through a very modern drama that is also a timeless human tale.
The people. What fun it always is to collaborate with, and be impacted by, a group of creative others.
The opportunity. Nineteen years ago, the playwright, Greg Pierce, was one of my “Gondoliers” in the CVU High School production of the same name. To work with him now, through his inspired writing, is a rare treat (and much richer than bossing him around in doublet and tights).
What is your favorite line in the play?
The last line is my favorite line in the show because it’s courageous and captures, so simply, how any of us ever allow for fresh possibility in our lives. You’ll have to let me know what you think.
Is there anything about the characters that you can relate to?
Because it’s a human story, I can relate to both characters by analogy. I can relate to Becky’s reflexive impatience with Sterling’s self-deceit; it has sadly changed the Uncle she remembers and obstructs connection. I can relate to Sterling in the way he has woven fiction through the story of his life in order to mend the seams where who he has been has strayed from whom he wants to be. I relate to how the jostle of another can expose these false threads, unravel the fiction, and spur a more meaningful reckoning with the true fabric of a life.
What would you like the audience to be thinking about after the show?
Where can we go to talk about it?!
How have you been preparing to direct this play?
I’ve read and enjoyed the play; then, taken it apart to see how it works. I’ve put my feet in the shoes of each character to understand what they’ve done, what they say, and what they do. I’ve explored the play’s world through each of its five senses, through its symbols, and subtext. And I’ve collaborated on interpreting this work with a really cool design team. It’s definitely time for the next ingredient – Paul and Gianna – the actors!
