Mother Eve's Secret Garden of Sensual Sisterhood
nytheatre.com q&a preview by Ashley Wren Collins
July 16, 2012
What is your job on this show?
Co-Creator, Co-Producer, Choreographer, Actor.
When did you know you wanted to work in the theater, and why?
I always wanted to be a ballerina, until my mother signed me up for acting classes. My first role was a boy muchkin in The Wizard of Oz in a community theatre production. I was tall, and they already had too many girls. I was immediately hooked. I love the challenge of sinking my teeth into different characters from different walks of life, and I love wearing different hats on stage and behind the scenes - there is nothing like live theatre, where anything can happen! The experience of doing theatre is many things, but never boring.
Have you been part of FringeNYC in the past? If so, how did you particpate? (Be specific! Name shows, etc.)
I participated as an actor in Living with Betty (2003), Die, Die, Diana (2004), and Some Unfortunate Hour (2005). I have had the pleasure of watching the Fringe get bigger and better with each passing year and I am thrilled to spend my August 2012 downtown with Fringe lovers, audiences, and my fellow participants. I can't imagine a better way to enjoy the city and independent theatre.
Do you think the audience will talk about your show for 5 minutes, an hour, or way into the wee hours of the night?
This show is a comedy before it's a musical, but it really takes the best from both worlds because it appeals to both audiences. You will leave the theatre singing the refrain on several songs, and wake up one week later and still be singing them and cracking yourself up, gauranteed. Then you'll call a friend and crack that friend up when you sing the refrain. Mother Eve appeals to men and especially women of all shapes, ages, colors and sizes. She will bring out the best in you and you'll want more - the Secret Garden of Sensual Sisterhood truly celebrates just what it means to be a woman and in the best way possible - through song, dance, and laughter!
Which “S” word best describes your show: SMOOTH, SEXY, SMART, SURPRISING?
Holy cow! I am so excited because this show fits all of these "S" words! I always wanted to be able to answer "all of the above" and have it be correct! We love alliteration. We're smooth because it's a jam-packed tight show - 90 minutes of non-stop no intermission fun. We're sexy because well, we're 7 men and 2 guys and sometimes we look smokin' hot (thanks to costumes, make-up, stage lights.) We practice lots of sexy dance moves in the show. We're smart because the show is so incredibly topical. And we're surprising because just when we're about to make you cry, we switch it up and you're rolling in the aisles laughing again.
Theatre is a necessary ingredient in democratic societies. Do you agree or disagree, and why?
I am writing these responses to your questionnaire from Vilnius, Lithuania, a vital city in Eastern Europe. Theatre is critical to the society here. Theatre gives a voice to people, their lives, and their culture. There are so many stories we can tell in a play or musical - and the power to move an entire audience of strangers who come together for an afternoon or evening to feel something, to experience something, well, that's extremely powerful. There's a reason we are seeing theatre programs move to other parts of the world that don't have the opportunity to experience theatre as part of the fabric of their communities - and that reason is that they need it - they need theatre to share their stories, their lives, their culture, and so audiences can listen, react, and ultimately, share and interact with one another.
