Hometown: New York and Los Angeles (respectively)
Education: NYU Tisch School of the Arts (where we met!)
Select Credits:
RS: Your Boyfriend May Be Imaginary (Cassandra, The Management); Serious Hammering (Claire, P.S. 122); Boyfriend Scarf (Sonia , Ensemble Studio Theatre); Billy Witch (Jenny, Studio 42)
CJ: I've been out of the theater game recently, but I did make some
cameos on The Onion News Network TV show on IFC, "Jane by Design" on ABC
Family, and "2 Broke Girls" on CBS. "2 Broke Girls" was filmed in front of
a live studio audience. That counts, right?
Why theater?:
RS: I love the process of creating theater...the collaboration, and that rush you get when you hit it, and the audience is there with you...everyone on the same page.
CJ: Ya, you don't feel the detachment that you do with film/tv. Its cool to get that dialogue going with a theater audience, and they hold you accountable for everything. It's kind of invaluable as writers--you know right away if a joke or a reference isn't working, and you can fix it. When you post a video on the internet, for example, there's no takesies backsies!
Tell us about Snow White and Cinderella F**king Rage:
We are the REAL Snow White and Cinderella. All the movies you've seen, and stories you've read are based on us. We're huge celebs in our village--probably the biggest ones of all the princesses. We've seen Hollywood do our stories over and over, and we know how they end: we meet a prince, fall in love, and live happily ever after. Snow White and Cinderella F**king Rage starts the day after we've finally met our REAL princes, and they're massive disappointments. We decide we're not going to marry them, and our Fairy Godmother sends us on a wild bender through the Forbidden Forrest where we take a stab at writing our own happy endings. We hit some clubs, drink some potions, and then you pee
your pants laughing.
What inspired you to create Snow White and Cinderella F**king Rage?:
RS: We have a web series together called "Available", and a stage show seemed like the logical next step. We wanted the challenge of producing a show on our own, and with the help of our fearless director, Kris Knight, we've created something of which we're really
proud.
CJ: We had an idea to do something Disney-princess-inspired for one of our "Available" episodes, but it was all animated, and would have been super expensive. So we put the idea on the back burner. Then, when we were brainstorming show ideas we both kept going back to this fairytale idea, and building on it. Now here we are! We were both very into Disney movies growing up. And Fairy Tales are having a moment right now. It just felt right!
What kind of theater speaks to you?:
RS: I really love dark, humorous contemporary stuff. I'm a big fan of the work of SITI company, Studio 42, and The Management.
CJ: I like musicals. Or shows that are 30 mins or less, and make me laugh out loud.
RS: Hey, wait a minute, that sounds like OUR show!
What or who inspires you as an artist?:
CJ: I'm definitely inspired by anyone who "does it all", so to speak--Lena Dunham, Whitney Cummings, Tavi Gevinson, Mindy Kaling, and obviously, Tina Fey. But I'm also so so inspired when I hear that someone we went to school with wrote and directed a feature or
produced a show that's off broadway, or created a web series. It's so cool to hear about how well so many people are doing, and see "fruits of their labor" for lack of a better phrase. Seeing my peers work hard, and make awesome stuff motivates and inspires for sure.
RS: I grew up on Steve Martin. He's had a huge influence on my work.
CJ: Oh! Elaine Carroll! And Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein. I mean...so many people.
Any roles you’re dying to play?:
CJ&RS: Yes. the new love interests of Jake Johnson and Max Greenfield on Fox's "New Girl". Soooo...the writer's room should get crackin' on those!
What’s your favorite showtune?:
RS: "I Cain't Say No" from Oklahoma. It makes being slutty okay.
CJ: This is the hardest question I've ever had to answer, but probably something from the Sound of Music.
RS: "The Hills are Alive"?
CJ: No
RS: "Edelweiss"?
CJ: No.
RS: This really is the hardest question you've ever had to answer.
CJ: Oh, duh! My favorite showtune is actually called "I Just Wanna Fuck", and Cinderella sings it in a little show I like to call, Snow White and Cinderella F**king Rage.
If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?:
RS: David Lynch. Oh god, am I that person? Whatever. It's true.
CJ: Thomas Lennon. He's the first person that popped into my mind! He seems fun. He never disappoints!
Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?:
Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway and it would be called "Bride Wars".
What show have you recommended to your friends?:
RS: Miss Lilly Gets Boned at Studio 42. I really enjoyed it, but unfortunately they just ended their run.
CJ: I love a good Maude night at UCB. Neighbor Boy and Stone Cold Fox are my favorite sketch groups there right now.
What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?:
Cupcakes and french fries, respectively.
If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _______?:
RS: A masseuse.
CJ: A holistic dermatologist!
What’s up next?:
RS: We are bringing the show back to LA (where it had it's world premiere at the Hollywood Fringe Festival this past June)! We'll be performing at this really great comedy club, I.O. West, the first two weeks of October.
CJ: Ya, we're excited about that. And we're filming a second season of our web series this August. So don't bother us. We'll be busy! We can hang out after August 13th.
For more on Risa and Christina, visit http://risaandchristina.com/
