INTERVIEW: Sophia Gutchinov on her new solo piece ‘Those Who Remained’
Photo: Sophia Gutchinov is the writer and performer of Those Who Remained. Photo courtesy of the artist / Provided by Off Off PR with permission.
The Club at La MaMa, on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, is currently hosting the new solo show Those Who Remained, which continues performances through May 18. The piece is a deeply personal one for Sophia Gutchinov, who wrote the play and performs in the show; Rani O’Brien provides direction. The monologue work, which incorporates multimedia, is an exploration of Gutchinov’s identities, cultures and traditions, according to press notes.
In Those Who Remained, the performer opens up about her Italian-Mongolian heritage, covering such topics as Indigenous ceremony and modern dating, plus some stories about her Buddhist father and Roman Catholic mother. The theatrical project is part comedy, part spoken word and part multimedia presentation, making these 90 minutes wholly unique.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Gutchinov about the new show. Her career spans acting, performance art, comedy, modeling and voiceover artistry, according to her official biography. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
When did you start working on Those Who Remained?
During the rise of the anti-Asian hate crimes in the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, La MaMa found me at a protest where I was giving my AAPI Equality Speech (featured on WNBC 4 in New York) in front of New York state senators. La MaMa offered me an artistic residency later that year. I had already been writing through my life experiences to cope with what was happening in the world and what was going on in my personal life. In 2022, La MaMa sent me to the Writing Symposium in Umbria, Italy, where I began to write my show, and I workshopped my other writings throughout my residency that year. I remember telling my college professor the day of my graduation from Marymount Manhattan College at Lincoln Center in 2017 that I wanted to write a solo show, and here we are! And, since the show is based on my experiences, we could say 1995, when I was born!
How is multimedia incorporated into the show?
I have a mosaic way of looking at creating theatre, like a collage of different genres and perspectives. So when I create as a multi-hyphenate or multidisciplinary, I meld in multimedia. Acting and creating in both theatre and film, which are my passions, I want the audience to be able to relate to different mediums throughout the show. There are projections, voiceovers, recorded music, dance and even some stand-up comedy in the show. Those Who Remained is crafted through creating vignettes, and then fitting them together, like a mosaic indeed!
It’s experimental, and very fitting for La MaMa. By creating this way, I hope to reach first-time theater-goers and leave a lasting impression of re-imagining what is even possible in a live performance!
What goes through your mind right before a world premiere? Excitement? Nervousness?
Both excitement and nervousness! This is my first time doing a project on this scale. Being autobiographical in nature makes me feel excited, but also vulnerable. Opening yourself up to an audience with a snippet into my human experience (even just at 29 years old), while holding a mirror to our shared humanity, and experiencing an inner transformation together, reflects what I have experienced in crafting this piece over the past four years.
Additionally, as the writer, actor and executive producer, I wear lots of hats. Compartmentalizing is key. It feels like creating a massive wedding, with the budget, planning and all that has been leading up to it! It feels surreal for sure.
How would you define the word heritage?
Heritage to me means where you come from and where you’ve been. It’s your ethnic lineage, what that means to you, and how it informs who you are today and your purpose in this world. More than genetics or which countries your ancestors came from, heritage affects how you see the world and what contributions you make to society.
I am an art-activist. On my Mongolian dad’s side, I am related to a Buddhist priest, Arkad Chubanov, who was also an activist. Maybe this informed who I am and how I see the world? On the other hand, there aren’t many artists in my family (that I know of), but here I am committing to a career in the arts.
I studied acting and neuroscience in college, and I love how the arts and sciences connect, especially with what I create. Epigenetics are also quite fascinating!
What similarities did you find between your Italian and Mongolian relatives and ancestors?
Horses!
My mom’s relatives came from Napoli, Italy, and they all raised horses. Mongolians are known to be one with the horse, and my grandmother grew up on a farm with horses.
Funny enough, horses have led me to many opportunities that allowed me to write and explore this project forward. While doing field research at Hustai National Park in Mongolia last summer, I studied the only wild horse left in the world, the takhi. I then attended another artistic residency, in Sicily, Italy, with Trinacria Theatre Company, where I created one of the scenes in Those Who Remained about how we are all interconnected, even if we come from disparate places.
There are so many similarities, believe it or not, you’ll have to come see the show to find out!
What do you hope is the ultimate takeaway from sharing these 90 minutes in a theater with you?
I want the audience to leave feeling changed for the better in some way, whether that means they are more inspired to create, make amends with loved ones, explore their heritage or get more involved in social change. The possibilities are endless! I hope that in sharing my story, they can also look within and leave better than before.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Those Who Remained, written and performed by Sophia Gutchinov, continues through May 18 at The Club at La MaMa on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Click here for more information and tickets.
