Q&A with Alissa Stamatis

Alissa Stamatis recently directed Circumference of a Squirrel for the Phoenix Underground. She is also a featured player in the Phoenix Mainstage production of David Mamet’s Boston Marriage — part of a mini Mamet Festival at the Phoenix that is also presenting the Beckmann Theatre’s inaugural production of Mamet’s American Buffalo. Boston Marriage opens Jan. 8. For tickets call 635-PLAY.

Q: What are you reading now?
A: Boston Marriage, a play by David Mamet, and Selected Writings of Lady Gregory.

Q: What do you like about the Indy arts scene?
A: That it sometimes surprises me.

Q: What don’t you like?
A: That it’s difficult for many artists to make a living.

Q: What inspires you?
A: Collaboration. A group of people working towards a common goal or creation.

Q: Drug of choice?
A: Rehearsal.

Q: Who’s your favorite politician?
A: John Green, chair of Butler Theatre. He can talk anyone into anything, and he’s a terrific advocate for his students, his faculty and the Indy arts scene.

Q: What’s the hardest thing about what you do?
A: Knowing when to stop doing it. Knowing when a scene is ready, and trusting that you can let it be.

Q: Three people you’d love to have over for dinner?
A: Shakespeare, Billy Joel and the Virgin Mary ... I have some questions for her.

Q: Current favorite TV commercial?
A: I love the “Can you hear me now?” guy. Who IS he?

Q: Can love be pornographic?
A: The expression of love can be very graphic, but I don’t like the term “pornographic” because it’s judgmental ... and it usually has the word “censorship” right behind it.