1 00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:08,760 Speaker 1: Welcome to Morenita, A deep dive into the Latin X 2 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:12,239 Speaker 1: experience with Monita. We want to create a community and 3 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:15,640 Speaker 1: a shared space with you while sharing knowledge and inspiration. 4 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:19,160 Speaker 1: This show is about celebrating our culture with guests who 5 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:29,280 Speaker 1: exemplify the best of us. I'm Darrylene Gastillo Vito today 6 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:33,600 Speaker 1: on Monanita. I welcome Eliana Pipes. Eleana is the fantastic 7 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:37,080 Speaker 1: writer behind dream House, a play that I recently had 8 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:39,479 Speaker 1: the chance to debut in Atlanta. I want to have 9 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:43,000 Speaker 1: Eleana on to discuss her works, the inspiration for her plays, 10 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:46,080 Speaker 1: and how she keeps evolving her writing. Eleana is a 11 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:48,480 Speaker 1: force and I'm so glad to have her on the show. 12 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:55,600 Speaker 1: Hello Eliana Pipes, and welcome to Moranita. We're so happy 13 00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 1: to have you here. Hi, thank you so much for 14 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:00,720 Speaker 1: having me. Yes, I feel like I just saw you 15 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 1: because I did just see you. Um, and it also 16 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:08,479 Speaker 1: feels like it was a thousand years ago. I can't 17 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:11,160 Speaker 1: believe that was last week. You believe that? So just 18 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:13,360 Speaker 1: I'm gonna let I'm gonna let you kind of like 19 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:17,399 Speaker 1: give the people the good good of what we're talking about. UM. 20 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 1: I have the absolute pleasure and honor to um. Currently 21 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:27,880 Speaker 1: be starring in one of Eleana Pipes plays called dream 22 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:32,160 Speaker 1: House out here in um Atlanta, our first stop the 23 00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:37,319 Speaker 1: Alliance Theater UM. Eliana is an incredible playwright. And we'll 24 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:40,520 Speaker 1: let you talk about your stuff for a little bit here. 25 00:01:40,880 --> 00:01:48,720 Speaker 1: What's dream House? Who are you? Who am I am? Well? 26 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:51,200 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for that warm introduction, and first 27 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 1: and foremost, it is our absolute honor to have you 28 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:57,000 Speaker 1: starting in the play. Dreamhouse is a play about two 29 00:01:57,080 --> 00:02:00,040 Speaker 1: Latina sisters who inherit a home in a j in 30 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:03,680 Speaker 1: trefying neighborhood and they decide to sell it on an 31 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:07,960 Speaker 1: h g TV style reality home show and the show 32 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:10,799 Speaker 1: gets wild. It goes in a lot of different directions. 33 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:13,680 Speaker 1: They played as a whole takes sort of a surreal twist, 34 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:18,520 Speaker 1: and it's really about these two sisters asking if they're 35 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 1: going to sell this house, if they're going to sell 36 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:24,960 Speaker 1: their culture, and what the cultural cost of progress is? 37 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 1: Do they have to sell out to cash it? And 38 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:29,400 Speaker 1: in the place should we talk about you and your character? 39 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:30,760 Speaker 1: I just want to come and talk about you on 40 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:34,960 Speaker 1: your podcast all this time, I mean, butparently is playing 41 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 1: the wonderful I mean and like we're it's I feel 42 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:41,560 Speaker 1: like it's changed so much with you in it, or 43 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:44,240 Speaker 1: you know, becomes so much more clear. Darylyn is playing 44 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:48,200 Speaker 1: the younger sister, Julia. She is six months pregnant. She 45 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:50,839 Speaker 1: hasn't been back to her hometown, back in the house 46 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:55,720 Speaker 1: for a long time, and she's sort of rediscovering her 47 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:58,480 Speaker 1: connection to her culture and preparation for motherhood and rediscovering 48 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 1: her commitment to this house. And then a whole bunch 49 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:05,440 Speaker 1: of stuff happens that I won't spoil. The thing I 50 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:07,520 Speaker 1: will spoil as the Darrel is incredible in the play. 51 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:12,239 Speaker 1: So this amazing play dream House is um partnering with 52 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 1: the three theaters in producing the world premiere of the show. 53 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:19,040 Speaker 1: How did this show? How did the play dream House 54 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:23,400 Speaker 1: come to this opportunity? Yeah, the play is having a 55 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:28,119 Speaker 1: triple co production world premiere with the Alliance Theater in Atlanta, 56 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:31,960 Speaker 1: Long Woarth Theater in New Haven, Connecticut, and Baltimore Center 57 00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:36,040 Speaker 1: Stage in Baltimore, Maryland, which is incredible. It's it's a 58 00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:38,400 Speaker 1: real it's a real honor and one that I don't 59 00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 1: take lightly for a new play to have such a 60 00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:45,520 Speaker 1: wide reach on its first swing. The way that it 61 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 1: happens is that the play won the Alliance Candida National 62 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 1: Graduate Playwrights Competition. I always forget all the words of 63 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:56,680 Speaker 1: the acreative um, but the CONDUITA prize is a wonderful 64 00:03:57,000 --> 00:03:59,320 Speaker 1: initiative that was started by the Alliance, I believe nineteen 65 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:02,240 Speaker 1: years ago. I think this with the nineteenth winner. And 66 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:05,560 Speaker 1: it's a playwriting competition for people who are in their 67 00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 1: third year of an m f A playwriting program, so 68 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 1: a really interesting kind of narrow pool, um. And the 69 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:16,600 Speaker 1: prize that comes with the the sort of like prize 70 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:19,720 Speaker 1: for winning the competition is getting a full production of 71 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:23,200 Speaker 1: the play at the Alliance, which is incredible because there 72 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:25,839 Speaker 1: are so many competitions out there where the prize is 73 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:29,359 Speaker 1: like a staged reading or like a little stipend. But 74 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:33,279 Speaker 1: to have the prize actually be an investment in a 75 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:36,880 Speaker 1: full production is really unique and hard to find. UM. 76 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:38,440 Speaker 1: And of course, you know, no shade to all the 77 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:41,039 Speaker 1: theaters offering readings, they're amazing, thank you for the readings. 78 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:44,919 Speaker 1: But but it is a really it's a really interesting model, um. 79 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:47,640 Speaker 1: And so the play one that Alliance candet A competition, 80 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:50,799 Speaker 1: and then Long War Theater had been developing the play 81 00:04:50,839 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 1: through their New Works Festival. It had a reading at 82 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:57,440 Speaker 1: the end of which actually are wonderful. Jacqueline Kodea was 83 00:04:57,520 --> 00:05:01,400 Speaker 1: in and then Baltimore Centers Age the artistic director Stephanie 84 00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:03,920 Speaker 1: but I was on the reading committee for the Alliance. 85 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:06,560 Speaker 1: So once the Alliance chose it for production and those 86 00:05:06,560 --> 00:05:08,320 Speaker 1: other two theaters got wind of it, they decided to 87 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:13,880 Speaker 1: jump in as well. Um. Yes, and Jacqueline Correa is 88 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:20,200 Speaker 1: the other actress who plays my sister called UM And 89 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:23,800 Speaker 1: I mean, the feedback for the show so far has 90 00:05:23,839 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 1: just been like incredible. It's we both keep saying the 91 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:32,839 Speaker 1: word incredible over and over again, but that's like, that 92 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:36,440 Speaker 1: is the best like word to describe your show. It 93 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:41,880 Speaker 1: is just Um. There's so much that is spoken, Um, 94 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:47,719 Speaker 1: of the Latin experience of with gentrification and UM, the 95 00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:52,600 Speaker 1: difficulties of sisterhood and the beautiful things with sisterhood and 96 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:55,960 Speaker 1: what comes out of that. UM. And I think the 97 00:05:56,000 --> 00:05:58,880 Speaker 1: amazing thing that you've done is with these two, well 98 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:01,800 Speaker 1: these three care actors. There is a third character, Um, 99 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:05,640 Speaker 1: the host of the h G TV show UM called 100 00:06:05,760 --> 00:06:09,760 Speaker 1: Flip It and List It Um Tessa, who's played by 101 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:18,760 Speaker 1: Marianna Um. Another incredible actress. Um. It's this interesting balance 102 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:22,440 Speaker 1: of these three women, this this relationship that they all 103 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:25,960 Speaker 1: are having with each other on this TV show. And UM, 104 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:29,320 Speaker 1: the challenging of the challenging things that come up to 105 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:33,080 Speaker 1: come up to the surface. UM. Something that's always I 106 00:06:33,120 --> 00:06:37,279 Speaker 1: think catches people's um eye about the play and ears 107 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:43,840 Speaker 1: is um something specifically that happens for the character Badicia. Um. 108 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:47,920 Speaker 1: And something that is connected to you personally that came 109 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:51,240 Speaker 1: out of this play. But UM, I always enjoy I 110 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:52,840 Speaker 1: always enjoy Sorry, this is a little bit of a 111 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:54,839 Speaker 1: run on, but I always enjoy hearing you talk about 112 00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:59,720 Speaker 1: this because, UM, I'm curious about your your journey as 113 00:06:59,760 --> 00:07:03,680 Speaker 1: a a rite and the stories that you share. UM. 114 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:08,839 Speaker 1: In the play, Basia is challenging with I'll just put 115 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:13,120 Speaker 1: it wantly but selling her soul, right, selling her selling 116 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:18,560 Speaker 1: her truth? UM. And and and UM, I'm curious what 117 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:20,520 Speaker 1: that is for you personally. I know that you've spoken 118 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:24,520 Speaker 1: about this in some of your storytelling that you've done, 119 00:07:24,760 --> 00:07:28,800 Speaker 1: and feeling like I'll let you kind of dive in 120 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:31,120 Speaker 1: and with the people, let you let you explain that 121 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:35,360 Speaker 1: a little bit. Yeah. No, I really appreciate that. I 122 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 1: think this play um to sort of start from the top. 123 00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:43,680 Speaker 1: This play came from two sort of central inspirations for me. 124 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:46,520 Speaker 1: The first one was reflecting on the way that my 125 00:07:46,600 --> 00:07:49,040 Speaker 1: hometown was changing when I was growing up. I grew 126 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:51,080 Speaker 1: up in this little pocket of Los Angeles that was 127 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:53,920 Speaker 1: really transforming when I was a little kid due to 128 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:59,640 Speaker 1: art sled gentrification. And on one hand, the arts led 129 00:07:59,720 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 1: genter vucation meant arts programs in my town, and a 130 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:06,720 Speaker 1: lot of those theaters and nonprofit programs reached out to 131 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:09,720 Speaker 1: my underserved elementary schools and I got to experience the 132 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:13,400 Speaker 1: arts from a really young age in a really immersive way. 133 00:08:13,880 --> 00:08:16,920 Speaker 1: But also those new theaters were sparking a wave of 134 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:20,320 Speaker 1: arts ledge gentrification that was also transforming my neighborhood. Little 135 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:22,920 Speaker 1: shops closed and became bars for people to go to 136 00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:27,000 Speaker 1: after shows, and it made the neighborhood appealing to a 137 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:30,680 Speaker 1: different kind of buyer. And then when my family, when 138 00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:33,600 Speaker 1: I was thirteen and my family sold our house, we moved, 139 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:39,239 Speaker 1: and so we sort of participated in that gentrification. We profited. 140 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:42,640 Speaker 1: We you know, are our little cookie cutter house tripled 141 00:08:42,679 --> 00:08:47,880 Speaker 1: in value, so why wouldn't we sell? But leaving that neighborhood. 142 00:08:49,400 --> 00:08:51,839 Speaker 1: On one hand, you know, we had financial resources that 143 00:08:51,880 --> 00:08:54,640 Speaker 1: we didn't have before. It changed the course of my 144 00:08:54,679 --> 00:08:58,600 Speaker 1: family's financial future. That's I mean, it started to change 145 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:00,280 Speaker 1: reaction that has led to my parents being able to 146 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:02,680 Speaker 1: retire today. And we're not rolling it by any means, 147 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:06,120 Speaker 1: but but it it really marked a turning point in 148 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:09,120 Speaker 1: what was possible for my family. And also leaving that 149 00:09:09,160 --> 00:09:14,880 Speaker 1: neighborhood meant a cultural loss that I didn't understand at 150 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:17,680 Speaker 1: the time. As a thirteen year old, I was changing 151 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:20,680 Speaker 1: school districts, I found myself in a very white environment, 152 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:23,080 Speaker 1: and I felt a whole new set of sensations around 153 00:09:23,080 --> 00:09:25,400 Speaker 1: what it felt around what it felt like to be 154 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:28,160 Speaker 1: in a space that was mine or that wasn't mine. 155 00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:33,960 Speaker 1: And so, like that big, weird complicity mess, it was 156 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:36,320 Speaker 1: one piece of the puzzle, and then the other half 157 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:39,240 Speaker 1: of the inspiration behind the play was moving more deeply 158 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:42,560 Speaker 1: into the world of professional playwriting. I've been interested in 159 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:45,320 Speaker 1: writing since I was a little kid. I started writing 160 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:47,400 Speaker 1: truly in the fourth grade thanks to one of those 161 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:50,200 Speaker 1: nonprofit programs called Young Storytellers, which I love dearly and 162 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:53,880 Speaker 1: I currently sit on the board. Um, but I sort 163 00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:56,760 Speaker 1: of kept writing through high school. I was like doing 164 00:09:56,960 --> 00:10:00,240 Speaker 1: these like young play rights programs all through high in 165 00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:03,760 Speaker 1: early college, and this was the first place that I 166 00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:06,880 Speaker 1: wrote in graduate school because by the time I had 167 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:10,120 Speaker 1: landed in grad school, you know, I'm black, white, and 168 00:10:10,160 --> 00:10:13,360 Speaker 1: Puerto Rican. My mother's black and Puerto Rican, my dad's white, 169 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:17,359 Speaker 1: and I typically tend to write black and Latina protagonists. 170 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:22,480 Speaker 1: I'm really close with my mom and so like we 171 00:10:23,080 --> 00:10:25,680 Speaker 1: so basically when I was writing, when I was writing 172 00:10:25,720 --> 00:10:29,320 Speaker 1: stories from those lenses or stories about that part of 173 00:10:29,360 --> 00:10:32,800 Speaker 1: my family, you know, writing black and Latina characters, when 174 00:10:32,880 --> 00:10:38,240 Speaker 1: very often those communities aren't present in the audience. I 175 00:10:38,360 --> 00:10:41,480 Speaker 1: started to feel like I was being asked to sell 176 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:46,960 Speaker 1: my cultural pain for money, and I wanted the money, 177 00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:49,320 Speaker 1: and I wanted the recognition, and I wanted to be 178 00:10:49,360 --> 00:10:51,280 Speaker 1: in those spaces. I wanted my work to be seen 179 00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:55,240 Speaker 1: at those prestigious white theaters, and and and dealing with 180 00:10:56,080 --> 00:10:58,160 Speaker 1: what it meant to want to be in those spaces, 181 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:00,520 Speaker 1: and the sacrifices that I made from my ambition and 182 00:11:00,559 --> 00:11:02,920 Speaker 1: the harm that I put, the sort of harm's way 183 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:04,400 Speaker 1: that I was willing to put myself in to be 184 00:11:04,400 --> 00:11:06,920 Speaker 1: in those spaces. It's not unique to the theater by 185 00:11:06,960 --> 00:11:11,559 Speaker 1: any means that ambition has that kind of cost. UM. 186 00:11:11,559 --> 00:11:15,520 Speaker 1: But I think, you know, specifically thinking about what gays 187 00:11:15,640 --> 00:11:19,920 Speaker 1: my work would be subject to. UM really really drove 188 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:22,559 Speaker 1: a lot behind the play. And yeah, I think that 189 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:25,199 Speaker 1: it's so hard to talk about that scene without spoiling 190 00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:28,200 Speaker 1: things that I think that scene especially, Yeah, everybody's like 191 00:11:28,280 --> 00:11:33,320 Speaker 1: what scene. I know you'll have to come see the play, 192 00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:36,360 Speaker 1: come out and support it. I think we all battle 193 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:50,720 Speaker 1: with that. I want to say, UM something and I 194 00:11:50,760 --> 00:11:53,040 Speaker 1: know the listeners this is we're listening and we're not 195 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:56,520 Speaker 1: seeing here on the podcast. But UM, you guys made 196 00:11:56,559 --> 00:12:05,480 Speaker 1: a very conscious decision to hire me and UM hire 197 00:12:05,559 --> 00:12:09,840 Speaker 1: you know, Jacqueline Correa, who's um compared to myself as 198 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:16,640 Speaker 1: a lighter skinned latina. UM, tell me about that process, 199 00:12:16,679 --> 00:12:20,839 Speaker 1: about the casting process, UM, I will be. I think 200 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:24,600 Speaker 1: I remember my callback. I I thank you guys for 201 00:12:24,679 --> 00:12:28,200 Speaker 1: even calling me in because I mean I wrote it 202 00:12:28,240 --> 00:12:30,960 Speaker 1: inside the playbill of the show. Um. We we had 203 00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:34,600 Speaker 1: an opportunity, the actors to write a a little section 204 00:12:34,600 --> 00:12:36,800 Speaker 1: about what it means what dream House meant to us, 205 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:39,480 Speaker 1: And something that I really wanted to highlight was that 206 00:12:40,280 --> 00:12:43,680 Speaker 1: I being an Afro Latina have never played a Latina role, 207 00:12:43,800 --> 00:12:48,360 Speaker 1: which is insane. Um. And this is the first time 208 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:52,079 Speaker 1: that I've ever been cast as a Latina, to play 209 00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:56,200 Speaker 1: a Latina, to be myself. Um. So I remember after 210 00:12:56,240 --> 00:12:58,520 Speaker 1: my callback, you know, I thank you guys for even 211 00:12:59,040 --> 00:13:02,679 Speaker 1: calling me in the room and giving me the opportunity to, 212 00:13:04,559 --> 00:13:08,360 Speaker 1: I don't know, just be myself and um and and 213 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:11,240 Speaker 1: lead with that. And I'm curious because it's something, it's 214 00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:13,920 Speaker 1: something that our audience is aware of. One of our 215 00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:18,199 Speaker 1: talk backs, an audience member, you know, they applauded the 216 00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:22,079 Speaker 1: fact that you guys cast the show in the way 217 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:24,280 Speaker 1: you did. So I'm just curious what what what happened 218 00:13:24,280 --> 00:13:27,440 Speaker 1: behind the table and all of that. The casting process 219 00:13:27,679 --> 00:13:31,400 Speaker 1: was a wild ride, mostly just because it's a big 220 00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:34,840 Speaker 1: hefty contract, like it's it's a we you know, time 221 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:36,880 Speaker 1: is never anyone's friend. I think we ended up with 222 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:39,200 Speaker 1: less time than we had hoped for. Um. But when 223 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:42,840 Speaker 1: it came to approaching conversations around casting, I was always 224 00:13:42,840 --> 00:13:45,000 Speaker 1: clear and lawyer director was always really clear about wanting 225 00:13:45,040 --> 00:13:48,400 Speaker 1: to prioritize off for latina's mostly because like that that 226 00:13:48,600 --> 00:13:53,680 Speaker 1: is my experience, like like the latinas and my family 227 00:13:53,679 --> 00:13:56,960 Speaker 1: are black, like it's it's it was for me just 228 00:13:57,120 --> 00:14:02,120 Speaker 1: part of honoring like the actual impetus behind the play. UM. 229 00:14:02,200 --> 00:14:04,600 Speaker 1: And also I think we wanted to be aware that, 230 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:07,559 Speaker 1: like this play is going to Atlanta, Georgia, is going 231 00:14:07,559 --> 00:14:11,199 Speaker 1: to Baltimore, Maryland, like we have you know, like if 232 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:15,080 Speaker 1: we want our play to speak to communities that don't 233 00:14:15,080 --> 00:14:17,920 Speaker 1: often get represented in the theater, like the intersection of 234 00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:21,200 Speaker 1: blackness and Latinia is a huge part of that. And 235 00:14:21,200 --> 00:14:24,480 Speaker 1: and so like we always always always were like hoping 236 00:14:24,520 --> 00:14:27,240 Speaker 1: for and aiming to prioritize having a for Latina's in 237 00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:29,480 Speaker 1: the cast. And it was interesting the way that was 238 00:14:29,520 --> 00:14:32,560 Speaker 1: received institutionally. Obviously there was a lot of support, but 239 00:14:32,640 --> 00:14:37,640 Speaker 1: there were interesting conversations about like, well, you know, should 240 00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:39,920 Speaker 1: be saying for latinas only? Or will that change the 241 00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:42,720 Speaker 1: pool too much? Or you know what if we end 242 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:44,600 Speaker 1: up with two people that don't look the same, is 243 00:14:44,600 --> 00:14:49,120 Speaker 1: that a catastrophe? And like no, Um, we ended up 244 00:14:49,120 --> 00:14:51,680 Speaker 1: having lots of conversations, a lot, a lot, a lot 245 00:14:51,720 --> 00:14:54,320 Speaker 1: of conversations. One thing that I do appreciate about the 246 00:14:54,360 --> 00:15:00,240 Speaker 1: team is the real willingness to have rigorous conversations. Um 247 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:03,040 Speaker 1: we sure talked, we sure talked a million years about 248 00:15:03,040 --> 00:15:06,240 Speaker 1: all these different possibilities and what they would mean. Um. 249 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:09,560 Speaker 1: But ultimately what it came down to was just that 250 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:11,800 Speaker 1: we fell in love with you, and then we fell 251 00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:15,120 Speaker 1: in love with Jack, and it just seemed like there 252 00:15:15,200 --> 00:15:18,480 Speaker 1: was no other way to go. Um. And in our 253 00:15:18,520 --> 00:15:20,880 Speaker 1: final rounds we did actually have because we had such 254 00:15:20,920 --> 00:15:23,840 Speaker 1: an intentional emphasis on finding out for Latina actors, we 255 00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:26,680 Speaker 1: did have a pretty full slate of Afro Latina's in 256 00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:30,240 Speaker 1: our top groups. Um. But Jack was just so good 257 00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:34,600 Speaker 1: to say yes, love that there are productions that are 258 00:15:34,680 --> 00:15:39,600 Speaker 1: like cool, let's bring the Afro Latina as like the 259 00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:45,040 Speaker 1: narrator or like the story like this the token, you know, 260 00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:48,280 Speaker 1: and to not you know, I have to like lean 261 00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:51,040 Speaker 1: into that to be able to be like my own 262 00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:55,240 Speaker 1: storyteller and have a connection to the story as the 263 00:15:55,320 --> 00:16:00,720 Speaker 1: identity of the show. Like it's just so it's life changing. 264 00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:07,080 Speaker 1: It's really been so inspiring and um, just just an 265 00:16:07,080 --> 00:16:11,360 Speaker 1: incredible piece of work. Um and something that and I 266 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:14,200 Speaker 1: also want to say, sorry, no please, I just people 267 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:16,640 Speaker 1: have come up like truly and talk backs. People have 268 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:18,440 Speaker 1: come up to me and told me how much it 269 00:16:18,480 --> 00:16:22,240 Speaker 1: means to see you in this plane, like it's landing 270 00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:24,720 Speaker 1: for our audiences as well. And that's something that I 271 00:16:24,760 --> 00:16:27,640 Speaker 1: really I mean, like the simple truth is just like 272 00:16:27,680 --> 00:16:31,040 Speaker 1: you were the absolutely were the strongest choice possible, Like 273 00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:33,080 Speaker 1: like we chose you because you were the best person 274 00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:36,160 Speaker 1: and the downstream bed if it's of the fact that, 275 00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:38,400 Speaker 1: like it really is landing with our audience differently to 276 00:16:38,400 --> 00:16:40,960 Speaker 1: see to see a Latina that they don't typically get 277 00:16:40,960 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 1: to see on stage, Like it's it's really really hitting people. 278 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:48,480 Speaker 1: You've really created a masterpiece. I really hope that this 279 00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:52,760 Speaker 1: after the three stops of the show. Um, I hope 280 00:16:52,760 --> 00:16:59,480 Speaker 1: it continues and continues to blossom and grow. UM. I 281 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:03,400 Speaker 1: want to talk about I know that you mentioned, um 282 00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:07,080 Speaker 1: your younger childhood of you've always wanted to be a playwright. 283 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:12,240 Speaker 1: This has always been your dream. Um, what is that 284 00:17:12,320 --> 00:17:15,240 Speaker 1: something that was always supported by your family, by your mother, 285 00:17:15,600 --> 00:17:19,440 Speaker 1: you know, by by growing up? Is how did little 286 00:17:19,440 --> 00:17:28,439 Speaker 1: Aliana Pipes begin? I have been really, really, really lucky 287 00:17:28,640 --> 00:17:32,399 Speaker 1: to have been supported by my parents as wholeheartedly and 288 00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:37,600 Speaker 1: as genuinely as I have been. My parents are both 289 00:17:38,600 --> 00:17:42,040 Speaker 1: creatives or both sort of like literary people. I had 290 00:17:42,040 --> 00:17:44,440 Speaker 1: the child of two English majors, and my parents actually 291 00:17:44,440 --> 00:17:50,280 Speaker 1: met in a book club. God. So they're like big readers, 292 00:17:50,320 --> 00:17:54,000 Speaker 1: big appreciators of the arts. And my first word was book. 293 00:17:54,040 --> 00:17:56,000 Speaker 1: My father worked in a bookstore for twenty five years. 294 00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:59,199 Speaker 1: He was the manager at the Bodhi Tree in Los Angeles. UM. 295 00:17:59,280 --> 00:18:01,880 Speaker 1: And so it was a household full of reading and writing. 296 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:05,600 Speaker 1: It was a household full of sort of like arts 297 00:18:05,600 --> 00:18:07,960 Speaker 1: and culture. We're kind of household where like we watch 298 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:10,600 Speaker 1: a movie and then after the movie is over, we 299 00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:13,399 Speaker 1: spent forty five minutes discussing the movie and the themes 300 00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:15,960 Speaker 1: and the symbolism and moments that stayed with us. It's 301 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:19,960 Speaker 1: like we're nightmares. It's like really it's it's it's no 302 00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:23,520 Speaker 1: fun for anyone but us. UM. But like, thankfully, my 303 00:18:23,560 --> 00:18:26,200 Speaker 1: parents from the very beginning were very, very very encouraging 304 00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:29,560 Speaker 1: of me writing. UM. And at first I was just 305 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:35,520 Speaker 1: like I would write really intense like school essays, and 306 00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:38,480 Speaker 1: I would get a notebook and like scribble it full 307 00:18:38,520 --> 00:18:41,000 Speaker 1: of a story that was like nine chapters and it 308 00:18:41,080 --> 00:18:42,960 Speaker 1: was a halloween haunted thing, and I would draw my 309 00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:48,880 Speaker 1: own illustrations. I was just really like overloaded and excited 310 00:18:48,920 --> 00:18:52,879 Speaker 1: about storytelling. In any way that I could, UM, and 311 00:18:52,920 --> 00:18:56,280 Speaker 1: they just really we're on my side, and they encouraged 312 00:18:56,320 --> 00:18:58,840 Speaker 1: me even when the writing was bad. It was mostly bad, 313 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:03,600 Speaker 1: but they were happy that I was trying. And yeah, 314 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:07,560 Speaker 1: you know, my mother is is is a poet. Um, 315 00:19:07,600 --> 00:19:13,359 Speaker 1: She's never been able to work professionally, but it's you know, 316 00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:14,960 Speaker 1: she is the soul of a poet. She has the 317 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:16,920 Speaker 1: heart of a poet. She has the poetry of a poet. 318 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:20,199 Speaker 1: I'm pointing over at her little chat book which sits 319 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:23,600 Speaker 1: on my library desk to remind me always of her 320 00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:26,840 Speaker 1: writing and the writing that I come from. And she's 321 00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:30,080 Speaker 1: been such a sort of like thought partner on everything 322 00:19:30,119 --> 00:19:32,840 Speaker 1: that I do. And credit to MoMA the Dollar sign 323 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:35,479 Speaker 1: s and Dreamhouse, that was her idea of that. And 324 00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:38,760 Speaker 1: I love like, throughout our process you'll be like, yeah, 325 00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:44,080 Speaker 1: my mom helped me write that part. Yeah, she really does. 326 00:19:44,119 --> 00:19:46,560 Speaker 1: She reads every draft and like, there are some things 327 00:19:46,600 --> 00:19:50,560 Speaker 1: where it's really sweet. We've worked out a like pretty 328 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:55,359 Speaker 1: intricate system of boundaries because it's also like she's my mom, right, 329 00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:57,600 Speaker 1: so she's the most important person in the world to me. 330 00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:00,080 Speaker 1: So when she makes a comment, it lands heavily, and 331 00:20:00,119 --> 00:20:03,080 Speaker 1: so I'm like, Mama, Okay, during business hours, I can 332 00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:06,400 Speaker 1: receive communication in this way. After business hours, I would 333 00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:08,400 Speaker 1: like an email. In the subject line of the email, 334 00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:11,399 Speaker 1: let me know that it's a work email. Like we 335 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:13,480 Speaker 1: found all these ways to sort of communicate so that 336 00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:15,359 Speaker 1: I could keep myself safe. But like, there's a section 337 00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:18,080 Speaker 1: in the play where Patricia, who's an accountant, talks about 338 00:20:18,119 --> 00:20:20,760 Speaker 1: how she would break down the money that they would 339 00:20:20,760 --> 00:20:23,720 Speaker 1: win from the game show. And I just literally sat 340 00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:25,320 Speaker 1: down with my mom and I was like, Okay, mama, 341 00:20:25,359 --> 00:20:27,399 Speaker 1: we have a million dollars. What are we doing with it? 342 00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:29,600 Speaker 1: And the character is like, We're going to break it 343 00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:32,200 Speaker 1: into units, ten units of a hundred thousand dollars each. 344 00:20:32,240 --> 00:20:35,200 Speaker 1: That is exactly how my mom works. Like a lot 345 00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:37,480 Speaker 1: of my mom is in this play. Yeah, And it's 346 00:20:37,520 --> 00:20:40,360 Speaker 1: and it's just I mean, it's I mean, my mom 347 00:20:40,359 --> 00:20:42,680 Speaker 1: and I are this tame. It's a testament to to 348 00:20:43,600 --> 00:20:47,719 Speaker 1: relationships of of our culture and and and the women 349 00:20:47,880 --> 00:20:51,359 Speaker 1: in it. And and the one thing I love is 350 00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:58,200 Speaker 1: that there's no boundary of the show culturally, Like I mean, 351 00:20:58,280 --> 00:21:00,639 Speaker 1: you have I remember after the show at her Q 352 00:21:00,760 --> 00:21:03,240 Speaker 1: and A, like we had this um, this white woman 353 00:21:03,280 --> 00:21:05,479 Speaker 1: who came up to me and she was like, I 354 00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:10,040 Speaker 1: am Baia and I am Julia. And I was like wow, 355 00:21:11,280 --> 00:21:14,000 Speaker 1: and she just was like just because you know, you 356 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:17,480 Speaker 1: guys are Latin ex sisters, Like, this story speaks so 357 00:21:17,640 --> 00:21:21,760 Speaker 1: deeply for women, and I think that's also something to 358 00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:26,520 Speaker 1: highlight about this play. UM, sorry, gentlemen, y'all are not 359 00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:30,480 Speaker 1: in this one. Okay, this one's for the ladies. But 360 00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:33,800 Speaker 1: that you made this lad you made you made a 361 00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:39,800 Speaker 1: point to not include um, the male gaze. Let's just 362 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:42,960 Speaker 1: call it that, um. And I want to know more 363 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:47,400 Speaker 1: about that. What is that for you? Yeah, Oh my gosh. 364 00:21:47,480 --> 00:21:49,359 Speaker 1: I love that that person came up to you and 365 00:21:49,359 --> 00:21:51,560 Speaker 1: said like, I am Julia and I am Patricia. And 366 00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:54,639 Speaker 1: I think that a lot of people are like I 367 00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:56,680 Speaker 1: don't have a sister. It's a play about sisterhood, and 368 00:21:56,760 --> 00:21:58,600 Speaker 1: I don't have a sister. But a lot of this 369 00:21:58,680 --> 00:22:01,000 Speaker 1: play is about like the conversations that I have with 370 00:22:01,080 --> 00:22:03,280 Speaker 1: myself and the conversations I have with my mother, and 371 00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:05,000 Speaker 1: the conversations I have with my best friend. And so 372 00:22:05,040 --> 00:22:08,680 Speaker 1: I do think that almost everyone is both a Juliana 373 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:12,000 Speaker 1: and Patricia, depending on who else is in the room. Um, 374 00:22:12,040 --> 00:22:13,480 Speaker 1: and so I love that she said that, And I 375 00:22:13,520 --> 00:22:16,360 Speaker 1: also do think that my hope and my aim has 376 00:22:16,400 --> 00:22:20,800 Speaker 1: always been to tell universal stories through a culturally specific lens. 377 00:22:21,840 --> 00:22:25,600 Speaker 1: So I'm thrilled. I'm thrilled that white audience member felt 378 00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:27,760 Speaker 1: seen because I also know that the black and Latino 379 00:22:27,840 --> 00:22:30,120 Speaker 1: audience member felt seen as right. But like knowing that 380 00:22:30,320 --> 00:22:33,280 Speaker 1: knowing that she felt that way makes me happy. I'm 381 00:22:33,320 --> 00:22:35,919 Speaker 1: glad that people are feeling those resonances and getting to 382 00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:38,240 Speaker 1: feel resonance with the character that they typically don't get 383 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:43,160 Speaker 1: to UM. And then as for the men, it's interesting 384 00:22:43,240 --> 00:22:45,679 Speaker 1: it like it did not occur to me or like 385 00:22:45,720 --> 00:22:47,080 Speaker 1: I guess I knew that I had written in all 386 00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:49,480 Speaker 1: female play. It was of course a conscious choice. But 387 00:22:49,600 --> 00:22:52,200 Speaker 1: as it's been sort of moving through the festival circuit, 388 00:22:52,280 --> 00:22:55,240 Speaker 1: people ask about that a lot. Like it's come up 389 00:22:55,240 --> 00:22:57,560 Speaker 1: at every single talk back I've done. People are really like, 390 00:22:57,560 --> 00:23:00,840 Speaker 1: where are the dudes at UM. I think that part 391 00:23:00,880 --> 00:23:03,960 Speaker 1: of my interest in telling the story the way that 392 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:07,240 Speaker 1: I did with three women is that, very often, at 393 00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:10,400 Speaker 1: its core, I think that this story is about colonialism, 394 00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:14,520 Speaker 1: about colonization UM. I used to say, my work is 395 00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:18,400 Speaker 1: about internalized depression. The narratives that we take on from 396 00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:20,879 Speaker 1: other people and then internalize as part of our being, 397 00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:22,640 Speaker 1: and then how that reflects the way that we moved 398 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:25,439 Speaker 1: through the world. But I think just another word for 399 00:23:25,480 --> 00:23:29,680 Speaker 1: that is colonization, like it encompasses, I think more accurately 400 00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:31,440 Speaker 1: what the play is really talking about. And I think 401 00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:35,840 Speaker 1: very often we see stories of colonization told as stories 402 00:23:35,880 --> 00:23:40,639 Speaker 1: of men with guns fighting about land, and I was 403 00:23:40,680 --> 00:23:45,320 Speaker 1: really interested in telling that story as women with culture 404 00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:48,679 Speaker 1: fighting about money, or women with the money fighting about culture. 405 00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:51,680 Speaker 1: Like I think that. I mean, first of all, historically, 406 00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:55,520 Speaker 1: so much of colonization has always centered on women. Women 407 00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:57,520 Speaker 1: have always been a part of the story of colonization, 408 00:23:57,600 --> 00:23:59,919 Speaker 1: just not the story that's told us always like Zapata 409 00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:04,080 Speaker 1: and you know, we get icons and paintings and boleros 410 00:24:04,160 --> 00:24:07,320 Speaker 1: and like, but but women have always been on the 411 00:24:07,320 --> 00:24:12,280 Speaker 1: front lines of all of it because women are holders 412 00:24:12,280 --> 00:24:14,399 Speaker 1: of culture and arbiters of culture in so many ways, 413 00:24:14,840 --> 00:24:19,159 Speaker 1: like literal and and symbolic and like. Statistically, women are 414 00:24:19,160 --> 00:24:21,199 Speaker 1: more likely to hold onto their ethnic identification than men. 415 00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:23,560 Speaker 1: A whole bunch of stuff. But I was really interested 416 00:24:23,600 --> 00:24:26,880 Speaker 1: in centering women in a story about colonization, and also 417 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:29,399 Speaker 1: especially because it's a story about the home, like so 418 00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:33,600 Speaker 1: many things about it, it felt right to me. Um. 419 00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:36,879 Speaker 1: And I also just think that, you know, there are 420 00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:40,359 Speaker 1: plenty of place for men. They'll be fine, they'll be fine, 421 00:24:40,880 --> 00:24:59,320 Speaker 1: they'll be okay, they'll make it. What's next? I know, 422 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:02,840 Speaker 1: I know, I'm just curious, like, what are the stories 423 00:25:02,920 --> 00:25:05,760 Speaker 1: that are you know after dream House, and of course 424 00:25:05,840 --> 00:25:09,320 Speaker 1: dream House hopefully will continue to have an impact and 425 00:25:09,400 --> 00:25:12,760 Speaker 1: grow and such, But what are stories that are now 426 00:25:13,359 --> 00:25:17,919 Speaker 1: speaking to you now that you're unpacking dream House and 427 00:25:18,160 --> 00:25:21,000 Speaker 1: you know now you're hearing the feedback and now you're like, 428 00:25:21,119 --> 00:25:23,680 Speaker 1: what is what is the next story that you are 429 00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:27,040 Speaker 1: eager to share and tell you don't have to go 430 00:25:27,160 --> 00:25:30,560 Speaker 1: too deeply and whatever you can share, But just curious 431 00:25:30,640 --> 00:25:35,639 Speaker 1: what's on your mind nowadays? Yeah, oh gosh, I've been 432 00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:37,920 Speaker 1: working on a couple of film and TV projects that 433 00:25:37,960 --> 00:25:40,760 Speaker 1: are like happy things I can't share about. But in 434 00:25:40,840 --> 00:25:46,520 Speaker 1: the play world, I wrote a play about Lorraina Bobbitt. Um, 435 00:25:49,320 --> 00:25:52,880 Speaker 1: I don't know who does us. So Lorena Bobbitt became 436 00:25:53,320 --> 00:25:57,120 Speaker 1: a tabloid sensation in when she cut off her husband's 437 00:25:57,119 --> 00:26:02,560 Speaker 1: penis with the kitchen threw out her yes, It only 438 00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:05,399 Speaker 1: came out after the fact that he was incredibly abusive, 439 00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:09,720 Speaker 1: and her trial became a flashpoint for so many cultural 440 00:26:09,720 --> 00:26:15,000 Speaker 1: issues in America, but mostly domestic violence and and rape 441 00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:19,040 Speaker 1: survivors and and so like. It was. It was a huge, huge, 442 00:26:19,040 --> 00:26:21,679 Speaker 1: complex case. She was an immigrant, there were there were 443 00:26:21,720 --> 00:26:25,520 Speaker 1: a lot of layers, but essentially she became a piece 444 00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:29,600 Speaker 1: of media spectacle. There were late night specials laughing at 445 00:26:29,640 --> 00:26:35,919 Speaker 1: her like it. She became a punchline after after surviving 446 00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:40,200 Speaker 1: such a horrifying experience. But the only takeaway that America 447 00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:43,040 Speaker 1: took for was the punchline about her husband's dick. It 448 00:26:43,080 --> 00:26:44,919 Speaker 1: was like the dick was the end of the world, 449 00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:47,520 Speaker 1: but the horrifying treatment that she faced in that marriage 450 00:26:47,520 --> 00:26:53,560 Speaker 1: for years and years and years was brushed aside. Wild Um, 451 00:26:53,640 --> 00:26:56,320 Speaker 1: I'm really interested and invested in spectacle as a play, right. 452 00:26:56,359 --> 00:26:59,080 Speaker 1: There's a lot of spectacle in dream house, Um, and 453 00:26:59,200 --> 00:27:02,480 Speaker 1: this play kind of takes takes the spectacle a dream 454 00:27:02,480 --> 00:27:04,840 Speaker 1: house and like dials it up to eleven. It's a 455 00:27:04,920 --> 00:27:09,720 Speaker 1: vignette play. Things are nuts. The place starts with a 456 00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:13,480 Speaker 1: purple dildo dropping from the sky. There's a chariot and 457 00:27:13,560 --> 00:27:17,720 Speaker 1: there's like a chorus of Greek millennials on their phones, 458 00:27:17,840 --> 00:27:20,560 Speaker 1: and there's like the Penis has a monologue, like there's 459 00:27:20,600 --> 00:27:24,639 Speaker 1: a whole bunch of stuff. Um, But it's it's a 460 00:27:24,760 --> 00:27:28,240 Speaker 1: play that's really invested in sort of like getting to 461 00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:34,359 Speaker 1: the bottom of the way that the media makes spectacle 462 00:27:34,480 --> 00:27:39,200 Speaker 1: out of suffering, how the play itself is complicit in that, 463 00:27:40,119 --> 00:27:43,120 Speaker 1: and then sort of like stripping down to the bare 464 00:27:43,240 --> 00:27:46,720 Speaker 1: human truth underneath all of the satire. That was such 465 00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:49,000 Speaker 1: a tricky job of explaining that. But that's the play 466 00:27:49,040 --> 00:27:51,119 Speaker 1: that I'm working on. And then the other piece that 467 00:27:51,160 --> 00:27:54,199 Speaker 1: I've been digging into lately is that I, over the 468 00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:59,160 Speaker 1: course of the pandemic, made an animated short film, which 469 00:27:59,240 --> 00:28:03,119 Speaker 1: is not something I ever thought I would do. Uh, 470 00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:06,160 Speaker 1: it was wild. In January twenty I won the Wave 471 00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:09,119 Speaker 1: Grant granted through Wavelength Productions. It's a grant for a 472 00:28:09,200 --> 00:28:11,639 Speaker 1: first time female or non binary filmmaker of color to 473 00:28:11,880 --> 00:28:14,760 Speaker 1: produce a short film. It's like seed funding to help 474 00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:18,119 Speaker 1: with the production of a short film. Um. It was 475 00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:22,520 Speaker 1: supposed to be a live action short film, but I won. Basically, 476 00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:25,479 Speaker 1: I did three months of intensive pre production, planning on 477 00:28:25,520 --> 00:28:29,240 Speaker 1: shooting in person in Boston and then the pandemic hit, 478 00:28:30,080 --> 00:28:31,280 Speaker 1: and it was clear that we were going to be 479 00:28:31,320 --> 00:28:33,760 Speaker 1: able to film the way that we had hoped, and 480 00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:36,520 Speaker 1: so it looked like we were going to have to 481 00:28:36,560 --> 00:28:40,320 Speaker 1: scrap the project altogether. And I was so so sad. 482 00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:45,440 Speaker 1: And then a brilliant suggestion, brilliant suggestion came from a 483 00:28:45,480 --> 00:28:50,080 Speaker 1: mentor to turn the project into an animation, and I 484 00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:53,000 Speaker 1: just decided to go for it. I had no experience 485 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:55,760 Speaker 1: in animation. I had never even drawn a frame in 486 00:28:55,840 --> 00:28:58,400 Speaker 1: my life. I would not sketch a doodle if you 487 00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:01,880 Speaker 1: had asked me to. But I decided I just didn't 488 00:29:01,880 --> 00:29:04,120 Speaker 1: want to let the project die. It was, looking back, 489 00:29:04,200 --> 00:29:09,480 Speaker 1: really a sort of like wild pandemic brain manic commitment. 490 00:29:09,680 --> 00:29:11,800 Speaker 1: Like I, I did not understand how much I was 491 00:29:11,840 --> 00:29:13,720 Speaker 1: taking on at the beginning, but I partnered with a 492 00:29:13,760 --> 00:29:16,200 Speaker 1: storyboard artist who was a wonderful friend from high school. 493 00:29:16,520 --> 00:29:20,000 Speaker 1: I storyboarded three hundred and forty frames of an animation. 494 00:29:20,640 --> 00:29:24,400 Speaker 1: We found an animation team. We hired a group of 495 00:29:24,440 --> 00:29:30,000 Speaker 1: twelve animators, background artists, composers, sound designers, put the team together, 496 00:29:30,120 --> 00:29:35,960 Speaker 1: and we wrapped in September. It's a really sweet, heartfelt 497 00:29:36,320 --> 00:29:39,720 Speaker 1: queer story. It's about an Afro Latina who is preparing 498 00:29:39,720 --> 00:29:42,920 Speaker 1: for her Keen sanea and she develops a crush on 499 00:29:42,920 --> 00:29:44,840 Speaker 1: another girl in her keen sake court that makes her 500 00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:48,760 Speaker 1: fingernails grow at a superhuman pace, which is on one 501 00:29:48,760 --> 00:29:51,920 Speaker 1: hand fabulous because long nails are such a huge part 502 00:29:51,920 --> 00:29:54,480 Speaker 1: of black and Latino beauty culture. But on the other hand, 503 00:29:54,520 --> 00:29:58,640 Speaker 1: it is an absolute catastrophe because short nails are a 504 00:29:58,720 --> 00:30:03,080 Speaker 1: huge part of queer cal toure for women, and so 505 00:30:03,120 --> 00:30:06,400 Speaker 1: she's basically stuck with these, like monsters, three ft long 506 00:30:06,480 --> 00:30:09,720 Speaker 1: nails that that put a physical obstacle between her and 507 00:30:09,720 --> 00:30:11,280 Speaker 1: her crush. They make her feel like a monster. This 508 00:30:11,280 --> 00:30:13,280 Speaker 1: thing that used to feel like her superpower all of 509 00:30:13,320 --> 00:30:15,960 Speaker 1: a sudden feels like a curse. Uh. And it's just 510 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:20,400 Speaker 1: about navigating that intersection between latinly that and queerness, between black, black, 511 00:30:20,480 --> 00:30:24,640 Speaker 1: and Latino beauty culture and beauty standards and this sometimes 512 00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:28,760 Speaker 1: white assumptions that come with the queer community, especially mainstream 513 00:30:28,840 --> 00:30:32,640 Speaker 1: queer culture. Um, but we have a happy ending culture 514 00:30:32,680 --> 00:30:36,520 Speaker 1: wins and love wins too, and she gets and you know, 515 00:30:36,520 --> 00:30:40,160 Speaker 1: if they can say ends happily, I love this. So see, men, 516 00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:43,320 Speaker 1: you guys will have your play a big purple BUILDO 517 00:30:46,680 --> 00:30:49,320 Speaker 1: enjoy enjoy John Bob at the one man in my 518 00:30:49,400 --> 00:30:53,120 Speaker 1: play writing universe. And then I love that like you, 519 00:30:53,400 --> 00:30:57,280 Speaker 1: I mean, there's any other writers who are listening um 520 00:30:57,440 --> 00:31:00,520 Speaker 1: or people that want to you know, write play or 521 00:31:00,800 --> 00:31:03,000 Speaker 1: or or even like you know, apply for any of 522 00:31:03,000 --> 00:31:06,040 Speaker 1: these I mean grants are like there's there's so many, 523 00:31:06,120 --> 00:31:08,600 Speaker 1: there's so many opportunities that I think that you have 524 00:31:08,800 --> 00:31:13,360 Speaker 1: like taken and you've jumped on and that's always like 525 00:31:13,400 --> 00:31:16,280 Speaker 1: the first step, right, just like right and right. But like, 526 00:31:16,400 --> 00:31:19,200 Speaker 1: is there any advice that you would give a fellow 527 00:31:19,640 --> 00:31:22,600 Speaker 1: um young writer out there or somebody who wants to 528 00:31:22,680 --> 00:31:26,080 Speaker 1: jump into that deep end as you've been doing and 529 00:31:26,080 --> 00:31:29,040 Speaker 1: and all of these incredible like like ideas that you 530 00:31:29,080 --> 00:31:31,080 Speaker 1: have and like you're just going for it and I 531 00:31:31,120 --> 00:31:33,760 Speaker 1: love that. That's what I love about your work. It's 532 00:31:33,840 --> 00:31:39,680 Speaker 1: fearless and it's direct, and it's clear and yeah, and 533 00:31:39,760 --> 00:31:42,040 Speaker 1: it's kind of quirky and kind of weird, but you're 534 00:31:42,120 --> 00:31:45,720 Speaker 1: like I get it, and yes, I feel I feel her, 535 00:31:45,880 --> 00:31:48,280 Speaker 1: I feel the weirdness and I and I and I 536 00:31:48,400 --> 00:31:51,440 Speaker 1: and it's so powerful. So like, is there anything that 537 00:31:51,480 --> 00:31:53,920 Speaker 1: you would like to like kind of give a little 538 00:31:54,960 --> 00:31:57,680 Speaker 1: a couple of words for people that might want to 539 00:31:57,720 --> 00:32:02,440 Speaker 1: follow what you're doing. MMM. I so appreciate that. Oh 540 00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:04,760 Speaker 1: my gosh, fear listen. Weird is all I've had a 541 00:32:04,880 --> 00:32:13,160 Speaker 1: dream to be. I think. I think that writing is 542 00:32:13,920 --> 00:32:19,000 Speaker 1: at its core an invitation to develop and discover your voice. 543 00:32:20,360 --> 00:32:23,520 Speaker 1: And so I think I spent a long time trying 544 00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:25,760 Speaker 1: to sound like other people are trying to sound like 545 00:32:25,800 --> 00:32:29,480 Speaker 1: other writers, and things really unlocked for me when I 546 00:32:29,680 --> 00:32:34,479 Speaker 1: just invested in trying to sound like myself and then 547 00:32:34,480 --> 00:32:37,040 Speaker 1: trying to rediscover what sounding like myself would even sound like, 548 00:32:37,080 --> 00:32:40,640 Speaker 1: and then saying, what is this self anyway? Like? I 549 00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:45,920 Speaker 1: think that the very i I've been lately, especially trying 550 00:32:45,920 --> 00:32:49,200 Speaker 1: to think about writing to please myself. First. We think 551 00:32:49,240 --> 00:32:51,640 Speaker 1: so often about the audience, or in the context of 552 00:32:51,640 --> 00:32:54,240 Speaker 1: applying to things about the judges or adjudicators. Is this 553 00:32:54,280 --> 00:32:56,200 Speaker 1: going to make them laugh? Does it make you laugh? 554 00:32:56,640 --> 00:32:58,680 Speaker 1: You know? Is this going to land with an audience? 555 00:32:58,720 --> 00:33:01,040 Speaker 1: Does it land with you? I think very often the 556 00:33:01,080 --> 00:33:04,160 Speaker 1: best and first litmus test is, you know, is this 557 00:33:04,200 --> 00:33:06,800 Speaker 1: piece doing something to me? Is it asking me new questions? 558 00:33:06,840 --> 00:33:09,600 Speaker 1: Is it challenging me? Is it making space for me? 559 00:33:09,640 --> 00:33:12,840 Speaker 1: Is it making me feel seen um, and it used 560 00:33:12,880 --> 00:33:14,880 Speaker 1: to feel really selfish to me to focus on it 561 00:33:15,400 --> 00:33:17,560 Speaker 1: on in that sort of narrow the lens, to focus 562 00:33:17,560 --> 00:33:20,520 Speaker 1: on myself in that narrow the lens. But I found 563 00:33:20,560 --> 00:33:23,480 Speaker 1: that the things that hit me the hardest tend to 564 00:33:23,520 --> 00:33:25,720 Speaker 1: be the things that hit the audience the hardest. And 565 00:33:25,760 --> 00:33:27,280 Speaker 1: the more that I feel that I'm being sort of 566 00:33:27,280 --> 00:33:29,520 Speaker 1: like raw and close to my experience, the more that 567 00:33:30,040 --> 00:33:32,640 Speaker 1: I get reflected feedback from other people who encounter it 568 00:33:32,680 --> 00:33:35,720 Speaker 1: that they are feeling seen um, and there will always 569 00:33:35,720 --> 00:33:38,120 Speaker 1: be things to challenge. I'm so grateful that dream House 570 00:33:38,160 --> 00:33:40,440 Speaker 1: has had such a long festival run because it's given 571 00:33:40,480 --> 00:33:43,160 Speaker 1: me the opportunity to expand the play, to hit other 572 00:33:43,160 --> 00:33:46,360 Speaker 1: perspectives that I didn't and that I didn't inherently have 573 00:33:46,400 --> 00:33:49,880 Speaker 1: our inherently hold. This very last production, I learned so 574 00:33:49,880 --> 00:33:51,760 Speaker 1: many things that that just because of who I am 575 00:33:51,800 --> 00:33:54,200 Speaker 1: and how I grew up, weren't clear to me or 576 00:33:54,200 --> 00:33:56,400 Speaker 1: evident to me from the start. But you can make 577 00:33:56,400 --> 00:33:58,520 Speaker 1: the play more inclusive and more experiences as you go. 578 00:33:58,960 --> 00:34:01,000 Speaker 1: The thing that I love about is that it's the 579 00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:03,280 Speaker 1: part of the creative process that nobody has to give 580 00:34:03,320 --> 00:34:06,440 Speaker 1: you permission to do If you're an actor, you're waiting 581 00:34:06,480 --> 00:34:08,120 Speaker 1: for a part. If you're a director, you're waiting for 582 00:34:08,120 --> 00:34:09,560 Speaker 1: someone to bring you a project or to bring you 583 00:34:09,640 --> 00:34:11,719 Speaker 1: some funding. But nobody can stop you from sitting down 584 00:34:11,719 --> 00:34:15,960 Speaker 1: and writing. And I think that's really powerful because everything 585 00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:19,360 Speaker 1: starts with a script, everything starts with the play. Um. 586 00:34:19,400 --> 00:34:21,920 Speaker 1: I think it's so great to apply to every opportunity 587 00:34:21,960 --> 00:34:24,120 Speaker 1: you can, and also to know that rejection is not 588 00:34:24,200 --> 00:34:27,600 Speaker 1: a reflection on you. Um. I've mostly come up through 589 00:34:27,800 --> 00:34:32,359 Speaker 1: play writing competitions and for the winds, for the stack 590 00:34:32,400 --> 00:34:34,719 Speaker 1: of wins that I have. I cannot tell you how 591 00:34:34,760 --> 00:34:37,640 Speaker 1: long the stack of nos is. Nobody posts about their 592 00:34:37,640 --> 00:34:41,160 Speaker 1: rejection letters, but know that everybody's getting them, and that 593 00:34:41,280 --> 00:34:44,440 Speaker 1: it shouldn't be discouraging, and that contests are not a 594 00:34:44,480 --> 00:34:47,319 Speaker 1: gauge of work in either direction. Yeah, nobody knows that, 595 00:34:47,760 --> 00:34:50,640 Speaker 1: nobody knows the struggles of all the nose and all that. 596 00:34:50,719 --> 00:34:53,440 Speaker 1: But you know, yeah, that when you get those yeses 597 00:34:53,520 --> 00:34:59,319 Speaker 1: I mean, and you have a re world premiere of 598 00:34:59,360 --> 00:35:04,399 Speaker 1: an incredible will play such as yours, it's true, Eleana. 599 00:35:04,640 --> 00:35:06,080 Speaker 1: The one thing I love about your work that I 600 00:35:06,080 --> 00:35:08,080 Speaker 1: also want to say, and I want to I keep 601 00:35:08,120 --> 00:35:10,879 Speaker 1: like loving on you because I'm just like, it's it's 602 00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:15,440 Speaker 1: so good. But it's Um. You have this gift of 603 00:35:15,760 --> 00:35:23,200 Speaker 1: um of highlighting true, real, honest experiences. But you highlight them, 604 00:35:23,239 --> 00:35:26,680 Speaker 1: even the painful ones. You somehow highlight it with joy. 605 00:35:26,760 --> 00:35:30,520 Speaker 1: And that is not easy. That is not an easy 606 00:35:30,600 --> 00:35:34,880 Speaker 1: thing to do. UM. You know, you find yourself laughing 607 00:35:34,920 --> 00:35:39,600 Speaker 1: through these really dark clay, these dark experiences, and I 608 00:35:39,640 --> 00:35:42,680 Speaker 1: think that that is just it's it's a gift and 609 00:35:42,760 --> 00:35:46,560 Speaker 1: you you definitely definitely have that gift, UM. So thank 610 00:35:46,600 --> 00:35:49,160 Speaker 1: you for that, and thank you for sharing it with 611 00:35:49,239 --> 00:35:51,760 Speaker 1: all of us. Thank you so much. That's so sweet. 612 00:35:52,160 --> 00:35:54,040 Speaker 1: So there is a question that we always ask our 613 00:35:54,080 --> 00:35:57,000 Speaker 1: lovely guest here at Mornita, and I'm curious what your 614 00:35:57,040 --> 00:36:00,840 Speaker 1: answer is, UM, what is the one thing that makes 615 00:36:00,880 --> 00:36:05,919 Speaker 1: you feel like home or defines home? Hmm, that's such 616 00:36:05,920 --> 00:36:11,320 Speaker 1: a beautiful question. Wow, oh man, my head is spinning. 617 00:36:12,040 --> 00:36:16,920 Speaker 1: I think my mom. Honestly, just like the answer that 618 00:36:17,520 --> 00:36:21,799 Speaker 1: jumps to mind is my mom, and not even like 619 00:36:21,880 --> 00:36:25,240 Speaker 1: having my literal mom with me, but like a presence 620 00:36:25,239 --> 00:36:27,640 Speaker 1: and a feeling of my mom. I live in Los 621 00:36:27,680 --> 00:36:29,759 Speaker 1: Angeles right now. I was born and raised in l A. 622 00:36:29,840 --> 00:36:34,680 Speaker 1: My parents moved to Portland, Oregon. UM. But when my 623 00:36:34,719 --> 00:36:36,879 Speaker 1: mother sent me down to l A again, she sent 624 00:36:36,920 --> 00:36:39,400 Speaker 1: me with some like sculptures that she'd had since she 625 00:36:39,520 --> 00:36:42,319 Speaker 1: was my age. And I have her books over in 626 00:36:42,360 --> 00:36:46,440 Speaker 1: the corner. And I'm codependent, and so she helped me 627 00:36:46,440 --> 00:36:49,280 Speaker 1: pick out all my furniture, and I'd like, I feel, 628 00:36:49,719 --> 00:36:53,480 Speaker 1: I feel her presence in my place even when she's 629 00:36:53,520 --> 00:36:55,640 Speaker 1: not here. So I think my mom is the thing 630 00:36:55,640 --> 00:36:57,960 Speaker 1: that helps me feel like home. Love that. Shout out 631 00:36:57,960 --> 00:37:03,359 Speaker 1: to mom. Shout out to mom. Alanna, thank you so much, 632 00:37:03,719 --> 00:37:06,400 Speaker 1: so so much for spending some time with us, for 633 00:37:06,840 --> 00:37:12,560 Speaker 1: sharing your stories, and I cannot wait to continue hearing more. Um, 634 00:37:12,600 --> 00:37:15,800 Speaker 1: how do our lovely listeners continue to follow your journey? 635 00:37:15,840 --> 00:37:18,200 Speaker 1: Is there a place that we can keep looking for 636 00:37:18,239 --> 00:37:22,920 Speaker 1: you and hearing your stories? Yes, my website is always 637 00:37:22,960 --> 00:37:26,200 Speaker 1: the most updated. It's Eliana Pipes dot com. And that's 638 00:37:26,200 --> 00:37:28,360 Speaker 1: also my head on Instagram, which I rarely use, but 639 00:37:28,400 --> 00:37:30,719 Speaker 1: it might come back to it news to say, I know, 640 00:37:30,880 --> 00:37:33,080 Speaker 1: right social media, so there's always a moment of like 641 00:37:33,360 --> 00:37:37,040 Speaker 1: ringing you back around. I know. Thank you so much, Eleana, 642 00:37:37,080 --> 00:37:39,600 Speaker 1: Thank you for being on Anita. It was a pleasureless it. 643 00:37:39,840 --> 00:37:46,640 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for having me. I'm so grateful 644 00:37:46,680 --> 00:37:49,000 Speaker 1: to Eliana for coming on the show today, and I'm 645 00:37:49,040 --> 00:37:51,400 Speaker 1: grateful to her for letting me originate the role of 646 00:37:51,520 --> 00:37:55,080 Speaker 1: Julia in dream House. I hope Dreamhouse becomes a major 647 00:37:55,200 --> 00:37:59,000 Speaker 1: success and travels throughout the world. It's that good, y'all. 648 00:37:59,360 --> 00:38:02,200 Speaker 1: But I know Eleana is going to be a huge success. 649 00:38:02,600 --> 00:38:05,719 Speaker 1: Her talent and commitment is seen in everything she does, 650 00:38:06,080 --> 00:38:07,920 Speaker 1: and I hope I get the pleasure of working with 651 00:38:07,960 --> 00:38:16,320 Speaker 1: her again. Amos Mona Nita is a production of Sonato 652 00:38:16,400 --> 00:38:20,319 Speaker 1: and partnership with I Heart Radios michaela podcast network. For 653 00:38:20,400 --> 00:38:23,239 Speaker 1: more podcast from I Heart Radio, visit the I Heart 654 00:38:23,280 --> 00:38:26,440 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your 655 00:38:26,480 --> 00:38:27,200 Speaker 1: favorite shows.