Interview: Kurt Engh of NAÏVE. SUPER at Norway House

In Kurt Engh's second produced show, he takes audiences to new heights through his latest experimental theater project, Naïve. Super. Working to create a new method of dynamic, ground-breaking, and spontaneous playmaking, Naïve. Super will introduce a new actor into each performance, who has never performed the play before.

BroadwayWorld was allowed access to the creative mind of the visonary himself, Kurt Engh. What follow is our brief and insightful conversation.

Naïve. Super is based on a book. What about the source material drew you in and inspired you to want to adapt this particular novel?
Naïve. Super was a fresh and optimistic text to which I could apply experimental performance techniques without bogging down the original story. I found that experimental film and theater directors I followed had the most banal, pessimistic point-of-view, so I wanted to bring some joy and lightness to this artistic practice. 

Creating experimental theater can be a challenge when trying to break the mold, especially when relying on the dynamic of introducing a new actor to the piece each performance. How do you prepare the rest of the cast for that impromptu piece?
I'm the only other "cast member," yet I really think of myself as the conductor of the show. I offer the actor stage directions through an earpiece. I manipulate some objects in the space or lead the actor where they need to go, but it's really the performer's show. They read the text for the show through all different ways we receive text in everyday life - on the TV, on a grocery list, on the phone, etc. I ask all the performers to read the play once for enjoyment and then again out loud before they perform the show. I also do a short tutorial with the actors before the show, so they're not completely in the dark. The most important thing I say is that failure is built into the show. There's bound to be something that doesn't happen as expected, and that's exactly why I make theater.

What do you hope that the audience will take away from this production?
I hope audiences see that a multi-media experimental theater project is actually pretty pedestrian. It's not as weird as it sounds, I swear! I hope that they realize we now receive stories in all these hybrid ways - an audio book, a TV show based on a movie, a Tweet of a meme of a TikTok. A "traditional" fourth-wall theater production actually feels more distancing than this method of storytelling.

What advice can you give to those who have wanted to self-produce a show but just don’t know how to start the process?
Don't try to do it all yourself...until you have to. Many people want to offer their support, but it just requires you to shamelessly ask them. And then promise them that you'll return the favor.

Fun Question: Are you a Pumpkin Spice Latte fan or do you have a different fall inspired beverage that is your go to?

Fall?! I hold onto summer as long as I can. I will be having piña coladas until December.

Naïve. Super runs September 1-17, 2023 at Norway House. Tickets are offered at $15/$20/$25 for each show to increase accessibility. Pay at the price you prefer. All seating is general admission. The show runs 90 minutes without intermission.

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