NOW PLAYING:
Ascension
Sat., Aug. 9 @ 2:30 p.m.
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In the Q-Box: Cynthia G. Robinson
It's 1850 on a plantation in Alabama and slaves Ruth and Jacob are in love. The plantation owner is permitting them to marry, but there's a catch. A rape. A secret. A birth. A mystery. A murder. A sweeping tale of obsession, possession, and the freedom to love.
Ascension's playwright, Cynthia G. Robinson, steps into this special Fringe-centric Q-Box to answer our always informative, albeit mostly ridiculous, questions.
What's the best thing about Fringe?
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You know that if you attend a Fringe show you're going to see something funky, sexy, crazy, something out of the ordinary, something to get your mind stirring, your emotions pumping, you know that for the time you are sitting in that seat you will see something that will be truly original.
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What's the #1 reason people should come see your show?
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There are many reasons to come and see our show, but the #1 reason is because of the story. It's a side of the slavery story that you haven't heard or seen before. The characters are truly complex and relevant to today's world. The relationships are timeless, so don't be fooled by the fact that it's an historical piece. History does repeat itself. Nothing is really new.
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Do you have any opening-night rituals?
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Just one. Actually, it's not an opening night ritual, it's a ritual that I do before every show. I go somewhere where I can be totally alone, usually the restroom. And I don't care how grimy the place, or how dressed up I am, I get down on my knees and thank my higher power for the opportunity to share my work. (And I beg and plead that the audience loves the work!)
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What are the craziest performance conditions you've had to work under?
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I've been pretty lucky, things haven't been too crazy. A very cold pub in Staten Island, maybe.
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How did you get involved with the arts?
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I've always been a creative spirit, but my first involvement was the result of having my first baby. As I sat nursing my first child, I was possessed by the need to write from someone else's experience. It was a way for me to get outside of myself for a time, to explore the territory outside of motherhood and to express the very bizarre emotions I was feeling at that time. And so I guess being a playwright saved me from being a typical suburban housewife.
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THE STATS:
High school attended: Monsignor Scanlan High School, Bronx, NY
Favorite Class: English
Next-up on Netflix queue:
There Will Be Blood
Playing on your iPod right now: Doin' It by LL Cool J
Favorite pizza topping: Mushrooms and Broccoli
Last good book you read:
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
All-time, hands-down favorite piece of theater: The Color Purple
Who's the least-bad Batman?: Christian Bale
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