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Planet Connections Q&A: Down The Rabbit Hole / Recovery

by The Happiest Medium on May 26, 2010

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Planet Connections Theatre Festivity is New York City’s premiere eco-friendly theatre festival, connecting artists and audiences with diverse dynamic charitable organizations.

The Planet Connections experience entertains, enlightens and informs.

The Happiest Medium (proud sponsors of The Planet Connections Festival), continues the Q&A which we’ll be running every day until the festival begins on June 3rd.  We’ll highlight 2 different shows each day, so make sure to come back and check daily!

Today Anne Jordanova, Antonio Miniño, Diánna Martin, Karen Tortora-Lee, Sarah V. Schweig and Stephen Tortora-Lee all ask one question each of Erin Jividen, writer of Down The Rabbit Hole: A One Woman Musical and Mark Jason Williams, writer of Recovery.  These two shows both deal with some very heavy topics in ways that strive to leave the audience uplifted.  Let’s take a look . . .

Down The Rabbit Hole: A One Woman Musical

answers by Erin Jividen

Here’s Antonio’s question -

If you would have to single out a quality between dialogue, plot or character, which one is the strongest in your play/piece, and why?

I would have to say dialogue, mainly because the play is written entirely in Def Jam Poetry, Spoken Word and Verse, and so it’s a very unique way to approach theater and converse with the audience- as if they were having a conversation right out of a Dr. Seuss Book.

Here’s Karen’s question -

What has been the most surprising or unexpected thing that’s happened during this play? Did that wind up taking the play in a new direction?

I once was performing a song from the show and in the back booth and circuit exploded and started a fire. I could see my stage manager running around with a fire extinguisher trying to put out the fire, all the meanwhile- I kept on going. Luckily we didn’t loose power, and the audience never knew that there was a fire in the back booth!

Here’s Anne’s question -

What do you think is the central theme and reason this play was conceived?

I wanted to talk about some of the hardships and struggles that I’d gone through in my life, and represent a wide range of women’s “voices” to be heard. It sort of was like my own “therapy”… I finally let it all out and told the truth. Since then, the truth has set me free.

Here’s Stephen’s Question -

Why should the audience (we) go to your play? What will the audience learn about the “human condition” by going to your play?

Down The Rabbit Hole deals very closely with several topics that are all about the human condition, and yet does so in a artistic, creative and unique way. Just a few of the topics addressed are: Survival, Society’s Judgment, Eating Disorders, Forgiveness, Child Abuse, Suicide, Molestation, Transgender topics, and sexual discovery.

Here’s Sarah’s Question -

What is your favorite line from the play?

“A woman alone with a rabbit, is just as good as a woman alone with a man!”

Here’s Diánna’s Question -

What about this play do you feel most drawn to personally, and because of that, what message do you hope the audience walks away with?

The entire play is very personal because I wrote it from my experiences in life, and more importantly, my heart. Each character I play dives into a social topic that I personally dealt with, and which also relates to all women of all ages. They walk away feeling like they’ve gone on a journey, have dealt with some demons, and yet, still feel like, “Happily Ever After” really does exist.

* * *

Recovery

answers by Mark Jason Williams

Here’s Antonio’s question -

If you would have to single out a quality between dialogue, plot or character, which one is the strongest in your play/piece, and why?

Dialogue. It’s sharp, witty, engaging and helps to keep the play light, even with a subject as heavy as leukemia.

Here’s Karen’s question -

What has been the most surprising or unexpected thing that’s happened during this play? Did that wind up taking the play in a new direction?

I wrote a character of a nurse, who had a very small part was in her 50′s. Then we ended up casting someone much younger, who brought a totally different perspective to the character, and I was so fascinated by the idea of being young, yet having gone through the same kind of experiences (marriage, surviving cancer before you turn 30) that I wrote a much bigger role.

Here’s Anne’s question -

What do you think is the central theme and reason this play was conceived?

The play was inspired by my childhood experiences as a leukemia patient, something which I hardly talk about, but has always remained in the subtext of my life. The central theme is it’s never too late to start living, especially when faced with an uncertain future.

Here’s Stephen’s Question -

Why should the audience (we) go to your play? What will the audience learn about the “human condition” by going to your play?

The play takes a hard topic, leukemia, and makes it human, and easy to relate to. It’s poignant and compelling, without being sappy, and explores the human capacity for love under the most challenging circumstances. It’s a play about life and death, and one that puts the human condition to the test. I hope the audience will learn that it’s possible to have a sickness and still maintain one’s identity.

Here’s Sarah’s Question -

What is your favorite line from the play?

“So we know the ending? Big deal. I’m more concerned with finding our beginning.”

Here’s Dianna’s Question -

What about this play do you feel most drawn to personally, and because of that, what message do you hope the audience walks away with?

I’m drawn to the notion of exploring the human capacity of love and survival under the most challenging circumstances, and want the audience to walk away thinking hope does spring eternal, even if the outcome doesn’t seem that way. As a leukemia survivor, I thought it was important to tell an honest story of people with leukemia who share adventure and fall in love, and live, while facing an uncertain future.

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