Q&A: Alex Boyle, Liliane Klein and Katie Pickett

Following opening weekend, we sat down with Alex Boyle, Liliane Klein and Katie Pickett, three of the cast members of the musical Now. Here. This., running through November 17, 2024 in The Umbrella's Black Box Theater. 

Your character names are your own. What's it feel like playing yourselves and not yourselves?

• Alex Boyle: It is a lot of fun! This show gives us a lot of freedom to bring more of ourselves to these roles than other shows typically would, so that has been fun to balance with the moments that are a bit more concrete in the character's identity.

• Liliane Klein: This show is FULL of 'universals' which is why it connects with so many people. While the stories are very specific TRUE stories to the creators of each role, this specificity has truly offered me an opportunity to confront the ways in which I connect to that truth. It's been a wonderful vehicle to stand in someone else's shoes while honoring my own personal experiences. It's also impossible not to love all of these "ding dongs". And I have felt lucky to be gifted 3 new friends for life by being grouped with these incredibly talented, funny, heartwarming, generous, and intelligent humans.

• Katie Pickett: I love being able to infuse the text with a bit of myself while also searching for the pieces of the character that are distinctly NOT me. For example, I have avoided the corporate life like the plague, but I do identify with being overcommitted and therefore a bit unmoored. 

What are your favorite pop culture references in the show?

• Alex Boyle: Madeline Kahn in Clue, for sure!

• Liliane Klein: Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, Funyuns, Vanderbilt Jeans, and Kathy Chiounard.

• Katie Pickett: Ed Grimley, for sure. I loved that character growing up, and I even religiously watched the short-lived animated show The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley. Martin Short is a genius. 

How do the ideas of Trappist Monk Thomas Merton "Now," "Here," and "This" resonate for you?

• Alex Boyle: For me, this show came during a year with several big life transitions. It has been a sobering reminder that true presence, above all things, is one of the most important values in all of our lives. To quote RENT, "no day but today".

• Liliane Klein: I have been training as an Alexander Technique instructor with Tommy Thompson for the past 3 years. The work I have been practicing is deeply aligned with the exploration of "Now." "Here." and "This." - except we call it "the inhibitive moment", "withholding definition", and "bearing witness to yourself". It feels like a very natural and personally important extension of the life and work I am most interested in living, creating, and sharing. One filled with acceptance, compassion, and love.

• Katie Pickett: I'm terrible at this. I would be the worst Buddhist. But I want so desperately to be better at living in the moment, and honestly during this show in particular, I come very close to transcending the regret of the past and the anxiety about the future.

What's been your favorite part of being in this show? 

• Alex Boyle: THIS CAST! We have become incredibly close in a very short amount of time and I think that is a testament to who we are, not only as artists, but as humans. Their talent is off the charts and their hearts are bigger than the whole sky. I am so lucky to work with them and better for knowing them.

• Liliane Klein: Umbrella Arts has an amazing infrastructure and team in place -- they are walking the walk by employing the in-house professional DEI/Belonging services of Art and Soul. The culture that was created in the room from day ONE has been one I deeply value because it is truly shared by everyone involved. I also love singing tight harmonies. It reminds me of my favorite moments in high school with my chorus teacher and mentor, Roger Ames, singing after school with Select Singers. And of course,  working with Larry. He has a gift for finding everyone's inner dancer -- kind of like the chef in Ratatouille's belief that 'anyone can cook'. Larry is an amazing collaborator and communicator. He fosters a room of fun, safety, and mutual respect. And I think choreographers often make the best directors because of their natural talent and instinct for seeing shapes and flow in space. It's a very special experience. Also, I guess I like my cast okay...

• Katie Pickett: This is the most deliciously generous group of artists I've worked with in a long time. Honestly, I feel a bit like a succubus, soaking up all of their amazing energies. I can only hope I am giving 1/100th of it back in return!

Learn more about The Umbrella's production of Now. Here. This.

Photos by Jim Sabitus