Today's audience interview is with my YouTube collaborator and friend, ravenhpltc24.
If you haven't seen her work (although I BET you've come across one of her amazing trailers if you've looked up "Bo Burnham" online), please stop reading this and go watch everything on her channel (6 videos total).
Do it—and start with our mashup first, please!
Okay, all the videos are absolutely gorgeous and powerful as well as hilarious, right? I have watched the Unofficial trailer for Inside SO many times, and I still find it absolutely thrilling.
Anyway, while reading over one of our conversations on Reddit about Bo Burnham watches INSIDE, I'd recalled that Alicia had also gone to see Kate's show in September last year.
We couldn't meet up at that time, unfortunately, but I was able to recently ask her about her experience and what she thought of the play.
Here is my interview with Alicia, which has been edited and condensed for clarity purposes.
Stand-Up Comedy Historian: Hey, Alicia! Thanks for agreeing to chat about your experience seeing Kate Berlant's one-woman show.
Alicia: No problem, Jess!
SUCH: Awesome! So let's get started.
I know that I've asked you this before when I'd interviewed you about your stunning trailers and compilations (including one with me!), but can you provide your background for new readers?
Alicia: Sure!
I live in New Hampshire, USA. I'm 32 years old, and I still have the same job (data engineer). :)
SUCH: Thanks!
So what show(s) did you get tickets for? Previews or full show (Previews=8/20-9/6; Opened 9/7-10/8)? Or did you attend a Winter Encore performance (12/19-2/10)?
Alicia: I went to the regular full performance, and I attended her show on 9/16.
Our interaction about getting tickets weeks apart—d'oh!
SUCH: Are you from New York, or did you have to travel to attend?
Alicia: Travelled! It’s about a 5.5 hour drive to NYC from here.
My husband and I made a long weekend out of it.
SUCH: That's so nice that you made it a weekend getaway with your husband. New York City is an amazing place to explore (and I hope to move there again someday).
So where were you seated? Did Kate walk through your section?
Alicia: Row B, seats 6 and 7.
Kate walked into the row behind us, and my husband had the distinct honor of having her butt lean against the back of his head.
Kate walking through the audience—does that large-headed man with a black mask near the front of the crowd look like Bo, or am I just imagining things?
SUCH: Haha, that must have been a bit uncomfortable for him!
Kate walked through my row for the first show and then stood RIGHT next to me for the second. It was very exciting for me to be so close to her brilliant self!
Did you see/meet Bo or Kate (or both!)? Did you see Bo in the audience/lounge? Please explain in detail (and provide any pictures if you have them!).
Alicia: Nope, as far as I know, Bo was not in attendance that evening. Kate was not in the lounge at the beginning of the show.
SUCH: How odd that she wasn't sitting on her bench! That actually happened at my second show, but I thought it was an outlier. Weird!
Did you walk in the sand (barefoot or not)? Or sit in the armchair?
Alicia: I did not. I didn’t want to block the way for other guests!
And I didn’t see the sandbox until after the show when we were exiting. I wish I’d spent more time wandering around before the show!
SUCH: Ah, that's okay.
But if you do want to see those places more closely, I took a LOT of photos that are in my self-interview here.
Did you buy any Kate merch (shirt, sticker, etc.)? It was only available at the Winter Encore shows.
Alicia: No merch! Wish there had been some around when I went, I would be the proud owner of a Kate t-shirt.
SUCH: Yeah, I was able to buy a shirt at the final show of the Winter Encore.
Fingers crossed she puts up her merch online as the show moves back to LA next year!
Kate announcing the new dates during a recent episode of Working It Out
Did you read everything in the lounge? What was your favorite element?
Alicia: I very much enjoyed the “Statement from the Artist.” It’s so ridiculously pretentious.
I read it in her voice and giggle whenever I look at the picture on my phone.
SUCH: Yes! It's so very Kate.
Her statement reads like a Master's thesis abstract on performance lol.
Did you shake hands with a stranger when prompted?
Alicia: Nope. I was seated next to a man who seemed like he had been dragged there against his will. He did not want to be my friend.
Alicia's view from her seat—nice and close!
SUCH: Ah, that's too bad. All the people I sat next to were VERY excited to be there!
Did you spot all the Kate images adorning the venue? Any favorites?
Alicia: I don’t have photos of the walls and my memory isn’t great, but I’m sure I enjoyed them at the time!
SUCH: That's cool.
If you do want to relive the magic of the show, I've compiled all the stickers I could find here. There were so many!
Who was your bartender? Do you remember where they were from?
Alicia: I was being cheap and did not buy drinks!
SUCH: Oh no! Haha
I meant during the improvised part at the Jazz Bar, but it's okay if you don't remember. It was over a year ago!
What was the neutral word that made Kate cry at the end?
Alicia: “Squash.” I remember her desperately whispering, “It was your squash. It was YOUR squash!”
SUCH: Oh, that's a fun word to say lol. I bet she was really going for it!
Did you go the decorated bathroom? What did you think of it?
Alicia: Ah, I missed so many things! I didn’t go to the bathroom at the theater.
SUCH: It's okay! I had a friend who had warned me about what to check out, so I knew ahead of time to look for the bathroom and Kate stickers.
There was effort put into EVERY detail (as you can always expect with Bo being involved).
Speaking of which, what elements did you notice in the show that were Bo-like (glitter, glass, etc.)? Did you find any similarities to Inside or Bo's other works?
Alicia: I loved the “All Eyes on Me” projector/camera setup. One of the biggest laughs was Kate lamenting that the delay between her performance and the projection was killing her up there.
SUCH: Yes, that part was SO funny!
What did you think of Bo's direction in general?
Alicia: Simple (but very effective) lighting setups go a long way! :)
SUCH: Absolutely...Bo always uses what's available to best effect and makes it incredible for the viewing audience!
What was your favorite part of the show? Most memorable? Funniest?
Alicia: I wish I could see it again!
Alicia's thoughts on our collab video and Kate
The whole “breakdown” of the show was incredible. At one point, she asked us what time it was and reflexively I told her, “it’s 8:26,” without thinking.
She looked at me—horrified—and repeated, “8:26?! See there’s no TIME!” It was my small contribution to the show.
Too bad it made her upset all over again, hah!
SUCH: I love that you interacted with her in that way—so awesome!
And as I had mentioned before, Kate spilled the beans on Mike Birbiglia's podcast that the play will be returning to Los Angeles in January–February next year.
So if you do have the funds, you should try to snap up some tickets when they become available—maybe make it a long weekend for you and your husband! ;)
This has been a great discussion, Alicia. Thanks again for taking the time to chat with me, and I hope you keep making your phenomenal videos.
Speaking of which, I literally saw a kid on YouTube recently use the audio from YOUR unofficial Inside trailer to create his own parody film.
I think your video is actually more popular now than Bo's real teaser trailer or anything Netflix put out! Haha
UPDATE 11/20/23: And here's another one! Crazy.
Alicia: Hah!! Happy to provide CONTENT to other creators. :)
I tried to be as transparent as possible that it was a fan-made trailer, but I guess people don't mind!
SUCH: Nope! We all adore your work.
For more on Alicia and her videos, please click here.
For the complete list of Kate Berlant articles, including all the audience interviews, please click here.
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