We sat down for a chat with Evelyn Rose, producer, writer & composer, about her latest project, ROSIE’S BRAIN.
If you could describe Rosie’s Brain in three words, what would they be and why?
I would first describe the show as honest. I wanted to be brutally honest about how I portrayed therapy and the nuanced ways in which getting a diagnosis and going to therapy can both help and hurt you. Second, I would describe it as playful. One of my big goals with Rosie’s Brain was for it to not be a big pity party. I don’t want the audience to walk away thinking “wow, how sad that she has OCD and anxiety.” I want them to walk away thinking “Aren’t we all a little bit fucked up? Isn’t that funny?.” Anxiety is something that everyone, whether diagnosed or not, deals with at some point and at some degree. I really wanted to, in a way, celebrate that.
And finally, weird. I really wanted to lay bare the weird things that we think and do as humans, especially when we are looking for love!
Since you wrote, composed, produced, and performed the show, which part of the creative process surprised you the most—and which was the most fun?
I was most surprised by the script writing. Getting started was difficult, but once I had a clear idea of the story I wanted to tell, everything just kind of fell into place. I think this is because the story is so personal to me and comes from real lived experiences. But the most fun was writing the music! I have been writing songs for over 20 years, but this is the first musical I have ever written. It’s very different from writing pop music as these songs have to be quite functional. I was very wary of writing music that sits in the emotion for too long. I wanted this show to be snappy and move fast, so I had to be pragmatic when it came to songwriting.
Rosie’s journey is both heartfelt and hilarious. What’s one moment in the show that always makes you laugh, even after so many rehearsals?
I can never take myself seriously during the First Date scene. There is something very humbling about attempting to act as two people in a high stakes moment, with props, physical comedy, etc. It’s very hard to make it feel “right” as an actor, and it just feels absolutely ridiculous, but I think (and hope) that makes it funny for an audience.
If Rosie could give the audience one piece of advice about facing fears and embracing self-belief, what would it be?
Rosie would say “do it (whatever it is) before you’re ready, because ready doesn’t exist!.” When I was younger and dealing with my anxiety/OCD, I thought that I would feel totally “ready” to date and 100% “certain” about my partner. But 100% readiness or certainty does not and cannot exist. I tried to implement that lesson as I worked on this project as well. I don’t think I was fully ready for the first showing of this musical back in September, but I did it anyway and I think I’m better off for it 🙂
You explore anxiety and OCD with humor and honesty. How do you balance the comedy with the deeper emotional moments on stage?
Many of the characters in the show are exaggerated portrayals of real individuals I’ve encountered in my life. I asked myself what their “clown” would do or say, which helped me access the comedy of a dark or emotional moment. I also wanted Rosie to shift swiftly from dark to light and back again, with her biggest strength being her ability to laugh at herself. My favourite type of theatre has you crying one second then laughing the next. I’m unsure if I have succeeded in this, but we will find out!
If Rosie’s Brain had a theme song (besides the musical’s own score), what would it be and why?
It would definitely be “What If” by one of my favourite artists, Cody Fry. My favourite line from the song is “maybe the fear just means I’m alive, maybe I’ll fall but what if I fly.” Anxiety and OCD are always asking “What if,” usually implying that something negative could happen. Rosie experiences this in her journey towards getting a diagnosis and in her dating life. But she learns to put a positive spin on the “what if’s” that are sure to follow.
Rosie’s Brain runs from 4 to 8 February for 5 performances at The Hope Theatre.