Walking Shadow Theatre Company opened their new show Amazons and Their Men this past weekend. So we caught up with director and company member Amy Rummenie for this week’s FringeFamous Five. Enjoy!

Here is yet another area premiere from Walking Shadow. Are all these premieres on purpose, or just coincidence?

AMY RUMMENIE: It’s intentional, but not a necessity. As a rule we’re inclined to look at newer titles. We’re all voracious play readers with an ever-growing list of titles under consideration (see question #5). We never choose to do a play just because it’s a premiere, though we occasionally choose not to do certain plays if we feel they’ve already had enough exposure in the cities. Any play we choose has to be intelligent and compelling and, above all, fun to do.

On a side note: Both Amazons and Their Men and Robots vs. Fake Robots had recent readings at the Playwrights’ Center — though curiously, we didn’t see either one — Amazons… was discovered through New York’s Clubbed Thumb and Robots… came highly recommended by director Steve Moulds. John [Heimbuch] and I discovered the David Greig translation of Caligula in a French bookstore on our honeymoon. While this is not our usual means of obtaining plays, we highly recommend it.

What made you want to produce/direct Amazons and Their Men?

AR: We love stories that are fraught with moral ambiguity and difficult questions. Add in timely material, opportunities for dramaturgical research, a wonderfully unique structure and a good dose of humor.

Despite being a comedy set on the eve of WWII, at its core Amazons… is not about Nazis. It’s not even about Leni Riefenstahl. It’s about the kind of person who has the hubris to write/direct/and star in her own movie — about the value of both art and humanity. Above all, this play is incredibly fun. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard in rehearsals.

What are a few things that really make people stand out when auditioning for you — things you’re looking for when casting your next show?

AR: I appreciate the ability to can handle complex language with clarity and skill. I’m a sucker for great enunciation and clear speech, probably because I’m a rambly speedtalker myself.

I also look for precision and clear choices. I look at what’s going on in-between the lines, and how people switch from one idea to the next. Since Walking Shadow gravitates towards plays that balance on that strange tense line between humor and danger, the ability to find the internal justification for those mood shifts is key to us.

What can I say? Walking Shadow has a soft spot for anyone who can portray a charming sociopath.

Walking Shadow has been one of the more successful small theatre companies in recent years. At this point in Walking Shadow’s development, what’s the biggest challenge you guys face?

AR: We have longevity on our minds and we’re working to build not only our artistic reputation, but the company structures to sustain us through the next phase of our development.

Wow, that sounded like business-speak. Let me try again:

We’re working on what it means to move from being a small company to establishing ourselves as a mid-size company. Like everybody else, we’re working on growing our audience while we find the next most fascinating project and the best way to sustain ourselves.

And it’s always exciting just to keep pace with the challenges we set ourselves: we produce frequently, and try to set new challenges to ourselves with each show we do, whether they be thematically, stylistically or technically demanding. Because of this, we’re perfectly happy moving from an Elizabethan zombie drama at the Fringe to an intricate four person drama in war torn Germany.

What’s upcoming for Walking Shadow? Can you give us a sneak peak into what next year’s season/Fringe might include?

AR: All men dancing the cha-cha in penguin suits, all the time.

No, really. I can’t say — we don’t like to tip our hand until we have both venues and rights secured. My apologies to anyone who skipped ahead from question #1, I was shamelessly leading you on.

Amy Rummenie has directed numerous productions for Walking Shadow, including The American Pilot, Fat Pig, The Lives of the Most Notorious Highwaymen, 10-Speed Revolution, and the collaboratively created 1926 Pleasant. She also directed Edward Gorey’s Helpless Doorknobs with Dramatis Personae. Amy has worked for the Children’s Theatre Company, Theatre de la Jeune Lune, The Playwrights’ Center, Shakespeare in the Park, and Open Eye Figure Theatre. She received her education from Minnesota State University Mankato, is an alumnus of the Lincoln Center Theatre Director’s Lab, and recently completed a 6-month internship in the Guthrie Theater’s literary department. Her theatrical work aims to accentuate the intricacies and possibilities of language and image by using intense dramaturgical analysis and seamlessly brisk staging that extends beyond the boundaries of standard proscenium framing.