But once the pandemic hit, she worked hard to make this deadline.
Joking, she adds, I very much wish it would get less relevant.
I can’t wait until the play is obsolete and a relic of its time.
Credit: Joan Marcus, 2019
I’ll be very happy when that happens.
It was something Schreck wanted to do from early on in her development of the show Off Broadway.
So when Schreck reached out to ask Heller about directing a filmed version, the answer was immediately yes.
This felt like it really lined right up.
But they quickly abandoned the idea to focus only on the version filmed in Schrecks final weeks on Broadway.
Heller decided to approach the filming more like a stand-up special than other stage-to-screen adaptations.
But Heller felt it was essential to convey the experience of the show.
Theater is a commune between the cast and the audience in the best way, she notes.
We really wanted to capture this relationship that’s happening between Heidi and the audience.
The whole thing changed and shifted depending on how that communication was going.
It required them to raise the house lights significantly more than they normally would during a performance.
That part was really scary because I wasn’t used to seeing people’s faces, she admits.
Knowing that we were filming it to bring to a larger audience made it more emotional for me.
Editing the show together also helped Schreck consider the play and its structure in different ways.
I was a little shocked at how airtight it was, she says.
It proved the toughest nut to crack.
My monologue essentially remained the same for years.
So at least you understand that it was a living thing.
Its made the project feel more vital and exciting to both Schreck and Heller.
Because especially during this pandemic, it feels really scary for a lot of theaters.
Like are we even gonna have theater once we come out of the other end of this?
But I don’t want it to replace live theatre, which I think is crucial.
It made me think, Oh, its a play, it truly is a play.
I know it seems like off-the-cuff memoir, but it’s very carefully constructed.
I do think it’s a good part.
The special was produced by Big Beach and Defiant by Nature, Hellers newly launched production company.
