Four years after crash landing on the Bay Area theater scene, local actress Megan Trout has become a local fixture. If you haven't already seen one of her passionate performances in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Hamlet, or her breakout performance in Kafka’s Metamorphosis, you need to get yourself to the theater.
Trout is currently wrapping up NOW FOR NOW at Z Space, a new, two-person performance piece she and actor-director-playwright Mark Jackson created together. Developed over the past year, the play is a probing look at three forms of male-female interactions — student-teacher, daughter-father, and trans-generation romance — with a particular emphasis on the blur that exists when relationships clash with technology.
“Our thinking,’ said Trout, “is to examine these three relationships and the dynamics between different ages and genders in a way that flirts with entertainment and voyeurism—a dual lens that in this contemporary world of instant and mobile communications has perhaps become the norm. The ramifications of which, we’re still only beginning to understand.”
We caught up with Megan to ask about life in SF and what big projects are in the works for the burgeoning star.
7x7: What has been your most fulfilling role thus far?
MT: Tough question. I'm gonna go with "Megan" in NOW FOR NOW. My role in this show, alongside my co-creator Mark Jackson, has been as writer, director, performer, and producer. With just the two of us creating the piece, this intense collaboration has made me a savvier artist and theater-maker.
7x7: What are your thoughts on the Bay Area theater scene?
MT: The Bay Area theater scene is tricky. There are so many wonderful things happening here. People are extremely driven and committed to getting their work made and seen. Some smaller companies are somehow beating the odds and thriving despite the artistic challenges of being in this rapidly changing city. But we're a small community of makers, and it's pretty impossible to make your living solely on theater. It can be very disheartening when larger theater companies cast actors out of New York without even auditioning the local talent. There's a huge gap between the smaller, underground theater festivals and the higher paying equity houses. The most rewarding aspect of the Bay Area theater scene for me has been my ability to work within the smaller festivals early on, making my own work, and then later cutting my teeth in the professional theater circles. It's given me a well-rounded idea of what it takes to make theater happen, and an understanding of where I want my career to go from here.
7x7: Currently you’re in the production of “NOW FOR NOW,” What made you want to be a part of this ensemble?
MT: Mark Jackson emailed me a year and a half ago about an idea he had for a show, wondering if I might be interested in being the other half of the creative team. Basically, he said, "It'll be about age, gender, and being present. We'll create, perform, and produce it ourselves. What'ya think?"
Megan in NOW FOR NOW. (photo courtesy of Z Space)
7x7: What characteristics do you share with your character in NOW FOR NOW?
MT: Well, in NOW FOR NOW, I play three characters, but there are certainly characteristics shared between the four of us. We are all named Megan. We all have complicated relationships with men. We are all unsure how it's all gonna end. And we all just want to be happy.
7x7: What has been the most challenging aspect of working in a multi-media setup?
MT: Trying to understand why technology works when it works and fails when it fails.
7x7: What’s your next big project?
MT: I'll be performing in Sarah Ruhl's Eurydice, directed by Erika Chong Shuch, playing at The Shotgun Players in Berkeley, August 20-September 20. It's going to be a stunning, sweaty, swarthy night at the theater.
7x7: What's your hands-down, absolute favorite thing to eat in SF?
MT: Garlic fries and a Bloody Mary at Beach Chalet after a long bike ride through Golden Gate Park.
7x7: How has living in the Bay Area inspired your acting?
MT: I transferred to San Francisco State University when I was twenty years old, a very formative time. I grew up in Los Angeles, and the change of location was key in my development as an artist. In LA, I had developed a very singular understanding about what it meant to be an actor; an understanding deeply rooted in physical appearance and personal spotlight—two things that will cripple any creative process. My time in the Bay Area has taught me about the necessity of the ensemble: the idea that reaching something true and brave and beautiful through the work is really only possible when you give yourself to everyone in the room.
7x7: What's your perfect night on the town?
MT: Last week I went to Friday Nights @ Oakland Museum of California with some friends. Tickets were half price, there were food trucks, live music, dancing, and interactive art! It was pretty perfect.
7x7: What's your favorite day trip from the city?
MT: A drive up to Pescadero and Pigeon Point. Ideally with an overnight stay at the hostel.
7x7: Where do you go for inspiration?
MT: Dance class!
7x7:What indulgence will you would never give up?
MT: Hot baths.
Quick-fire round:
Burrito or Burger: burrito
Presidio or Golden Gate Park?
Golden Gate Park
Bi-Rite or Mitchell’s?
I have a dairy allergy so, I go to over-priced vegan restaurants for ice cream.
Bike or MUNI?
Bike!
Fort Mason or Dolores Park?
Fort Mason
Baker Beach or Ocean Beach?
Baker Beach
Three words that describe your life in the Bay Area?
Learn to adapt.
