Interview: Dessa of ON THE LINE at 45North

Minneapolis native, rapper, singer and writer Dessa is now adding playwright to her list of titles. She has written and is starring in an audio play ON THE LINE, part of UK company 45North's Written on the Waves season. ON THE LINE is the third instalment in 45North's Written on the Waves second series, following an extremely successful first season, which was created in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, when theatre was not happening on stage.

Dessa was approached to write this piece that premieres tonight on June 25, 2021, at 6 p.m. Central time, and includes a listening party with her and the creative team. (Details below.) She answered some questions here about the show and her career, which includes everything from starting as a rapper and singer in Minneapolis to now hosting a podcast, performing a song on the "Hamilton Mixtape," and writing her memoir, among other things. Read up and listen to the show or check out more on www.forty-fivenorth.com.

Let's start with ON THE LINE -- how did you get involved with 45North and writing this piece; did they ask you to create this or did you already dabble in audio plays and find this outlet to share it with the world?

The idea of an audio play was 100% the product of the 45North creative team. To create new work while the theater was closed during the pandemic, they developed a series of audio plays-highly produced sound pieces, some of which were narrative, and some more experimental. When they approached me about writing one, I jumped at the chance-I'm almost always excited to venture into a language-based form I haven't tried before. And, to be honest, it was madly flattering to receive an email from faraway professional theater people willing to help produce my idea.

This story sounds like it could be a little bit autobiographical but I have read that you often include stories of personal relationships and heartbreak in your writing. Where did you get the inspiration for the story?

I started brainstorming the characters for ON THE LINE during Covid lockdown, when it felt like the vast majority of human interactions were happening over the phone or online. Romantic relationships were being forged or they were crumbling, all without any physical contact. I wanted to write about characters who were isolated from one another, but with big feelings to sift through-something that could be set in the confines of our pandemic lives, but wasn't about the pandemic itself.

You're also performing in this piece as Gina. Have you acted before in any theatre, on stage or audio? Was this very different for you from performing as a singer or podcast host?

I wasn't a theater kid in high school or college. I ham it up a lot at my live concerts-little bits of monologue or performance poetry-but this is definitely the most actor-y thing I've been involved in (excepting the Little House on the Prairie production my Girl Scout troop tackled, unduly optimistic about our collective ability to memorize lines or suppress fits of laughter while wearing period clothing.)

You and the other performers and creatives never have been in the same space and yet have created an intimate story together. How did you work together and was the idea of doing a phone conversation just the natural way for you to get to this intimacy?

Knowing that the production would be an audio project, a phone call seemed like a clean, neat way to naturally tell a story with sound only. As for the collaborative process, the team-like almost everyone else-spent a bunch of time on Zoom.

As most people into theatre know, you recorded "Congratulations" for the Hamilton Mixtape with Lin Manuel Miranda; I recently listened to the "Congratulations" chapter of your memoir, "My Own Devices," and thought how it may have influenced your desire to do something theatrical. Do you have plans or ideas for doing more theatrical work in the future? Writing or performing on stage? Singer Anais Mitchell's HADESTOWN has been amazingly successful -- could we see something from you on Broadway eventually?

I'd feel a little presumptuous to imagine that I could waltz onto Broadway with a show (would first have to learn how to waltz), but I can say that I've really, really enjoyed writing theatrically. Also, I had the chance to meet Anais Mitchell briefly right before HADESTOWN hit-she's easy to like and to root and for. I've seen HAMILTON a few times: the first time I was sort of blindsided by the personal story lines-I'd been ready for the political stuff, but hadn't planned on crying quite so much during the second act while watching the love story unfold.

How did you end up hosting a podcast (Deeply Human) and choosing that topic? What has this podcast done for your writing and other creative work? Do you have any cool topics or guests coming up that our readers should be ready for?

American Public Media and APM approached me with the idea of hosting a behavioral science podcast and I was immediately all the way in. I've been a science nerd since I was little and will be fascinated by human choices until I die. The show has provided the opportunity to speak with a researcher striving to induce deja vu; to interview a professional line-sitter, and to extend my right forearm to be burned by Dr. Irene Tracey, also known as the Queen of Pain.

One of the best things to come out this year, to me, is your NPR Marketplace-requested song about the Fed Chair Janet Yellen. What's the story behind that and has doing that song made you want to write about more federal administrators? (Mostly kidding)

If my career has had 15-seconds of fame, that tune was probably it. Getting tweeted at by the U.S. Treasury was not an experience I'd anticipated as part of an indie music trajectory. (Also, shout out to Lazerbeak and Andy Thompson for the production.)

Your music is obviously how many people know you best. You've performed with the Minnesota Orchestra to sold out audiences. You have numerous albums and tour. What's next for your musical career, and is there anything else musically you hope to try soon?

Stay tuned for tour dates-we're getting ready to put in some miles this year.

I'd be remiss if I didn't ask about your life in Minneapolis. You grew up here and I believe you still have a residence in the city. How did Minneapolis as a place shape you, your interests and work, and what do you think about the music scene here today? Plus, any chance you'll work with a local theatre company like the Guthrie to produce your show or create something for the stage?

Genre designations are pretty permeable in Minneapolis-there are lots of mixed bills, lots of bands with really diverse influences. As someone interested in a wide array of styles, I've benefited from that sort of flexibility. And, of course, Jessica McVay (the Creative Director and CEO of 45North) and I share Minneapolis roots. As for future productions, well, if the Guthrie's tryna holler at me, I'd totally take the call.

We'll end with going back to ON THE LINE. What should readers here expect when they tune in June 25 for the premiere? Can they ask you questions during the special listening party?

On June 25th, we're doing two intimate previews of the play (running time of about 36 minutes), an early show timed for UK audiences (but, of course, open to all) and one timed to be convenient for U.S. listeners (again, everybody welcome). We'll debut the project and then the creative team will do a live Q&A. If people wanna get a question in early, they're more than welcome to hit me up online-just post to Twitter tagging me (@dessadarling) and #OntheLine. Hope to see you Friday.

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INFO/TICKETS:

45North is holding listening parties for the world première of Dessa's new
audio play ON THE LINE, released as part of the company's Written on the Waves series.
Attendees will have the opportunity to access the first listen to the new piece, an exclusive
Q&A with Dessa and the creative team, and will receive signature cocktail recipes to try out
at home. The parties will take place at 7pm BST (London time) and 6pm CDT/7pm EDT on June 25, with tickets £6.50 and available now here (early) and here (late). UPDATE: Listen to the show at https://www.forty-fivenorth.com/on-the-line-by-dessa.

Story:
Sometimes it's hard to tell what sort of love you're in-and who else might be in it with
you. In the course of one late-night phone call, long-time friends Gina and Simon-both
clever, quick, and charismatic-talk sex and sacrifice, love and loneliness. And in an effort to
clarify the terms of human attachment, they risk crossing lines that are hard to uncross.

Suggested listener provisions:
A beverage
A door frame
A couple band-aids (plasters, for UK listeners).
Good luck.

Starring:
Jessica Rose McVay directs Emily Carewe (Misty), Dessa (Gina), Ross
O'Donnellan (Simon).

BIOS:

Dessa is a rapper, singer, and writer. As a writer, she's been published by The New York
Times and National Geographic Traveler, and published a memoir-in-essays, My Own
Devices, in addition to two literary collections. Dessa is also the host of Deeply Human, a
podcast created by the BBC and American Public Media. As a musician, she has performed
at Lollapalooza and Glastonbury, recorded a live album with the GRAMMY-award winning
Minnesota Orchestra, a contribution to the #1 album The Hamilton Mixtape, and top-200
entries on the Billboard charts.

45North champions, develops, and produces outstanding work by female-identifying and
non-binary artists. Founded in 2019 and led by the very best creative teams from a variety of
performing and producing backgrounds, 45North continues to reinvest in emerging artists
who are beginning and expanding their practices. 45North commits to maintaining creative
teams of no less than 75% female-identifying or non-binary people, working to bring
inclusive and exciting new theatre and events to London, Edinburgh, across the UK and
internationally. Selected credits include Post-Mortem by Iskandar Sharazuddin (Edinburgh,
The Blue Room, and Holden Street Theatre), (un)written (un)heard devised by the company
and directed by Jessica Rose McVay (FRINGE WORLD- Winner of the Physical Theatre and
Dance Award), and MEAT by Gillian Greer (Theatre503).

www.forty-fivenorth.com
@forty_fivenorth

PHOTO:
Dessa, courtesy of 45North.