Tricia McDermott

Director / Producer / Consultant
New York, New York and Long Island, New York USA

Where do you look for inspiration?
I’d like to say it came from beauty or some munificent place. But in truth, I think I find it in conflict, danger, and injustice. I find the need to address injustice and to try to bring peace out of conflict. Of course it could also be why I love comedy because the best comedies are about danger but we address it through laughter. A pratfall, someone caught in a compromising position…comedy does the same for me.

What’s your favorite book / movie / line from a play / pop culture guilty pleasure / cocktail? 
I don’t have favorites per se but I do have things I love. I love the movie My Favorite Year because it makes me laugh, makes me think, and touches my heart.

What play or production changed your life? 
For me it isn’t a full play or production but moments across a spectrum of doing and viewing theatre.

There have been so many. A few when I worked at the Asolo in Sarasota; one that gave me insight into my relationship with my with my father, another that jolted me back to the memory of my grandmother. Then there was the time during a friend’s production of Last Of The Formicans in grad school. The second act of the play was so relevant to my life at the moment that I couldn’t help but weep openly and I couldn’t stop. Needless to say those around me were a bit freaked out.

Is there anything you still dream of doing? 
My biggest dream is still my theatre. Airmid still doesn’t have a permanent home yet. While we’ve done some amazing work so far, I’d like to do more year round. I’d like to give more people jobs on a regular basis. If I can be a good employer and a good artist, who tells stories that affect people’s lives at the same time, I think I will have done something important with my life.

What is your best escape? 
I could really use a best escape so if someone has some suggestions, please email them! A glass of wine or shot of Jack Daniels will do in the meantime.

What’s the one thing nobody knows about you?
Nobody knows… and no one ever will!

Tricia McDermott: founder/producing artistic director, Airmid Theatre, which recovers & produces classic works by women. Previous: Executive Director, Shakespeare Globe Centre USA; literary manager, Primary Stages; various posts at regional theatres in the southeast. Member, Society of Stage Directors & Choreographers; MFA in Directing, Illinois State; BA in Theatre, Florida State.