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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