Poetic Larceny Artists Reveal #19 –Kelly O’Donnell
And how can I learn more about Flux’s upcoming production of Pretty Theft?
KELLY O’DONNELL
Director, May 11th
Previous Flux stuff: Kelly directed the full productions of Riding the Bull, Rue, Life Is A Dream, and 8 Little Antichrists. She is directing our upcoming production of J.B. She also directed the Food:Soul of This Storm Is What We Call Progress, and acted in the F:S of Pretty Theft. She is also playing Tegan in the upcoming production of The Lesser Seductions of History.
We asked the amazing artists of our upcoming staged reading series Poetic Larceny to answer some questions about stealing, beauty, and consequences. Read on for their answers!
Question #1: What is the worst thing you’ve ever stolen?
I stole tee shirts from the school store of my Catholic high school when I was a sophomore. I ditched the loot in a hole in the wall in my parent’s basement.
Somehow the Disciplinarian heard from an anonymous tipster that I was the thief.
He called me into his office and interrogated me for at least an hour. Dozens of times he asked me if I did it and he even used techniques to get to my emotions so that I would break down and admit it. My heart was racing and I felt like I was going to cry the entire time but I somehow held it together and denied and denied and denied. I sat in the chair and I told myself that I will never admit to it because I would have been expelled in a heartbeat. He eventually gave up but he let me know that he knew that I was responsible and that I should do the ethical thing and admit it. I looked him dead in the eye and told him that whoever said that I stole the tee shirts must have a serious vendetta against me because I am completely innocent.
I never got in trouble for it.
Sadly, I got a text from my sister today telling me that he died in his sleep last night. R.I.P. He was doing the right thing and I was so wrong. So wrong.
Question #2: What is the worst thing that’s been stolen from you?
My dog. Seriously, my dog. My 6 month old shih tzu. In 2002, someone broke into my apartment while I was at work. They stole all my jewelry, some money and the dog.
I’ve never met anyone else who had this happen to them. I tried so hard to find him – I even worked with a pet detective (yes, they actually exist). I managed to get on Fox News, the New York Post, 1010wins and several Queens papers. I posted “Missing Dog” signs all over the neighborhood and sent signs to every vet and animal hospital in the city. Many people contacted me saying that they think they found my dog and I traveled as far as Long Island to meet them and their found dogs. It was never him.
I never found him.
Mickey, I hope you are ok.
Question #3: What do you find pretty?
Skyscrapers. And pretty ladies.
Question #4: What do you find beautiful?
Gong to a place far from New York with very little artificial light, laying on my back and looking at the universe. Wow.
Question #5: If you could steal something beautiful without consequences, what would it be?
An old abandoned theater in the city that Flux can call home.
Recent Comments