The wilder West
Pig Iron Theatre invites you on one wacky road trip
INTERVIEW. Playing with perceptions and dreams of the American West — not to mention mysterious mustaches — “Welcome to Yuba City” is a tough piece to describe. But we tapped performer/creator Geoff Sobelle for some inside info on Pig Iron Theatre’s latest, which the renowned hometown company is unveiling at this year’s Live Arts Festival.
Why is Quinn Bauriedel directing “Yuba” rather than Pig Iron’s usual director, Dan Rothenberg?
Quinn just came in and said, “Either I’m directing or you can all go to hell.” No. Don’t print that. That’s not true. Actually, Dan decided he was taking a sabbatical, and a lot of these decisions are made by the artistic directors behind closed doors, and we just hear the outcome. It seemed like a great idea though.
How is Bauriedel’s style different?
With Dan we usually start in a little more of an academic or intellectual place. With this we had a theme, this idea of “the West,” but it was pretty open. Quinn was more about simply mining our comedic potential.
“Yuba” doesn’t have a narrative per se, but what should we expect?
It’s like how you’re on a road trip and you stop and have lunch at a diner. At first you’re like, “This place is totally bizarre.” But then you kind of get to know it, and it works its way into your imagination. It’s not a destination — it’s a place you pass through, and you’re glad you don’t live there.
Do you have a real mustache, or is it a prosthetic?
It is a real mustache, but it’s not my mustache.
Did you grow one for the show?
I grew one on a different guy, and then I cut it off of him.
‘Welcome to Yuba City’
Through Sept. 19, Festival
Theater, 626 N. Fifth St.
$25-$30, 215-413-1318
www.livearts-fringe.org