What would you do if you couldn’t remember a traumatic event in your life?
That’s just one question raised in Next Theatre’s “The Great God Pan,” written by Amy Herzog and directed by Kimberly Senior, whose work has been nominated for multiple Jeff Awards.
Senior spoke with Make It Better about “The Great God Pan,” working in her hometown and what she thinks about theater on the North Shore.
Make It Better: What drew you to “The Great God Pan” as a director?
Kimberly Senior: I don’t want to give too much away, but basically, it’s written by one of my favorite writers. I’m very drawn to Amy’s writing because her characters are all incredibly human and attempting to have a deeper understanding of themselves and how they fit into the world around them. I also think she’s asking some really amazing questions about memory and how much our past influences us.
You’ve directed Amy’s work before (“After the Revolution” at Next and “4,000 Miles” at Northlight Theatre), but how has this experience been different?
I have never actually worked with Amy in the room. I mean, I know her and I can call her and ask her for advice. And each play is different. Each play is its own entity, and I feel like I grow more and more familiar with her style and get a little better at doing it every time.
This also isn’t your first show at Next Theatre.
I’ve been an Artistic Associate at Next Theatre since 2003 or something, and this is my fifth show at Next. First off, I’m an Evanston resident and I love making a play in my town for my neighbors. That is meaningful to me, being a part of the community here.
I also feel like the theater [wants] to do plays that stay with you long after you leave the theater and that are provocative in that way. The audience that comes to see them is really dynamic, intelligent; the audience has a great sense of humor. I feel like I know the audience because I go to the grocery store with them and my kids go to school with their kids, and that feels good to me.
What about the group of actors you have for “The Great God Pan”?
They are the best! I love them. It’s a terrific mix of people that I’ve worked with before and not worked with before. […] I find that a very exciting mix in the room. Brett Schneider, who plays the leading role, is so wonderful and accessible, and I feel like we have this very open room where everyone is always sharing quotes and things that they read and things that remind them of the play. It just feels like we’re all solving the puzzle of the play together. It’s a really special group of people.
What do you hope the audience will take away from the show?
I hope that they’ll examine […] how much does our past affect our present? Are we the sum total of everything that’s happened to us or is there a possibility to discover ourselves anew?
Finally, what are your thoughts on Chicago and North Shore theater?
[It is] the greatest place on earth to make theater. I mean, again, it’s really all about the audience. The audience here is so hungry and so excited and so smart. […] This is the greatest audience that there is. And the theater making, the quality of artists here, is incredible. There’s an openness and joy in storytelling that you can’t find anywhere else.
“The Great God Pan” runs through May 11 at Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes St., Evanston. For more information and to buy tickets, visit Next Theatre’s website.
Photo: (L to R) James Leaming, Brett Schneider and Kristina Valada-Viars. Photo by Amelia Bell.
