In 2022 we ask our visiting artists to tell us a little bit about themselves. We hope that these short questionnaires will reveal something that you didn't know or expect about them.
Today's volunteer for our quickfire questionnaire is the director of the stunningly beautiful movie The Island Of Saints, Eric Fraad.
Q- Tell us about yourself
A- I am a director of films, opera and theatre pieces. I also produce these types of works and I am the CEO of Heresy Records, an independent Irish-based label that is distributed around the world. I was born in New York City, grew up in American and I’ve lived in Ireland since 2000.
Q- What will you play on stage in Birr
A-Unfortunately I won’t be on stage and that might be for the best although I do have a cameo in the film that I directed, The Island of Saints. In the film I play a jailer and executioner in 14th century Ireland.
Q- Who is your biggest influence (in life / on stage)?
A- My biggest influences in life were my parents and Sigmund Freud who’s works I have read most of my adult life and continue to read all the time, also Theodor Adorno and Michel Foucault. My biggest influence in theatre were the early works of Pina Bausch which I saw in the 80s and early 90s in Europe and New York, also Robert Wilson’s works and certainly Frank Castorf’s early plays at the Volksbühne and other Berlin theatres.
Q- Describe yourself as a 10-year-old.
A- Lost, reasonably happy and unreasonably narcissistic
Q- What’s your best onstage memory?
A- Well I’m a director so I don’t necessarily do onstage. But if it has to be an onstage memory then it was curtain calls for a few shows, Messiah, Esther, Pulcinella – after these I stopped coming on stage for the bows.
Q- What’s your worst on stage memory?
A- Gosh, I don’t remember – I’ve had very few total disasters but for those there was always wine.
Q- Where are you at your happiest?
A- Exercising, reading, drinking, spending time with my family particularly on a sunny day in Italy.
Q- What’s your favourite colour?
A- Grey blue
Q- What’s the last book you enjoyed?
A- Adam Phillips’ On Getting Better
Q- What’s the last film / play you enjoyed?
A- I recently saw Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch, perhaps too brilliant, and I watched JoJo Rabbit again which is extremely imaginative, meaningful, dark and fun.
Q- What’s your favourite song of all time?
A- Long Time from the album Die Lit by Playboi Carti
Birr Theatre & Art Centre will project The Island Of Saints followed by a Q&A session on Sunday March 6th - 8pm.
Tickets available at our box office (057 9122911) or ONLINE
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