How does it feel to have live audiences and theater back?
It feels amazing! It’s like I’m a fish back in water after a long time on shore. - William Edson/Actor
My favorite part of creating art has always been the reaction. I love the vulnerability of being in a room for live theater, of sharing the experience together with strangers. Coming back, I think we all have an even greater appreciation for what live theater can truly offer as a community experience in learning and understanding one another. - Kelsey Norton/Playwright/Director
It feels… tentatively incredible! I think we’ve all been longing to be back in the theatre, and it feels like coming home to be back performing to an audience again. Though, I can’t deny that there is some anxiety there too, knowing how the variants have been tearing through some casts. - Gillian Constable/Actor
Shoe Night has a lot to do with dating, can you relate to any particular scenes or characters in reference to your own past dating experiences?
I once ran into an ex, years after the fact, while I was writing poetry about her in a cafe. I looked up from the page and there she was outside the window. We ended up talking for hours, and it really gave me closure on a lot of things. - William Edson/ Actor
I’ve had people abruptly unmatch with me on dating apps countless times. I’ll admit I’ve done the exact same. Unfortunately, it’s the charmless reality of today’s culture, and I - like many others - accepted it and moved on. However, the situation in Shoe Night is not at all like that. I’ll spare you the frustrating details, but I wrote this play based on an experience I had in which my long-term partner disappeared. For years, I’ve punished myself for still feeling hurt by it, feeling like I’m some sort of crazy ex for saying it still bothers me, but that is exactly what ghosting does. It gives the ghoster all of the power, and belittles the other to believe that they are overreacting despite having never been given the chance to say anything on the matter. Writing this was my way of trying to find the closure I am well aware I should have gotten but will never receive. - Kelsey Norton/Playwright/Director
Ahhh, like many others of my generation, I’ve been ghosted - would not recommend! I can definitely relate to Norah, having never gotten the closure from that relationship where I was ghosted. - Gillian Constable/Actor
Of all the roles you played in the past, which is your favorite?
I played Dot on Sunday In The Park With George in college and that was very challenging but so rewarding. My most favourite recent role was Caithleen in the play Bloomsday by Steven Dietz - I got to do an Irish dialect and it is a beautiful script. - Gillian Constable/Actor
What do you hope the audience will take away from this performance?
My hope is that someone out in that audience will get to have just a little bit of the closure that they deserve from whoever it is they never got it from. - William Edson/Actor
This isn’t a break-up show. We all know breakups suck and relationships are hard. People have been growing apart for years - that’s nothing new. It’s how we choose to leave that has changed. Now, when we become uncomfortable or unsure in relationships, we opt to disappear rather than risk hurting someone’s feelings. Shoe Night shows the long-term consequences of this behavior with the hope to validate those who have experienced the emotional strain of being denied closure from a relationship. It’s an offer to the audience to say, “yes, you deserved answers, you deserved more humanity”, however, it’s also realistic in its acknowledgement that you’ll still probably never get it. It would be naive to deny that we all participate in lightweight ghosting from time to time, but I hope audiences will be encouraged to consider an alternative next time they need to end a relationship, particularly in those that are well-established. - Kelsey Norton/Playwright/Director
I think the context of this show is pretty relatable to a lot of people my age and we’ve all imagined what we would say to that someone if given the chance. I hope folks in the audience can at least relate and maybe even feel a little catharsis. - Gillian Constable/Actor
What is the funnest thing about the Fringe Festival?
I love how anything goes in Fringe. I love how it’s an opportunity to say yes to everything in an industry that loves to say no to people. You have something creative cooking? Great. Try it here. - Kelsey Norton/Playwright/Director
The most fun thing about Fringe is that you never know what you’re going to get! The originality of Fringe shows has always impressed me. From Nintendo musicals to Hamlet as a chicken, Fringe continues to surprise. - Gillain Constable/Actor
EnCompass Theatre Bio:
EnCompass Theatre was started by Casey Marie Holmes in 2017 with the help of Arts Nest’s Fledgling Program. The company was started out of the desire to create theatre that would not only entertain audiences but also respects and uplifts artists. They have four ‘directions’ that help them select their shows. This year they are focusing on
N: New Works and New Artists:
We strive to collaborate with new and emerging designers, playwrights, and actors that have unique perspectives on their art. By bringing together passionate artists we are able to bring new stories and characters to the stage, as well as explore new visions for classic tales.
And W: Women Led and Women Inspired:
Company Founder and Artist Director, Casey Marie Holmes started this company with the intent to collaborate with as many female artists as possible. With a feminist lens we are able to bring to life powerful female roles and narratives.
Since 2017 they have produced 3 shows including “R Culture” in the 2019 Fringe Festival which won Arts Reader’s 2019 Fringe Editor’s Pick Award.
Kelsey Norton
Playwright/Director
Kelsey is a new, Minneapolis-based playwright and director. She is thrilled to be collaborating again with EnCompass Theatre - now live and in-person(!) - after presenting a virtual reading of her play, Gray, early last year. A graduate of UW-La Crosse, Kelsey works for the Schubert Club, a music organization in St. Paul, and serves on the Board of Directors for the Jungle Theater. A huge thank you goes to Casey, Gillian, and William for their talents and friendship, and to her loved ones for their consistent creative support.
Contact
SHOE NIGHT
As part of: Minnesota Fringe Festival
Where: Theatre in the Round
When:
August 5 at 10:00 PM
August 6 at 8:30 PM
August 10 at 5:30 PM
August 11 at 8:30 PM
August 14 at 2:30 PM
That sounds like fun.
ReplyDeleteSounds like an interesting show.
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting subject! I'm sure a lot can relate to the dating issues tackled in the story. Fab interviews!
ReplyDelete