Hometown: Brooklyn
Education: Duke University, BA in Theatre Studies
Favorite Credits: Mabou Mines Dollhouse, LIEBE LOVE AMOUR!, The Turing Opera, The Best
Why theater?: This is a big question nowadays because media and film is such a dominant force in our contemporary culture. Also, film and video is such an attractive medium for an artist because of the fluidity and transformative possibilities it offers. But nothing can replace the immediacy of people coming together in a space to participate in a piece of theatre. Anonymous Ensemble uses a lot of video in our productions so that we can use some of the flexibility of that medium but we are committed to the liveness of theatre.
Tell us about I Land: I Land is an experiment in which we are really focusing on the live aspect of theater and creating a show that is profoundly different each night. We are making a performance vessel that that the audience fills each show with their own life stories and imaginations.
What inspired you to create I Land?: We started to play with incorporating audience members’ stories in our last show, LIEBE LOVE AMOUR! and were really excited about the possibilities that it offered. So we wanted to make a show that really explores this new form of theater.
What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I am inspired by anything that really tries something new. I love the excitement of witnessing a new Idea stumbling onto a stage or perhaps taking flight.
If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: I’d love working with people who don’t normally go to experimental theatre. Since Anonymous Ensemble’s pieces are increasingly collaborations with the audiences - I would love to reach out to communities and audiences who offer different perspectives.
What shows have you recommended to your friends?: I love pretty much anything that Nature Theatre of Oklahoma does - also Gob Squad.
Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: I guess I would play myself. But it would be a movie created live onstage and it would perhaps be called I Land.
What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Reality TV. I had to get rid of cable to curb my Bravo habit.
If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: Working in film and video. But I do that too so maybe that’s not answering the question?
What’s up next?: We are dreaming up some sort of interactive web video experience that is along the lines of this one but better.
For more on Anonymous Ensemble, visit http://anonymousensemble.org/AnEnBlog/