INTERVIEW: ‘Made by God’ is timely reminder of events from 1984
Photo: Erica Hernandez stars in Made by God at the Irish Repertory Theatre. Photo courtesy of Carol Rosegg / Provided by Matt Ross PR with permission.
The new play Made by God, written by Ciara Ní Chuirc and directed by Olivia Songer, is inspired by true events from Ireland in 1984. That’s when Ann Lovett, a local teenager, was found dead in Granard, County Longford, along with her newborn child, according to press notes. Her pregnancy was unknown to her family and friends, and no social services were open to the pregnant teen.
The play, which is currently running at the Irish Repertory’s Studio Theatre in Manhattan, is set in more contemporary times and follows an American podcaster who decides to travel to Ireland and investigate the Lovett case. The podcaster, named Eva in the play, has the chance to gain perspective on the changing times and how her story both connects and differs from Lovett’s.
Erica Hernandez plays the podcaster. As an actor, she has appeared on NBC’s The Brave and New Amsterdam. She can also be seen as a correspondent on CBS’s Mission Unstoppable and in Epix’s Bridge and Tunnel, among other projects. She is also a comedian who has appeared at many theaters, including the Upright Citizens Brigade. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What attracted you to take on this role in Made by God?
Firstly, I loved the play — I think it deals with a delicate subject matter so compassionately and is thought-provoking in a way we need. And I think the role is so complicated and compelling; I know what it’s like to doubt your faith and the religious traditions you were raised with, and I think Ciara did such a great job of showing the humanity behind this character who is so flawed but so earnest.
Were you familiar with the true story it’s based on? What was your research like?
I didn’t know about the Ann Lovett story before we started, but we had an amazing dramaturg with us throughout the whole process (Zhe Pan) who was a huge resource to us. We all read a lot of the articles and thought pieces on Ann’s story and watched a documentary on it as well.
What do you believe are the current-day takeaways for this story? What do you believe the audience can learn?
I think the biggest takeaway is something that the character, Michael, says, “We’re all just trying to get along.” And I think we all are just trying to do our best, and people on both sides of this issue think they are doing the right thing. And this play speaks to that in such a sensitive way. I hope that audiences watching this will come away with empathy for all sides of the issue and be able to talk about it on their own in more compassionate ways; and hopefully will ultimately leave feeling like no matter your personal belief, it’s worth fighting for a world where less women feel like Isabel and Ann. We’re facing a moment in the U.S. where, with the upcoming Supreme Court case, there’s a lot of dialogue around this subject. I hope we continue to fight for women and find ways to have that dialogue with kindness.
What’s it like working at the Irish Repertory Theatre?
Amazing. The Irish Rep are incredibly friendly — and they love my dog, so I’m biased.
How is Olivia Songer as a director?
OIivia was fantastic! It was amazing to work on something like this with a team of so many talented women, and Olivia really was at the helm making sure it was a collaborative process and that we felt safe to make mistakes, be vulnerable, and figure out the piece and characters together. I was a little antsy coming back to theatre after having done comedic stuff for so long, and she was so great at guiding and making this a supportive and thoughtful process.
When did you realize acting would be a lifelong passion for you?
This is embarrassing — I saw CATS on tour when I was 8 and thought, that’s for me! (I was wrong, I am not a ballerina). But I loved storytelling and completely escaping into made-up stories and worlds as a kid, whether that’s been to make people laugh or just think a bit about a kind of person they don’t know, and all of that has just stuck since.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Made by God, written by Ciara Ní Chuirc and directed by Olivia Songer, continues through March 20 at the Irish Rep’s Studio Theatre. Click here for more information and tickets.
