I Interview Directors Part III: Alice Cash 





Alice Cash

Hometown:  San Diego, CA

Current Town:  NYC

Tell me about 8000M

8000M by David Greig, in its broadest sense, is about climbing Mount Lhotse, the Mountain right next to Everest.  But I think what’s really exciting about the piece, is that even though it’s specifically talking about mountaineering, the play can essentially morph into anything the viewer feels passionately about.  When I first read the play, it was about my experience in the theatre and my love of directing. 

Tell me about your process and the concept for the show. (the ropes!!)

It’s a play about climbing in the Himalayas, so I knew it was necessary to capture the danger of ice climbing in the Death Zone, over eight thousand meters, which Greig describes as “ Sleep is almost impossible. Time passes with aching slowness. The cold penetrates to your core. There is not enough oxygen for your metabolism to function. With each movement you make, your body is consuming itself.”  So I wanted to be able to create a show that reflected the danger, the heightened energy needed, and the sheer willpower to push oneself to the top.  So, we used carabineers and ropes to reflect not only the work of the climb, but also the needs of the characters as a sort of metaphor as they went through their journey.  It was an incredibly collaborative process, I’d have some idea for the ropes, and then over the course of the rehearsal as we tried other things, we’d all find the best outcome for how to use a rope in any given situation.  All the actors trained on a climbing wall, we all joined a rock gym in Midtown and they all became belay certified, and we skyped with Brian Dickinson, who ascended and descended Everest solo, so the actors were incredibly familiar with the world of climbing and ropes from personal experience and research, which all contributed to our overall creation.  The designers I worked with were incredible, they amplified every idea and would chime in about ideas to make it all function seamlessly, I really can’t extoll their greatness enough.

What else are you currently busy with?

I’m currently putting together a charity event to help kids in Beudet, a rural area of Port-au-Prince, Haiti after Hurricane Matthew.  It’s in collaboration with Project Edeline and Children Without Borders specifically for aiding with Cholera Medication.  www.projectedeline.com

Tell me, if you will, a story from your childhood that explains who you are as a Director and/or as a person.

I always wanted to direct.  My earliest memories are playing with my Barbie’s and not wanting my mother to come in to interrupt the piece I’d already started to play out in my head.  From there, it morphed into directing the neighborhood kids in my backyard, and then when I was 14 I started a theatre company that ran for 5 seasons, involved over 200 students between the ages of 7 and 20 in the roles of designers, directors, producers, and conductors, with audiences over 2000.

If you could change one thing about theater, what would it be?

I would make it available to communities all over the world.  I was working in Haiti this summer, and it was my students first time to experience theatre.  I think theatre is important for developing creative imaginations, for public speaking, and confidence. 

Who are or were your theatrical Heroes?

I studied Art History in undergrad and I get the most out of going to a museum and seeing visual art as an inspiration.  I love to flip thru art textbooks to look for stage pictures and I love seeing performance art and imagining it on the stage.  I love the work of Mary Zimmerman and my Professors from Georgetown, Derek Goldman and Maya Roth.

What kind of theater excites you?

I love theatre with objects that morph into things that you never expect.  I love theatre that can only live on a stage and not any other medium.  I love theatre that delights, excites, and enlightens.  I love theatre that tries to figure out the most difficult way to make itself known.  I love theatre that challenges and pushes us.  I love theatre that’s international and energetic.

What advice do you have for Directors just starting out?

Read anything and everything.  Anything can inform your process.  For this show, I looked at books about Buddhist art, tons of biographies on Climbers, books about the Himalayas, books on Scotland, and so many articles about what to pack and how to prepare for a trip up Everest. 

Anything else you’d like to add?

Thank you for coming to 8000M!

Plugs, please:

Nothing at this time!

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