Ahead of 00:45:00’s upcoming run at Edinburgh Fringe, we spoke with director Katie Gaven about the piece. Buy tickets here.
How do you direct a play where audience participation is so key?
It’s hard! 00:45:00 is a play that invites the audience to participate in such a pivotal way, and that leaves a lot of room for crazy and unpredictable responses. As the director/writer of this piece, I think it’s really important to be specific about what success looks like for each character. The play begins with a scientist speaking directly to the audience about their role in the experiment. Dr. Wilison is the bridge between the audience and the participants, so it was especially important to establish what a win looks like for her. Doing so helps clarify what degree of feedback she might encourage while still maintaining control. It’s important to utilize everything the audience gives her, regardless of how much it differs from audience to audience!
How important is it to write politically relevant and timely pieces like 00:45:00?
Oh my gosh – it’s so important!! There is so much going on in the world right now, and it can all feel really daunting and isolating. Creating a safe space to challenge social issues and tackle the problematic politics of the day is something I strive to do with this play. My hope is that 00:45:00 will inspire actionable activism in place of passivity in our audiences. I think there is a big tendency to feel hopeless and disengage as passive bystanders when we feel like legislation and political power are out of our control. I believe that a great way to combat this is by opening conversations, sharing our stories, and not being afraid to advocate and fight for what we feel passionately about.
Does power always corrupt?
This is a tricky question. I don’t think power always corrupts. I believe that power has the potential of accomplishing a positive effect as long as the motivation for acquiring it is selfless, with those who have it maintaining the goal of uniting everyone through fairness and equality. I think the problem with power occurs when the individuals who have it act purely out of self-interest. Instead of being utilized as a way of uplifting others and creating a better world for all humans, power is often weaponized to further benefit those with more of it, take away from those with less, and to promote an “us versus them” mentality. This version of power – an abuse of power – is something that our protagonist, Dr. Wilison, directly challenges during our play.
What’s the key to balancing a thrilling narrative with asking philosophical, political, and moral questions?
“Is one person’s life more valuable than another’s?” is a pretty big question to base a play on, and yet, it’s the fundamental question posed during the experiment of 00:45:00.
Exploring philosophical and moral questions can feel like a strictly introspective pursuit analyzing motivations and the conditions of right vs. wrong are not actively theatrical. To make these concepts interesting to an audience, I’ve found that using a device to up the action and the stakes (a timer that counts down from 45 minutes) and implementing a twist that forces the characters to actively express their thoughts creates a gripping structure for these questions to flourish in. This elevates the action and raises the stakes, which balances the intellectual and theatrical aspects of the play.
What power do you think art has to change the world?
All the power!! I believe that art is one of civilization’s greatest assets. Art ignites empathy, which is something we need more than ever nowadays. The ability to see beyond our own perspectives and sympathize with other human beings is fundamental to fostering love and understanding instead of fear and hate. Creating theatre and learning about other people’s stories is such a great way of doing this. I am so incredibly grateful to be taking my show to the Fringe Festival thanks to the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts and to have the opportunity to grow my own empathy by consuming as much art as possible. It is a privilege to be an audience member at a festival that offers such incredible access to live theatre.