WEBVTT 1 00:00:15.800 --> 00:00:18.079 Coming to you from the dining room table at East 2 00:00:18.120 --> 00:00:22.039 Barbary Lane. Welcome to another special episode of Full Circle 3 00:00:22.440 --> 00:00:26.480 the podcast. I am your host, Charles Tyson Jr. And 4 00:00:26.679 --> 00:00:30.280 I am thrilled to be sitting with a bevy of 5 00:00:30.320 --> 00:00:35.479 fabulous guests today. I am sitting down with the Strides Collective. 6 00:00:35.920 --> 00:00:38.920 We are just with an embarrassment of riches of creative 7 00:00:38.960 --> 00:00:42.840 folk these days, and today is no exception. I'm going 8 00:00:42.920 --> 00:00:46.679 to just let these fabulous people introduce themselves to you 9 00:00:46.840 --> 00:00:51.759 so we can know who we're talking to. Let's start. Jonathan, 10 00:00:51.759 --> 00:00:52.799 tell us about yourself. 11 00:00:53.920 --> 00:00:56.520 My name is Jonathan Edmondson. I am the founding artist 12 00:00:56.679 --> 00:00:59.600 director of the Strads Collective, and I'm also the director 13 00:00:59.719 --> 00:01:03.119 of our upcoming world premiere production of Confabulation. 14 00:01:04.359 --> 00:01:07.239 My name is rain Dias. I'm an actor based in 15 00:01:07.280 --> 00:01:09.959 the Philly area and I'm playing Grant in the production 16 00:01:10.040 --> 00:01:10.840 of Confabulation. 17 00:01:11.519 --> 00:01:11.719 Hi. 18 00:01:11.840 --> 00:01:15.359 I'm Catherine Wilde and also an actor playing the role 19 00:01:15.359 --> 00:01:16.879 of Agnes in Confabulation. 20 00:01:17.760 --> 00:01:22.519 Fabulous. Welcome all of you to the Full Circle Table. So, 21 00:01:24.000 --> 00:01:30.640 first of all, you are Strides Collective. Tell me about Jonathan. 22 00:01:30.640 --> 00:01:33.519 Tell me about what the Stridees Collective is. 23 00:01:34.799 --> 00:01:38.719 Yeah, so The Strides Selective is a Philadelphia based nonprofit 24 00:01:38.840 --> 00:01:42.840 queer theater company. We produce and develop work by emerging 25 00:01:42.920 --> 00:01:46.879 queer play rights. We were founded in twenty twenty and 26 00:01:47.280 --> 00:01:51.000 have been doing seasons ever since. We work on new 27 00:01:51.000 --> 00:01:54.200 play development programs to give emerging play rates and opportunity 28 00:01:54.239 --> 00:01:57.719 to develop new work for the stage, particularly focusing on 29 00:01:57.799 --> 00:02:02.159 queer stories. And we also produce one world premiere queer 30 00:02:02.159 --> 00:02:06.519 production each fall. And this upcoming production of Confabulation will 31 00:02:06.560 --> 00:02:10.879 be our third full in person production that we're doing 32 00:02:10.960 --> 00:02:14.120 at the Hamilton Family Art Center, which is attached to 33 00:02:14.120 --> 00:02:17.000 the Art and Theater Company in Old City. And the 34 00:02:17.000 --> 00:02:20.680 Stradspective was really founded with the idea to provide a 35 00:02:20.759 --> 00:02:25.280 space for queer play rights and queer artists designers to 36 00:02:25.319 --> 00:02:27.919 be able to explore the themes they want to explore 37 00:02:28.719 --> 00:02:32.280 in a room that doesn't have the same judgment in 38 00:02:32.360 --> 00:02:35.319 some other rooms, and just the safer space to explore 39 00:02:35.439 --> 00:02:39.360 and be supported in the things they want to talk about. 40 00:02:40.280 --> 00:02:42.240 I love that, I love that, I love that. We 41 00:02:42.319 --> 00:02:47.199 need we need to support queer art. So is it 42 00:02:47.280 --> 00:02:50.360 a Is it an assumption that everyone that is a 43 00:02:50.479 --> 00:02:53.719 part of the Stride's collective is a member of the 44 00:02:53.840 --> 00:02:56.280 LGBTQ community in some way. 45 00:02:56.400 --> 00:02:59.240 Yeah, definitely. We have a wide array of people who 46 00:02:59.639 --> 00:03:02.199 we have collective members. There are eight of us who 47 00:03:02.240 --> 00:03:04.639 function and do like the day to day administrative work 48 00:03:04.680 --> 00:03:07.520 and the producing work, and then we have folks like 49 00:03:07.639 --> 00:03:09.680 Rain and Catherine who are actors in our production. So 50 00:03:09.719 --> 00:03:12.080 we have a rotating group of people who come in 51 00:03:12.159 --> 00:03:15.560 depending on what we're doing. But yeah, we you know, 52 00:03:15.759 --> 00:03:19.919 usually work with queer artists and they self identify usually 53 00:03:19.960 --> 00:03:20.800 in that in that group. 54 00:03:21.560 --> 00:03:26.960 So tell me about this upcoming production entitled Confabulation. 55 00:03:28.599 --> 00:03:33.800 Yes, So, Confabulation is a world premiere play by Matt 56 00:03:33.800 --> 00:03:36.840 shriff Koff, who's a playwright based in New York City. 57 00:03:37.439 --> 00:03:39.960 We first worked with Matt a couple of years ago 58 00:03:40.439 --> 00:03:43.879 in our new play development program. Really loved his writing. 59 00:03:44.400 --> 00:03:46.439 He was working on a different playback then, and then 60 00:03:46.599 --> 00:03:49.080 we approached him last year to see what he was 61 00:03:49.159 --> 00:03:51.439 up to, and he was working on this play talking Fabulation, 62 00:03:52.120 --> 00:03:56.520 which takes place in a support group that is for 63 00:03:56.759 --> 00:04:01.759 past life regressions, So folks who are experiencing some difficulties 64 00:04:01.759 --> 00:04:03.840 in their current life that may or may not be 65 00:04:03.879 --> 00:04:06.759 connected to who they were in past lives and the 66 00:04:06.800 --> 00:04:09.560 group is led by this character named Agnes, who's able 67 00:04:09.599 --> 00:04:14.400 to guide these individuals to interact with their past lives 68 00:04:14.840 --> 00:04:17.000 and sort of see how that influences who they are 69 00:04:17.079 --> 00:04:21.120 right now. So it's really a journey of identity and 70 00:04:21.279 --> 00:04:25.199 figuring out what makes us special, what makes us not special, 71 00:04:25.920 --> 00:04:29.040 and sort of dealing with past and current and future trauma. 72 00:04:30.040 --> 00:04:32.439 And as the play goes on, those layers get more 73 00:04:32.439 --> 00:04:35.759 and more murky and things become a bit more complicated. 74 00:04:36.759 --> 00:04:40.800 It is a very like complex, sort of like mental 75 00:04:40.800 --> 00:04:43.160 show that is so hard to describe in one sentence. 76 00:04:43.199 --> 00:04:44.959 I've been trying to for the past couple of months 77 00:04:45.079 --> 00:04:47.000 and I haven't been able to figure it out. But 78 00:04:47.040 --> 00:04:50.480 I think that just complexity is in the nuances in 79 00:04:50.600 --> 00:04:53.399 the piece, which we all find really exciting and challenging 80 00:04:53.680 --> 00:04:57.079 as artists, I think, which makes it a very interesting 81 00:04:57.120 --> 00:05:00.000 piece to explore, particularly with the identity piece obviously really 82 00:05:00.199 --> 00:05:03.439 to like queer theater. Some of the characters in the 83 00:05:03.439 --> 00:05:09.560 play are queer and are sort of experiencing some you know, 84 00:05:09.639 --> 00:05:13.120 journeys with that and as it relates to their overall 85 00:05:13.160 --> 00:05:16.079 identity as just a human being, and ultimately it's about 86 00:05:16.079 --> 00:05:19.480 like human beings trying to like move forward from things 87 00:05:19.519 --> 00:05:22.000 that they've gone through that are difficult. So I think 88 00:05:22.000 --> 00:05:24.439 it's a universal story with a lot of queer elements 89 00:05:24.480 --> 00:05:25.120 mixed into it. 90 00:05:26.199 --> 00:05:28.920 I love it, And you know, I don't think there's 91 00:05:28.920 --> 00:05:31.639 anything wrong with not being able to elevate or pitch 92 00:05:31.639 --> 00:05:36.199 your art. You know, so many times, you know, we're 93 00:05:36.240 --> 00:05:40.360 expected to be able to encapsulate what it's about, and 94 00:05:40.920 --> 00:05:43.519 sometimes you need to experience it, and that's there's nothing 95 00:05:43.519 --> 00:05:47.439 wrong with that. So let me talk to our actors 96 00:05:47.480 --> 00:05:53.079 really quick, actually not really quick. So Rain and Catherine 97 00:05:53.160 --> 00:05:57.720 tell me about you, the characters that you play, and 98 00:05:59.160 --> 00:06:03.199 you know, anything that you had to bring from yourself 99 00:06:03.600 --> 00:06:05.480 into the role. Rain, let's start with you. 100 00:06:06.199 --> 00:06:11.560 Sure, I play the character of Grant. Grant is sort 101 00:06:11.600 --> 00:06:17.639 of an anomaly compared to a lot of the characters 102 00:06:18.160 --> 00:06:20.199 who are in the support group in that he has 103 00:06:20.240 --> 00:06:25.959 been court ordered after a misunderstanding and an assault charge 104 00:06:25.959 --> 00:06:30.959 outside of a gay bar. So Grant has some demons 105 00:06:31.920 --> 00:06:36.279 and a sort of the skeptic among the entire group. 106 00:06:36.839 --> 00:06:39.160 He doesn't want to be there. He's constantly trying to 107 00:06:39.199 --> 00:06:42.040 get out. He doesn't think that he needs any help. 108 00:06:42.240 --> 00:06:46.120 Despite this sort of repression around his own identity and 109 00:06:46.160 --> 00:06:50.560 his own sexuality. Frankly, so, he offers a lot of 110 00:06:50.839 --> 00:06:55.959 sort of cynicism and groundedness for better for worse for 111 00:06:56.040 --> 00:06:56.439 the show. 112 00:06:57.480 --> 00:07:04.560 Nice, I think I've met him before. You probably have, Yes, Catherine. 113 00:07:04.959 --> 00:07:07.439 Agnes is sort of the ringleader of this whole thing, 114 00:07:09.079 --> 00:07:11.480 and working on her has been a lot of fun 115 00:07:11.879 --> 00:07:17.720 because she presents in three different ways throughout the play, 116 00:07:18.199 --> 00:07:25.279 and that's given me, yeah, our particular vehicle for articulating 117 00:07:25.399 --> 00:07:28.199 the ways that we change through our lives and the 118 00:07:28.240 --> 00:07:31.319 ways that we change in our relationships to each other. 119 00:07:31.680 --> 00:07:37.920 And it's been really interesting to explore that dynamic throughout 120 00:07:37.920 --> 00:07:42.040 this play. It's interesting because I'm the group leader and 121 00:07:42.040 --> 00:07:43.920 I am a support group leader in real life, so 122 00:07:43.959 --> 00:07:46.319 I've been able to bring some of that. But you know, 123 00:07:46.360 --> 00:07:49.560 by the end, I'm also the main character's mother, and 124 00:07:49.920 --> 00:07:52.319 I've been a mother and I have adult children, so 125 00:07:52.360 --> 00:07:55.000 it's interesting to also, you know, bring that into the 126 00:07:55.079 --> 00:07:58.160 dynamic and to see how they do overlap and kind 127 00:07:58.160 --> 00:08:00.199 of speak into the same space. I am with a 128 00:08:00.240 --> 00:08:02.600 better support group leader and a better mother because I 129 00:08:02.639 --> 00:08:06.279 fill each of those other roles in real life. 130 00:08:07.519 --> 00:08:10.040 Nice, that actually brings me to my next question. I 131 00:08:10.079 --> 00:08:14.120 was going to say, like, uh, is there anything that 132 00:08:14.199 --> 00:08:22.079 you learned about yourself after immersing yourself in this project. 133 00:08:22.439 --> 00:08:25.680 I don't know if I've necessarily learned anything about myself, 134 00:08:25.759 --> 00:08:28.839 because I've done a lot of self discovery over recent years. 135 00:08:29.199 --> 00:08:33.759 But it's been interesting to poke into that space of being, 136 00:08:33.799 --> 00:08:40.759 particularly the distant cold mother, and how how close to 137 00:08:40.840 --> 00:08:45.000 home that is despite not thinking of myself that way. 138 00:08:45.200 --> 00:08:48.679 So it's been it's been a little self confrontational there. 139 00:08:50.519 --> 00:08:57.600 I would say for me, anything that I've learned would 140 00:08:57.879 --> 00:09:03.039 be most taken from the other characters in the show, 141 00:09:03.919 --> 00:09:10.399 because Grant is, I suppose, the least introspective out of 142 00:09:10.440 --> 00:09:13.360 all of the characters and the least interested in investing 143 00:09:13.799 --> 00:09:17.039 the vehicle in which we are sort of exploring these ideas. 144 00:09:18.879 --> 00:09:24.360 Though he does offer a lot of to me intriguing 145 00:09:24.519 --> 00:09:32.440 kind of dynamics around the idea of accountability and just 146 00:09:32.480 --> 00:09:35.200 by virtue of what it is that he's going through. 147 00:09:36.840 --> 00:09:41.000 To me, he's offered some interesting thoughts around like whether 148 00:09:42.279 --> 00:09:46.320 anyone needs somebody else to take accountability in order for 149 00:09:46.639 --> 00:09:49.480 you to move on from a given situation, So whether 150 00:09:49.519 --> 00:09:55.919 someone has wronged you, whether someone has traumatized you, or 151 00:09:56.440 --> 00:10:01.039 you feel someone is accountable for your own hurt. Do 152 00:10:01.080 --> 00:10:04.279 we need that person to own up and to apologize 153 00:10:04.320 --> 00:10:06.320 for that thing in order for us to make peace 154 00:10:06.360 --> 00:10:10.159 in ourselves. That's been a really interesting piece that I think, 155 00:10:11.240 --> 00:10:14.440 once again, for better for worse, looking at Grant and 156 00:10:14.480 --> 00:10:16.960 his character and what it is that he's working through 157 00:10:17.799 --> 00:10:19.519 has sort of offered me in my own life. 158 00:10:20.759 --> 00:10:24.679 Nice Jonathan, how about you? Any things you've learned about 159 00:10:24.679 --> 00:10:26.600 yourself from your role in this project? 160 00:10:27.279 --> 00:10:29.720 Yeah, it's definitely like that idea that Ran was just 161 00:10:29.759 --> 00:10:32.919 talking about, you know, needing the sort of something from 162 00:10:33.039 --> 00:10:35.360 someone else to move on, the sort of permission from 163 00:10:35.360 --> 00:10:39.120 somebody else or like seeking this approval or whatever it is. 164 00:10:39.120 --> 00:10:42.159 Is really I think been very interesting for me to 165 00:10:42.200 --> 00:10:45.600 be introspective about, and just this idea of like being 166 00:10:45.600 --> 00:10:48.200 able to move forward from something, and even if it's 167 00:10:48.240 --> 00:10:50.919 like a really small step moving forward, like how you 168 00:10:50.960 --> 00:10:52.919 do that and how you push forward through things? And 169 00:10:52.960 --> 00:10:55.960 like is it actually like do you actually need anything 170 00:10:56.000 --> 00:10:57.679 from anybody else? And if you do get that, how 171 00:10:57.679 --> 00:10:59.720 does it actually feel? Because it never feels as good, 172 00:10:59.799 --> 00:11:02.200 like in your head when you finally have that confrontation 173 00:11:02.279 --> 00:11:03.679 with someone and then you leave and you're like, well, 174 00:11:03.679 --> 00:11:07.000 I still feel bad and I still don't feel like I've, 175 00:11:07.080 --> 00:11:08.720 let you know, done anything, because it kind of comes 176 00:11:08.720 --> 00:11:11.480 from within ourselves. So I think the show takes like 177 00:11:11.519 --> 00:11:14.519 a really really hard at times bleak look at how 178 00:11:14.559 --> 00:11:20.159 difficult like being alive is and having relationships is, and 179 00:11:20.200 --> 00:11:22.440 it's not always the most uplifting thing to like think 180 00:11:22.440 --> 00:11:26.519 about those things all the time. But it's really human 181 00:11:26.639 --> 00:11:29.440 and it's real, and I think that's what's interesting about it. 182 00:11:30.519 --> 00:11:32.480 I know it is challenging me as like an artist 183 00:11:32.559 --> 00:11:34.840 and a leader and a director to sort of dig 184 00:11:34.919 --> 00:11:37.200 into this type of material that is a bit more 185 00:11:37.879 --> 00:11:44.840 like introspective and more just like complex than since some 186 00:11:44.879 --> 00:11:48.559 other pieces I've worked on and really tackle things that 187 00:11:48.639 --> 00:11:51.399 are like bleak and not super fun to talk about. 188 00:11:52.039 --> 00:11:54.159 So I've been pushed in ways that have been surprising 189 00:11:54.200 --> 00:11:57.120 to me, even though this is something that I knew 190 00:11:57.120 --> 00:11:59.759 we were going to be working on because it's a 191 00:11:59.759 --> 00:12:02.960 world premiere. The also like unique challenge is that it's 192 00:12:03.000 --> 00:12:05.399 the first time the play is being produced ever for anybody, 193 00:12:05.639 --> 00:12:08.519 So the playwrights also working on the script as we're like, 194 00:12:08.720 --> 00:12:11.080 as we're working on it too, so things have changed 195 00:12:11.159 --> 00:12:14.919 quite a lot over the last year, especially since this 196 00:12:15.039 --> 00:12:18.919 cast was brought on like in the early summer, so 197 00:12:19.639 --> 00:12:22.320 we've all had to roll with the changes as well, 198 00:12:22.399 --> 00:12:24.519 and it's exciting to make those changes, but also like 199 00:12:24.519 --> 00:12:26.440 really daunting. So as an artist, I think I've learned 200 00:12:26.480 --> 00:12:31.519 a lot about how to navigate that process of just 201 00:12:31.639 --> 00:12:34.120 having suddenly like a new scene or like an entirely 202 00:12:34.159 --> 00:12:37.480 rewritten scene from the thing that you read before, and 203 00:12:37.559 --> 00:12:40.159 working with that on the fly is just something you 204 00:12:40.200 --> 00:12:41.759 don't get if you're not working on a world premiere. 205 00:12:41.799 --> 00:12:43.600 You know, if you're doing an established play, you just 206 00:12:43.639 --> 00:12:45.559 have what it is and you can't change anything. And 207 00:12:45.639 --> 00:12:47.720 here we're like, great, this word isn't working. Let's suggest 208 00:12:47.720 --> 00:12:49.279 something else, or let's bring the play right in to 209 00:12:49.399 --> 00:12:51.919 like write us a new sentence to like bridge this thing. 210 00:12:51.960 --> 00:12:56.240 And it's it's really awesome and also like very overwhelming 211 00:12:56.720 --> 00:12:59.279 that you don't just know from like day one, you 212 00:12:59.279 --> 00:13:01.480 know how you're gonna get from a to Z. You're like, well, 213 00:13:01.600 --> 00:13:04.279 it's a to Z for now, and like we've had 214 00:13:04.320 --> 00:13:07.120 so many drafts of this play we've lost count. So 215 00:13:07.360 --> 00:13:10.519 it's that's very very interesting and unique to this process. 216 00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:15.200 And you know that's the good thing about being a 217 00:13:15.720 --> 00:13:22.320 queer collective because if nothing else, we are resilient and adaptive. Yes, 218 00:13:25.799 --> 00:13:32.440 And you know, I appreciate the introspective nature of this 219 00:13:32.639 --> 00:13:41.279 work because you know, we're each individually and together approaching life, 220 00:13:41.879 --> 00:13:46.639 you know, as outsiders, even if we have you know, 221 00:13:46.919 --> 00:13:50.879 a supportive family or support group or or chosen family, 222 00:13:51.360 --> 00:13:55.559 because you know, you might be the only one in 223 00:13:55.600 --> 00:13:58.519 your in your circle who comes from a supportive family, 224 00:13:58.879 --> 00:14:02.879 or you might your situation might be completely different from 225 00:14:02.919 --> 00:14:05.519 from everyone else. And we and we all have that 226 00:14:06.279 --> 00:14:11.600 unique thing as as a queer collective of people that 227 00:14:12.639 --> 00:14:18.200 we're the outliers even in the most normal circumstances. So 228 00:14:18.399 --> 00:14:21.440 I appreciate the fact that we get to take this 229 00:14:21.559 --> 00:14:27.799 moment to see moments of introspection. So which you know, 230 00:14:29.320 --> 00:14:34.679 talk to me about how important it is to be 231 00:14:35.200 --> 00:14:41.679 a collective of artists who you know, uplift queer queer 232 00:14:41.799 --> 00:14:45.399 art and tell queer stories. Why is that important? 233 00:14:46.360 --> 00:14:49.240 Well, I mean, I have like my thoughts of like 234 00:14:49.320 --> 00:14:51.519 making the stays with Kat and Rain, and I'd be interested, 235 00:14:51.559 --> 00:14:54.279 like you know, coming into us to join this process, 236 00:14:54.320 --> 00:14:57.200 Like how has it been for for y'all to like join. 237 00:14:57.279 --> 00:14:59.200 I know, the OBVI isn't always the case where you're 238 00:14:59.200 --> 00:15:02.960 working with team of predominantly queer folk on a queer play, 239 00:15:03.080 --> 00:15:06.320 so you may have a more interesting perspective than I 240 00:15:06.360 --> 00:15:08.879 do on it from the outside in. 241 00:15:10.000 --> 00:15:11.960 I guess one of the things that stood out to me, like, 242 00:15:12.399 --> 00:15:16.600 often when you're in theater spaces, there are other queer people, 243 00:15:16.679 --> 00:15:19.440 so you don't necessarily feel alone. It's usually a fairly 244 00:15:19.519 --> 00:15:25.519 diverse group, but in this in particular, it's like so present, 245 00:15:25.559 --> 00:15:28.039 we don't have to talk about it, if that makes sense, 246 00:15:28.080 --> 00:15:31.559 Like it's right, Yeah, it's just sort of a different, 247 00:15:32.200 --> 00:15:36.799 cozy space where nobody I mean, I don't know. I 248 00:15:36.799 --> 00:15:39.440 guess I'll work off of. Like, one of the things 249 00:15:39.480 --> 00:15:43.720 I like in the script is one the fluidity of 250 00:15:43.840 --> 00:15:47.320 people as their relationships and their relationship with their self 251 00:15:47.360 --> 00:15:49.879 and their relationship with other people is changing. I think 252 00:15:49.919 --> 00:15:52.200 that happens in life, and it's nice to see it 253 00:15:52.240 --> 00:15:55.440 within the context of a single story. But also there's 254 00:15:55.480 --> 00:15:59.919 nothing confrontational really about the queerness. Like, yes, the one 255 00:16:00.120 --> 00:16:06.200 character's incident is kind of incited Grant's character by a 256 00:16:06.240 --> 00:16:10.600 perception that there's you know, an anti queer thing. Everybody's 257 00:16:10.639 --> 00:16:13.919 just sort of existing. Nobody's defending their queerness. It just 258 00:16:14.200 --> 00:16:16.399 is And I like that. 259 00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:21.639 Yeah, I second that. I mean, I think it's clear 260 00:16:21.799 --> 00:16:25.279 that despite Strides being such a new collective, that there 261 00:16:25.360 --> 00:16:28.039 is such a clear vision for what it is that 262 00:16:28.159 --> 00:16:30.039 everyone is trying to achieve, and. 263 00:16:30.360 --> 00:16:33.039 Everyone takes their work very seriously. 264 00:16:35.000 --> 00:16:39.279 And yeah, I feel like that there's such a supportive 265 00:16:39.440 --> 00:16:52.519 nature that I think is probably probably sort of there 266 00:16:52.519 --> 00:16:54.600 seems to be such a supportive nature that I think 267 00:16:54.679 --> 00:16:57.639 is sort of innate to the group of folks that 268 00:16:57.720 --> 00:17:02.000 are coming together that you don't always find, frankly in 269 00:17:02.200 --> 00:17:04.839 a lot of theater spaces or a lot of professional 270 00:17:05.000 --> 00:17:06.319 creative spaces in general. 271 00:17:07.079 --> 00:17:10.920 So that's been really lovely to be a part of. Yeah, 272 00:17:10.960 --> 00:17:16.039 I think like we yeah, that innate understanding, the sort 273 00:17:16.039 --> 00:17:20.920 of unspokenness that just is there. So lovely doing work 274 00:17:20.960 --> 00:17:23.359 where like yeah, like the characters aren't fighting for their 275 00:17:23.400 --> 00:17:26.559 lives because of their identity is refreshing. Like the main 276 00:17:26.640 --> 00:17:31.400 character Caroline is queer, and it just is a fact. 277 00:17:32.559 --> 00:17:34.279 She has a lot of other trauma going on and 278 00:17:34.319 --> 00:17:37.200 a lot of other history, but like her sexuality, it's 279 00:17:37.200 --> 00:17:39.240 so sure, it's all like imbued in there, right, but 280 00:17:39.319 --> 00:17:41.839 like it's not the it's not the inciting incident of 281 00:17:41.880 --> 00:17:45.960 the play. It's not the main motivational factor. And the 282 00:17:46.000 --> 00:17:48.440 people around Caroline don't blink an eye, and the same 283 00:17:48.440 --> 00:17:50.880 thing with other characters when they when they delve into 284 00:17:50.920 --> 00:17:53.680 that identity to nobody blinks an eye anything. So the 285 00:17:53.759 --> 00:17:56.799 sort of you know, the quote unquote normalizing of that 286 00:17:56.839 --> 00:17:58.880 in the narrative is really refreshing because we just don't 287 00:17:58.920 --> 00:18:01.559 see that a lot in media. Like when queer stories 288 00:18:01.599 --> 00:18:05.119 are on stage or on film or whatever, it's usually 289 00:18:06.079 --> 00:18:10.920 there's something hateful happening or very very difficult related to it, right, 290 00:18:11.799 --> 00:18:15.359 and we try as a collective to like find stories 291 00:18:15.359 --> 00:18:19.880 that aren't always just about that. It's very real obviously 292 00:18:19.920 --> 00:18:21.160 that you don't want to shy away from just like 293 00:18:21.200 --> 00:18:23.079 the realness of what we all go through. But also 294 00:18:23.440 --> 00:18:25.200 we see so much of it, we live it, so 295 00:18:25.279 --> 00:18:28.519 like to live something else is nice. To just like 296 00:18:28.519 --> 00:18:32.039 play queer on stage and like have other issues is 297 00:18:32.079 --> 00:18:35.920 also like you know real, so that I think is 298 00:18:35.920 --> 00:18:39.519 something that is unique to us. And we also like 299 00:18:41.039 --> 00:18:43.200 we clearly have like a goal and a vision and 300 00:18:43.400 --> 00:18:45.799 you know, theater costs some money, and there's the business 301 00:18:45.799 --> 00:18:47.759 side of it, which is like boo boring, but it 302 00:18:47.799 --> 00:18:50.039 is unfortunately like a thing to keep in mind that 303 00:18:50.079 --> 00:18:52.720 we have to because things cost money. But you know, 304 00:18:52.799 --> 00:18:57.960 I think prioritizing like humanity and creativity and fun as 305 00:18:58.000 --> 00:19:01.000 much as we can over anything else is really important too, 306 00:19:01.799 --> 00:19:04.400 and constantly trying to remind ourselves that, like that is 307 00:19:04.400 --> 00:19:06.519 why we're here and that's what we want to do 308 00:19:07.000 --> 00:19:09.119 with our time, because none of us are doing this 309 00:19:09.119 --> 00:19:11.359 for full full time jobs by any means at all. 310 00:19:11.599 --> 00:19:14.119 We're all working other jobs and doing this on the side. 311 00:19:14.160 --> 00:19:17.400 So like trying to emphasize the humanity always, I think 312 00:19:17.480 --> 00:19:21.279 is something that is really really important and hopefully is 313 00:19:21.319 --> 00:19:24.319 how folks feel working with us and working on this process. 314 00:19:24.400 --> 00:19:26.000 Is that you know, we're all there for each other 315 00:19:26.079 --> 00:19:29.039 and are like the same team working on something really supportive. 316 00:19:29.519 --> 00:19:32.960 And I think that speaks to the like larger idea 317 00:19:32.960 --> 00:19:36.079 of like queer chosen family and just communities and stuff like. 318 00:19:36.480 --> 00:19:38.640 There is just that vibe as we were building this 319 00:19:38.680 --> 00:19:41.160 little community like working on a show, between designers and 320 00:19:41.160 --> 00:19:44.079 actors and everybody, and it's fun to see it all 321 00:19:44.119 --> 00:19:48.839 like come together and just have that supportive space, and yeah, 322 00:19:48.880 --> 00:19:49.799 it's it's nice. 323 00:19:50.599 --> 00:19:55.799 I love that, Like Martha refers to that as you know, 324 00:19:55.880 --> 00:19:59.559 the shorthand you know, we have a shorthand with each 325 00:19:59.599 --> 00:20:04.839 other that we know where each other is coming from, 326 00:20:04.920 --> 00:20:08.079 so we don't need to start at square one with exposition. 327 00:20:08.799 --> 00:20:13.200 And I do I do like that, And I like 328 00:20:13.279 --> 00:20:17.160 that you mentioned you know, you're telling queer stories, but 329 00:20:17.680 --> 00:20:23.480 the queerness is not necessarily the focal point of the work. 330 00:20:24.319 --> 00:20:27.240 You know, it's not a very special episode of you 331 00:20:27.279 --> 00:20:32.240 know what I mean. I do appreciate that, which brings 332 00:20:32.279 --> 00:20:35.599 me to a question that is, you know, it's a 333 00:20:35.640 --> 00:20:39.839 topic that's kind of a hot button. Now, So how 334 00:20:39.880 --> 00:20:49.400 do we feel about non queer actors taking on queer roles? 335 00:20:50.519 --> 00:20:55.319 Like I personally like, of course, the best actors should 336 00:20:55.319 --> 00:20:59.480 get the should get the gig. However, why do we 337 00:20:59.559 --> 00:21:03.039 act like there's like four queer people on the planet 338 00:21:03.640 --> 00:21:07.960 and you know, if the role doesn't fit those four people, 339 00:21:08.039 --> 00:21:10.200 let's give it to Brendan Fraser, you know what I mean? 340 00:21:10.640 --> 00:21:12.519 So how do we feel about that? 341 00:21:12.960 --> 00:21:17.480 Mm hmm, that's so interesting. I mean we're on such 342 00:21:17.519 --> 00:21:19.839 a small scale here with what we're doing, so it's 343 00:21:19.839 --> 00:21:23.359 like there's such a there's obviously such a difference of 344 00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:26.640 like thinking about what's at stake for like our show 345 00:21:26.759 --> 00:21:31.160 versus a you know, two hundred million dollar like Hollywood film, right, because. 346 00:21:30.960 --> 00:21:33.920 Philly's slopping over with queer folks, So that's not the 347 00:21:33.920 --> 00:21:34.519 same issue. 348 00:21:34.599 --> 00:21:38.440 I get that, yeah, but it is it is something 349 00:21:38.480 --> 00:21:43.720 that is. I think it's obviously of course for us, 350 00:21:43.759 --> 00:21:46.400 since we're a queer theater collective, it's on our minds always. 351 00:21:47.319 --> 00:21:49.519 But it's interesting because we do sort of just like 352 00:21:49.640 --> 00:21:52.039 when we put out a casting call for our shows, 353 00:21:52.559 --> 00:21:54.680 we give as much information as possible about the show 354 00:21:54.720 --> 00:22:00.319 and about the characters. We say, like what pronoun are 355 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:02.720 used in the script for the characters, and we ask 356 00:22:02.799 --> 00:22:06.079 folks to just submit for for roles that they would 357 00:22:06.079 --> 00:22:09.720 feel comfortable playing, because we don't it's you know, far 358 00:22:09.759 --> 00:22:12.920 be it from us on the other side to prescribe anything. 359 00:22:12.960 --> 00:22:14.880 So we just say, like, if you want to submit, 360 00:22:14.880 --> 00:22:16.799 submit with what you're comfortable with. And then you know, 361 00:22:17.079 --> 00:22:19.000 once we're starting work to work with people and in 362 00:22:19.079 --> 00:22:21.920 the team, we can see so we try to approach 363 00:22:21.920 --> 00:22:26.920 it that way. I do think that there's there's no 364 00:22:27.039 --> 00:22:30.519 denying that, like, you know, and obviously Cat and Rain 365 00:22:30.599 --> 00:22:32.319 can speak even more to this than I can as 366 00:22:32.400 --> 00:22:35.599 actors in this particular show. But like you bring your 367 00:22:35.599 --> 00:22:38.359 lived experience to the roles you're doing, sometimes a lot, 368 00:22:38.440 --> 00:22:41.440 sometimes a little, but like you always do because you 369 00:22:41.480 --> 00:22:44.079 are when you step off stage, like you're back to 370 00:22:44.119 --> 00:22:47.440 being yourself, right, So there's no denying that. So there, 371 00:22:47.519 --> 00:22:49.359 and I think there's a short there's a shorthand we 372 00:22:49.400 --> 00:22:51.640 talked about. There's also a sort of like if you 373 00:22:51.680 --> 00:22:54.440 had to give everyone the backs, like you know, if 374 00:22:54.440 --> 00:22:57.559 someone had never come out, for example, or adult with 375 00:22:57.599 --> 00:22:59.839 anything like that, then having to sort of like go 376 00:23:00.759 --> 00:23:02.519 and tell an actor about that, like I don't know, 377 00:23:02.559 --> 00:23:04.240 it would be it would be different. It wouldink it 378 00:23:04.279 --> 00:23:06.079 would be it would just be different. It would just 379 00:23:06.119 --> 00:23:08.200 be different to work with an actor who hadn't had 380 00:23:08.240 --> 00:23:10.759 that experience versus someone who has had that experience. And 381 00:23:10.799 --> 00:23:13.039 you don't even, like Cat said, that's just like unspoken. 382 00:23:13.079 --> 00:23:15.200 It's just sort of like you know, is what it is. 383 00:23:15.240 --> 00:23:18.839 So yeah, I don't know, it's it's tricky as I 384 00:23:18.839 --> 00:23:20.839 don't know, rayin kind of you have any thoughts as 385 00:23:20.960 --> 00:23:23.759 as folks portraying people on this show, But. 386 00:23:25.640 --> 00:23:29.839 I don't know, I think this is a question that 387 00:23:29.880 --> 00:23:33.160 we're like, having representation is just such an important question 388 00:23:33.240 --> 00:23:39.359 all around, And Brendan Fraser specifically, like, yeah, I saw 389 00:23:39.440 --> 00:23:41.559 the whale and was like, why didn't you give an 390 00:23:41.599 --> 00:23:44.559 opportunity to a heavier actor instead of picking a big 391 00:23:44.640 --> 00:23:50.960 name and cgi ing it? And yeah, lived experience is 392 00:23:51.039 --> 00:23:54.240 part of it, and you can't. I mean, yes, you can. 393 00:23:54.960 --> 00:23:57.880 It's our job as actors to kind of find those 394 00:23:57.920 --> 00:24:00.400 experiences we don't relate to and find ways to relate 395 00:24:00.440 --> 00:24:03.319 to them and connect to them and make them real 396 00:24:03.319 --> 00:24:09.279 and lived. But there's a nuance that I think an 397 00:24:09.279 --> 00:24:13.799 actor with lived experience is likely to bring that another 398 00:24:13.880 --> 00:24:17.119 actor isn't, And I think a lot of it right now. 399 00:24:17.160 --> 00:24:20.160 It is just a representation is so important. Like, yes, 400 00:24:20.240 --> 00:24:23.200 maybe in a hundred years we've got straight people playing 401 00:24:23.359 --> 00:24:25.759