The Upstage Interview: Sabrina Reeves

Sabrina Reeves and Paul Hopkins in Hollows of a Dream

(Photo credit: Dominique Chartrand)

Sometimes I find plays are balanced so tightly to narrative structure at the expense of other elements which could make the experience feel more live.

The Upstage Interview, each Monday, is a result of CharPo's media partnership with Upstage: Theatre on Radio on CKUT.

Upstage and CharPo contributor Sarah Deshaies spoke with Writer/Director Sabrina Reeves about The Hollows of a Dream. Below is an abridged version of the interview transcribed by Estelle Rosen, CharPo Editor-in-Chief.

First Person: Sabrina Reeves of Fée Fatale on live theatre

Sabrina Reeves and Paul Hopkins in Hollows of a Dream

(Photo credit: Dominique Chartrand)

The Ecstasy of Not Knowing

by Sabrina Reeves

One of the simplest definitions of dramatic tension that I’ve ever heard is: not knowing what’s going to happen next. The kind of theatre that I like takes this definition literally. It creates an experience for the audience that is not only mental but also physical. It seeks to immerse the audience in the world of the piece. In this kind of theatre, not knowing what is going to happen next is a visceral experience.

I went to Carnegie-Mellon University. It is a rigorous theatre-training program. However, upon graduating, 80% of the students go to Los Angeles to work in film. I think it is as far back as this training that a question lodged in my brain.

Why go to see a piece of theatre instead of a film?

The obvious answer is: because it is live.