You may have seen it on Hulu, but now you have a chance to see “Tiny Beautiful Things,” the book by Cheryl Strayed, in a stage version written by Strayed and Nia Vardalos. Rebecca Yeager is directing the show, which runs April 10-27 at Terrific New Theatre. Here, Yeager talks a bit about her theater background and, of course, “Tiny Beautiful Things.”
Tell me a little about yourself.
I was born and raised in Birmingham. Graduated from JCIB and did theater at Shades Valley with Roy Hudson. I got my MFA in theater performance from the University of Southern Mississippi and my BA in musical theater from Birmingham-Southern College, where I had the honor of being a visiting professor and directing the last show at the college. My husband, two kids, dog and five chickens live in the woods on the Cahaba River.
What’s your first memory of being on stage or involved with a play?
In kindergarten, I played the straw pig in our class play “The Three Little Pigs,” but I honestly don’t remember a time when I wasn’t performing or working in theater. Jeanmarie Collins (the mom of the actress playing Sugar) taught me at Birmingham Children’s Theatre when I was a little kid, and I coerced my sister and cousins into performing plays with me on family vacations. When I figured out this was something you could do for a living and not just for fun, I knew it was what I was meant to do!
Can you tell me a bit about your acting/director history?
Like I said, the bug bit me early, but it was in high school that I really started to figure out how this theater thing worked. Throughout high school and college, I got the opportunity to participate in a lot of different ways: performing, stage managing, costume, follow spot operator (which is how I met my husband). I performed in Birmingham’s amazing community theaters (mostly VST, BFT and TNT) between graduating from Birmingham-Southern and moving away for graduate school. When we moved back to Birmingham, I started working at Birmingham Children’s Theatre, where I performed, taught and directed in addition to working on the administrative side.
This is your first show at TNT, correct? How did it come about?
This is my first time directing here, but I have been fortunate enough to perform twice on the TNT stage – in 2006 in “Boston Marriage” with Beth Kitchin and Jill Marlar directed by Carl Stewart and again in 2017 in the world premiere of Audrey Ceflay’s “Love is a Blue Tick Hound” directed by Tam DeBolt. I’ve known Tam for a long time! I have stage managed her, performed on stage with her and worked on numerous projects with her. She approached me about directing for this welcome back season and I could not have been more honored. She sent me a handful of scripts and this one rose to the top of the list immediately.
Tell me about the show and this particular production.
“Tiny Beautiful Things” is a collection of real letters to the advice column “Dear Sugar” and Cheryl Strayed’s anonymous responses. Nia Vardalos (of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” fame) collaborated with Cheryl Strayed to create a compelling and moving story. There are four actors: one who plays Sugar (Jessica Clark Boody) and the other three play the many different letter writers (Nancy McLemore, Stephen Mangina and Megan Pecot). We see Sugar wrestle with her past, her failures and the lessons life has taught and is teaching her. She is an honest and vulnerable portrayal of a woman in her 40s trying to balance her creative work, homelife and all the expectations the world heaps on her shoulders. To me, the letter writers represent the three voices that have the most influence women’s lives: younger women who see us as irrelevant, older women whose wisdom we should (but don’t always) heed and masculine voices who have the power to lift up and tear down in equally powerful and illogical ways. This cast does a beautiful job of bringing each person’s story to life. Audiences will see themselves, their struggles, people they know woven all throughout this piece. Austin Helmers created a beautiful set for us to play on. Key Lewis-Sayles’s sound design and Scott Littleton’s lighting design give the gentlest nudge of theatricality to welcome audiences into the world.
Are you a fan of the Hulu series?
I haven’t watched it. It’s on the”to watch” list, but the list is long and I’m always in rehearsal, so … I sure do love Kathryn Hahn, though!
Does it matter that people are familiar with the Hulu series? Does that make it any easier or more difficult to bring it to the stage?
I didn’t feel any pressure. In fact, I hope people’s awareness of the TV series will influence them to see the play. I love that these incredibly human stories with universal themes and weaving into our lives and culture in so many different ways.
What do you hope audiences will take from the play?
Sugar is all of us. We are all Sugar. If we live with “radical sincerity and open arms,” life won’t necessarily be easier, but it will be full of love, clanging like an iron bell.
What podcasts do you listen to?
“Dear Sugar” (of course), “We Can Do Hard Things,” “RadioLab,” “This American Life,” “Sawbones,” “Armchair Expert,” “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me.” If the kids are in the car, we are on a heavy rotation of “Brains On!,” “Forever Ago” and “Smash Boom Best.”
Who is your favorite playwright?
Sarah Ruhl, Lauren Gunderson and William Shakespeare.
Do you have a favorite show?
“The Fantasticks” and “Les Mis” and my favorite musicals. “Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Eurydice” are my favorite plays.
What’s a performance (on stage or screen) that sticks out to you as an audience member?
I saw the Scottish play at Alabama Shakespeare Festival a few years ago. The whole thing was stunning, start to finish. The fights were incredible (I’m a fight choreographer so I get very invested in those storytelling moments), the set and lights highlighted beautiful text and character work, but the most awe-inspiring part was when Banquo’s ghost appeared at the banquet. All of the sudden he was just there, seated at the head of the table. He appeared out of nowhere. Then, throughout the rest of the scene he slowly rose, stood on his chair, climbed on the table and walked across it to the other side of the stage. He did it at a speed slower and more smoothly than humans are supposed to be able to move. He didn’t wobble or waver. The amount of control and focus that actor had was superhuman and awe inspiring.
What is a role you wish you will or could have played or a show you’re really looking forward to directing?
I really want to play Emilie in Lauren Gunderson’s “Emilie: La Marquiese du Chatelet Defends Her Life Tonight.”
Any great advice you’ve been given by a fellow director or anyone else about directing?
Trust the text. It knows what the story is. It will tell you how to bring it to life if you just listen to it. When you feel lost, or bogged down, or something just isn’t clicking, go back to the words.
Tell me about a time something went wrong on stage.
In grad school I was playing Chris Gorman in “Rumors.” By the top of Act II, Chris has had a few drinks. We were using real glassware on stage. During the second performance, I took a big swig (of water) out of my martini glass and sat it down gently (I thought) on the coffee table. The glass shattered! We had a huge, white shag carpet under the coffee table. I (completely sober) as Chris (completely not) picked up all the little bits of glass during the scene. It was ridiculous, but it worked, the show went on, and nobody cut themselves!
What kind of music do you listen to when you’re not performing or directing?
Come see the show and you’ll hear some of my favorites in the preshow and transition music: Mumford and Sons, Brandi Carlile, Fleetwood Mac, Caamp, The Civil Wars. Not featured, but high on my list are The Beatles, Sara Bareilles, Coldplay, The Head and The Heart, Avett Brothers, The Lumineers, Phoebe Bridgers, Hozier, Trampled by Turtles, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Alabama Shakes, Nickel Creek, Led Zepplin, James Taylor. I love music, so t’s not a short list.
What’s the last book you read?
I am currently re-reading the “Stormlight Chronicles” series by Brandon Sanderson. My favorite authors are Barbara Kingsolver and Elizabeth Gilbert.
What’s the last TV series you binged?
I just finished a rewatch of “Gilmore Girls.” It didn’t take as long as it should have.
What’s next for you?
I don’t know! I have really enjoyed focusing on directing these last few years and I’m ready to get back on stage. Who wants to do a play?
“Tiny Beautiful Things” at Terrific New Theatre April 10-27.
