INTERVIEW: Food, dieting, body image explored in new play, ‘Stuffed’
The new off-Broadway play Stuffed concerns the many questions that pop up when considering one’s relationship to food, dieting and body image. It’s a play that marries humor with pathos and includes a mixture of funny stories that have important underlying messages.
The play, directed by Jackson Gay, is the creation of comedian Lisa Lampanelli, who is a frequent presence on stages and TV screens across the United States. She also stars in the show, which began at the Women’s Project Theater and is currently playing the Westside Theatre in Midtown Manhattan
Joining Lampanelli on stage is a group of actresses, all bringing to life unique characters who have different takes on their relationship to food. Eden Malyn plays Brittany, who is a recovering bulimic and anorexic. The actress has performed in several regional productions, including Bad Jews, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Behind Closed Doors and Erasing Eight. She’s also appeared on television in a number of acclaimed series, including American Horror Story, Orange Is the New Black, Castle, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior and House of Lies.
Recently, Hollywood Soapbox spoke with Malyn about her new character in Stuffed. Here’s what she had to say:
On why she joined the production …
“Well, obviously, Lisa is a big draw. She’s got to be one of the most successful female stand-up comedians, and I admire her so much. So having the opportunity to work with her, to work with Jackson Gay and with [producer] Rachel Karpf. It’s my first play in New York. I just moved here from L.A., and so it’s a great opportunity for me. I love working with women,”
On finding the laughs and the poignancy in the play …
“It’s been really lovely actually in previews having an audience and hearing not only them laughing at the jokes, but we all have a pretty sincere, raw, emotionally vulnerable moment. And it’s really great to hear people go, ‘oh my God,’ like vocalizing in that way. You can tell it’s really hitting home with certain audience members, and I think it would be impossible to not relate, especially for women but I’m sure men, too.
“Food is a big deal, and we deal with it all the time. And two out of three American adults are considered overweight or obese. I mean, we’re all struggling in this country, so I think it’s definitely dealt with in a way that’s really hilarious. But the subject matter, I think, is really relevant, and I think a lot of people can relate.”
On her character of Brittany …
“So Brittany is a recovering anorexic and bulimic, which she’s pretty open about in the play, and she has body dysmorphia. She has a way of dealing with talking about it, of making light of things and making jokes, which I think is really clever writing because that is sort of what a lot of us tend to do, kind of make jokes … But it’s definitely been kind of a lot working through her mental process because I do think anorexia and bulimia, they’re horrible illnesses, and I’ve been reading some books written by women who have struggled and suffered, and that mindset is just really sad. Yeah, I want to do it justice. I want to tell that story accurately.”
On working with Lampanelli …
“It’s really amazing to watch Lisa and watch those gears move in her head. Like, ‘It’s funnier if you say this word. It’s funnier if we say this word. Cut this; it’s cleaner. Forget that whole part. We don’t need it.’ So to have the opportunity to work with the playwright in the room and to have it be somebody who is a comedic genius has been a really amazing learning experience. It’s kind of amazing to watch, and then to implement it and see. To me, I don’t really understand why we need to change one word or get rid of one word until we see it again, and it is 10 times funnier. Wow, that’s amazing.”
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Stuffed is currently playing the Westside Theatre in Midtown Manhattan. Click here for more information and tickets.
