The title of this post is not meant to suggest that the Fringe Fest is, itself, a freakshow (though it very well may be, and I say that as someone with a lot of love for freaks in my heart!). Rather, Freakshow is the name of one of the dozens of shows in the Fringe Fest lineup this year. The show’s producer, Karen Lange, of Pinky Swear Productions, is a local actress and a friend of mine. I wondered why someone who loves the spotlight (it takes one to know one) would choose to produce rather than perform; we recently chatted via email about this and other sundry topics.
As an actress who’s performed in the Fringe Fest in the past, what inspired you to try your hand at producing a show?
I think Fringe is a great opportunity for DC actors to do interesting material. I’ve been lucky enough to be in Fringe shows and have been to see a number of shows over the last two years. I know Fringe can be a mixed bag – some shows are wonderful and others, well, aren’t. I got the idea to produce a show after viewing one that fell into the latter category. My friend, Allyson, and I saw a show with some lovely actors who were saddled with some un-lovely material. Despite not enjoying the performance, I admired the fact that the producers of that show had the wherewithal to take action and actually put themselves out there. After the show, Allyson and I talked about the things we would have done differently. At some point, we decided that we could either keep talking about it or do something about it. One of us said “we should just produce our own show.” Then we pinky swore on it, and pledged not to let each other off the hook. And here we are!
Lately, I’m all about doers. We DC actors, especially the women, complain about not getting opportunities and having too many fish in too small a pond. This year, I decided that there was no reason I couldn’t make opportunities for myself and for others. If you have a passion for something, get in and get your hands dirty. I really admire the producers of the Fringe Festival for being doers. The festival is just the kick in the pants I needed to get off the fence and make something happen.
How did you choose Freakshow?
I got together with my co-producers (all alumnae of the Studio Theater Conservatory) and discussed the kinds of themes we wanted to look at. Greek tragedy, Shakespeare, comedies and one-act shows were all on the table at some point. A couple of my friends have quite substantial theater libraries, so they picked out plays that had a reasonably sized cast with roles women could play. We ended up leaning toward modern, dramatic work. We found Freakshow in an anthology my friend, Tori had. After going off and reading the plays we narrowed down, each one of us independently picked it as a top choice, so it was a really easy decision once we regrouped.
I can say that the playwright of Freakshow, Carson Kreitzer, really hooked me with her beautiful language. The words are so carefully chosen, almost poetic, but never come off sounding forced or false. The characters have dignity, despite the rough circumstances of being in a traveling sideshow. Each character has transformative moments. I was so touched by the voices of these very real, very human freaks.
What was it like being on the other side of the audition process?
I was drunk with power! Well, not really. We learned so much by being on the other side of the table. First, we learned that it isn’t always easy to decide how to structure auditions. I remember I initially wanted people to come in with prepared 60-90 second monologues, because we (the producers) have to do that kind of audition all the time. Then we really thought about whether we wanted to watch those auditions or skip ahead to the meaty part, which was readings from our script.
It was fascinating to see how many different choices people made for the characters. I was also surprised at the number of people who auditioned who hadn’t read the script, despite the fact that we had given out a link to all but five pages of it (for free!) online. Having read the show made a big difference in whether we asked people to callbacks or not.
What’s the weirdest show you’ve ever seen – at Fringe Fest, or otherwise?
I saw a crazy show in London at one of their “Fringe” theaters. It was a triptych staged in a tiny, cramped, basement under a pub. The actors for the three shows stood in the wings while we entered. They threw potatoes around in the audience during one show. In another, they had banging pots and pans staged over the audience. It was quite an experience. I wouldn’t say it was great theater, but the people who owned the pub were quite friendly.
Tell me why I should come see your show, in 5 words or less.
Freakshow: poetic, moving, unnerving, honest.
Click here to buy tickets to Freakshow. Other Fringe Fest shows featuring friends of Creative DC (that I know of!):
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you so much for the shout out! :)
Looking forward to it!
Going to see Freakshow on Friday this week – so excited!
I had the privilege of photographing a rehearsal for PS Production’s promos, and was astounded by the play. I really enjoyed that sneak peek and can’t wait to see the full production!