'Body' of Work :: Hub Theatre's Lauren Elias on Playing Eve Ensler

If you've seen the work offered by Hub Theatre Company of Boston, you know that Hub goes consistently for top-shelf work and then produces it with inventive staging.

The company's fourth season commenced in April with Yasmina Reza's "Art" (and EDGE had the pleasure of chatting with one of the three stars, Hub Artistic Director John Geoffrion, about that production). The company has plans to produce Margaret Edson's "Wit" in November. Landing smack dab in the middle is Eve Ensler's "The Good Body," a blend of comedy and commentary that serves as an indictment of a culture that makes unreasonable, and unrealistic, demands of the female form, the the detriment of women who are expected to conform to those demands.

Boston-area audiences are far from unfamiliar with Ensler's work. She may be best known for the international sensation "The Vagina Monologues," but Ensler has premiered two new works at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge over the past two years: "O.P.C.," a comedy about an ambitious woman politician and her "freegan" daughter, started its inaugural run at the A.R.T.' slob Drama Center in November 2014. Ensler herself took to the stage in her new one-woman show "In the Body of the World" last month, which also had its premiere at the Loeb.

Hub Theatre Company's Lauren Elias -- who, among her other roles, serves as the company's publicist -- had already successfully championed "The Good Body" for production this season when the Ensler's newest work -- which talks about cancer in the context of human violence, especially toward women and nature -- premiere at the A.R.T. And this, as Elias tells EDGE, was how the two women ended up having a chat...

EDGE: You met Eve Ensler when she was in town recently for the premiere of her new play, "In the Body of the World."

Lauren Elias: Yes! I had the pleasure of meeting her, and she was absolutely lovely and very supportive. She is a very busy lady, but she said she is going to try to come and see our show, bless her heart. She's very excited that we're doing this show.

EDGE: How did that meeting come about?

Lauren Elias: I was fortunate enough to go to 'In the Body of the World' the evening she was doing the talkback. I went up to her afterwards, and I introduced myself and asked her to sign my script, and she asked me all about it. She was great. She gave me some advice about how to do the show, which is very exiting - to have it right from the playwright herself. She told me, 'Don't be afraid to find the comedy in it.'

EDGE: The issues around body image -- for men and women alike -- is something people are becoming more conscious of. The Pope even addressed the issue recently. But I think it's still worse for women.

Lauren Elias: Just the difference between when I was a little kid and now, as a 28 year old, it is really amazing how people are becoming more aware of that, and the damage that it does to young girls - and how young it starts. I think people didn't realize that little girls, seven year olds, put themselves duets now. That's insane!

I remember when I was around 10 - you just suddenly become aware that you're supposed to look a certain way.

EDGE: How did those of you at Hub Theatre Company decide that this play, "The Good Body," was going to fit into this season, which has also included the play "Art" and, after this production, will conclude with "Wit?"

Lauren Elias: When we pick our season we always try to find a good balance. There are lots of things we have to take into account: Location, whether we can get the rights, and we want to be sure that we've got different kinds of shows. We to have something for everyone in our season. We knew we were going to do "Art," which, as I'm sure you remember, is about three guys; so we really wanted a show that would highlight women, and the wonderful amount of female talent that we have in Boston. We also wanted something that would work at Club Caf�. We wanted something that we'd be passionate about. We read scripts and the second I read this one I said, "This is it. This is the play."

EDGE: This is not the first production you've done at Club Caf�. What takes you to Club Caf� as opposed to your usual venue, First Church in Boston?

Lauren Elias: The people over at Club Caf� are some of the nicest people! They're like part of the family. We have a great time over there, and there's nothing better on a hot summer evening that walking into Club Caf� and having a cool drink and a bite to eat, and enjoying the evening. And we look forward to going back every summer. The reason we started, actually, was out of sheer necessity: They have air conditioning!

[Laughter]

EDGE: It's true, there's a bit of a cabaret atmosphere that's possible over at Club Caf�.

Lauren Elias: We have fun looking for a show to do that with every year, because we know our audience looks so forward to the Club Caf� show. I know my actors look so forward to finding out what the Club Caf� show is going to be, because it's become legendary to do the Club Caf� show. It's got good karma, and it's fun. And this show has a great message. Also, looking forward to Club Caf� and the summer show, I want to make sure that it's fun. It's the summer; everyone deserves at least a little bit of a break.

EDGE: I recall your show at Club Caf� last year - you were one of the stars. Will you be in this production?

Lauren Elias: I am! Actually, I'm playing the role of Eve Ensler.

EDGE: Having met Eve Ensler, were you taking mental notes about how she speaks, and talks, and carries herself? Are you going to incorporate that into your performance?]

Lauren Elias: I'm trying my best. I hope I'm successful. It's not easy -- she's so awe inspiring to be around... but yes, I did make sure to take copious notes. I went twice to "In the Body of the World" for that exact reason.

EDGE: You're going to be directed by Lindsey Eagle. Has she directed you before?

Lauren Elias: She has not, actually. This is her first time with Hub, and my first time working with her as a director. It's such a great theater town in Boston, and everyone just kind of knows everyone - it's wonderful. The second we decided on this script I knew I wanted Lindsey. I knew she would have the perfect touch of tenderness and be able to impart the importance and weightiness of the issue, bur also be able to do the comedy. That's the key to the show, because otherwise no one wants to hear a two-hour lecture on body image. That's not fun. You need to get people to laugh to get them to listen.

EDGE: I like the way that small theater in Boston works, with so many artists circulating among the various companies and participating in each other's productions. For example, your company can reach out to Flat Earth and get Lindsey to come over and direct for you - that's just one example of what strikes me as a pretty consistent practice in the city's small theater scene.

Lauren Elias: People always ask me, especially my family, "When are you moving to New York? When are you moving to Los Angeles? Isn't that what you're supposed to do?" And I say, "I'm not. I'm staying in Boston." And they say, "Why?" Because Boston is a family!

I know it's cheesy because of "Cheers" and everything, but everyone knows your name. Everyone is rooting for you when you walk into that room. I remember when Chelsea Ruscio got sick right before her wedding, the Boston theater community raised almost $40,000 in twenty four hours because she was one of our own, and we were worried. We take care of our own. That's the best thing about Boston and Boston theater. It's a family.

EDGE: You're giving Broadway Cares a run for its money!

Lauren Elias: And we're dang proud to do it! That's why I'd never go anywhere else.

EDGE: What have you got in mind for Season Five of the Hub Theatre Company at this point?

Lauren Elias: Season Five. Gosh. I don't want to talk outside of school, we don't have anything signed in ink yet, but we are hoping to be doing our first new work - that would be a first for us, we've never done a new play before. We'll know a little bit more soon. Unlike most companies, we operate on the calendar year, which most theater companies don't; we do a summer show, where most companies take the summer off. So we're on a little bit of a different schedule from everybody else. Our season announcement doesn't come out until later.

You know, there are lots of great theater companies in Boston. They all have their own missions, and that's great. Fresh Ink, they want to do new work; Company One wants to focus on diversity; SpeakEasy wants to focus on Boston premieres. We really just want to focus on doing good work. Whoever wrote the show, it's great, we happen to have all female playwrights this season - we didn't plan that, they just happened to be the three shows that fit our season best. We just want to get people in the door to see theater and hopefully end up seeing more theater, even if it's not with us.

EDGE: And that's also why you have the model you do for your ticket prices, which is basically every night is "Pay What You Can."

Lauren Elias: Every seat, every show, every time. It's all "Pay What You Can."

EDGE: What does that average out to? Are you making as much as if you charged $30 per ticket?

Lauren Elias: Our sweet spot is about $20 [per ticket]. We usually get that from most people, and if we don't it's because they really can't. Hey, I would rather have them come see out show than have them sit at home and watch a "Law and Order" re-run.

EDGE: I recall hearing that it costs you about $10,000 per night to put on a show.

Lauren Elias: Yes, because unlike some companies we pay our actors. Some fringe companies don't pay their actors. They just can't afford to. And we do.

EDGE: So it's not just important that people come and see theater, but that they come to theater a lot!

Lauren Elias: Yes!

"The Good Body" runs July 15 - 30 at Club Caf� in Boston's South End. For tickets and more information, please go to http://www.hubtheatreboston.org