When I first moved to Chicago, a friend told me about a theater that performed “What No one Else Produces.” I was immediately intrigued. A little over a year later, I was fortunate enough to become an ensemble member of that company–WNEP Theater. We do about one or two big projects a year. It’s made up of some amazingly talented writers, performers, and directors. And if you haven’t checked out a WNEP show, I hope you will. Any company that can successfully pull-off a Dadaist take on Christmas or a beautiful theatrical exploration of Edward Hopper paintings is something folks should see. Our next big production will be after the holidays. WNEP is bringing back its acclaimed improvisational performance, Postmortem, a documentary based on an obituary from the day’s newspaper. Until then, WNEP fans can satisfy their appetites once a month at our Frequency show on Chicago’s north side. And if you’re a performer, please contact us to get a spot for your piece! (More info on WNEP’s Frequency and the next show on November 20th can be found by clicking here). Oh! And if you’re on facebook, please become a fan of WNEP Theater and/or of our monthly shows at Transistor!
Dave Goss, managing director for WNEP and friend asked all of the company members to answer two pretty big questions. Below are the questions and my answers. Please check out the site for more company members’ profiles!
1) List ten things a person would have to do to understand you as an artist.
Read my teaching notes.
Find the connections in everything.
Play with the audience.
See both the show I did in the aged turret in Switzerland and in the beer tent at the Kentucky State Fair and observe the similarities.
Paint with calm impatience.
Turn an agonizingly long primal yell into a funny story.
Taste words.
Be affected by what you think the world is trying to tell you.
Journal about it, sleep on it, and then make it into a show.
Make up a song about fruit and perform it for your plants.
2) List ten things a person would have to do to understand you as a person.
Accidentally move to a new city. Then live there for several years.
Become vegan–or at least vegetarian.
Be tormented and bullied by a cruel caste system in grade school and then blessed and honored with amazing friends thereafter.
Journey alone to Ruby Beach.
Recycle. Even if you live in a city that doesn’t make it easy. Sigh.
Walk. A lot.
Allow yourself an uncontrollable laughing fit (30 minutes or more) now and again.
Work no less than twelve ridiculous jobs while you follow your dream.
Feel guilty that you’re not doing more.
Feel bad that you made yourself feel guilty. Take a nap. Then start the cycle over again.