We Are Now
nytheatre.com q&a preview by Tatiana Pavela
October 22, 2012
What is your job on this show?
Actor.
What type of theater do you like most to work on?
My favorite type to work on is theatre that takes you out of your everyday life. Give me heightened language, bizarre off-kilter circumstances, and a ton of movement over the realistic kitchen sink. Theatre can be an opportunity to live out the extremes and exist in ways you never thought possible. This is a chance for actors do things that would get them arrested or committed in the real world. And we get to explore all the shades of the human and non-human condition – to really rip it open. Then shake it off and have a drink! That’s the fun part.
Who is more important in the theater: the actor, the playwright, or the director?
Equal, but different. There are a lot of moving parts to make a good show happen – and you need them all.
Why did you want to write/direct/produce/act in/work on this show?
My fellow cast mates were a huge pull. I’ve known some of them for a while, and was excited to play around with them. Also, this show has so many different tones and styles throughout. One minute it’s drop dead serious and quiet, and the next it’s an action movie parody. I was excited to work with the different extremes and try to pull them all together into something cohesive.
Which “S” word best describes your show: SMOOTH, SEXY, SMART, SURPRISING?
Surprising! I’ll leave it at that.
Can theater bring about societal change? Why or why not?
All good art can bring about societal change. Anything that causes something to stir can lead to greater movement.
