A Conversation About Big George

Kelli Stevens Kane sat down with her own director, Mark David Staley, to talk about the their upcoming performance: Big George.

A one-woman show about the connections between families and communities, Kelli’s play is an intimate, living portrait of her grandmother, Georgetta Holmes Stevens.  Known as “Big George” to her friends, she was a singular woman who always spoke her mind.  Even when she was attending the funerals of complete strangers.

Kelli: I’m curious about how you see this show. What is it? A play?

Mark: Well, typically a play has some central conflict but that’s sort of pigeonholing the idea of a play.

Plays are at the heart a story, and this is a beautiful story. It’s a story about the art of being human.

Plato wrote ‘Love is the name for our pursuit of wholeness, for our desire to be complete.’ Your exploration of these stories is motivated by that same pursuit and desire. Kelli, what do you hope the audience takes away from this experience?

Kelli: At its heart, this is a show about connections–to family, community, our authentic selves, connections across generations, and connections between the dead and the living.

I hope “Big George” sparks each of us to experience these connections as deeply as we can. I also hope audience members will connect with me after the show.

I love feedback and will write back within the week: hello@kellistevenskane.com. Thanks!