AN INTERVIEW WITH NANNA INGVARSSON
Recently, we had the opportunity to sit down with Nanna Ingvarsson, who is making her Seat of the Pants debut in our production of THE CHILDREN, playing the role of Hazel. Here are some excerpts of what she had to say about the play, her role, and her process of acting in general.
What were your first impressions upon reading the script of THE CHILDREN? What excited you about the play and what has excited you about working on it?
I was impressed with how well it is written. There are so many clues in the tone of the writing about who these people are and how the world is affecting each of them. But the script is also still very open for individual interpretation and contribution. It’s the best of both worlds for an actor.
How would you describe your character - Hazel? What is fun about playing her, and what are the challenges of the role?
I feel like there is a depiction of the concept of “emotional labor” in Hazel; she’s does a lot of work underneath the surface - both for herself and on behalf of others. I’ve realized I haven’t really encountered this woman on the page before. I know aspects of her, but there is something bubbling under the words that Kirkwood wrote that creates space for the type of older woman who - when younger - was generally not really paid attention to, but who offered a disproportionate amount of support to the people and world around her. The world - and Hazel herself - put a lot of expectations on her. And those expectations changed with each era of her existence as she aged. So I’m playing through how she responds to these asks - the many faces and attitudes she takes on when dealing with the world. And I’m finding how much she really wanted in return BUT how she also has been trying to learn to NOT want so much. I don’t really think she was paid back in kind. So that’s a lot to convey through character. But I’m trying.
Can you talk a little bit about your process as an actor? How do you work? How do you go about interpreting a script and creating a character?
I can’t say that I have a set process. Usually, it’s the type of show and the type of director that influence the best way forward, whether it’s movement or physical attributes that come first or the inner life and classic back story creation. But my most happy place in working on a piece is PLAY. I love to play—try things, expected things, unexpected things, off the wall things, and just see what sticks. Discoveries are fun. In this case, I felt like the language helped to distill Hazel’s physical presence in her current little world (and for my part, I do believe Hazel has occupied the world in many different guises throughout her lifetime). There are also hints at a past, though nothing too spelled out, giving the actor some freedom in creating a very personal back story. There are as many possible interpretations as there are actors playing this part, and each one will bring something different to her. All I can worry about is what do I want to bring to Hazel, in conjunction with my director and cast mates.
You obviously have lots of experience as an actor, but how do you find yourself still developing or growing as an actor through this process? Are you working any differently or trying any new tools for yourself?
This actually goes back to the whole idea of play - being in the sandbox with other creatives and trying on new ideas/stories/worlds. I’m trying to be more soft and malleable here. Almost permeable. Not just as Hazel but also as Nanna, to make her breathe more independently.
What do you hope the audience's experience will be of this show? What do they have to look forward to?
It’s a bit of a rollercoaster. It does make me wonder at the many different ways people react and respond to the end (or the idea of an “end”) of their world. Why do they respond the ways they do? And how much of that is informed by wondering what our duty is to those who come after?