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A Conversation with boom Director Christie Vela (Interviewed on Google Chat)


by Lee Trull 25 Feb 2010 5:01 PM

Guest blogger Lee Trull is Associate Artist with the Dallas Theater Center and a member of the Kitchen Dog Theater Company. For weeks now, I’ve been wanting to interview my friend – and fellow Kitchen Dog Theater and Dallas Theater Center company member – Christie Vela about directing boom at Kitchen Dog. But she’s just […]

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Guest blogger Lee Trull is Associate Artist with the Dallas Theater Center and a member of the Kitchen Dog Theater Company.

For weeks now, I’ve been wanting to interview my friend – and fellow Kitchen Dog Theater and Dallas Theater Center company member – Christie Vela about directing boom at Kitchen Dog. But she’s just too darn busy to nail down. So I pretended to be having an innocent conversation with her on Google chat. I will now publish it on Art & Seek without her permission! Below is the transcript – without the use of spell check:

Me: hello, Christie!
Christie: hi! i am not going to use capital letters.
me: you’ve been a busy girl these days, huh?
Christie: yes. very
me: you’ve been directing boom at Kitchen Dog and rehearsing the role of Helen in Fat Pig at DTC. Are you still alive?
Christie: just barely. No! I live for this.
me: well, tell us about boom
Christie: i love boom. what do you want to know? i don’t want to give away too much. i can tell you it’s the most produced play in the country this season, and the playwright is going to be BIG baby!
me: is it a comedy? drama? soft core porn?
Christie: all of those. it’s a play about the end of the world, and accepting that sometimes, we don’t have much control over our lives and coming to terms with that. even finding comfort in it.
me: sounds hilarious…
Christie: it is hilarious! and a little bit sad. but mostly hopeful and very laughy. it has some goos actors in it.
good.
good actors.
me: Dallas audiences know Jenny’s work and Kitchen Dog hard cores love Karen. Who’s this Eric Steele?
Christie: Eric Steele is a hometown boy, who’s been laying low for a while. He’s been doing a lot of work in film, but luckily for us decided it was time to get back to his theater roots.
me: Final question — I want your political opinion: intermissions — good thing or bad?
Christie: mmm…
bad.
I like plays that feel like dangerous adrenaline rush rides at the amusement park.
I don’t like letting the audience off the hook.
Sent at 3:22 PM on Thursday
Christie: Hey! Peter will be in town o Friday!
me: When the playwright’s in town everyones happy…except the actors. See you soon, friend.
Christie: Bye!
Sent at 3:24 PM on Thursday

boom runs NOW through March 13 at Kitchen Dog Theater!

Eric Steele and Jenny Ledel in boom at Kitchen Dog Theater Photo by Matt Mrozek

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  • Christie V

    I can’t believe you published my misspellings. Did I spell misspelling right?
    I feel so betrayed. COME SEE BOOM!!!