The one-woman show about a life turned upside down

When we opened the New Theater Hollywood, we started with ​“A Night of Speeches,” in which we asked all upcoming directors and artists to give a speech at a chaotic, deconstructed gala. In a somewhat trashy way, we think of community theater as a place to embarrass yourself – to expose your whole truth to friends and the people around you. Who do you think is the ideal audience for this piece?

I have to admit, you guys are a bit messy and love chaos, which is always interesting to see. I tend to tie up the loose ends of chaos while you seem to thrive within it. But if I had to choose my ideal audience, it would be everyone who would attend my wedding. They were there for this big moment and gave the piece so much context. Since getting married, I’ve had at least ten major arguments with people, and many of them have come from my own self-discovery and things I didn’t want to deal with before. The person who has changed the most is me, and I hold no grudges for letting others go. I’ve realized that obligations make people act strangely, and I want all of my relationships, familial or not, to be voluntary and not necessary.

The term ​““Family Secrets” is thrown around a lot in the world, but what’s truly lost in this piece is some life-changing information that you all learned through a 23andMe test. The revelation of these secrets caused great anger in your family. Will anyone from your family be in the audience at the play?

Yes! My first cousin, who plays a big role in the film portion of the play, will be there. He’s a key interviewee in the project, so I’m really excited to see how he’ll react when he sees himself on screen and how the audience will react to him, especially when they recognize him. It will be interesting to see how this dynamic plays out in real time.

How does it feel to play yourself?

We always talk about how life is theater and I think I play many different characters in my life. So in a way it doesn’t feel that different. But the main difference is that I’m trying really hard not to put up all the guards I normally have, and this time I’m not making myself the butt of the joke. There’s a level of honesty in this project that I wouldn’t normally show to many people, and that vulnerability makes things a little more uncomfortable for me. It’s a new space to be in, but I think that’s part of the point.

You are a producer and usually organize large photo shoots, brand launches and the like. Personal inventory is an event from the second you arrive. There’s a step-and-repeat outside, everyone in the audience gets a Polaroid shot of them at the door. You’re so detail-oriented, but the thing about theater is you can’t control everything. The energy is partly left to the audience and what they bring with them. Does this tension appeal to you?

I mean, you can never really control anything, and that’s exactly why I’m so detail-oriented. To me, a good producer turns over each barrel to see if there’s any shit in it so you can clean it up, knowing there’s always more in the next one. But I believe in the art of the pivot. The pivot might be the closest thing to religion I have. Transition requires preparation, and for me, preparation is life. The tension between the preparation and the unpredictability of live theater is exciting because this is where all the pivotal points take place.

Personal inventory opens on the 15th^Th October and runs until 18^Th. Grab a ticket Here. For anything New Theater Hollywood related, this is it This way.