Stage Whisper
Whisper in the Wings Episode 608
(upbeat music) - Welcome back in everyone to a fantastic new whisper in the wings from stage whisper. Pack your bags 'cause we are heading right back over across the sea over to the amazing happenings in Scotland right now. That's right. We are going back to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with our show today and joining us to talk to us about her show. We've got the creator and performer Ellen Talland. She's here to talk to us about her show Pretty Good, Not Bad, which is part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and playing now through August 24th. This is happening at the Space and Surgeons Hall, Stevenson Theater and then soon at the Howl Daying Theater and you can get your tickets and more information by visiting edfringe.com. Now listen to us, when I got the description from the lovely PR person about the show, the second sentence in, I was like done, that's good enough for me, I wanna know more. So anybody out there that is a fan of the television show Law and Order, strap in, this is gonna be great. So let us go ahead and welcome on our guests. Ellen, welcome into Whisper and the Wings from Stage Whisper. - Oh, hello, I'm so happy to be here. - I'm just, I'm so happy you're here. I'm so excited for your show. It's what, you're on show eight, you said, I think, or coming in to show eight? - Yeah, yeah, we did a couple shows at The Tank in New York and we did some previews in LA and now we're in Edinburgh doing the We're on four shows in Scotland, so yeah. - That's amazing. Well, I'm excited, I'm so glad the show is taking off and I wanna start by having you tell us a little bit about what Pretty Good Not Bad is about. - So Pretty Good Not Bad is a very meta play. It's about my lived experience of being in the criminal justice system as a victim of assault and at the same time while I was processing this event, I was also auditioning for shows like Blonde Order and Blue Bloods and I found my life to be very meta at the time because here I had this thing happen to me and then I was also auditioning for parts very similar to what had just happened. And I started asking the question of what, what is it to be a victim and what does that look like and how has it performed and what, how do we try and make people feel comfortable within something that has just happened to us? Yeah, so it has a lot of layers to it. And I don't know, I find the show it keeps morphing every single time I'm performing it. So it's been pretty wild so far. - Wow, what a story there. - I'm very curious to know you've touched on this a little bit, but what exactly inspired you to pen this piece? - So in November of last year, I did a storyteller night in New York called The Tell and I had never done something like that. I had never performed my own writing and I took the leap and I really loved it. I really, really enjoyed it. And I found this autonomy that I think I'd been searching for but I didn't really know it. It was all subconscious. And afterwards, I had a friend come up to me that was like, you know, this is how a lot of people start maybe considering writing their own work for theater or maybe you could do the fringe. And I was like, I've always wanted to do that. I just never thought I could. And so I started playing around with that idea and what would it be about. And I wrote down a long list and I put this story on the very bottom of that list. And I think because I was the most afraid of writing about it, my director and also my co-producer had me free write a lot about it. And we both kind of came to the conclusion that it had to be about this. Yeah. - It's amazing. Wow. I want to snowball off of that because I'm curious to know you'd mentioned you did a few performances at the tank and now you're at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. What has it been like developing such a person's story for the stage? - It's been incredible. I think it's changed me as a performer. It's made me feel a lot more comfortable being vulnerable on stage in a completely different way. I think it's gonna make me a lot braver and not give as much of a shit. I don't know what people think about me. It's also been really interesting to see how people react in different countries and in different cities and what people feel comfortable laughing at and what people don't feel comfortable laughing at. And it's kind of a gauge on the audience. I like playing with that too. And yeah, so far the journey's been incredible. I just, I hope we get to keep going. I'd love to stage this in some other cities as well. Yeah. - It's amazing. Get this story being so personal with the being. I mean, the way you're telling it sounds fantastic. I love the idea that you were encouraged to do a lot of free writing. Is there a message or a thought you hope that audiences take away from the piece? - Yeah. I mean, I hope there's many things that people take away from it. But I guess I hope particularly women feel seen. I hope that anyone that's been a victim of assault feels connection to it. And if you haven't been, I hope if you have a friend or a loved one or someone that has been through something like that, you have some more understanding about what we ask people to, what we ask of people after something like that, how there's a glossing over of it that sometimes people really wanna, they either wanna make sure you're okay while by almost like pumping you up in a weird way or they wanna minimize it. I think that's with anything traumatic, but I hope people connect to that in some way. So that we lower the bar for people and we don't make people tap dance as much as we do. - That's a wonderful idea, wonderful idea. - Yeah, I know the reason why I said it, the show in an audition is because I wanted the audience to feel complicit in what the casting director is experiencing because I love True Crime, I do so, so much. But there is a formula to it that almost gets used in reality as well, and it minimizes it. And it makes us archetypes of these situations, and I think, you know, I just would like people to explore that more when they consider that, you know? - Yes. Well, that all leads to my final question for this first part, which is who do you hope have access to pretty good, not bad? - I don't know, I don't really have like a pinpoint of an audience. I hope it illuminates things for everybody. It's been really interesting like having the reactions of like the straight white male to it, it's been really interesting to have someone, I've gotten DMs from people that they share their stories with me, and that's been an honor and overwhelming and super kind that they feel like comfortable with me for that. So I don't know if people feel less alone than it's for everybody. (gentle music) - So on the second part of our interviews, we love giving our listeners a chance to get to know our guests a little bit better. Pick your brains, if you will. And I want to start by asking you, what are who inspires you? What playwrights, composers or shows have inspired you in the past, or just some of your favorites? - Oh, I saw a version of Tiz Pity, she's a whore, at the Barbican, when I was studying at Rod, I was doing the like study abroad program. And that play and that version of the play blew me away, to a point where I think real theater nerds, we have photographic memories of it, you know? And we have these, and we know what the feeling was and you're so locked in that you walk out time stood still and it's incredible and I don't think there's anything like that, and maybe a concert is similar, but when you're having a really good laugh with all of your friends, but it lasts for a moment and it's incredible. That one really kicks me. I saw Hedwig with Neil Patrick Harris and that blew me away. And I just saw a pre-existing condition at the comedy and I thought that was an incredible piece of word. I think what Miranda's written is beautiful. And then I love Michaela Cole, I think she's everything. I got the national theater live, so I try and geek out. Sometimes I'll, if I'm having good loaner night, I'll order sushi and watch a play on there. Her chewing gum solo show is on there and I encourage everyone to watch that because it's especially if you're gonna do a solo show, it's a master class and how to do that. - That is a wonderful list right there. That is fantastic. - Yay. - You've been very busy with your show obviously. Edinburgh Fringe is not just busy on the stage, it's very busy off the stage, but I'm just curious. I mean, you have mentioned a show already, pre-existing conditions. Have you seen any other great theater lately? You might be able to recommend to our listeners. - Oh, well, I'm hoping some of the things I see here come to the US. I've actually, to take a break, to be honest, I've been seeing a lot of stand-ups here because it's something that I am enamored by and I don't think I could ever do. And the rhythm to it is so incredible and I talk too slow to do something like that. But I saw Olga Koch last night and oh, wow, she was amazing. I'm really into these more storyteller forms of stand-up. I think it's like merging, acting with it. And I always think comedians make amazing actors too. So I don't always think actors make amazing comedians, but you know, it goes all the ways. What is the role, like comedians want to be rock stars, actors want to be, or actors want to be rock stars, rock stars want to be comedians, comedians want to be actors. I don't know, I think that's how it is. And then there's a bunch of New York shows here that I've been lucky enough to see Serena Frieda's, no, no, no, no. Nevermind, please God, that one's amazing. I think I just butchery the title, but it's very long, but it's hilarious. I saw VL last night, and that was very funny, two very Scottish actors. And yeah, I can go on and on, I'm a geek. So I'm trying to see as much as possible while here without completely running myself to the end. - I love that though. I love, listen, if I was over there right now, I would, I'd be seeing everything from set up to sundown. I interest so many great things out there. So that's some good suggestions. Well, let me ask you now, what is your favorite part about working in the theater? - Well, this has been amazing 'cause I've been, it's me revisiting theater after not doing it for so long after college. So versus this film where this is just so visceral and you have to be completely present. I think you have to film as well, but like your blood pumps in just a different way with all of this, and it's so exhilarating. And it's a high, it is an amazing high. I'm very addicting, but it's a healthy one, I think. So I've really enjoyed that. I've really enjoyed being in front of an audience. I've really enjoyed getting that rhythm back on stage. And also just learning that you can take the reins and make something yourself and see it through fruition. That's a real power that I don't think everyone realizes that they have, you know. - It's a beautiful answer, I love it. And I want to use it as a jumping off point into my favorite question to ask guests. And that is, what is your favorite theater memory? - Mm, my dad used to take me to these summer musicals in Dallas, Texas. And I remember it being such an occasion and we get dressed up and we'd walk in. And I think the first one we went to, we saw Hayley Mills and the King and I. And I just, I was astounded by the entire thing. And I thought it was magic. And I think I replay walking up those stairs regularly and the excitement of whatever we were gonna see. And I think that's probably my favorite theater memory. - That is so wonderful. I love that. Thank you for sharing. - Well, as we wrap things up, I would love to know, do you have any other projects or productions coming on the pipeline? We might be able to plug for you. - I have a movie coming out at some point, but I don't really know all the, my new details. So I don't know, stay tuned to like January-ish. And then as far as next moves, I hope I get to do pretty good, not bad somewhere else. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge, stand here for listening. And then I think I'm gonna keep on this riding train and see what else comes out. So we'll see, TVD, TVD. - That's fantastic. And a good lead in to my final question, 'cause it sounds like we've gotta keep tabs on what you're doing. And the final question is, you know, if our listeners would like more information about pretty good, not bad, or about you, maybe they'd like to reach out to you, how can they do so? - I'm on Instagram, you wanna follow me on Ellen_Toland, that would be great. Or you can follow the show at pretty good, not bad 2024. That's our Instagram. - Perfect. Well, Ellen, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us, especially all the way in "Beautiful Scotland." I'm so excited for the show. I can't wait for it to come back. - Oh, thank you. - And I just wish you all the best with the show for the rest of the run. Thank you so much for your time. - Thank you, Andrea. I really appreciate it. This was fun. I'm so glad to hear that. Thank you. - And my guest today has been the amazing creator and performer Ellen Toland, whose show "Pretty Good Not Bad" is part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It's playing now through August 24th at the Space at Search and Tall, Stevenson Theater, and then soon at the Holiday Theater. And you can get your tickets and more information by visiting edfringe.com. We also have some contact information for Ellen, which we'll be posting on our episode description, as well as on our social media posts. But if you are over in the Edinburgh area, if you're out there at the festival, make sure you get your tickets for this great show. If you're not at the festival, make sure you keep your eye out, follow them to make sure you know when the show is being remounted, especially here in New York, just saying. Again, the show is "Pretty Good Not Bad" playing now through August 24th. And we want to add for our American listeners that election day is November 5th. Make sure you are registered to vote. You've got a plan to cast your ballot and you do your democratic duty. You can find out how and where you can register to vote by visiting vote.gov. The future demands that we fight for it now. 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. And stage whisper. - 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 @stagewhisperpod. - And feel free to reach out to us with your comments and personal stories at stagewhisperpod@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 stagewhisperpod.com. Our theme song is Maniac by Jazzar. Other music on this episode provided by Jazzar and Billy Murray. You can also become a patron of our show by logging on to patreon.com/stagewhisperpod. There you will find all the information about our backstage pass as well as our tip jar. Thank you so much for your generosity. 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