Thursday, June 3, 2010

Planet Connections Interview - Gabrielle Fox of Fox Tales

By Byrne Harrison

Name: Gabrielle Fox
Play: Fox Tales: An Evening of One Act Plays by Gabrielle Fox
Relationship to production: Playwright
Website: Fox Tales

How did you first get involved in theatre?

I grew up in theatre, my mother is an actress, I sat in on rehearsals, ran lines with her etc. It wasn't until I was an adult and I happened to stumble into a free playwriting workshop that I fell in love with writing plays. Tony Howarth ran the workshop so it's really wonderful to be working with him as a director on Fox Tales.

Who are your biggest influences?

ALL the Foxes ;) I love O'Neill, Mamet and especially Eve Ensler for her incredible bravery as a woman and as a playwright.

What is Fox Tales about?

Three one act plays (Winfluence, The Graveyard Shift, Good Friday) about human beings struggling to make connections. In these plays characters come from extreme circumstances and overcome their loneliness even if it is for just a moment. Sounds serious but there's lots of humor! That's ultimately how we connect isn't it?

What inspired you to write it?

That's hard to pin down....Winfluence came up during a difficult work situation, The Graveyard Shift after a painful break up and Good Friday...I don't really know! Inspiration for me usually comes when I don't know what to do in real life (good or bad) so I hide out in an imaginary world for awhile. The plays don't really have anything to do with the situation but they get me through them.

What made you want to perform in an eco-friendly theatre festival like Planet Connections?

I love the mission of Planet Connections and it has provided me with even more motivation to get the word out to people to see not only my play but all of the productions, it's got a real community feel.

Planet Connections is fairly unique in that a portion of the box office for each show is donated to a charity. What charity have you chosen and why?

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. One of the characters in my play is suffering the loss of a loved one due to AIDS so it seemed like a perfect fit. BC/EFA took care of its community from the very beginning and has never stopped. They are amazing and relentless in their pursuit to raise funds for those affected by AIDS.

What's next for you after Planet Connections?

Broadway, baby! Maybe not right away...but some day...gotta dream big!

And finally, if you could go back in time and meet yourself as a kid, what advice would you give your younger self?

"Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid" Fear is fleeting...learn to make friends with it.

Fox Tales: An Evening of One Act Plays by Gabrielle Fox
By Gabrielle Fox
Directed by Tony Howarth

CAST: Jess Erick, Margie Ferris, Fidel Fonteboa, Donna James, Stephen Medwid and Fred Rueck

Running time: 60 minutes, no intermission

Venue: The Gene Frankel Theatre, 24 Bond Street

Performance dates:
Thurs 6/3 @ 9pm
Sat 6/5 @ 12pm
Sun 6/6 @3:30pm
Thurs 6/10 @ 7:30pm
Mon 6/14 @ 8pm
Sun 6/20 @ 1pm

No comments: