Interview with Heather Litteer

Could you first introduce yourself to the reader?

Hello I would like to introduce myself. My name is Heather Litteer but my friends call me Rabbit.

I am an actress from NYC and excited to be here in Scotland for my first fringe festival with Assembly called Lemonade. I am originally form Georgia so I have Southern roots but been in NY for decades performing in the Downtown Underground with Jackie 60 Factory and touring the world with avant-gaurde performance troop Big Art Group as well as a member of Yoshiko Chuma and the School of Hard knocks. La MaMa resident artist and part of HOWL! Arts organization. I love and live in New York I am a true Manhattan lady. I love the fast-paced city it inspires everything I do. The beat of the city, the vibrant people the endless culture and that I can hail a yellow cab if I need to. Just walking down a New York city street get my writing juices flowing. There is a story on every corner. Well I certainly have stories to tell. HERSTORIES.

You never know who you will run into at any moment your entire day can change.

How would you describe your show?

Lemonade is sweet and tart tales of my life as an actress here in New York City how I have been type-cast in many overtly sexual roles as well as stories of my personal life of being a notorious New York party girl and how really art does equal life. To tell the stories of the girl on the other side the girl with no name. Peppered with phone calls with my Steel Magnolia mother back home in Georgia and her old southern values back-dropped against mine.

It's a true story of redemption, female empowerment and sex positivity. About picking your self back up again and never letting go. Fall down 12 get up 13. My hope is that I can inspire one woman to take her power back if she has ever felt marginalized.

"Heather Lynn, When Life Hands you Lemons you just make Lemonade", That is one of the many sayings of my mother Nancy. This is where the tile comes from.

Why do you want to perform at Edinburgh Festival Fringe?

This my first self penned full length solo show and I really want to meet other artists to see what else is happening globally. Of-course meet with other curators and producers about the possibilities of bringing Lemonade to other theatre's and festivals around the world. I have some big dreams of collaborating internationally in an exchange with another venue to produce a female focused festival; cross cultural, cross generational and gender fluid. Let's build a tour sisters!

What differentiates it from other festivals?

Well for one it's the biggest in the world! This Festival has everything you could imagine from Theatre to cabaret to comedy and even children's shows.

From my experiences in the world of festivals, I toured extensively with Big Art Group. We were on a completely different theatre and visual arts festival circuit, and we were in and out of town usually for not more than a week. I love that I will be here at Edinburgh Fringe with Assembly for 23 shows. This is a luxury. I will really be able to discover new things about myself as a performer and new things about Lemonade.

It's exciting to be living and working here for almost a month. I will get onto my Lemonade rhythm! Breathing in the atmosphere, the variety of performers I will meet and the energy of the city. Building a new friends and relationships in the fringe community and beyond.

Do you think the Fringe has changed over the years? If so, how? Are these changes positive or negative?

I have only been to Fringe once last year to check out the scene and see some shows. I loved it!

The fast paced intensity of 24 hour shows and more shows. See that's my NY lady coming out.

What first motivated you to enter the industry? Who were your inspirations?

I was inspired a lot by the old Hollywood movies with Elizabeth Taylor like Butterfield 8 and Cleopatra which I had to watch in my History class. There was a lot of glamour there. Gena Rowlands in Woman Under the Influence. Raw and Real. As well Lucille Ball I spent hours watching her while sitting on the golden shag carpet watching reruns as a child. She was everything.

After moving to New York as teenager and studying acting I started going to see shows on Broadway like Jessica Lang in Street Car and Joan River did a show called Lenny where Joan played Lenny Bruce's mother it was one whole monologue. Incredible.

I vividly remember these performances and they shaped me as an actress. I started pouring over books and learning new things that were not available to me in Georgia. Dorothy Parker and her Round Table, Margarite Duras, Jean Genet ,Sam Shepard, Henry Miller and of course my absolute favourite Tennessee Williams.

Watching these woman on stage and these reading these writers, poets and play-writes helped me to hone my craft as a writer and actress. I am always learning and want to explore new ideas and new work. The ability to tell stories to move and inspire people to have memory recall about your own life is healing for myself and the audience is my hope. To spark ideas and emotions in others. To hopefully inspire and engage in a conversation.

If you didn't have your current job, what would you probably be doing?

Jazzercise Instructor in awesome spandex.

If you could have any job in the world, what would it be?

Start and run a non-profit organization that would benefit woman girls across the globe to help them to be self-sufficient and independent in the work force and learning new skills.

That would be funded by my own Production Company called Red Rabbit Productions where I produce cutting edge film and television with the portion of the profits to go the helping woman. International Boss Lady.

What is your earliest childhood art memory?

My earliest memories of art are basically trying to coloring inside the lines, Which I still try to do today. Making things with macaroni and glue and coloring paper with crayon and then painting black and scratching out design with a paper clip that was awesome. Making plays and dance routines in the basement. We had no cell phones or internet so we entertained each other and our selves creatively. I would like to thank my 2nd grade teacher, Ms. Cone for casting me in "Free to Be you and Me" by Marlo Thomas, my first acting role. We performed in my elementary school lunch room. I was so nervous and I loved the adrenaline rush and of course getting all dressed up in character.

Do you ever feel any pressure to be a social commentator, or constantly update material to respond to events?

Yes, I feel like we have a social responsibility to each other to be supportive and reflect and give each other hope in a world that I feel is slipping deeper in the crack of cracks with all of crackpots. Its Global. It's scary.

Everyone has an opinion and everything is so quick to be online and on social media its immediate. I engage in my own personal ways and don't feel the need to post all the time. I'm extremely liberal and anyone that knows me knows that and yes I am mad as hell right now living in the US.

Equally, do you think there has been a shift in public sentiment that has affected your work?

Yes, Lemonade touches a lot on the misogyny in the film world and how woman are treated on and off screen. With the current political climate, and the country being run by a complete misogynist and mostly all males it gives me more vigor than ever to fight back and take my place as female, as empowered and for all woman and people whom have ever felt marginalized.

Describe the last year in 5 words or less?

Make Lemonade of Lemons

If you could work with anybody, from any point in history, who would you pick and why?

Tennessee Williams, He is my all-time favorite play write. I am from the South. I know these woman he writes about - they are difficult, they struggle they are layered they are passive aggressive but gentile. Steel Magnolia's. I feel like Tennessee put himself in a lot of his female characters. I would to have a drink with Tennessee and write a play together mixing our personal stories together. Epic.

Why would a performer opt to do either a ticketed event or participate in the free fringe? What are the benefits and limitations of both?

It's so important to offer a free ticket to some of your shows to reach a wider audience and for people who don't normally go to the theatre or can't afford it. It is a new experience and opportunity to engage with a new audience. If there are open seats why not fill them as well. Everyone should be able to go to a show not just the wealthy.

The main limitation is money, always that thing money. I really hate it sometimes. We have to be able to pay for our costs too. Where is the Government funding? That would help buy tickets and support more artists.

Art funding is getting cut out of almost every budget and its a problem. Then it falls on our shoulders. But we have to pay rent too. Art heals and should be for all people!

What advice would you give to someone who wants to take a show up to the fringe?

Save your money get organized and build a great team of support around you.

Promo Promo Promo! Write a great show and have a spectacular image!

When and where can people see your show?

Lemonade will be with The Assembly at The Assembly Hall in the Drawing Room

From Aug. 3rd - 27th at 16:40 everyday expect Aug.14th and 21st.

Tickets: https://www.assemblyfestival.com/whats-on/lemonade

And where can people find, follow and like you online?