The Shorthand Job opens on February 18th, 2022! In this show, Callie and Omar are a successful, middle-aged couple that have been married for years. Only, they haven’t been merry in years. For the record, they used to be quite happy but somewhere along the line, they stopped listening to their better voices. Therapy and counseling proved ineffective. Desperate, they decide they have no choice but to open up their marriage to someone who may be just their type. But of course, they aren’t married to the idea.
We reached out to stage manager Tippin with a few questions about them and their experience working on this production.
1. What’s the best relationship advice you’ve ever been given or that you would like to give?
Say the things. Whatever it is, good relationships are built on openness, trust, and non-judgmental communication. And if you can't talk about heavy stuff without fighting, it may not be a good fit, and that's okay.
2. What’s the weirdest experience you’ve ever had at work?
When I was working at a big box craft store, I had someone call in with a LOT of detailed questions about constructing wooden paddles. It was a LONG conversation. There was definitely heavy breathing on their end. I found it thoroughly amusing!
3. How did you get into theatre?
Long story short, a creative writing teacher goaded me into performance poetry eons ago, and an acting teacher goaded me into taking a role I really didn't think I was ready for, nearly a decade ago. I fell in love with this art form during that first production, and haven't stopped falling since.
4. How is working with The Magnetic different from working with other theatres?
Every process is different and new. That's true for most productions, but even moreso for Magnetic because we're always doing things that have never been done before--- there are no set precedents or expectations beyond just making the best theatre we can make, and it's always a delight to see how a show develops!
5. Do you have any upcoming projects that we should check out?
I always have projects, but one of the things I'm most excited about in the upcoming year is directing Recycled Nuts for TMT in July! It's a clever, goofy, farcical play written by Travis Lowe, and I'm very much looking forward to it! Prior to that, in May, I'll be stage managing the Asheville debut of Starbright by Sean David Robinson. The show was a big hit at the Broadway Bound Theatre Festival in NYC in 2018, where I also stage managed, and I'm thrilled to finally bring it back home--- it's beautiful, heartbreaking, and magical, and I can't wait to share it here at The Magnetic!
Biography
Since diving into theatre in 2013, Tippin has worked as an actor, stage manager, technical director, assistant director, producer, props master, office manager, collaborative writer, dramaturg, and sound designer for dozens productions for stage, film, restaurant, hallway, and oversized camera obscura. She has a particular interest in socially progressive, original, experimental, fringe, and immersive theatre, as well as in poetry performance.
The Shorthand Job runs February 18-20, 2022 at The Magnetic Theatre in Asheville, NC. Grab your tickets here: https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=132898