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Meet the Director

Posted by DCA Theater on February 20, 2012 in January - July 2012 Season, Incubator Series: Vintage Theater Collective

Interview with Sarah Cameron Sunde, the Director currently working with Vintage Theater Collective on Lion on the Cheesegrater in the DCA Theater Incubator Series

Q: Who is Sarah Cameron Sunde?

SCS: Well, nowadays I like to describe myself as a theater director who creates interdisciplinary performances for the stage and beyond. I started directing while living in England in 1997 and was influenced by European traditions of expressionism and devising work. In New York, I’m most well-known for bringing the plays of Jon Fosse from Norway to the U.S., being passionate about the art of translation, directing new American plays, and running New Georges with Susan Bernfield for the last 10+ years. Lately, I’ve been returning to my devising roots and making more work from scratch, with a particular interest in working with artists of different disciplines. Outside of Lion on the Cheesegrater, my main focus is a long-term project I’m developing with a dancer, a composer, an actor, a visual artist and two video artists. I’m more and more excited about finding the line between visual art and contemporary performance.

Q: What brought you to Chicago?

SCS: I met Michael Mercier (Vintage Theater Collective’s Managing Director) when I directed his final production as a student at the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater BFA Actor Training Program. I was flattered that he remembered me so fondly from that experience and when I met Kristin via Skype, we seemed like a great match. I always think it’s healthy to get out of one’s environment to see how the theater scene exists in other cities and since this workshop opportunity worked out perfectly with my schedule, I couldn’t say no!

Q: What excites you about Lion on the Cheesegrater, an adaptation of Aristophanes’ Lysistrata?

SCS: The theatricality! Stylistically there is so much to play with. We’ve got an ancient Greek story being told through a 1940s “noir” lens about 1920s gangster-land Chicago, and then, on top of all that, is a very contemporary notion of gender-bending with an all-female cast. Kristin’s language is smart, sexy, immediate and mysterious. And I’ve been thrilled with all the work the performers and Josh (our composer) have been bringing into the room. We’re half-way through the process now, and it’s been inspiring to see so much creativity and so many good ideas emerging in the studio.

Q: What do you think about the time at the DCA Studio Theater and the workshop process of new plays?

SCS: It’s a luxury to be able to spend an entire month on this project developing the script with actors and designers in the room—without the immediate pressures of a production. New plays need time to marinate, and I believe they need to be worked up on their feet long before production actually happens. That’s the only way to figure out what actually works as a live experience. In my ideal world, text and the physical world of the play are always developed simultaneously, but it so rarely happens that way because of lack of money and resources, etc. I think that means that many new plays aren’t able to reach their full potential because they don’t have the benefit of a workshop like this at the DCA Studio Theater. There’s no doubt that this month of work will be invaluable in the long run for Lion and the Cheesegrater.

Q: What are your goals for the workshop?

SCS: My goal is to make the best piece of work possible with this group of talented people, and to feed everyone’s creativity. We’re exploring the physical, visceral world in tandem with the script to see how we can elevate both aspects to work together to tell the most suspenseful story possible. I strive to make text feel organic for actors, and I believe that when the playwright and director can work off of the actors and music as much as the music and actors are working off the script, then all elements are able to grow together and we create a truly collaborative piece of work with the greatest potential for success.

Q: What have you enjoyed about Chicago so far?

SCS: I had never been to Chicago before this trip, and so far I love this city! I’m a sucker for good public transportation, and the fact that I get to go to work every day in the Chicago Cultural Center is so special. What an incredible building! I get my coffee from Intelligentsia and do work in the common room before rehearsal and it feels so inspiring. As a New Yorker, I really value that public space is available to me. Katy, Michael, and everyone at Vintage have done an amazing job taking care of me while I’m here and everyone I’ve met has been so friendly. So most of all, I’d have to say that I’ve enjoyed the people of Chicago. Thanks for having me!