“What if your mum was so drop dead gorgeous you wish she’d drop dead?”
After a sold-out premiere in New York, Have You Seen This Woman? has voyaged to the Scottish capital as the debut Edinburgh Fringe show for creators Grace Godvin, Greer Cohen and Jessie-Ann Kohlman. The female-led black comedy follows a college student (played by
Kohlman) in the throes of psychosis, plagued by her perceived trauma: her own mother being so hot that she wishes she would drop dead. The Indiependent sat down to speak with the creatives.
The Indiependent: How was ‘Have You Seen This Woman?’ born?
Jessie-Ann: The first draft of Have You Seen This Woman? was me trying to contextualize my own relationship with vanity, desire, and a lot of postulating on the inevitability of growing up and becoming your parents. It wasn’t very good. I wouldn’t say it was exactly autobiographical, but it was absolutely an inner (very) indulgent monologue. My attempt at Notes From The Underground.
Greer: Jessie sent me the first draft of HYSTW and I did not read it for a year. But when I finally did, I was drawn to the gap between what the protagonist perceives as her personal struggle vs. what her “real problem is.” I just thought it was really funny and smart and
wanted to get involved!
Grace: I’m the saddest girl in the world, and Greer is extremely funny, we all added bits of ourselves to the project.
Jessie-Ann: The structure and supporting characters have changed so much since the first draft. I think the psychology of our main character, though, is still rooted in that Oedipal doomsday of Dostoyevskian protagonists.
What are the primary issues you wanted to deal with in the play and how do you tackle them in it?
Grace: There’s a fine line between the drama and humour of narcissism and making sure an audience understood that we WANT them to laugh, to understand this character is a product of her own psychosis.
Greer: Narcissism, trauma narratives, mother/daughter relationships.
Jessie-Ann: We tackle them with perfect jokes and my transcendent acting.
Is this your first show at the Fringe?
Grace: Our first time!
Jessie-Ann: Yes! Prior to this I have been acting up a storm in short films-fingers crossed that they get longer!
Greer: Let us make a movie.
How would you describe The Fringe to someone who has never been?
Grace: It’s exciting and exhausting and unlike anything else. I’ve seen comedy shows where there isn’t a word spoken, plays from Olivier-nominated writers, and even a 1:30am clown show. Also, I learned recently it’s “the Fringe” not just “Fringe” so… you’re learning the
whole time…
Jessie-Ann: Exhausting for sure. I heard someone say the other day that the Fringe makes you take a hard look at exactly why you want to do this (meaning art? I assume) with your life. So far, the truest thing I’ve heard.
Greer: Band camp.
Jessie-Ann: Yes, that too. Theatre nerd Mecca. My heaven.
Have you been able to see any other shows? Any favourites?
Grace: I loved Britney, Friends and Nothing More. Graeme Laek’s Saved is so special. And Britanik!
Jessie-Ann: Love Me Or I’ll Kill Myself at Zoo Playground and Saved at Zoo Southside are my top two!
Greer: Zoo has fantastic programming! Love Me or I’ll Kill Myself is a personal fave as well. And Enter Mister Citrus Man which is at Zoo Playground too.
What’s next?
Grace: We’d like to do Have You Seen This Woman 2: Found Her. From there, I think we’d all like to continue writing, directing, performing respectively.
Have You Seen This Woman runs until the 28th August at Playground 2 at the ZOO Playground. For tickets, visit the Edinburgh Fringe Website.
Words by Katie Ross
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