The Buzz Intro Interview | Performance Gallery

Responder: Regina Pugh, Producer/Performer
Name of Company: Performance Gallery
Name of Show: Word of Mouth

“There are people who thrive on the experience of sound. Movie soundtracks stick with them as much as the visual elements, maybe even more. We wanted to create a piece to delight those types while encouraging everyone else to take a few minutes to BE one of those types.”

Why should people see your show?

Performance Galley members take pride in pushing boundaries without the need to necessarily shock. We don’t mind being shocked and have been known to present unsettling material, but we also enjoy playfulness, and discovering the creative energy that exists in the unexpected. We intend Word of Mouth to be more than something you SEE. You will also HEAR and FEEL, maybe even be inspired to play along. Adrenaline will activate and maybe hormones! Heck, we don’t really know how you will react, but SOMETHING is sure to happen. Come find out what!

What about festivals intrigues you? And why the Atlanta Fringe?

Fringe festivals have given Performance Gallery the opportunity to do what we love most, take a risk on something original. It is a chance to get in a room and create together from the ground up without having to worry about how we will find a venue or get simple technical support; the festival supplies those things. And the amazing energy during the actual festival is exhilarating! Being surrounded by other artists and seeing their work is such a gift. And the energy of fringe audiences is unlike anything else. People who take a chance on fringe theatre are some of the most spirited, smart, intriguing, ready-for-anything people around.

We are particularly thrilled to premiere this piece in Atlanta since we were part of the very first Atlanta Fringe and because Performance Gallery member (and Word of Mouth performer) Aretta Baumgarter now calls Atlanta home!

What inspired you to create this?

There are people who thrive on the experience of sound. Movie soundtracks stick with them as much as the visual elements, maybe even more. They hear and notice things that others miss. They are tuned into the world. We wanted to create a piece to delight those types while encouraging everyone else to take a few minutes to BE one of those types; to open your mind and your ears and HEAR in a new way. Also, doing this kind work is hella fun and we like each other a lot and wanted a reason to create together.

Life has been weird the last few years, to say the least. How has the “real world” affected the art you’re creating?

Aside from remembering not to take theatre and the privilege of creating it for granted, the past couple of years have required us to learn new technology and utilize long-distance collaboration. Performance Gallery created Hive Mind, a video entry for the 2020 Cincy Fringe and live-streamed a zoom performance, Continuum, in 2021 that included performers in four different locations, breakout rooms the audience could visit at will and included video collaboration from Atlanta’s One-Double-O-Four-Eight Puppet Company. Continuum won the 2021 Producer’s Pick of the Fringe. Without this challenge and adaptation, we would not have thought the creation of Word of Mouth possible. But with new tools and more technological confidence, we and many other artists are exploring new ways to create, rehearse and share theatre.

What have you learned from working on your show so far?

We have not so much learned, but have been reminded how much we enjoy this process. As we create the final piece, we will be exploring archives of Dadaist-era poetry, listening for interesting sounds, words, syllables, ideas to serve as inspiration and testing the range and limits of our own vocal instruments. We are sure to come away with a little more knowledge and some new skills at the end. Much of that is still to be discovered at the time of this interview.

There’s a mysterious stranger in the back row of your show, wearing a big ol’ N95 mask and a baseball cap and there’s something weirdly familiar about them, and then they come up afterwards to tell you they loved your show. In your WILDEST DREAMS, who is this mysterious stranger? (Bonus points if your mysterious stranger is an Atlanta celeb.)

We couldn’t choose just one between us so we are each giving an answer but we love each other’s answers!

Regina – Sir Patrick Stewart because we want to ENGAGE and because he is a spectacular human being.

Aretta – Stacey Abrams because she uses words to ACTIVATE and INSPIRE and she is also a spectacular human being.

[Ed note: we love that both of these answers inadvertently are Star Trek references.]

Fringes are the place to really push the boundaries so we gotta ask: are you inviting your family to this show are “Hey, maybe sit this one out you guys…”

Yes, and some of them are actually coming! We will admit that some family members would be very confused, though.

Will your show change the world?

Probably not but it might change you if you attend. You will be more likely to notice the soundtrack of your life and enjoy the gift of your own vocal instrument.