Eat More Spinach!
July 3, 2024

Trancscript of my Discussion with Velina Brown of the San Francisco Mime Troupe

Trancscript of my Discussion with Velina Brown of the San Francisco Mime Troupe

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Ray: All right. There we go.

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Ray: Oh, good afternoon, Valina, not morning. Good afternoon. How are you doing.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): I'm doing well. How are you doing.

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Ray: Good thanks for coming on today. I'm looking forward to speaking with you. I've been a fan of the mine troupe for so many years.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Well, thank you. Thanks so much for having me.

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Ray: You bet. I remember I went to the 1st Mime Troop show. It was, I think, in Dolores Park in 1980,

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Ray: 8.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Okay.

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Ray: Yeah.

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Ray: yeah.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): That might have been, and that's before I I started working with them. That might have been like

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Ripped Van Winkle, or it might have been.

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Ray: And familiar, actually.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Yeah.

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Ray: I think that's what it was.

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Ray: Yeah. And I I was wondering why there were no mimes.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): okay. Well, look

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): there. Yeah.

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Ray: We should mention that for the people who are listening.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Yeah. Well, so

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): the San Francisco mime trip uses the word mime in the more traditional sense that most Americans aren't aware of.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): For some reason. Here we only think of mime as silent mime, like being, you know, at the striped T-shirt and the white face, and you're trapped in a glass box, or struggling against, you know imaginary wind or whatever, and that is definitely an aspect of mime. But the umbrella of mime is much broader, and the definition is the exaggeration of everyday life in story and song.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): That's the so that really encompasses a lot of different things that you might see. And so we are. We do not do silent mime. We do musical, political theater. So it's you know.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): there's it's like going to see a musical, Michael likes to say, seeing a musical only with a point.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Yeah, so.

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Ray: And Michael is your husband, who's been on the show a few times.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): And he's the and the head writer for over 20 years.

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Ray: Yeah.

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Ray: Well, also, I just like the name of the of the company, the San Francisco Mime Troop, because it makes people ask questions.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): -

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Ray: And if you get them asking questions, then they're gonna be interested.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Yeah, I mean something we've thought about changing the name, I mean, come up over the years. But what happens at the mine troop, by the way, is 65 this year. So you know we. So we've been the Mime trooper, depending upon what era you're from earlier folks said mean troop

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): and but regardless. We've had that name for over half a century now. So you know there are people like oh, no, you can't change the name, you know, and other people like you've got to change the name.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): So we just haven't. We haven't really come to a consensus to do it.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): And lot, you know, generations of people know us that way. So.

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Ray: My vote is to keep it. The Mime Troop

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Ray: name is the French pronunciation.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Huh!

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Ray: Yeah.

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Ray: because my wife is French. So they say, meme.

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Ray: Yeah.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): I think the thing that's useful about that is that because

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): to an amer general American ear, if you're not saying, Mime, then they don't have a whole bunch of associations immediately in the way that meme you go. Oh, what's that? You know?

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Ray: Now meme means something else on the Internet.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Totally. Yeah.

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Ray: Strange pictures with undecipherable text.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Right. So that would be a really weird troop.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): you know.

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Ray: Yeah, so they may. Maybe that's not a good idea. Yeah.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): yeah. So

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): so 65th anniversary. 65th season we are. This is our 3rd show back in the park since the shutdown since the pandemic.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): So we're we're still feeling that excited vibes to get to be back with our audience in person.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Because we did a

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): you know, a radio series to radio series while we were in lockdown. And that was super fun and interesting for us to do. But it's also just really still very exciting to be back with our with our audience. And it's an election year.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): So that has really informed what it is that we're talking about this year.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): shall I just jump right into.

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Ray: Yeah, tell us about the show and what it's about.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Yet.

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Ray: And then I'm there.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): American dreams

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): is the name of the show, and it is plural American dreams, because I mean, we grew up hearing about the American dream.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): and but now it seems like

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): our country is more fractured than ever.

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Ray: -

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): You know. And I mean there have been some big fractures, some deep fissures. But you know, that caused

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): civil war, you know but it it. This seems very splintered now, like in all different kinds of directions. And

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): so this, this the idea of a singular American dream, doesn't seem like we agree on what that dream is.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): at to the point where it seems like

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): a big identity. American identity was to be a democracy, and some people are pretty comfortable putting that on the chopping block.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): So just

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): what is what is what are people's dreams? And so that's that's sort of like the jumping off point that we're doing with this

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): this show is that people are different. People are, as during the run up to No November

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): election day

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): having

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): these dreams.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): And they're and they're happening at different points

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): during the process, heading towards election, or even after election.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): And what are some of the different

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): results that happen, depending upon

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): how the election goes. So

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): And just the idea that one person's dream is a

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): can be another person's nightmare. So that's the idea. Behind American dreams.

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Ray: So so do the characters have actual dreams, like.

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Ray: yeah, like awake dreams or sleep dreams.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Sleep, dreams.

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Ray: Okay. Yeah.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Yeah.

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Ray: No.

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Ray: and it's irony and funny, and music like San Francisco mime troupe always gives us.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): That's right. Well, you know, I mean, that's our thing. That's what's unique about us is that we do

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): musical political where we're leftist where

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): and we use satire and farce and parody and things like that

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): to discuss really heavy subjects. But we're not making fun of the topic. We're making fun of some of the people who are from our perspective

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): ridiculous? But the you know, we deal with serious subject matter, and the way that we can do it

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): and have it be something that people can can kind of sit with is with our music and our humor.

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Ray: Yeah.

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Ray: Well, I listened to some of the music this morning. It's a lot of fun, as usual.

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Ray: who wrote the music.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): So. Yes, our our composer lyricist, is Daniel Sabio.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): And yeah. And then the head writer is is Michael Jean Sullivan.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Wonderful.

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Ray: Have you seen interviews? I've seen some interviews on Youtube where the interviewer asks

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Ray: random people like at a trump rally if they would rather have Joe Biden as President or trump, as President, as a dictator, and all of them answer trump as a dictator.

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Ray: I find that very alarming.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Well, sure, I mean, that's what I'm saying about about what is, what does it mean to to to be an American

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): in, in certain people's minds right? That

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): being a democracy was a big part of the American identity and a big part of the American experiment.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): the, you know. Yes, there are things that you we can definitely critique about

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): the founding people of of the United States. But

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): the whole point, the whole reason why they're coming out here was to say, All right, yeah, we're we're not. We're we're not going to be under the Monarchy rule.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): you know. And so that's a really big.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Obviously, from my perspective regression to be like, okay, now, we don't even care about

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): whether or not

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): we have a democracy anymore. And we're fine with the idea of a dictator. We're fine, and therefore you, you know, you have to be fine with the idea that

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): this election could be the last one we have.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): you know.

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Ray: I don't think people understand the implications of what they're saying.

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Ray: I mean, you'd have to be lucky to have a benevolent sort of dictator, even though I don't think that's better. And that's an extremely rare occurrence in history.

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Ray: Usually dictators are not benevolent.

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Ray: and they.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Towards.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Yeah. Yeah. A person who who wants to be a dictator.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): That's a certain personality type.

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Ray: Usually. Yeah, for sure. Yeah.

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Ray: So what about you? Look, tell me a little about yourself. And how did you decide to pursue a career in the theater?

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): How did I decide to.

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Ray: Yeah.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): That's going back to when I was 6 years old. Well, let me put it this way. When I was 6. The 1st play that I saw was guys and dolls.

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Ray: Oh!

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): She's 1 of the great American musicals.

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Ray: Love it.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): And my dad was in it

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): my dad is a career army officer, and on we we at that time stationed at Fort Mcclellan in Alabama, and they had a little theater, and they decided to put on guys and dolls. And he was nicely, nicely. Johnson and it was really thrilling. They had me at the overture, you know.

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Ray: And.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Was just like

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): so excited, and it was so fun all the way through. I was very inspired, and I knew that I wanted to do that. I didn't know about having a career as a performer. I just knew I wanted to do that. What I saw and felt an experience with the music and the dancing, and just everything. So that. So I got bitten by the bug of performing in musical theater when I was 6

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): when I decided that I wanted to

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): be a professional actor.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Of course, now, that's later, when you have that concept, and I, you know I.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): I was doing theater through school, through high school and in college.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): While I was also I got a vocal scholarship to San Francisco state, and that was really

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): that was really helpful. But I actually ended up getting a a BA. In psychology, and and then an Ms. In marriage family child counseling, but I was doing theater the whole time, and so once I graduated with with my master's, and I was. I had been doing both tracks, you know, at the same time. And then I decided I wanted to just keep going with

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): with theater

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): and

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): you know, and again, I pretty much. Everything that I do involves music typically, not always, but mostly

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): even if it's not a musical, it often has music involved.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): And I, the 1st time I worked with the mine troop.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): I. I was inspired to want to work at the mime troupe because of

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): seeing double, which was Michael's my husband Michael's 1st show where he was. He originated a role cause he was. He was a replacement actor in Rip. I think it was in Rip Ben Winkle. So that's why I know that show from 1,988 h.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): And so he was in seeing double actually is.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): It was the Mime troops show about Israel Palestine that they and they went to Israel Palestine back in 89.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): But when I saw that show I was so inspired because there was so much stuff that I didn't know about that situation, and a lot of happened since then, like you couldn't really do that show again as is cause

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): so much stuff. That was such a an optimistic show.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): and I was just like, this is amazing, you know, to get to do something that has incredible music. That's really funny, that's really moving. I'm learning stuff that I that I didn't get taught in school. And I just felt like I I just really wanted to have the opportunity to do that

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): at least once.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): you know, that's what.

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Ray: Yeah.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Just do that once, you know.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): and then I had a chance to do

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): to do a show where I was a replacement actor in 92 for a fall tour. The original actor

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): didn't wanna do the tour, so that was my opportunity to work with them. And then.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): my 1st time originating a role was in 94. And so

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): and I've just.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): you know, kept

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): kept working with them because there's something about

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): having the opportunity to use your abilities as as an actor, as a singer. You know, in the service of something that feels really important, and also to be part of the process of being able to come to new show meetings and talk about experiences that you've had.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): you know, documentaries. You've seen articles you've read like, what's what's happening in the world. And everybody can bring that those those different things to the table and kind of make a case for you know why.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): why we should talk about this or that, or have a character that represents this or whatever. And so that's really exciting to being part of the creative process.

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Ray: Yeah.

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Ray: well, that's always been. My impression of the mind troop is they have such a great team of people who

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Ray: put together these these shows. And it's such a collaborative situation. And you can really tell when you when you see the show, because

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Ray: everything just sort of

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Ray: all fits together. And it's it's hard to do that with an original piece that you create so quickly.

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Ray: Usually

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Ray: people do something original has to go through a year or 2 of readings. And

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Ray: but you guys are able to just

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Ray: make it happen every single year.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Yeah.

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Ray: It's quite yeah, easy.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): It is fast, and in it is in intense most musicals do take at least 2 years to develop, and we do a new one every year.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): I think it it.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Part of it is that

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): what it is we're talking about is is is so like of the moment that that it? It's

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): it doesn't really work to take.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): you know, 2 to 5 years to make the thing.

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Ray: Yeah, right.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Lot of stuff has happened will have happened in the meantime, and so you can never finish.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): you know. Yeah.

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Ray: That's 1 of the great things is when you go to one of your shows. It's it's always about something that just recently happened.

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Ray: it's it's quite amazing. It's

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Ray: just a lot of fun.

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Ray: so

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Ray: did you have any significant challenges in your career that

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Ray: made you wonder if you went the right direction or not.

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Ray: or did you? Or has everything just been smooth.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Well, I wouldn't say everything's been smooth, but at the same time, I mean, you know, just cause. Life is rarely just smooth. You know, things.

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Ray: Right.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Things happen in in in a life, you know. But

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): I haven't really

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): question whether whether or not like oh, did I make a mistake.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Being an actor.

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Ray: Yeah.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): I actually haven't had that that feeling. I've been what I I've been pretty fortunate actually to

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): to

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): be come part of a company

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): cause. That's really that's huge, and that's rare. Cause. There was a time when there were a number of companies that were that were actual, that had acting companies, you know, act used to have an acting company.

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Ray: Yeah,

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): So did Cal Shakes, and the mime troupe was sort of the other one in the area where there was a company

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): of actors and

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): And then there was a point where, I guess by the nineties, then the next

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): artistic directors that came into those companies just set about dismantling the acting companies, all of them. They.

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Ray: Remember that.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Yeah. And so to be to, because that was another dream that I had, you know, by the time I was finally done with school. I you know I've been in school a long time since I was like 2 and a half, and finally I graduated, for with my master's. I'm like. I think I think that's enough school right now.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): My dream was to be part of a company. Now that's not the easiest thing to get a chance to get in there when there's a company right if they have the people that they need.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): And

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): I was just fortunate to have a chance to

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): work with the troop and

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): and what I had to offer

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Meshed with what the company needed, and also was on track with, like their mission fit with my mission as a person, you know, and so it just really helps. So therefore.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): things like

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): the the choices that a woman who's an actor has to make around.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Are you going to have children? When do you have children, you know, like that? That kind of when to make that leap is a is a kind of a bigger choice. It's a big choice for anybody, but it's a bigger choice for women.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): you know, and

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): And so the fact that Michael and I were in this company together. We were part of the, you know, as collective members cause the collective, by the way, is the artistic director of the company, and so the company

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): is, you know, has a family friendly part of its ethos, you know. And so when we had Zachary, we could bring Zachary to rehearsal when we toured we.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): you know Zachary came with, and so as opposed to going. Oh.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): well, if I have this baby now, I'm I'm automatically pressing pause on my career because nobody wants babies in the rehearsal hall, and nobody. You know what I mean.

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Ray: Yes, that is wonderful. Wow! I didn't know I didn't know that. Yes, that's so rare that a company will let you bring your kids.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Totally. And but that was so. You know. I mean, I think, that that those kinds of you know questions and crisis of of your choice, or whatever with your career, I think would would come into play a lot more likely if you're having to choose between.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): you know, can I can. I have maintain a relationship and do this. Can I have a

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): a family and do this? Then it that the tension there would create a crisis that I was fortunate I didn't have to face, because I was part of a family friendly company.

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Ray: And you're both part of the same company. So that's fantastic, because, you know, I've been doing this for years myself, and I've had to miss so many family

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Ray: functions, trips, vacations.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Yes.

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Ray: School events and

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Ray: and and partly it's my wife is not in this business. So recently, I've decided I'm I'm I'm definitely taking a turn and laying off, for I don't know how long, cause you know I'm I'm already in my sixties, and it's like I need to live

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Ray: a life that I I haven't for practically my whole adult life, and see what it's like, you know.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Yeah.

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Ray: So that's that's great that that you're able to incorporate your family life into into the theater company.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Yeah, I mean.

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Ray: That's fantastic.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Like you, though I have missed, you know, like ex with extended family like

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): both sides of you know my parents families, you know they would have

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): reunions.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): July 4, th weekend.

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Ray: Yes, that's your biggest weekend for my troop, right.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Missed just about all of them over the past, you know. 30 years.

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Ray: Yeah.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): So that's so. Yeah, that I I definitely

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): feel that.

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Ray: That's 1 of the I think that's 1 of the most difficult

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Ray: sides of being in theater

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Ray: is, as you miss a lot of family

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Ray: events.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Yeah.

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Ray: Then there's no way around it. Either you're rehearsing at night, or or you or you have a show, and and especially when you have a show. There's no option. You gotta go to the show. Let me

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Ray: right. People are gonna show up who paid for tickets. You better be there.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Yeah, yeah. And I think that's the thing that a lot of people don't understand. So I'm always surprised when someone goes like, Oh, yeah, I would never marry an actor, whatever. And it's like, well, you know, maybe you've had some bad re experiences with

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): who you dated, you know. But that doesn't mean in general like cause. I think it's really hard to be in a business that's so demanding with somebody that really doesn't get it at all, it helps to be able to say, we're going into tech next week, and the person goes.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): got it? Yeah.

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Ray: So you know.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): As opposed to it, being like

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): oh, all of a sudden I can't, you know it's hard enough. I don't get to see you very much. And now you're just never. And it's like it's tech week. It's gonna be over in a week. But a lot of times people relationships just blow up and disintegrate during tech week.

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Ray: Yes.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Because they're dealing with civilians, you know.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): So

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): yeah, it makes. it makes a big deal, a big difference to have someone who understands.

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Ray: Yeah, because with most jobs if you don't show up one day or 2 days, or whatever

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Ray: you know, you can

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Ray: get work around it. But in the theater it makes life extremely difficult for yourself, because you're going to be behind. And then it makes everything really difficult for everyone else. And so it's just not an option. And your time is so

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Ray: compressed.

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Ray: Yeah, a lot of people don't

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Ray: get what that's like. I mean to put a show together in 4 weeks.

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Ray: you know, is is quite an amazing feat, but it means you gotta dedicate yourself to the thing.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): But it's not just us. It's not just theater people, I mean, you know, when people during Thanksgiving they're like, Oh, let's watch the Turkey day game. You're watching people who are not at the Turkey Day table.

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Ray: Exactly.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Field.

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Ray: Right? Athletes. Another thing. Similar similar thing. Yeah, yeah.

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Ray: very similar. Yeah.

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Ray: And what role are you in the play? Right?

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): No, I'm the director this year.

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Ray: Oh, you're the director! Oh, let's talk so. You just started directing a few years ago. Is that correct?

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Yeah. The my 1st time directing the mime troupe.

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Ray: Okay.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): You know, it's like my. My primary identity has not been directing, but.

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Ray: I.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Direct, you know.

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Ray: Yeah.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): But I 1st started working as a director with the mime troop.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): It it was the the it was for supposed to be the the 20,

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): the 2020,

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): you know. So that was going to be my 1st time directing a park show, and then there was no park show. So so then I ended up directing. So we like, I said, we do 2 seasons of tales of the resistance.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): And so it was all these episodes, so.

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Ray: Radio show.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): That's right. And.

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Ray: Yeah, I really enjoyed it. By the way, I just wanna tell you, yeah.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): That was that was an amazing experience. Because at a time when everybody like theaters are going okay, theaters are closed. What are we gonna do, and and different different theaters and different circumstances had different responses to it. And we were just really fortunate that because we have an in-house writer. We have an In house

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): composer, lyricist. We have an in house sound designer like that's part of this part of us. That's part of the you know that we had the plus. We had, you know, in house actors and people who could direct. And and I had said I was gonna direct that season. So it's like, Okay, well, I'll direct this. That we we had the ingredients we needed to go ahead and and make

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): a radio show or scripted podcast as they're called now.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): so we, we had everything we needed to just move forward and do it, you know. But it that pivot involved a pretty steep learning curve. We'd never done anything like that before.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): in terms of creating for that medium.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): But in terms of creating original work. We've been doing that for decades. Yeah.

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Ray: Yeah, it's mostly the the technical aspects of.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Yeah.

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Ray: Creating a

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Ray: a sound, a show that's all about sound.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Right.

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Ray: I mean. And it was, it sounded really professional. Yeah, yeah, and keeping it visual. And the sound effects and the music and.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Yeah.

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Ray: And the quality of the sound is super important, and it was really good.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Yeah, that Taylor Gonzalez was our ours is our sound designer.

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Ray: Yeah. Did a great job. When I was in England going to school. I used. They still have a lot of radio plays there, and I enjoyed listening to them, and it reminded me of that.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Yeah. Well, Michael just happened to be a fan of radio plays. And so he was just listening to them. You know, that's just something that he

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): been doing, for you know, his adult life, anyway. And so so he was very familiar with that that art form and so was kind of excited to have a chance to to do that, and he was. He was already knowledgeable about that. But we just had to find a way to make to tell the story. 100 auditorially.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): so that was something that that we were learning

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): to do together.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): So yeah.

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Ray: Because a lot of your shows are so physical. The physical comedy, the

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Ray: the physicality of each character, is very distinct. And you and it's part of the fun of watching.

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Ray: Watching your shows.

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Ray: Now, the current show American dreams. When is its opening in?

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Ray: It's playing all over the Bay area, I assume, as usual.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): So it opens. July 4th weekend. It's opening. The July 4th is is at Dolores Park, which is our typical opening

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): location, and then we're gonna be. I think it, at Live Oak. Let me just double check.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Yeah. So then, that Satur. So Thursday is is July 4.th It's a it's a Thursday, then Saturday and Sunday. We're going to be at Live Oak in Berkeley, and so we're gonna be. We're gonna be doing

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): parks all over San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland, Palo Alto. And yeah, kind of like all over the place. And we're gonna also gonna we're also gonna go to uka and Katati.

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Ray: Oh!

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Well.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): yeah. So there's gonna be mostly park shows right? That's our main thing. But this year, for example, we're going to be

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): indoors for some of those locations like Davis that can be very hot. And you, Kaya, that can be very hot. We're indoors this year.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): so

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): That makes it so that there can be like air conditioning. And it's not, you know, cause

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): it can be a hundred degrees.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): you know, in in in Davis in in Uka. So but mostly we're going to be in parks

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): all over the place, and probably a park near you.

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Ray: Well, I know that I well, usually you go to Mitchell Park.

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Ray: And Palo Alto.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Right.

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Ray: Hopefully. That's where you're going again, cause I live like 2 min away.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): It, says the Cubberley Community Center.

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Ray: Yeah. Okay.

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Ray: Yes.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Road,

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Ray: Yeah, that's it. It's well, that's similar. It's just like a block from Mitchell Park. So.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): And then a new thing actually is, we're gonna be at the Bruins Theater. Cal Shakes's.

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Ray: Oh!

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Peter, we're gonna be there.

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Ray: Wow! Nice.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Yeah. On a Thursday, July 18.th

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Ray: Beautiful Outdoor Theater.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Yeah.

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Ray: Yeah.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): And so that space it is it's a ticket, sales situation, $20 a ticket to go to the Cal shake space.

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Ray: Oh, I see, cause usually it's free.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Yeah.

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Ray: Unless people. But then you're really good. You're really good at fundraising, too.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Well, I mean.

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Ray: I I love how you do your fundraising at the end. It's really it's a lot of fun. And actually, you want to give.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Yeah.

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Ray: Yeah.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Let's pass the hat, because, you know, our idea is that we don't want to

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): create something that is is out of reach. Of anyone that wants to see the show. So we it's past the hat. We? It's a $20 per person, suggested donation, right, you know. But if you if you can't

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): put anything in the hat.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): you we don't want to be like, Okay, get out so everybody can come in there for their people who don't pay anything. And then we have people who who pit put a check in for $1,000. You know it's it's has to do with, like what you what you can do. If whatever you can do, please do, because that makes it so, we can continue to do the work.

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Ray: Yeah.

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Ray: great.

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Ray: And people can go to your website to find out all the information about this.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Yeah sfm, t.org.

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Ray: Okay.

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Ray: if you don't remember that. Just search for San Francisco Mime Troop.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Yeah.

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Ray: Is there anything else you'd like to share today, Valena, with the audience.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): I think I I talked about the show.

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Ray: Yeah, and we learned a little about you. And which is always fun. And

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Ray: I just encourage people to go. It's a lot of fun. You guys always do a great job, and it's a nice day outside, and it'll make you laugh, and it'll also make you think.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): And often.

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Ray: Like combination.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): When you come to a park. Often there are people who are working on whatever the issues are that we're talking about in the show. And so if you feel like, Okay, now, I understand. What's going on about this, I think I do want to get involved. There's often a table that you can go to, that someone can help you take the next step to get to get more involved and take action.

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Ray: Great

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Ray: love it

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Ray: all right. Well, thanks so much for coming on.

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Ms. Brown (She, Her, Hers): Thank you. I appreciate it.

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Ray: You're welcome.