The Locale: Helen Mills Theatre, New York City
The Event: Amanda's debut one-woman musical narrative 'Death Of The Diva.'
RG: How long did 'Death Of The Diva' take as far as you conceptualizing and putting it together to come to fruition as a stage play?
AS: I started thinking about it back in September of 2K11, then I wrote it the following month in October of the same year, and then me and my team put it up on November 21, 2K11. So it's been six months since it first popped in my head as something to do, and then, you know, it's just grown and evolved, and it's still growing and evolving, and if we get more money, it'll grow and evolve to an even bigger, better and tighter production! We're just hoping to be able to take it to as many places and to many people as possible.
RG: What's the most important message that you want to convey to our young women out there as far as how they are perceived in this current culture of mainstream popularity?
AS: There are a lot of messages with it, but I think one of the main messages is that you need to be aware of the negative images that are being put out, and not just accept everything as it's given to you, you know? And I think that a lot of us these days do that, unfortunately. We just have so many images coming at us in so many ways that we just go along with it, and take it as like 'Oh, that;s how things are supposed to be; That's what I'm supposed to be.' And our young women are being misled in that they are being given examples all day long of what NOT to be, but no one is presenting them in that fashion.
RG: Danica Patrick - I see her more as a fantastic race car driver, and she doesn't like to be perceived as just being pretty and sexy. Your thoughts on female athletes that are being looked at solely as eye candy, and being less credited for their actual talent.
AS: I just feel like that's happening in such an imbalance than the negative, that we don't even get to see that. I only see Danica in the 'GoDaddy.com' TV ads because they sponsor her. She's not being used as prevalently as she could be, partially because she isn't willing to just sell herself in a sexual manner. Alicia Sacramone is a gymnast who has gone to two summer Olympic games and has been on several World Championship teams. She posed in the 'Body' issue of ESPN magazine, and in those issues, they have you posing naked, and even though it's tasteful, it still exposes sexuality, and apparently USA Gymnastics was like ' Yeah, we can't have you on the team' because of that. So even the slightest misstep in that way is affecting folks in their lives, but the message that's put out there more prevalently is 'No - THIS is how you get poppin'.' as far as being exposed sexually.
RG: For those who want to check out 'Death Of The Diva,' how would you sell your amazing, one-woman musical narrative to the masses?
AS: In one sentence - The 'Death Of The Diva' is my challenging of the pop culture's portrayal of women, one hilarious character at a time. You're not going to come to the theater and get preached to; You are going to come to the theater and laugh your butt off, and leave the theater thinking!
www.amandaseales.com
www.deathofthediva.com
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