Hometown: the tri-state area
Education: BFA, Boston University and Academmia dell'Arte
Favorite Credits: I Run With You, Anna/Kate's first song-cycle at Culture Project and Dixon Place, and misandry is a thing the one act I developed with Rebecca Wear and rad actors for Michael Block's Rhapsody Collective!
Why theater?: Because.... my brain.
Tell us about Fear City/Fun City?: FEAR CITY/FUN CITY is a theatricalized concert, or a play with music-- in short, an Anna/Kate song-cycle. It's made up of original songs, stories, spoken word and dance breaks. FEAR CITY/FUN CITY tackles what it means to survive NYC everyday, and what it means to think of leaving for elsewhere-- it tackles the isolation and camaraderie of the urban surround sound-- and finding a community in the midst of all the masses. We talk about falling in and out and in and out of love with NYC-- and wanting to queer how we, collectively, live here.
What inspired you to create Fear City/Fun City?: A RadioLab on how cities scientifically work.
What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I really love the projects where the entire creative team is female and/or queer and/or POC-led. I've recently realized that starting on the basis of a shared vocabulary can be super revolutionary. We've been lucky to work some of these directors, namely Rebecca Wear, Patrice Miller, and we've had awesome brainstorming with Karen Eilbacher, Rebecca Cunningham, Alex Mallory and Nicole Watson. They put out such unique projects, with a much needed point of view, intelligence and ferocity. I think you can pick those projects out, where people are surrounded by others who share common goals of representation or transparency or queering or politicizing their art. That's the kind of art I want to see more of.
If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: We're presently in talks to develop a piece with the awe-inspiring performance poet Timothy DuWhite. He's part of poetry collective, Red Ribbon Army Collective, and you can check out his transcendental piece "Joy Revisited" here: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM08i78ZrvQ) I am really pumped to work with him. I also have major creative-crushes on: Madeline Burrows (of MOM BABY GOD), poet/performer Lauren Whitehead, and all the poets Anna/Kate is sharing the stage with at the NYC Poetry Festival this year. Those are all people I know, so I should really make those shows happen. I guess my major pipe-dreams are opening on tour for Sara Bareilles and/or Andrea Gibson, developing work with Young Jean Lee, Ragnar Kjartansson, Kate Tempest.... and singing in the Sleep No More bar.
What show have you recommended to your friends?: I'm a big fan of theaters that put up amazing work and develop relationships with artists over a series of years. I will always recc the programming at Dixon Place, Culture Project, wild project, Girl Be Heard, LaMama and all their summer and winter festival programming. I've been a big fan of the Public's programming recently and have recc'd Fun Home, Rev Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir, and their reading of Mary Kate's new play in development Manhatta, that our dear friend and frequent director Rebecca Wear assisted.
Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: I'm gonna be a buzzkill here, but there are so many rad ppl who don't have movies made about them. Once we have awesome films about Audre Lorde, Sylvia Rivera, and too many to mention... and Patti Smith's "Just Kids", Eileen Myles "Inferno"... Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's "Americanah" has been turned into a film with Lupita Nyong'o (it's a thing, YAY).... then we can check back in with me and I'll have more movies I'd like to see made.
What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Stopping dog-owners for 5-10 minutes to bond with their dog....
What’s the most played song on your iTunes?: Probably something by Rihanna.
If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: Hiking somewhere?
What’s up next?: Anna/Kate's releasing our 6-song Debut EP at Rockwood Stage 3 on Saturday, August 23 @ 7:30. Then we're previewing our Music Video for "Head on Vacation" at Sidewalk Cafe on Friday September 5. It's a super cute video, following 3 queer couples on a first date in Coney Island.... (Collective AWWW) We will be performing at Governor's Island in the NYC Poetry Festival on Sunday July 27 with poets Sarah Duncan, Timothy DuWhite, Nicole Goodwin and more!
For more on Fear City/Fun City, visit http://dixonplace.org/performances/fear-cityfun-city-a-theatrical-concert-and-play-with-music/ and https://www.facebook.com/events/819488538071112/?ref_notif_type=like&source=29
