CALIFORNIA PREMIERE OF ’17 BORDER CROSSINGS’
INTERVIEW: THADDEUS PHILLIPS
BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO
After sold out runs on four continents, including the international cities of Moscow and Hong Kong, 17 Border Crossings made its Off-Broadway premiere on April 11, 2019 at New York Theatre Workshop and ran for six weeks. Based on Phillips’ actual adventures, 17 Border Crossings is a comical, visually surreal, sometimes harrowing, and engrossing look at the imaginary lines that divide up the world and the very real barriers they create. The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage in Santa Monica is proud to present the California Premiere of 17 Border Crossings, created by and starring Thaddeus Phillips. In this Tin Pan L.A. exclusive Phillips discusses writing this one-man show and what audiences can expect from this marvel of storytelling.
What inspired you to write 17 Border Crossings?
Travel. I tried to develop a work about travel, but nothing came – the only interesting thing were a few stories about border crossings – so the director, Tatiana Mallarino and I, started to devise ways to stage all the interesting and bizarre border crossings I experienced in various travels while studying abroad or researching material for plays or touring – and we mixed these with real stores from newspapers and books to create 17 crossings.
Why did you choose the tell this story as a solo show on stage instead of a memoir, film or other storytelling medium?
Magic of theater – borders don’t actually exist we just invented them – and stage you can show this literally – where the borders are just light – and places onstage. At a recent show in Florida, a student recommended we make a film of this ala Michael Bay – Ill see if I can get him to the show at The Broad and set up a meeting.
How do you handle weaving personal experiences with the elements of fiction?
The balance is between personal experiences and non-fiction. The weaving is a very conscious effort of understanding of our position of privilege in having US Passports – while most people on earth have passports that don’t allow them anywhere near the freedom to travel as we have. Since it’s inception in 2012, the show was created with a balance of what and where a person with a US passport and go and do and what other people have to do to go where they want – or when they must leave their homelands due to wars, economics, environmental disaster. The weaving of non-fiction and personal experiences allows this very sad and random contradiction – that we can go almost wherever we want, whenever we want, and others have to die in the desert or stare or drown – is key to being awake to the plight of most people on earth.
Given that your show has had sold out runs on four continents have you had any audience reactions anywhere that have surprised you, or left a lasting impression?
What is the most striking is the different ways different audiences react – in Europe, they are surprised a person from the USA can speak so many other languages and knows about geography, etc – while in New York, it played as a stand up comedy to most yet a few people dismissed the whole show as simply an exercise of a privileged straight white man talking about his travels – but in Colombia and Costa Rica, they were impressed by how critical a show by an ‘American’ was of ‘America’. Since the theatrical task is to just present 17 border crossings, and not comment on them, you see how audiences put their own opinions, visions, prejudices and ideas on the piece – while the deep intention is to remove those.
Many of the reviews of 17 Border Crossings mention the “scenic world” of this piece, what is your philosophy for the use scenic elements both in this show and in general?
Theater is the most magical space, on a stage, with almost nothing, anything can be made. While all my other work involves extensive sets that flip and turn and transform – the challenge my creative team and I set for 17 BORDER CROSSINGS was how to make as many different environments, that specifically evoke the countries they are in, but using only minimal light, sound and staging.
17 Border Crossing covers thirty settings with multiple characters, is there a character, or setting that is one of your favorites to perform on stage?
There is a sequence of 4 border crossings that are short and quick and linked together with the same music – in this sequence there is a florescent only lit scene set on the French border involving rubber gloves. This is my favorite part to perform.
What do you hope audiences will come away thinking, or feeling after experiencing your show?
The main point is that we all are one – we are all from the same place – this planet – thus the ‘humanity’ and seeing our connections, rather our divisions is that I hope audiences come away with. These are very charged times, especially in the United States, and theatre is becoming too didactic and even preachy – this pease is meant to simply seek to ask us to look at the planet and cultures as a whole ——
MORE INFORMATION:
What: 17 Border Crossings
Where: The Eli & Edythe Broad Stage
1310 11 th St. Santa Monica CA 90401. Parking is free
When: Friday, January 24 and Saturday, January 25 at 7:30PM
Tickets: Prices start at $39.
Prices subject to change.
Online: www.thebroadstage.org
Phone: Box Office at 310.434.3200
In Person: Box office at 1310 11th St. Santa Monica CA 90401 beginning three hours prior to performance.
