We speak with Maarika Freud about her inspiring show Peaches: The Play!. Learn about the backstory behind this thought-provoking play.
Briefly introduce yourself/your company…
I’m an artist who does her best to confront real-life issues in a way that is both relatable and digestible through my production company: “Maarika Is Funny”.
What is it that makes your work/company unique?
To put it politely… I have a lot of life experience. But despite the victimization I have experienced, I don’t ever want to take on the role of “the victim”. I also really don’t like being referred to as a “Survivor”, but that’s a whole other can of worms!
So I create my work with the intention of inspiring genuine healing. I do my best to focus on the light, and if there’s no light there, I infuse the tough stuff with lightness (AKA: humour).
Because: healing generally sucks. It’s messy and can get sticky, so any moment of solace in the midst of going through the goo is really wonderful. My life experience has also given me a level of high authority concerning all things #MeToo, and instead of policing people in how they “should” be behaving or approaching the subject matter, I choose to take the approach of giving people the opportunity and permission to laugh about it all. It’s not a funny subject, but laughter is 100% the WD40 that gets the sticky stuff un-stuck. And I really want to see people healing, thriving, and not feeling so stuck.
What kind of experience do you hope audiences will have during your show?
I hope that the audience gets to laugh and feel a deep sense of relief. But I also hope that they start to think about how they treat others. I hope it’s a surprisingly eye (and heart!) opening experience.
What do you think is the best thing about Fringe?
It’s a really safe and encouraging environment to take risks, introduce plays to the world, and make new & meaningful connections.
What is the most important thing you hope audiences will take away from your show?
That they feel safer engaging in uncomfortable conversations. We desperately need more voices. Diversity when it comes to opinions and thought processes is really important, and it’s the only way we’re going to be able to learn how to grow and create meaningful change.
…and also that people are inspired to listen to my podcast: PEACHES 🙂
Tickets for Peaches: The Play! are on sale now, taking place at The NEST from 7 – 17 Sep. Book your spot today for just $18 per person!
