Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Fringe Q&A With Katharine Heller of My Dad's Crazier Than Your Dad: A Scientific Inquiry

By Byrne Harrison

Name: Katharine Heller
Show: My Dad's Crazier Than Your Dad: A Scientific Inquiry
Relationship to show: Playwright, actor
Website: www.mydadscrazier.com, www.katharineheller.com

How did you first get involved in theatre?

I always knew I wanted to act or bartend. Luckily, the two go together.

Who are your biggest influences?

Meryl Streep, Ellen DeGeneres, Joan Rivers

What is your show about?

My Dad's Crazier Than Your Dad: A Scientific Inquiry is a one-woman show about family or more specifically, my relationship to my father. But it is presented as a live scientific experiment, and as the audience is a big part of proving my bold theory, the show is a little bit different every night.

What inspired you to write it?

I've been telling stories about my dad for years, and people are fascinated by him. He really is an interesting subject. Plus, he was a scientist, so that's how I decided to do this format.

Who are your collaborators and how long have you been working with them?

Nell Balaban, the director, worked with me on The Boy in the Basement, Fringe 2008, and she won an award for outstanding direction. I love working with her so much and she is so fun, I had to work with her again. Dragonchase is an incredible production company, and they produce another show that is running that I am in, Naked in a Fishbowl, the unscripted episodic sitcom that has huge following both live and on the internet (our episodes are taped for the web).

If you could have one wish come true about your production, what would it be?

I would love it if people leave the theater with a different perspective on how they see their families. Hopefully, a humorous one.

What's next for you after Fringe?

Still running Naked in a Fishbowl every Mondays at the Soho Playhouse - it's such an amazing show to be in and I look forward to it every week. That, and maybe some rest.

And finally, if you could work with any actor, director or playwright,
living or dead, who would you chose and why?


I'd love to be on stage with Jake Gyllenhaal, just because he is so attractive. Is that wrong?

My Dad's Crazier Than Your Dad: A Scientific Inquiry
Dragonchase Inc.
Writer: Katharine Heller
Director: Nell Balaban

VENUE #1: Dixon Place

Fri 13 @ 7
Sat 14 @ NOON
Fri 20 @ 6:15
Wed 25 @ 4:15
Fri 27 @ 9

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