Meet Katie Brown (Katie/Rita/Others) 
What excites you about Celtic music?
I have always enjoyed Celtic music for a wide variety of reasons. I love the rich history it contains, both with the tradition of passing on the songs from generation to generation and the histories the songs themselves tell. Celtic music tends to be calming and comforting for me; from the rich melodies and unique instrumentation, I find myself at peace when listening to it.
Since the band is also the cast, what are the challenges of doing double duty?
As a guest who is temporarily joining the band it has been fun to see and be a part of the band’s creative process. It’s an honor to be allowed into a space with such talented artists, to see them work and have the privilege to work with them to help tell this story.
How was the process of being part of the creation of a new show?
It’s always exciting to be a part of the creation of a new show! You are a part of the first group of people to bring this story to life and people don’t have anything to compare it to, but at the same time, I think that’s also the nerve-wracking part of it. You’re starting from scratch, there’s no pre-made show box that this comes from, we are all adding in ingredients in the hope that we will make the best “show cake” possible that people will enjoy.
We know that the show is dedicated to the memory of David McCormick, a founding member of Craic in the Stone and a Chance Resident Artist. Do you have anything you’d like to add or share about David?
I met David when he and I were in undergrad in college together for a few years at Chico State. When I moved down to SoCal and was introduced to The Chance it was a great surprise to discover that I already knew someone at the theater! I remember when I finally saw him here, he welcomed me in to The Chance Family with open arms. He was such a strong, fun, kind spirit and he will be missed.
If you met any of the characters on the street, who would you share a pint with and who would make you turn and walk away? And why?
I would definitely share a pint with Maera, Sean, and Eric because they all have interesting perspectives and life experiences I would like to chat with them about, as well as Maera’s parents. I’d even have a pint with Aunt Helen and Uncle Lou, because I think they’re pretty funny, probably have some great stories, and are definitely not obnoxious like Aunt Rita, who I would not like to have a pint with.
What do you connect to in this story?
I connect to a lot of this story, particularly to the family gathering and dealing with loss around the holidays. That first holiday after the loss of a loved one is difficult because everyone deals with loss in their own way; no one really knows what to say or how to act, and it can be like a giant elephant in the room. But, even though it’s not always the prettiest, being together and sharing memories of that person can help, even when it hurts, because you all need to heal and it helps to be around people who knew the person/people and to remember the times you all shared together.
What excites you about this story and why should people come see it?
What excites me about this story is that it’s not your typical all smiles and happy holiday times tale. It addresses the full spectrum of what people can be dealing with around the holidays. I think that even though it will be hard to watch for some people who are going through or have gone through similar situations like this, it is a very cleansing and healing story, and it resonates with everyone. That’s what I love about theatre in general, that we can allow people to cry, get angry, laugh, get excited, and ponder life and everything about it. We can allow them to heal parts of themselves they may not realize needed it, but can walk away with a piece of this story that will hopefully help them heal and keep going on life’s crazy journey.
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