Catherine Filloux's Kidnap Road opens this week at The First Floor Theatre at La MaMa. Director Elena Araoz answered our 6 Questions about the show, Ingrid Betancourt and working at La MaMa. Don't miss Kidnap Road at La MaMa through May 14th, 2017.
1.
How did you come to direct Kidnap Road?
I
have long admired Catherine Filloux as both a person and a playwright, so I
jumped at the chance to work with her when she reached out. I also have a
personal investment in stories about the Andes and the Amazon – as well as in
stories about fiery female leaders.
2.
Did you do research on Ingrid Betancourt for this project?
While
preparing for this project, I devoured as many interviews with Ms. Betancourt
as I could find. I was particularly interested in discerning who she was
before her capture, and who she seemed to become afterwards. She is a
fascinating woman, and her life is full of many startling events that
extend far beyond her 6-year imprisonment by the FARC. It is amazing
that one person's life can be so full. The Kidnapping of Ingrid Betancourt, a documentary by Victoria Bruce and Karin Hayes, provided
a particularly helpful window into Ms. Betancourt’s relationship with
her family and her home country. Their footage seems to capture both her
courage and her fears. I am also
fascinated by the continued sharp polarization of Colombians’ opinions about
Ms. Betancourt, and the conspiracy theories that still swirl around her.
Current
events in Colombia and in the U.S. have also inadvertently provided a wealth of research
for this play. The peace efforts still in process in Colombia after
five decades of conflict and violence show how massive a task Ms.
Betacourt was trying to achieve. In the meantime, the recent American
presidential election has starkly illustrated the double standards
and animosity that female leaders often contend with. Why are male
leaders – especially those who incite aggression and antagonize
opponents – so often viewed with excitement, awe, or romantic ideas of a
revolutionary spirit? Why are female leaders, even those who do the same
work in the same way, so often portrayed as reaching beyond their post? How
many men in one woman’s life can tell her how to behave?
3.
In what way(s) do you think audiences in NYC can relate to this story?
NYC
is full of people coming from somewhere else with big dreams of doing something
remarkable. Dreams of being leaders and being loved; of making their mark
and making a difference. In the Ingrid Betancourt of Kidnap Road – who
may be quite distinct from the real life person – New Yorkers see a woman on a
mission. But we also see a woman who is
not devoid of ego or ambition – and for all of us trying to carve out a place
for ourselves in NYC, it is not difficult to relate to that drive that
keeps us going in a city that can be so arduous to live in.
Ms.
Betancourt was fighting what seemed to be an impossible fight. She was
envisioning an impossible future. I think many New Yorkers today are
wondering how to do the same thing – how to change a national mood and a
political system with which many of us are deeply unhappy. How much can
an individual accomplish? How much ego or self-assurance does it take to
stay in the fight?
4.
What was the last good book you read?
I’ve
had the great pleasure to read two great books back-to-back: Kia Corthron's
novel The
Castle Cross The Magnet Carter, and Kara Lee Corthron's
young adult novel The Truth of Right Now.
By chance, these two remarkable sisters have published their debut novels
within a year of each other. Separately and together, these two
books have made me more acutely question the atrocious history and
the embarrassing present state of racial divide in this country.
5.
Who inspires you?
There
are a number of artists who inspire me to work harder and smarter. But
lately, I have been especially reminded of my greatest directing mentor, Sir
Jonathan Miller, and his conviction that in order to put real life onstage you
need to be living a real life. I am currently trying to invest not only
in the make-believe of theatre but in my family, my community, the people
around me, and the planet we all share – in living a fully engaged life. I
truly believe that if I can observe the daily minutia of the changing citizenry
and popular opinion in this country, then I can make more honest art.
I
am inspired by my father for making it in this country as an immigrant, by
my mother (who I swear is the hardest working woman on the planet), and by my
husband, whose artistry continues to surprise me.
And
I am inspired by the women all around the country who are standing up and
running for office. Women have been
ignited into action, and that gives me hope that change is coming.
6.
What does working at La MaMa mean to you?
I
have always been impressed by the long lineage of amazing artists whose
work has been developed and supported by LaMama. I am honored to be
showing work in the same building that has housed so many luminaries of
experimental theatre. LaMama is a place for risk takers, for those
exploring form and content and politics in strange, invigorating ways. This
is the kind of art I most admire, and it has been a true joy to work and
collaborate here.
___
La MaMa presents
KIDNAP ROAD
Written by Catherine Filloux
Directed by Elena Araoz
April 27, 2017 - May 14, 2017Thursday - Saturday at 7:30pm; Sunday at 2pm
The First Floor Theatre 74A East 4th Street
(between Bowery and Second Avenue)
New York, NY 10003
Tickets: $20 Adults; $15 Students/Seniors
For Tickets and Info: CLICK HERE
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