Julietta's Blog: Interview with the Pippi Longstocking Stage Manager

Here's a few words from our Jr. Blogger, Julietta, about her experience watching Pippi Longstocking and an interview with Stage Manager Kat Pruyn!

I loved the Pippi Longstocking play! It is about a girl named Pippi who lives by herself in a house she calls 'Ville Villekula'. She is very strong and smart, but you wouldn't expect it! Her dad is a pirate that got lost in the sea, and her mother is in heaven. I really liked the part where Pippi hears about school, but doesn't want to go, until she hears about summer vacation! 

Pippi is very, very, silly, funny, crazy and everything in between!

I read the book Pippi Longstocking when I was little, and from what I remember, the play was exactly like the book! The actors really brought the book to life, and one of the great things was Pippi's monkey and horse. The horse was a hobby-horse that can move it's head, and the monkey was a puppet. Pippi came on stage riding her horse and then showed off her monkey.

So, if there aren't actors playing the animals, who does the sound effects for them? After the show, I got to interview the stage manager, Kat Pruyn who does exactly that.

As a stage manager, Kat does a lot of things, like make sure everyone shows up on time, and during the show, she controls the music changes and sound effects on the computer. 
She says it can be challenging being a stage manager, but it is really fun.
She loved the show because she is a big fan of the book. She read the book in elementary school and again before the play. 
It is her first time being a stage manager, but she has been an assistant stage manager three times for James and the Giant Peach, 3 Little Birds, and Fancy Nancy. 

It took her five runs to get things right for this show, she likes to keep notes to help her remember. 
Some shows are harder than others, but is still fun. 
She has been an actor when she was little, but now she designs costumes and stage manages.

During the show it was very fun to watch her stage manage, as my seat was above where I could watch her and the show. She was very focused, and only looked away from the computer to wait for actor's signals and to look at her notes.

It was great getting to meet her and I can't wait to see my next play so I can watch the stage manager more to see them in other plays!

Pippi Longstocking: What is a Swedish Coffee Party?

A wonderful scene in the musical, Pippi Longstocking, and a cornerstone in Swedish culture, the coffee party is a foreign concept to Americans. 

What is a coffee party?

Unlike the multitude of tea parties featuring outfits from the dress up box and American Girl doll or teddy bear guests, the coffee party offers the Swedish alternative to the art of enjoying a beverage with friends.

Often called a Fika, coffee parties are a coffee break that involves drinking coffee, tea, or juice and eating some sort of sweet treat like a cinnamon roll or open faced sandwich.  There are often two fikas taken in a work day, giving employees the chance to catch up with each other over a beverage and snack.  Sweden mandates employees receive two fika breaks a day, and unlike American coffee breaks, employees won't be found glued to their phones or laptops--these breaks are purely for socializing.

Similarly to American customs, a fika can also serve as a casual date.  Fikas can be held in homes or cafes.  There are even fika specials on train cars for those traveling in Sweden!  Clearly they take their coffee breaks very seriously.

The word fika is both an noun and a verb in Swedish.  You can drink fika, as well as be asked to fika with a coworker!

Unlike the American desire to consume caffeine as quickly as possible with drive through Starbucks and double shot espresso in a can, fika is less about indulging in caffeinated beverages and sugary snacks, and more about taking time for yourself, twice a day to slow down, take a break, and enjoy the little pleasures of living.  Fika is the perfect excuse to reconnect with yourself and others.

Thinking of incorporating fika into your life? Here are some amazing recipes for fika treats. 

Want to read even more about fika? Here's the book for you!

And don't forget to see a coffee party in action this spring! Pippi runs January 21-March 19.  Click for tickets.