Q&A: EDINBURGH 2024: Alexa Elmy on ALEXA, PLAY

BWW caught up with Alexa Elmy on bringing Alexa, Play to the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

How did you first get involved in the world of theatre?

As a child, seeing theatre always felt like a magical experience. I always loved acting and pursued opportunities to perform whenever and wherever I could when I was young. I spent two summers studying acting at Stella Adler in NYC and that made me realise I wanted to pursue it professionally. I have a BA in Theatre, Performance Concentration from Fordham University. 

Can you tell us a bit about your show, Alexa, Play?

Alexa, Play is a comedic one-woman show written by and starring myself, Alexa Elmy. The quick pitch: Fed up with Amazon’s bastardization of her name, Alexa creates a support group called Alexa’s Anonymous for real Alexas to seek healing over the robot that has stolen their identity. The meetings are structured like Alcoholics Anonymous and the audience acts as the other support group members. The play encourages audience participation. As Alexa leads the group, it becomes apparent that darkness lurks under Alexa’s cheery disposition and she begins to unravel. 

What was the creative process like for Alexa, Play?

It’s been so much fun. At the beginning of the rehearsal process for our show at Theatre Row, we spent a lot of time doing movement work and developing the character. Since it’s a solo show, we’ve been really able to focus on growing the character of “Alexa” and be specific with everything in the piece. I’ve been very lucky with having Emma Shafer as my director because at times it’s felt like we’re sharing a brain.

How do you balance comedy with the, in your own words, “darker reality” of your work?

Life is hard enough; I want to make people laugh. 

I think it’s really common when you are experiencing hardships to make jokes as a way of distracting from the truth. The character Alexa puts on a facade that’s bright and happy, and we see in the very first scene that she’s about to snap at any moment. There’s an unravelling that occurs as her facade crumbles and the truth is revealed. You’ll have to come see the show to find out exactly what that darker reality is, but I think the comedy shines brightest in the moments of audience participation. 

What is it like performing a play based on your own life experiences?

It’s been really motivating to see how many people connect with the story and are engaged by the concept. Every time someone hears what the show is about, they immediately bring up someone named Alexa that they know or are related to who they are going to tell about the show. Alexa is a common name, it seems everyone (in the US, anyway) seems to know someone named Alexa.

What is it like bringing Alexa, Play to the Edinburgh Fringe from New York?

Performing Alexa, Play at multiple New York venues definitely gives me a sense of confidence I may not otherwise have in bringing the show to Edinburgh Fringe. It’s incredibly exciting. When I wrote the play, I certainly imagined bringing it to Edinburgh, but the significance of accomplishing that goal will take a long time to settle in. It only started to feel real when I bought my plane ticket. My love for theatre, travelling and the Fringe Festival have come together to make this one of the most satisfying experiences of my career.

What do you hope audiences take away from Alexa, Play?

For one thing, I hope they think about the negative impacts of naming everyday objects after women. As the tech world continues to try and make tech feel “human”, it’s a worthwhile exploration to ask, “Are we taking something away from humans and giving it to tech products?”

How would you describe Alexa, Play in one word?

Feminist.

Alexa, Play runs from 12 to 17 August at Paradise in the Vault - The Annexe at the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Photo Credit: Bjorn Bolinder

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