Extra / Beautiful / U: a chat with playwright Michaela di Cesare about beauty, image and influencers.
By: Will Nye
Extra / Beautiful / U has been a long time coming. The winner of Infinithéâtre’s 2017 ‘Write-on-Q’ competition, its run at the Centaur Theatre will mark nearly seven years since playwright Michaela Di Cesare first put pen to paper. An exciting original work interrogating ideas of beauty, fame and care, it promises to be well worth the wait!
“‘I wanted to show what’s important to us, what we cling to and what we show the world; how we’re perceived and how it can change’.”
Left to right: Toni Ellwand and Madeleine Scovil
The play centres around Lara, a reality TV star whose life is altered after a car crash disfigures her conventional beauty. Moving back home with her sister and mom, Lara seeks facial reconstruction surgery to bring back her former looks. Yet, when her nurse turns out to be her devoted fan, and her doctor turns out to be someone she bullied at high school, it seems that Lara’s life is destined to change forever.
Extra / Beautiful / U brings together a cast of exciting newcomers and seasoned pros. Madeleine Scovil, Stephanie Torriani and Toni Ellwand will breathe life into the family dynamic of Lara, Louise, and Angie. Meanwhile, Cara Rebecca and Sean Ryan will no doubt delight audiences as Dr. Sam and nurse Beauté.
Earlier this week I had the pleasure of sitting down with playwright, Michaela Di Cesare, to talk about beauty, bullying and The Bachelor.
At its heart, Extra / Beautiful / U is an ‘outlook on beauty from five women’s perspectives’, Michaela tells me. Through the vehicle of celebrity culture, the play shines a light on day-to-day struggles against traditional ideas of image and beauty.
Left to right: Madeleine Scovil, Toni Ellwand, and Cara Rebecca.
When asked about her original inspiration, Michaela said that she ‘always wanted to make a show about reality TV, about beauty and filters and the control that we have over image’. Indeed, as she tells me, with her own friends and colleagues becoming famous influencers and a mom who can’t get enough of the Desperate Housewives, Michaela is both personally and artistically fascinated with this world.
‘I wanted to show what’s important to us, what we cling to and what we show the world; how we’re perceived and how it can change’.
Extra / Beautiful / U roots these themes of self-image in the complex emotional lives of the characters. Having a variety of perspectives was vital to Michaela. Whether it be through queerness, disability, or motherhood, we see the unique challenges of each character as they navigate between their inward reality and outward appearance.
Working to bring this vision to life is the award-winning director, writer, and general polymath, Caitlin Murphy, who will no doubt add her own magic touch. Animated by its brilliantly crafted ensemble cast, Extra / Beautiful / U promises to be a truly intriguing, heartrending piece of theatre.
Left to right: Madeleine Scovil and Stephanie Torriani
Produced by Infinithéâtre, you can catch Extra / Beautiful / U from November 29th up until December 9th as part of the Centaur Theatre’s Brave New Looks Selection. Don’t miss out!