Dive into the heart and soul of the Edinburgh Fringe with Kacie Rogers' compelling new show, "I Sell Windows." This autobiographical performance blends personal stories with the themes of grief and identity. Join Cultural Dose as we talk about Kacie’s journey, her fearless approach to storytelling, and the innovative shadow puppetry that brings her narrative to life. Through her unflinching honesty and creative collaboration, Kacie invites audiences to see themselves reflected in her tale, offering a poignant reminder to be kinder to ourselves and that none of us are truly alone.
How close is the I Sell Windows Kacie’s story to your real life, and what was behind the decision to give her your first name?
The stories that come together to make I Sell Windows are all stories from my actual life. They are reordered, names are changed, and certain situations are exaggerated (I was not even close to being as good of a window salesperson as my character is) but it's all inspired by my real-life experiences. For that reason, it felt odd trying to give the character a name that wasn't my own. It felt like a very thin veil of protection and a part of what I was aiming to do in writing this piece is face my fears. Say the things aloud in front of an audience that I thought I could never dare say. To do that under the guise of another identity felt counterintuitive to the goal.
How do you think I Sell Windows speaks to its audience, especially in terms of its themes of grief and identity?
I think I Sell Windows speaks to each audience member very differently. I've had people come up to me after and say, "how do you know my life?". I've had other people come up and have a revelatory release of guilt and/or shame around the circumstances of a loss in their life that they've been holding without realising it. I think my original goal of saying everything that I was scared to say aloud and admit all of the shortcomings and insecurities that came with my grief, creates a space where people feel safe to explore their own. To see themselves as worthy of love regardless of circumstance. To be a bit softer on themselves when they are in the midst of grief. To know that they are not alone if said grief made them question everything about who they are and who they want to be. Ultimately, I think (and hope) that I Sell Windows takes the audience by the hand and whispers, "hey...you're not alone."
Can you tell us a bit about the creative process behind choreographing the show’s shadow puppetry with Brittaney Talbot?
The flow of choreography between my incredible director, Jaquita Ta'le, and brilliant lead puppeteer, Brittaney Talbot, was very organic and informed by my instincts and movements. Jaquita's methodologies strongly included viewpoints and improvisation. Jaquita always stated that the ultimate goal was to use the text to guide the puppetry while also allowing me freedom to respond to new stimuli via the puppets and Brittaney was instantly on the same page. Brittaney was also very specific about every single choice -- always asking me for photos, marking clues from the text like my interest in graphic novels to inform fonts, and even turning wordplay into a visual art by riffing off of my creation of the 'Not' character and giving her Bantu knots. It has been a truly dreamy collaboration, and I can't wait to embark on the next step of the journey with this team.
Congratulations on your NAACP awards. What direction do you see your career heading in the future?
Thank you so much! The ultimate goal for me is to be a conscious creator with a well-loved circle of influence. I aim to create art that speaks to the time and the people who need it while simultaneously offering those who experience it a chance to feel less alone. I love several mediums of art, so I'd love to see that work span anywhere from graphic novels to a book of poetry to a Broadway stage to the silver screen. Bottle Tree Theatre, which I co-founded with Chelsea Boyd and Jaquita Ta'le, is a huge part of that dream as we come together with the common goal of creating work that is rooted in cultural connectivity, eternal history, and reflections of Black joy. More specifically, we'd love to see I Sell Windows developed for television, we will be workshopping a full length play that we are co-writing, remounting a solo work by Jaquita Ta'le that we can't wait to share with the world, and producing my full length play Oladele or The Forgotten Song. There's also a book by Toni Morrison that I'm dying to adapt into a play...perhaps you'll see that soon as well.
Overall, I plan to keep running full speed toward what excites me and trusting that it will catch me when I leap into its arms.
What shows would you recommend at this year’s Fringe?
I recommend seeing How I Learned to Swim by Somebody Jones, Black is the Color of my Voice, and Main Character Energy are a few that I'm stoked to see. I'm stoked to see so many Black femme creators at the Fringe this year and can't wait to support as hard as I can!
I Sell Windows will be performed at 4pm in Assembly George Square Studios (Studio Four) from 1st – 25th August (Not 7th, or 13th)
Booking link: https://assemblyfestival.com/whats-on/540-i-sell-windows
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