Time and time again, there are standard pieces that get recycled over the years because historically, they have an irrefutable track record of making the NFL finals stage. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy “Tammy the Dinosaur…” and “Ruthless” as much as the next person, and there should be a place for these types pieces to exist. But given the incredible opportunity this extracurricular activity presents, I ask:
Can we do more? Can we push ourselves to find pieces that speak to us not just on a competitive level, but an artistic one? Can we tinker with genre? Can we push the envelope a little bit?
Interp should be playful. It’s this wonderfully unique opportunity to put one’s own stamp on existing work. It call us to do things outside the box and break convention. It’s a rare gift for an artist.
When I was competing, I had a ball coming up with my own take on existing content. I loved finding new ways into old stories that we’ve heard told the same way, over and over again. I’d be questioning at every turn, “Can I make something dark, light? Subvert a drama into a comedy? What happens if I move the words around? Maybe it’s a musical number, instead?”
The ability to take risks in Interp helped me find my voice as a young artist. My background in speech has encouraged me to make strong choices in my professional career as an actress, and it’s trained me to be a true creative asset to my fellow collaborators. The risks I took then, continue to pay off now.
Perhaps its our competitive nature that gets in the way, or the fear of being controversial, of being different. And it’s because of this fear that I feel like sometimes we forget that Interp is just that: interpretation.