Stage Whisper
Whisper in the Wings Episode 581
(upbeat music) - Hello everyone and welcome back into a fabulous new Whisper in the Wings from Stage Whisper. We have another show that is going to be embarking on its journey to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, but first is gracing the stage here in New York City. And to talk to us about the show today, we've got the playwright and performer, Sarah Pajwood. She's here to talk to us about her show, the things I did while waiting for you to fall back in love with me, which is part of the East to Edinburgh Festival and is playing July 23rd, 27th and 28th at 59 E59 theaters. You can get your tickets and more information by visiting 59e59.org. We've had such a great time covering many of the shows that are going to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, especially those that are part of this festival here in New York. So without further ado, let's go ahead and welcome on our guests, Sarah. Welcome into Whisper in the Wings from Stage Whisper. - Yay, thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited. - I'm excited that you're here and I can't wait to learn more about your show, the things I did while waiting for you to fall back in love with me. Can we start by having you tell us a little bit about what the show is about? - Absolutely. So this is a one-person show, roughly a hamlet parody and I mean very roughly. It's about heartbreak and I based it off of interviews with people who survived psychiatric care for suicide attempts and depression, as well as some conversation with folks who survived conversion therapy. I know that doesn't sound very funny and it isn't, but that is roughly how I began to build this fictional character who goes through the stages of grief after her first heartbreak. And I hope it's gonna be really funny. It leads to total mental breakdown that I like to call the lesbian performance art to be or not to be. - Wow, wow. What a story you have there, that's amazing. So what inspired you to write this? - So a couple of years ago, I was working on a play about grief that I thought was just gonna be this heart wrenching never done before, breakup show, and it was also about WANWA, a friend who died of ovarian cancer. And I called it the ovary play/the things I did while waiting for you to fall back in love with me. And ended up taking out the ovary play section. And that was the backbone of my last play that actually was at 59E, 59E, and the Edinburgh Fringe called The Leading Lady Club. We turned the ovary play and that backbone into a sketch show. But I still had in my drafts this heartbreak, breakup, comedy sort of piece that hadn't been used. And I really wanted to do something with it. And I thought it would be a really cool one-person show. And I basically got rid of my whole story because I realized how boring it was compared to all the other people that I ended up talking to once I told them the title. So many people would be like, oh my gosh, I know exactly what that's about. Yes, let me tell you my story. And that is how I wrote it. - That's incredible, absolutely incredible. What a journey. So let me ask you, what has it been like developing this show, particularly as you get ready to go over to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival? - So what's been great is I have an amazing director. Her name is Jenny Hughes, who, you know, when you're writing a show, and especially when you're writing a one-person show, eventually it's just like you alone at your desk becoming so bored with your own voice. And so, you know, I finished the play and then I'm like, does this make sense to anybody else? Like, I really have no idea. And so it was so awesome when I finally got to bring in collaborators and a wonderful director, do some readings. And so that's been great. And then we also are working with Tanya Gupta, who is one of our producers and our art director who created this amazing image to represent our piece, as well as Caitlin McNealidge, the producer of this show, as well as the leading lady club. So that has been really great. Just bringing it from my own room, my own desk, completely alone to having collaborators on the piece. - That is fantastic. Well, with this show and with the subject matter that you're dealing with and you're addressing, you know, is there a message or a thought you hope that audiences take away from this piece? - Yes. So I learned this crazy fact, which, who knows if this is true, but I believe that it is 20% of all adults, maybe it was just in America, maybe it was all adults, whatever, you know, facts, who knows, but 20% do not have a single person in their life that they trust to talk to. 20% of the people. And I feel like a lot of people know what that feels like, especially if you've ever had your heart broken or kind of found yourself at the very bottom of the pit, whether it's, you know, heartbreak or some other kind of grieve for new Checter Bank account. Like, and I haven't found there's a lot of plays that are just really sitting with someone at the actual bottom who doesn't know what to do. There's a lot of like the story of the climb or the story of falling, but truly when you're looking around like, "Wow, I actually have no one to talk to about this." So I hope and so far we've had a good response is that people come to this and realize, I'm actually not, I'm not so the first person who's ever felt this way that I think I am. - That is a fabulous, fabulous idea, but also incredibly horrifying. What a crazy statistic, wow. - 20% with no one to talk to. - Right. - But it's like kind of why we do theater, right? You know, like reaching people. - Yes, yes, yes, yes. And that is a great thought to snowball off of into my final question for this first part, which is who are you hoping to have access to your show the things I did while waiting for you to fall back in love with me? - Well, it's a super cheap ticket, so everyone, I'm not gonna lie, it is the most lesbian show I've ever written, been allowed to produce. And I did find, this is mentioned in the show, but even like this morning I mentioned the title to someone, an older woman, and she was like, ah, aren't men the worst. And you know, this happens to be about a lesbian breakup, but that's truly like we don't have a ton of stories about this kind of love and this kind of heartbreak, 'cause you know, women are evil too, just kidding. But, so I also, I'm like this one's definitely for the gay girls, like, you know, I remember being in that place and looking for like a movie or a TV show or a musical or something to just binge watch or read or whatever, where it like works out for the lesbians in the end, even if they're like a tiny side character, very rare. I see the fun home poster behind you, love fun home. And even then like what happens to Joan? Where is she? (laughs) So I think that demographic too, I'm like, come see this one. (upbeat music) - For the second part of our interview, we love giving our listeners a chance to get to know our guests a little bit better, pull the curtain neck, if you will. And I would love to know, what are who inspires you? What playwrights, composers or shows have inspired you in the past? Or are just some of your favorites? - Okay, I love "Indecent" by Paula Vogel. Fantastic. I also love the search for signs of intelligent life in the universe by Jane Wagner, starring Lily Tomlin. - Yes, to both of those. Yes, those are great inspirations I have, well put. - Oh. - Now I know you've been very busy with the show, but off chance, have you seen any great theater lately? You might be able to recommend to us? - Okay, well same director as the search with Cecily Strong that you saw. Suffs on Broadway, I'm sure you've seen it. My BFF Holly Gould is the Wednesday 2 p.m. alternate. They are a fantastic Alice Paul. So I've seen that show a long time ago at the public when it was first, and there's been a lot of changes, it's so much even better now. But that is the show on Broadway that I'm really excited about this season. - Oh my gosh, a thousand times, a thousand times. It is a huge creator's pick of ours. Let me ask you now, what is your favorite part about working in the theater? - Well, I guess I kind of touched on this before, but it's the collaboration for sure. It doesn't really start for me until you get in the room with everybody else, get actors in the script, get a director, I mean, just everybody. It's the collaboration for me, I think 100%. And that's the weirdest part about doing a one woman show. And the weirdest part about being a writer is because there's a lot of solo by yourself time, but what's exciting about getting this produced and getting out there is I'm not alone out there, you know? - I love that answer, that's wonderful. And it leads to my favorite question to ask guests, which is what is your favorite theater memory? - Oh gosh, so many, but I think I'll have to choose this one as an audience member, and it's sort of recent. So company on Broadway starring Katrina Link, did we see it? I saw it three times. The first time I saw it was because I had bought tickets for my best friend who is a Patti LePone stan. We get to the theater, there's a sign on the door, Patti will not be performing tonight. Everybody's freaking out, lining up, exchanging their tickets, la la la. I get to the line, there is a man with two children in their pajamas in front of us in line, and he's like, my wife is going on, my wife is going on for Patti, there must be some tickets available. And I was like, we're staying, and we are watching her go on, and it was fantastic. And then I did get to see the show a couple of more times. I saw Katrina Link's understudy, and I saw just the regular company, and it was so fantastic, but I will just never forget, see it was like the kids were clearly ready for bed, and then they had just jumped in the car from New Jersey type of thing, so exciting. - That is amazing, what a memory. Thank you for sharing that with us. As we wrap things up, I would love to know, are there any other projects or productions you have coming on the pipeline, we might be able to plug for you? - Ooh, you know, right now I've just been really focused on this show, and I think we're really hoping that it does well in Edinburgh, and we get to bring it back to New York. But we also have plans, the show that we mentioned earlier, the Leading Lady Club, a feminist, but still likable sketch show. We have plans to bring that back too, after it was well received in New York. So, excited for both of those two shows. - Absolutely, oh, I cannot wait to see the Leading Lady Club again, that was so, so good. - Thank you. - So that leads to my final question, which is if our listeners would like more information about the things I did while waiting for you to fall back in love with me? Or about you, maybe they'd like to reach out to you? How can they do so? - Sure thing, I am @S-A-R-A-H-H-O-G-E-W-O-O-D on Instagram. - Wonderful. Well, Sarah, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me, for sharing another of your amazing works with us. I cannot wait to see it, hopefully. I cannot wait to hear how successful it was over at the Enbrel Fringe Festival. This has been such a delightful conversation. So, thank you so much for your time. - Thank you so much, I'm a huge fan. - Oh, bless you, you're hired. My guest today has been the amazing playwright and performer, Sarah Hodgewood, who joined us to talk about her latest work, the things I did while waiting for you to fall back in love with me. It's part of the East to Enbrel Festival and playing July 23rd, 27th and 28th at 59E, 59 theaters. You can get your tickets and more information by visiting 59e59.org. We also have some contact information for Sarah, which we'll be posting in our episode description as well as on our social media posts. But if you're here in New York, this is the greatest opportunity to catch her show before it crosses the ocean and heads over to the Enbrel Fringe Festival for a very successful run. I'm sure of it. Make sure you get your tickets. Make sure you follow Sarah. She's got amazing, amazing works that she does and has in the pipeline, so you don't want to miss out on these. But for right now, head to 59e59.org, get your tickets for the things I did while waiting for you to fall back in love with me playing July 23rd, 27th and 28th. So until next time, I'm Andrew Cortez, reminding you to turn off your cell phones, unwrap your candies and keep talking about the theater. - In a stage. My spa. - Thank you. (upbeat music) - If you like what you hear, please leave a five star review, like and subscribe. - You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram at Stage Whisper Pah. - And feel free to reach out to us with your comments and personal stories at stagewhisperpahd@gmail.com. - And be sure to check out our website for all things Stage Whisper and theater. You'll be able to find merchandise, tours, tickets and more. Simply visit stagewhisperpahd.com. Our theme song is Maniac by Jazar. Other music on this episode provided by Jazar and Billy Murray. You can also become a patron of our show by logging on to patreon.com/stagewhisperpahd. There you will find all the information about our backstage pass as well as our tip jar. Thank you so much for your generosity. We could not do the show without you. ♪ A broad way from where I don't care ♪ ♪ Anywhere will your town make me there ♪