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Thursday, March 28, 2024

20 questions with Katie Gartlan-Close

In our continuing special holiday series featuring the contributors at Vancouver Presents, we meet emerging playwright and another of our theatre specialists, Katie Gartlan-Close.

Meet Katie Gartlan-Close

Katie Gartlan-Close is an emerging playwright, with a double major in Theatre Performance and Communication from SFU. She has experience acting, directing and working as a dramaturg. She lives in New Westminster with her sister and two kittens (who are technically cats, now). She spends many of her days working in a toy store as well as teaching kids Theatre and creative writing.

20 Questions with Katie Gartlan-Close

1. Your first job.

My first job was delivering Real Estate Weekly papers with my older sister. My first “real” job was as a dishwasher.

2. The job you always wanted as a child?

A teacher. I would line up all of my stuffies and teach them with my mini chalk board.

3. Your pet peeve.

When people spit on the sidewalk. It’s the worst.

4. Your hero.

The most influential women I grew up with: my mum and my sister.

5. Your biggest indulgence.

Pens! Chips. Noodles. And this holiday season, egg nog!

6. One thing no one knows about you.

My left ear is currently plugged.

7. Three things you would want with you on a deserted island.

A notebook (with a built in pen inside, so it only counts as one thing), a bowl of noodles, and a small dinghy to escape when I want to.

8. The one word your best friend would use to describe you.

She said fantastical. I didn’t make it up, I promise.

9. If you were not doing what you are doing now, what would you be doing?

Writing plays full-time.

10. Hero or villain?

Villain. It’s more exciting.

11. Your life’s motto/mantra.

You got this, girl! No, I’m just kidding. I don’t have a mantra, but I like “You’re stronger than you think”. A yoga teacher told it to me once and I thought, “Yeah, I am. You’re right”.

12. Your favourite playwright?

It’s hard to choose one. I’d say Sarah Ruhl, Will Eno, and MJ Kaufman.

13. The last book you read.

“The Best Kind of People” by Zoe Whittall.

14. If you were a cartoon character what cartoon character would you be?

When I’ve eaten a lot of cookies (like today), I’d have to say Tigger.

15. What will it say on your grave marker?

She was cool. It will make people realize how totally un-cool I was.

16. Who would you most like to have dinner with?

That’s a hard one. Ellen Degeneres maybe. She seems like she’d be easy to talk to, and also she’s been an inspiration for a long time.

17. Your idea of happiness.

Being around the people you love, sharing stories, laughter and (hopefully) good food.

18. If you could go back in time, what would you tell your twenty-year-old self?

Not to doubt my instincts and to trust that the paths will lead me where I should be going.

19. The one thing in your life that makes you most proud.

My family.

20. To be or not to be?

That IS the question.

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