INTERVIEW: In her new play, Sarina Freda is fine, really she’s fine
Photo: Sarina Freda is the co-writer, co-creator and star of no no no please no god no, nevermind I’m fine. Photo courtesy of Bryan Berlin / Provided by Everyman Agency PR with permission.
no no no please no god no, nevermind I’m fine, the new show written and created by Sarina Freda and Tom Costello, is inspired by a most unusual trip Freda took in 2021. This wasn’t a car trip or airplane trip to some unbelievable locale. This was an LSD trip, which afforded the performer the chance to stare down death and conquer reality — well, maybe. Freda also stars in the piece, while Costello serves as the director.
The play first premiered at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and the show has transferred to HERE in New York City, where it continues through Saturday, March 15.
Recently Freda exchanged emails with Hollywood Soapbox. She has worked with several theater companies in the past, including Clubbed Thumb, P73, The Geva Center, the 24-Hour Plays Festival and The Hangar Theatre Co., according to her biography. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
First off, is this solo show based on a real experience of yours?
Mostly yes, and also no. I certainly did do LSD (once, only once). Woof. Much of that story is true, but as the piece unfolds, we transition into an auto-fictional, personal meta-verse. While the core emotional truth remains intact, some events have been slightly altered or condensed to fit within the hour. Certain decisions in the narrative differ from those I made in real life, but the beginning and end of the play remain almost entirely true to reality. Ultimately, the emotional essence of the entire piece is 100% accurate —we just had to find creative ways to express that inner world.
What would you say you learned from this experience?
So much. But I think what has truly transformed within me is my confidence. When I’m on stage, I have to fully believe in everything I do, say and feel. The moment doubt creeps in, my mind gets in the way — and I think, even on a subliminal level, I lose the audience. That doubt has made some performances really challenging; instead of being present with the story and the audience who chose to spend their time and money to be there, I find myself caught up in anxiety about the project’s worth, and my own. But what’s amazing is that every night becomes both a lesson and a practice in presence and self-resilience.
The title of the piece speaks to changing one’s mind in a split second. Did/Does that happen to you?
Yes, but I think the title speaks to the fact that two things are often true at once. I am both fine and not fine. The world is full of miraculous wonder, and yet we are living under a fascist leader and witnessing a genocide. Holding both truths at once can feel impossible, but it’s the only way I know how to see the world. Otherwise, we risk neglecting a truth — whether good or bad. Acknowledging that contradictions can coexist allows for more nuance, more possibility, and a fuller understanding of what is really happening. In Goopish terms: I think you might need some darkness in order to experience light.
How was the run in Edinburgh?
Exhilarating. I met so many incredible performers and saw some extremely inspiring work, but it also built a resilience in me that has been crucial for this run. It took away the “specialness” of performance, but in a good way. Performing every day became so normal that now it doesn’t feel so heavy or fragile — it just feels like an activity which is very freeing.
Did you immediately see a theatrical show when this experience occurred?
I did, but it took a long time to articulate. Integrating my trip is a major part of the story —without that process, half of the play wouldn’t exist. But when I look back at my earliest notes and ideas, so many of them made it into the play. They’ve been refined over time, but they remain the bedrock of the story.
What’s next for the show after New York City?
We hope to bring it to LA and London, and then, who knows! I love this story and what we’ve created as a team. I just want to share it with as many people as possible before moving on to the next project. I think I’ll know when we are done, and we aren’t there quite yet.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
no no no please no god no, nevermind I’m fine, written and created by Sarina Freda and Tom Costello, continues through Saturday, March 15, at HERE in New York City. Click here for more information and tickets.
