Tom: I’m sitting here with Lauri Hammer, who is playing the role of Rhoda in convergence-continuum’s upcoming production of Jordan Harrison’s Finn in the Underworld, from your perspective, Lauri, can you tell me a little about what this story is about?
Lauri: That’s kind of hard to explain…
Tom: Yeah, the caveat being, not to give too much away.
Lauri: Right. It’s hard to explain what the theme of the play is without giving away all the good stuff. But it’s about… it’s basically a haunted house.
Tom: Jordan Harrison himself describes it as a “psychosexual gothic horror” story. What elements in it evoke that for you?
Lauri: I think the main things that do are some scenes with Finn and Carver. Those are some pretty creepy scenes (Laughs).
Tom: You’ve been in…well, this is your second Jordan Harrison play, you were in Act a Lady. What differences do you see between Act a Lady and this play here, Finn in the Underworld?
Lauri: The language is completely different. I couldn’t believe that it was the same author because the language is so different. This one was a tough one to memorize… a lot of the lines that you’re…that my character…lines that are my cue lines they have nothing to do with what I’m going to say. And even the way he phrases things, he just does it in an odd way. The point comes across but the phrasing is…really elegant.
Tom: Yeah, Act a Lady was more of a traditional play.
Lauri: Right.
Tom: Even though you were, what, a German director?
Lauri: Correct. (Laughs)
Tom: How is this play a convergence play? You’ve been involved with convergence a long time, you’ve been in a number of productions. How do you think this is a convergence play?
Lauri: It’s got that intensity. And that intensity plays so well in this space. I always tell people when they’re going to come see a show: it’s like you’re in the show, without being dragged up on stage and embarrassed. It’s going to be an intense experience for anybody that comes to see it.
Tom: So, tell me about Rhoda. Tell me about your character.
Lauri: Rhoda is single. That’s a part that comes up a few times in the show. She lives in Missouri. Isn’t real thrilled about it, but doesn’t like to make a lot of changes in her life. And she’s basically just a Plain Jane. I don’t know what she does for a living, but she lives on her own, and she’s the one who’s kinda getting mom packed up to go into a retirement community.
Tom: Now, throughout the play there is some tension with her sister…so what’s that about, why is there this tension with Gwen?
Lauri: There’s some things that happened in our childhood. And I feel that the tension is because when we’re together those memories pop back up. When we’re apart we can put it in that place in our mind where you don’t remember anything. So, with the stuff that happened in our childhood, when we’re together that tension is always there…and it overwhelms the relationship.
Tom: Okay, thank you very much.
Lauri: Thank you.
Tagged convergence-continuum, Finn in the Underworld, Jordan Harrison, Lauri Hammer
Kid Simple is a wrap at convergence. Next up a true modern-American classic by Sam Shepard. In an interview, Shepard said of True West:
