Barri Tsavaris: Playwright, Performer, U2 Fan
@U2,
July 29, 2009
By: Rashas Weber
Most of us have been inspired by U2 in one way or another. Some people create a fan site or do artistic renderings of the band. Others form bands, whether in tribute or original form.
For Barri Tsavaris, it meant writing her first full-length play about how her love for U2 has woven itself into her life. Next month that play, I Will Follow, will debut in Manhattan at FringeNYC, which is the largest multi-arts festival in North America and features performers from around the world. Ten percent of all ticket proceeds will go to the ONE Campaign.
In the hectic midst of rehearsals, production details and fundraising, she took some time out to answer some questions via e-mail.
Was there one particular moment in your time as a fan that clinched your decision to write the play?
Absolutely. It was November 2004. I had just spent a night "sleeping" on a cold, Manhattan street in an attempt to see the band perform on Saturday Night Live. Though I didn't get in (nobody who slept outside that night got into the show), I was left with a hilarious and tragic tale of yet another crazy U2 experience I had, which that time included meeting more wonderful strangers, sharing cardboard boxes to shield one another from the dirty wind of the passing buses, and spending eight hours trying not to look at the pile of excrement left on the street next to me by a police horse around 1 a.m. On the day before Thanksgiving, I wrote the story in an e-mail and shot it off to all of my friends (this was before my blogging days). I remember writing about how I was miserable about missing the SNL performance, but thankful for all of the wonderful fans I met and for having a bed to go home to at the end of it all. Almost immediately the replies began flooding in from friends who said I told a great story, and maybe I should compile all of my U2 adventures. It was another year or so before I actually started to write this play, but the seed was planted.
Describe what it's about.
I Will Follow is a semi-autobiographical story about the pleasures and pitfalls of a young woman's fanatical obsession with U2 -- one of the few constants in an otherwise (hilariously) tumultuous life. It’s my story, but dramatized. Through a series of flashbacks, I introduce the audience to the colorful characters I’ve met along the way (my charmingly overbearing mother, other U2 fans, and the Bono who watches over me, who I call "Bono-God"). My love of U2 guides me through some tough times and provides many amazing experiences, but my character is often challenged to find a healthy balance between being a devoted fan and living a realistic life. Ultimately it's about my search for truth, love and religion through the music of U2, and the challenge of finding yourself when you're already committed to following something else.
Is it a one-woman show?
No, there are three actors in the show. The play was originally written as a one-woman show and I workshopped it in 2007 at the Emerging Artists Theatre in NYC as a one-woman piece. Afterwards, when I began the rewrite process, I decided to expand the cast. Much of my acting background is in improv and sketch comedy, so when I do solo work I miss that interplay you get with other actors. I'm a very collaborate creator, and it's thrilling for me to bring my words and characters to life on stage with other talented actors.
When did you become a fan?
I was 12 years old and it was the Achtung Baby era. I have my baby sitter, Angela, to thank for much of the music I got into at that age. She was my idol and she made me mix tapes that I listened to like they were the gospel.
What's your favorite U2 song and album?
How can I possibly answer this question?! My spirit says The Joshua Tree. My purist and inner-rebel and activist says War The dreamer in me says Zooropa. My heart that has been broken and somehow mended says All That You Can't Leave Behind. But the original fan in me...she says Achtung Baby. And now I have to choose a song? One song? OK, fine. "Ultraviolet (Light My Way)."
Have you invited the band to the premiere of your play?
Not yet, but we plan to. I'd like to think that if any member of the band attended, I'd be able to get up on stage and do the show like normal. My producer and I joke about how we're going to buy a ticket for every performance, just in case, and leave a sign on a seat in the front row that says "Reserved For Bono."
Do you have a Web site with more information about I Will Follow?
It's www.iwillfollowtheplay.com.
What are the performance dates?
Saturday, Aug. 15, 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 16, 3:15 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 20, 2 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 22, noon
Friday, Aug. 28, 5:15 p.m.
All performances will be in The Actors' Playhouse in Manhattan's West Village (100 Seventh Ave. http://nyactorsplayhouse.com. Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased at www.fringeny.org.
© @U2/Weber, 2009.
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