We had the tremendous opportunity to sit down with Kristen Fogle, the director of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, to pick her brain about the production – and it was so much fun! Kristen has been performing for the past 25 years and has produced/directed for the past decade. She is the former co-Artistic Director of the Ocean Beach Playhouse, former ACT president, and a participant with Directors Lab West. She also has been seen at Patio on stage in I Oughta Be in Pictures, as the costumer for American Idiot, as the producer for Into the Woods, and as co-director of The Effect of Gamma Rays…. By day, Kristen is the Executive Director of San Diego Writers, Ink and a teaching artist with the La Jolla Playhouse. She has a MA in Rhetoric/Writing and is currently pursuing a MA in Theatre Arts (both at SDSU). Her third and fourth books will be released in January.
Here’s what Kristen had to say about ILYYPNC:
What drew you to this show?
Honestly I was hungry to work after almost two years of not doing theater. I love Patio and the park, and I’d worked with David and Matt in the past. I said I’d consider putting my hat in the ring to direct and the next thing I knew I was being put on a Facebook thread with my new cast.
What about this show do you relate to?
All the scenarios involving dating I breathe a big old happy “thank god” that I don’t have to do that. I’m at the beginning of my marital life, so “Shouldn’t I Be Less In Love With You”and “I Can Live With That” make me hopeful for the future.
What choices are you making in this show to make it specifically relevant to today?
The script was slightly altered in 2018, so content wise, there are built in updates there. Just the fact that we are situating this post-pandemic lockdown “modernizes” it. In short, I haven’t had to do anything to make it relevant. Its relevancy lies in where we are at; people are figuring out what normal is now, and dating and relationships are definitely seeing a shift as a result.
What has been the biggest challenge of the process? What about the biggest triumph?
Doing a show is a process and a skillset, and not having done back-to-back shows in a while, it’s taken a second to get back into the flow. I’ll say that this year and a half has been tough for me, so a triumph is that I just don’t have any anxiety or stress around the making of theater anymore. I’ve been through too much; collectively we’ve all been through too much.
What are you most hoping that the audience takes away from this production?
I just want people to lose themselves for a second, to have a much needed mental break from everything going on personally, politically, societally. I want people to have fun, together, because it’s been a while since we’ve all been in a setting like this. There’s a fun, exciting energy to live theater that can be really entertaining and even therapeutic.
Have any relationship advice you’d like to share?
I once attended a fiftieth anniversary party. Someone turned to the wife and said, “Wow, fifty years! What’s your secret??” Without missing a beat, the woman leaned in on her cane and replied: “Never. Have a. Headache.” Then she winked and sat back.
Is there anything else you’d like to share that hasn’t been asked above?
Ali (stage manager/producer) is the greatest ever. Huge thanks to Matt, Jerrica, crew, and the (amazing!) cast.
Thanks for taking the time to do this interview with us, Kristen, and to create this fun piece of art to share with our theatre community! We are excited to invite audiences to see I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change running August 27-September 11 at Kit Carson Amphitheater!
Learn more about Kristen at kristenfogle.com.