Interview: Heather Ferreira of 5 LESBIANS EATING A QUICHE at Nutley Little Theatre

Nutley Little Theatre presents 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche by Evan Linder & Andrew Hobgood, directed by Heather Ferreira. 

It’s 1956 and The Susan B. Anthony Society for the Sisters of Gertrude Stein are having their annual quiche breakfast.

As the assembled “widows” await the announcement of the society’s prize-winning quiche, the atomic bomb sirens sound! Has the Communist threat come to pass? How will the “widows” respond as their idyllic town and lifestyle faces attacks?

Winner of the 2012 NYC International Fringe Festival as Best Overall Production, 5 Lesbians Eating A Quiche is a tasty recipe of hysterical laughs, sexual innuendoes, unsuccessful repressions, and delicious discoveries.

I had the honor of interviewing the Director, Heather Ferreira. 

Please tell us about yourself. 
I'm an educator, long-time theater nerd, reader and writer, and I really, really love sushi, coffee, and chocolate. (Though not at the same time. That would just be weird.)

Please tell us about your involvement in theater.
I've loved theater since I first went on stage at summer camp when I was 5 and grabbed the mic and started singing when the rest of the cast had already exited. I've been involved both on-stage and backstage ever since

What inspired you to direct this piece?

I am so pleased to bring Five Lesbians Eating a Quiche to Nutley Little Theatre. The queer experience - our art, our music, our lives - is so important to me, but most important is our LOVE and our JOY. Our (often bizarre) humor. And so when I was offered the chance to direct this quirky, funny, heartfelt little play, I leapt at it the way these widows leap at quiche.

And it is funny! (The widows AND the quiche.)

What do you want your audiences to take away from this show?

This is a funny (and weird) play, but one aspect that I kept coming back to (in reading and rereading it, in auditions, and especially at rehearsals) was the sincerity in the portrayal of the characters. Yes, the widows are funny, but more importantly, they are heartfelt and sincere, not just in their love of quiche, but in their love for each other. We continued to explore both the humor and the sincerity of the characters throughout rehearsals, and I love the way our amazing, talented cast brought the widows to life.

So... come have a taste of our quiche. It will be worth it. 

 
Any upcoming projects you will be working on after this? 

The first project is to lay on my couch and BREATHE. We'll see what happens after that!

Anything additional you would like to add?

Much love to Mike, Meredith, and Emily. There's no way I could have pulled this off without the three of you. Thanks for everything!

Performances will be February 9th – 24th

2/9, 10, 16, 17, 22, 23 & 24 at 8:00 p.m.

2/11, 18 & 24 at 2:00 p.m.

The cast includes:

LULIE STANWYCK – Jessa Blackthorne

WREN ROBIN – Danielle Levitt

GINNY CADBURY – Sinead Kerr

DALE PRIST – Kayla Torres

VERONICA “VERN” SCHULTZ – Krissy Trujillo

The crew includes: 

DIRECTOR – Heather Ferreira

STAGE MANAGER – Emily Tonn

PRODUCTION MANAGER – Michael Gatto

LIGHTING/SET DESIGNER – Alex Oleksij

PROPS DESIGNER – Frank Riccobono 

BOARD OPERATOR – Scott Guzzo 

Nutley Little Theatre is located at 47 Erie Place in Nutley, New Jersey. Please note, the theater is not handicap accessible.

Please visit NutleyLittleTheatre.com for more information. 

Photo credit: Heather Ferreira

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