The following is an interview with Aditya Putcha regarding the production, Mother Grace, at the 2022 Hollywood Fringe Festival. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Putcha about the inspiration behind the production, the creative process of bringing the show to life, how you can purchase tickets, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congrats on the launch of Mother Grace! For those who may be unfamiliar, what can you tell us about the premise of this show?
Aditya Putcha: Short answer: It’s about the appeal of both BDSM and Christianity.
Full answer: It’s about a pastor who had the most traumatic youth but after discovering his faith went on to become a hero to many. Yet we don’t know everything, and all of us – including him – are in for a rude awakening.
BD: As the writer, what can you share with us about the shared creative process of working with the cast and crew to bring this production to life?
AP: The director’s been amazing. He’s had so many great ideas for how to make what I wrote play well on stage and how to keep the audiences involved.
The lead actor is one of my best friends but accepted the part on the condition that we make the script crisper, so lines could really register with the audience instead of overwhelming them with the length. The director and I sat down and reduced the script from 88 pages to 78, and I agree it’s a much better product now.
Other actors have also spoken up when they weren’t connecting with certain lines, allowing me to realize how to make the script flow better. I’m proud to say this has been a collaborative process.
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums. How do you feel that your story will connect with and impact audiences?
AP: The tagline sums it up best: “How much can you judge someone by his worst day?”
Nobody is perfect. Yet can’t we all agree some people are much better than others? Who’s to say who’s better than whom though? Maybe we can agree certain actions are truly heinous. Is someone automatically evil if they ever do such a thing though? Don’t we need to look at what happened to make them that way? Perhaps others wouldn’t have done such a thing even in those circumstances. Now we’re back to saying nobody’s perfect though. Who are any of us to say we’re better than other people? Especially if those other people have shown they want to get better. At some point can we let the past bury its dead?
This play will get you debating for hours. More importantly, it’s a fabulously captivating story very creatively and dynamically told.
BD: What makes the Hollywood Fringe Festival an ideal venue for your productions?
AP: I’m an aspiring playwright and Fringe Festivals are made for us. Also, this gives me incomparable opportunities to network, spread the word, and win some awards.
BD: The show will be appearing at the Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre in June. Are there any future plans to perform the show at other venues?
AP: Any other venues that want to showcase my masterpiece – contact me!
BD: Are there any upcoming projects that you would care to share with our readers?
AP: Mother Grace is actually my second play. My first work, Inversion, was at Hollywood Fringe in 2017. Since then, it’s undergone considerable revisions and become Inversion: The Function Of An Autistic Mind. It got a production at the glamorous Bonita Center For The Arts in 2019 and I continue to submit it to competitions. Hopefully, it will have an Equity production soon.
I have also written my third play, Aditya Putcha’s Dreams. While I still plan to make major changes, it’s already a work of which I am proud. It’s inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams and showcases my love of surreal horror. Maybe you’ll see it at Hollywood Fringe before long.
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell readers who want to learn more about and purchase tickets for Mother Grace?
AP: You can buy tickets here. They’re normally $15, but you can get 50% off with the code ALMIGHTY.
Or with the code SPANKING. Whatever floats your boat. I think after watching my play, you’ll find it a lot harder to judge others.
