As part of our Edinburgh Fringe 2024 coverage, we are running a series of interviews with artists and creatives who are taking part in the festival.
In this interview, we speak to Arturo Luíz Soria about her show Ni Mi Madre.
Where did your arts career begin?
I was a theatre kid through and through. The story goes that when I was in kindergarten I did The Three Little Pigs. My mom says I played the chicken (where a chicken appears in the story I haven’t the slightest idea) and I say I played the big bad wolf. For years we disputed it but, come to find out recently, thanks to my younger sister's memory. The play was called The Little Red Hen and I was a fox. Thank god for sisters!
From that point on, I went to a performing arts high school (FPAC), did my undergrad at The Theatre School at DePaul University where I started my professional career. Chicago was an incredible training ground. I worked alongside some brilliant artists who took me under their wing and pushed me to be better. One of the most pivotal roles of my career was in a play called Hit the Wall by Ike Holter about the Stonewall Riots of ’69. I played Tano a fast-talking-hip-swishing-Puerto Rican street queen with a sharp tongue and a big heart. I received a huge shoutout in The New Yorker from Hilton Als, the show moved off-Broadway, and I went with it. From then on cut my teeth doing regional theatre, playing some difficult roles like Eliot in Water by the Spoonful in DC, and eventually decided to go back to get my masters at Yale School of Drama. Upon graduating, I booked a role in The Inheritance by Matthew Lopéz on Broadway and thus became a broadway baby.
What can you tell me about your show?
Bete—the protagonist--an unfiltered, flamboyant, hilarious, problematic, passionate, unwavering, bold woman might grab you at the top of the play but all her charm is no match for the divine. Eventually, Iemanjá (Yemaya), the goddess mother of the sea, a central figure in Brazilian culture, gets a hold of her and takes her to the place she’s least willing to go.
How would you describe the style of the show?
It’s a campy, fun, unapologetic, confessional, dripping in vino tinto and laced with the spirits.
How have you approached developing the piece?
I started writing this play as a class assignment in undergrad. I took a solo performance class and one of the prompts had something to do with your childhood. At first, I wrote from my perspective and it was only kinda funny but, one day, frustrated by how it was turning out, I said 'f*ck it!' put on a dress, chugged a bottle of wine, and began talking as fast as I could improving the story of my childhood, my life, my family history from the point of view of my mother. Audiences loved it. The storytelling became dangerous and hilarious and the drunker I got the deeper the stories went. Eventually, I stopped drinking, stopped improvising, and began shaping, cutting, and editing. When I partnered with Danilo, he brought Brazil to the piece—the missing element. He introduced me to Umbanda practices and saw this play as a ritual of forgiveness. He, along with our outstanding dramaturg and designers, created a colorful container for this larger-than-life-woman to fully express herself.
How do/will you prepare yourself for a run at the Fringe?
Rehearsal. Boxing. Rehearsal. Haha. Doing a solo show is like running a marathon night after night. It requires a lot of stamina and endurance. So, I’ve been boxing to stay in shape and keep my heart rate up. We’ll be doing an invited dress rehearsal in NYC and a preview in Watford to get the show on its feet and in front of audiences.
Other than the show,what’s something you’re looking forward to doing in Edinburgh this year?
I’m an Edinburgh virgin! Everyone I’ve spoken to says that it’s a magical time of the year. This theatre kid can’t wait to experience that magic first hand. See shows, meet other artists, make lifelong friends from around the world, and just soak it all up.
What keeps you inspired?
Hmmm…in so many ways, my family. They’re a complex knot of people. Layered, multidimensional, aggravating, loving, hilarious. They drive me to the page!
What do you hope an audience takes away from seeing the show?
If audiences walk away feeling a bit more compassion for themselves and the people who brought them into this world then I think we will have done something.
Where can audiences see the show?
Edinburgh Preview
Watford Fringe
28 July 19:00
Watford Fringe
28 July 19:00
https://www.pumphousewatford.co.uk/events/ni-mi-madre/
Edinburgh Fringe
Jack Dome at Pleasance Theatre
Edinburgh Fringe
Jack Dome at Pleasance Theatre
31 Jul - 26 Aug 16:05
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