In this series of interviews, I sent several questions to couples who are bringing shows to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe together. In this edition, Sarina Freda and Nicholas Webster of no no no please no god no, never mind I’m fine talk about sound design, crystal math, and the TV show we should all be watching.
Who are you?
Sarina: My name is Sarina Freda.
Nicholas: My name is Nicholas Webster.
How long have you been together?
Sarina: Three years? Yeah, three years and a bit.
Where did you meet?
Nicholas: We met at theater school.
Sarina: We met at theater school, in the production of Horse Girls.
Nicholas: By Jenny Rachel Weiner.
Sarina: Such a good play.
What is your history in working together?
Nicholas: [In Horse Girls] I was doing sound design, you were doing acting.
Sarina: This is our first real thing we’ve ever done together. So that’s kind of a big deal.
Nicholas: Yeah. And we’re more collaborating on this than we were on Horse Girls.
What is the worst thing about working together?
Sarina: I think the worst part is just like kind of constantly having to ask for things like, sort of like every single day. I feel like for the past three months I’ve been like, can you do this thing for me?
Nicholas: And you’re also very worried about wasting my time.
Sarina: Yeah.
Nicholas: So just trying to deal with each other like in that administrative way.
Sarina: Yes. I think that’s the most challenging. I think it’s really fun when we I mean, I know this isn’t part of the question, but it’s really fun when it works. It’s pretty magical. We’re just really in tune with each other.
How do your processes differ?
Nicholas: Well, you are acting. Me, sound design
Sarina: (laughs)
Nicholas: No, cut that.
Sarina: No, I think it’s fine. How do our processes differ? I think Nick is really detail oriented and really, like, very meticulous in his work. And I think sometimes in my writing I can be a little less meticulous.
Nicholas: I think you write big strokes and then you can go in and do the acting work to make it specific.
Sarina: Yeah.
Nicholas: But I think that’s I think that’s just the way you write too.
Sarina: Yeah. That’s true, that’s true.
Nicholas: Which I think is good.
Sarina: I think I’m also writing for my voice. So I’m kind of like, I know what I’m going to do with this, you know? But your your sound is like crystal math.
Nicholas: Crystal meth?
Sarina: Crystal clear math. Okay. So does that make sense? Do you think that’s a good answer?
Nicholas: It’s a great answer.
How do you respond to criticism from each other.
Nicholas: There’s no real critique because we’re sort of different jobs. Like you trust me, I trust you.
Sarina: Definitely. You’ve been a huge part of the story development as well, and I feel like getting your feedback has been super helpful. Because you’re in it in a way where you’re like, you know what’s going on, but you’re also like, not so lost in the sauce.
Nicholas: Yeah.
Sarina: You’re a great outside eye. I really like your criticism.
What roles do you play when you are working together?
Nicholas: I think in rehearsal you’re kind of definitely the boss. You’re kind of running it, you know, like you’re you’re keeping on time.
Sarina: Who else is going to run it?
Nicholas: Exactly. Because it’s your show. So there’s that aspect. And then at home when we’re just running stuff or we’re recording, then I’m maybe more of a boss.
How can you tell the other person is annoyed?
Nicholas: When they’re…
Sarina: Mean? Yeah, yeah.
Nicholas: Not mean.
Sarina: I mean, I can get a little, like, sharp and short. Yeah, but that’s usually want me to meet anxious and insecure about my own work. I’m usually not annoyed at Nick.
Nicholas: It’s just a lot. It’s a big show.
Sarina: It’s a big show a lot. There’s, like, a lot at stake. There’s a lot at stake. Everything’s at stake. Just kidding. I’m just here to have fun.
What sort of music, media, movies, TV have you gotten each other into? What interest do you refuse to get into that the other enjoys?
Nicholas: You know, like movies with, like, crime in them?
Sarina: Well, like guns. I don’t like guns.
Nicholas: Or crime or anything.
Sarina: Or blood.
Nicholas: Or boys.
Sarina: I like boys, just not like a lot of them. I don’t wanna watch movies with only boys.
Nicholas: Right.
Sarina: I think you got me into the musical artist Feist. I love her now. And I got to see her show, and that was like, a really transcendent night. Really grateful for that from you. That’s a big one, I think.
Nicholas: The Comeback, the best show ever. If anyone’s reading this, please go watch The Comeback.
Sarina: It’s so good, so funny. Really makes us laugh.
Nicholas: It’s the best. You were on top of that.
Sarina: You’re cocktails and stuff like the, like all that shit. Like, I’m super into all the cocktails that you make me. I kind of don’t have really that much interest in going so hard like you do.
Nicholas: I don’t think that’s media/music/movies though.
How do you carry each other in those ‘all is lost’ moments?
Nicholas: I think we’re gonna find out.
Sarina: That’s a good answer.
Nicholas: I think we’re gonna find out. I think we’re going to have maybe 1 or 2 of those at the fringe. And I think one thing we can do is just, you know, be there for each other.
Sarina: Remind each other it’s all going to be okay. Yeah. Pretty simple, you know?
What about working together has made you better as an artist?
Nicholas: I actually, I think I think I’m a better sound designer because I think we were really just like we were building the show at the same time as the sound design. So I was saying yes to a lot of stuff without knowing what it was going to be like. And I think it made me realize that there’s so much you can do with sound.
Sarina: Yeah, we asked a lot of you.
Nicholas: Yeah, there’s just a lot of sound and music.
Sarina: I think working together has made me a better artist. It just reminded me that you really do have to be surrounded by people who trust and love you, and that’s the best way you’re going to make something. It’s like being in a safe space with people who you really trust, whose words mean something to you and who’s thoughts aren’t coming from a place of ego. I can sometimes I’ll have hour long conversations with my director about the show and they’re amazing conversations, and we learn so much. But then sometimes you and I will talk for like two minutes and I’m like, oh, wait, that’s it. Like, it’s just so simple. You see it in a really specific way.
Nicholas: Sorry Tom.
Sarina: No Tom’s the fucking king. Tom’s unbelievable. Tom Costello, he’s the director of this play and he’s so much more than that. He’s just unbelievable. He’s really helped us create this thing, and I think also really helped us communicate with each other. When we had moments where I was like, I don’t know how to explain this to Nick, Tom just did it. So that was amazing.
What are you bringing to the fringe and how is it been going?
Nicholas: Well and really bringing clothes. I brought a pound of beans. I bought olive oil. Olive oil. And it’s not been going good.
Sarina: Well, we haven’t really gotten there yet on that not aspect.
Nicholas: I think there’s two ways to interpret this question. One is what are you literally bringing?
Sarina: Okay. Well, check. The other answer is-
Both: no no no please no god no, never mind I’m fine.
Sarina: A new solo play by me.
Nicholas: Oh. Oh, no I didn’t. Those are three ways to interpret this question. Like what do you bring attitude wise?
Sarina: So I’m, we’re bringing an open heart. Open mind. Curiosity.
Nicholas: My social battery.
Sarina: Oh, my social battery. Fully charged. Just like my phone, 24/7. We’re excited to make some new friends.
no no no please no god no, never mind I’m fine by Sarina Freda will be at theSpaceTriplex Studio, Venue 38, Aug 9-10, 12-24 at 16:05.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Erin Murray Quinlan is an American playwright, amateur beekeeper, and proud confirmed solver of ‘Cain’s Jawbone’. Her full biography can be found at erinmurrayquinlan.com.
