Our interview with On the Exhale Director, Matt Pfeiffer
Q. What is the importance of bringing On the Exhale to the stage and why do people need to see this production?
A. The gun crisis in America has left us numb. And not unlike the protagonist of On the Exhale, we’ve been left asking “What now?” I think Martín Zimmerman has created a smart and moving piece of theatre that allows an audience to explore what’s on the other side of that numb feeling. The play takes surprising turns and challenges assumptions about grief. It also offers a tour de force performance from one of Philly’s most gifted and accomplished actors. It should be a challenging and memorable production.
Q. Is there something unique that you think Suli will bring to this production?
A. Suli is one of the most accomplished and experienced actors I know. She’s played all kinds of spaces all over the world. She has an extremely diverse range of performances in her background, from avant-garde clown work and musicals to new plays and devised work. In addition, she’s created her own solo work. I think she’s uniquely qualified to bring the story to life.
Q. As a father of a young child, how do you think this will impact your direction?
A. I’m oddly lucky in that my son isn’t yet in school. I live in deep hope that we’ll have made progress by the time he’s in school. But I am, of course, dubious. It may be worth noting there’s a gun range a few miles from our house and every day when we play outside I can hear it in the distance. I become hyper aware of that sound in relationship to my child. I Imagine it will be similar working on the play. The violence and the story are at a slight distance from me. But only slightly.
Q. What do you want audiences to know before seeing this production?
A. I want them to know this is not a polemical play. Any attempt to engage in the tragedy of gun violence has become overtly political. But the play is telling a more complicated narrative. The issue isn’t black and white - nor is the play. It does ask you to wrestle with tragic circumstances, but in the same vein of Shakespeare and Sophocles.
Q. Gun violence is in the news daily; what research have you done to prepare for this production?
A. I’m really just spending time with the play. The narrative is personal and isn’t an attempt to wrestle with the dramaturgical facts of gun violence. It’s an exploration of the psychological effects of tragedy. And it’s unique to this character’s journey. She’s not an avatar for all experiences.