What's it like coming back to Vermont to work again?  

I am SO excited to be back at Vermont Stage! As soon as we closed The Clean House two seasons ago, I was already hoping for a return invitation because I had such a wonderful experience. When I got the call about VENUS I literally squealed! Not only is this a dream role for any young-ish actress, but to be back in Burlington on stage at FlynnSpace and under the direction of Cristina, is such a treat. This has been a highlight of my year already and one that I have been counting down and looking forward to since I got the offer! 

How's this process been different then THE CLEAN HOUSE?

The process is a bit different because of the size of our cast. We staged the entire play (VENUS) in less than a week and started detailing on our final day of week 1. It's pretty outstanding and because this is a two person play, the focus in rehearsal is on the two of us the entire time. This allows us, the actors and Cristina to cover so much more because the focus is so concentrated. This also makes for a very intense rehearsal- physically and mentally, but the two-on-one time we have with each other is priceless and unique to a two person play. 

How's this role different?

Vanda and Matilde are quite different women and I am very fond of them both - for different reasons. I love Matilde's incredibly dry sense of humor but the beautiful way she sees the world. Vanda is a force. She is wild. She is intelligent. She has no limits and pushes others to their limits. 

My preparation for both roles has been pretty different as well. With Matilde my main focus before our first read was nailing the Portuguese accent as well as the dialogue spoken in actual Portuguese. I wanted her voice and speech to be as authentic as possible. With Vanda definitely some of my prep work included working on the German accent but there was much more research to do on the origin and history of this story, and figuring out the parallels in this play within a play. Both roles have proved to be very challenging and have pushed me. I love that!    

Speaking of, how have you been preparing to take on playing Vanda?

This is the type of role that takes preparation in multiple areas.  Besides reading the play almost every night for the past month and a half, my early preparation started with learning a German dialect for the role of Vanda von Dunayev/Venus as well as reading the actual book of inspiration, "Venus in Furs".  Also elements of research in the world of BDSM - present day and past, finding out who this man Sacher-Masoch was, since he is such a strong presence in this play, and of course the goddess of love herself, Venus (Aphrodite). I've also never been so dedicated to my nutrition and exercise...I had to do justice to the vision of our director, Cristina Alicea and the beautiful work of our costume designer, Catherine Vigne!

Is there anything you find scary about playing her? Anything exciting?

Can I just say EVERYTHING, to both, and leave it at that?  I saw this play on Broadway two years ago and I was completely taken by the performances.  I was discussing it with a dear friend afterwards and he asked, "Couldn't you see yourself playing that role? Don't you want to play that role one day?"  to which I replied, "That role terrifies me!"  And here I am...

What kinds of conversations do you think people will have about the play as they walk out of the theatre?

I hope the audience has as much fun with us as we will have performing for them. This will truly be an evening of pure risqué, sexy, intellectual, entertainment all rolled into 1 act!  We are only a week into rehearsals and every night we've met has been so much fun! It's hard work, the material is challenging, this show is a beast (as I've been describing it to friends and family far away) but it is a thrill to work on.  There are so many layers to these characters, to who these people really are and what they long for. What is this relationship? What is reality? What is fantasy? Who is in control? Who has the power? Who had the power all along? Who is Thomas? Who is Vanda... really? I think it's safe to say this show itself, is a conversation starter.

What's your favorite line in the play?

 "Don't f*** with a goddess is what it's about."

What is "Other Desert Cities" about?

Eva Gil: I think it touches on how we talk about and process our past and the narratives we tell ourselves. It touches on how family dynamics play into that narrative and the struggle between children and their parents carving out their own story lines. Ultimately, I think it is a story of love, growth and the power of truth. 

Justin D. Quackenbush: I'm still making new discoveries about the properties that make this piece fly. I could summarize the events of the play but it's the thematic subtext that is the most captivating - and that can only be truly appreciated by attending the show. There are choices, secrets, divergent memories, politics, polemics, confusion, compassion, Christmas and sarcasm. Leaving it at that is a bargain-basement inventory of the richness in Jon Robin Baitz's writing and Mark Alan's direction.

Do you have trouble keeping secrets?

Justin: One of my absolute favorite moments in theater is near the end of Gypsy when Louise says: "My mother, who got me into this business, always told me, 'Make them beg for more and then, don't give it to them!' But I'm not my mother" I do have secrets and I am good at keeping them. Nothing sordid or malicious but an artist must hold his cards close to his breast, that way when he plays the winning hand it's a surprise to the audience.

Eva: I am terrible with surprises that I am intending to keep secret: if I buy someone a gift I end up telling them I got them something and give it to them early because I can't stand the suspense. However, I'm good with a secret someone tells me! 

What character do you play?

Eva: I play Brooke, the daughter who has come home for Christmas and has news to share about her upcoming book. She is sarcastic, conflicted, smart, and probing. As the middle child I think she is constantly trying to find and reconfigure her role within the family dynamic, especially with the passage of time and the way events from their past alter the dynamic.

Justin: I play Trip Wyeth, the total L.A. boy, pioneer of burgeoning reality-TV, pop-culture virtuoso, and mildly bratty baby of the family. He is 150% invested in pursuing the picture perfect Christmas and when things go astray, he is the voice of reason in all his admittedly-flawed glory. He loves his family more than anything, but struggles with how far he'll descend into a lot of drama that he feels belongs in the past.

Can you relate to this family?

Justin: Absolutely - but that's really not so unique to me. "Other Desert Cities" has joined the ranks of many family dramas that define the American Theatre lexicon. There's a reason we will go see "August: Osage County," "The Glass Menagerie," or musicals like "Next To Normal" in any incarnation. We even gravitate towards British works like "The Homecoming." Putting the construct of the family - the more flawed the better in this case - under the microscope is something everyone can identify with. It's that thing that makes theatre magic: it presents the audience with a mirror and in the best cases - like with "Other Desert Cities" - it screams LOOK AT YOU!

Eva: I can relate to the way the siblings are shown to have very distinct roles in the family and how the relationships with their parents are unique to each child. I also love the way the siblings in this play are so frank with each other. I can relate to the camaraderie between the family members even when they don't agree on everything. 

What's your favorite line in the play?

Justin: There are many deliciously biting remarks made in this piece that are so satisfying to hear my cast-mates say as well as to deliver. Trip often drips with the type of sarcasm one employs when the truth is the heaviest and my ears perk up every time I hear Silda's remark: "Telling the truth is a very expensive hobby." I like that. People often cite: "The truth shall set you free," and I think a fitting addendum is: but the journey to freedom will be exhausting.

Eva: "Life is chemical. And a chemical reaction happens when two people get together..."

What's OTHER DESERT CITIES about?

It's a very funny but deeply wrenching play about a family being "outed" by one of its youngest members who is about to air their dirty laundry in a memoir which is soon to be published. It's Christmas time and the family has gathered to open presents and... read the as-yet-unpublished manuscript...

Do you have trouble keeping secrets?

I think I am a great secret keeper. But if the secret is a juicy one, I like to give a lot of hints.

What character do you play and how does she fit into the family?

I play Silda. She is -- or in actor talk -- I am the alcoholic, lefty sister of the much more straight-laced, Republican Polly. I'm kind of a sniper, firing witty acerbic missiles into the family ring and waiting for them to detonate.

What's your favorite line in the play?

"Honey, Newsflash: You're not a Texan, you're a Jew!"

or

"I smell pot... give it!"

Can you relate to the family dynamics in the play?

Yes, oh yes. And, yes. I think the reason the play is so powerful is that it hits upon themes, American themes, which we can all relate to. I don't want to say too much because I don't want to give away the plot (God forbid) but there is so much in this play that is both hilarious and tragic that I have actually experienced, that working on it has been slightly gut-wrenching. But it's also been fun as hell. ‘Cuz it's a very funny play. And the cast and Director are terrific!