Interview with “Twice, Thrice, Frice” Director Patrizia Acerra
October 1 - November 10 at Silk Road Rising
“Twice, Thrice, Frice” Director Patritzia Acerra shares her perspective on the play, especially the characters, and also what she hopes you will take away from the performance.
Why do you feel like Twice, Thrice, Frice... is an important piece in 2019 for Chicago?
Culturally, I think we are in a seismic shift of sensibilities about what it is to live together in the modern world. Identity politics have us asking who we are and what defines us. But those answers can be superficial. So much informs that identity: our ethnicity, our religion, our relationships, and our personal ideas about what it is to be good and faithful. Our play dives headlong into this and asks the audience to continuously examine their assumptions about fidelity, compassion, and authenticity. No easy answers but many important questions.
What has been your biggest challenge as director of this production?
Maintaining a compassionate portrayal of each character in the midst of momentary cruelties. That and creating ongoing opportunities for each character to discover ways to reflect on their actions and evolve, so that the audience has shared a journey with each character by the end of the play.
What do you hope the audience walks away from the play talking about or thinking?
Fidelity. What does it mean to be faithful in a world that seems to contradict itself and its own value systems? I want the audience to think about the ways they might keep themselves open to the world around them while being firmly planted in the ideas and values by which they define themselves. How can I be my authentic self in a world of constant change?
Special thanks to our dramaturg and assistant director, Marina Bergenstock, for conducting this interview!
