Interview with Maybe Burke, writer and performer of Love Letters to Nobody, or Insignificant Others:
Q. First things first, how did you pick the title(s) for this?
Well, I didn't think anybody would come to see a show called "Everybody Leaves." But really, I was writing a lot of things and tried a few different ideas until I realized I had a good amount of material that was monologues about sex and love. Romantic love, platonic love, 'making love', imaginary love, the lack of love. So I went through old conversations with exes and found more material, and turned them into these monologues, or letters. There are some literal letters to nobody, but for me the titles reside in a realization while I was creating the content. I realized most of these people were actually surprisingly insignificant in my overall life. So I have these Love Letters to Nobody, for my Insignificant Others.
Q. So what made you want to put your love life on stage?
A. Again, This wasn't intentionally a piece about my love life. This started as an exploration of my identity and how it corresponds with people. It just so happens that finding a gender identity is often clouded within sexual identity, so romantic and sexual partners are main components of the story. Also, a lot of what I talk about is the lack of love and/or consent in my early life. That's a thing that is not often addressed accurately, and I was interested in making something that would help people feel like they were seen while being accessible to folks who are lucky enough to not have a history of abuse.
Q. Awesome! So how do you think doing this exploration in a theatrical setting changed the way you were exploring?
A. At first, I was just writing about my experiences with people. A lot of the letters are pulled directly from Emails and messages I've sent people. Others are fabricated based on real experiences. Telling them how I felt about what happened, getting in last words I never said, those kids of things. Formatting it for an audience has made me really think about how much of this is unique to my situation. I am always surprised, however, with how many people can relate to my very specific circumstances.
Q. I have to ask, how many of those exes are going to be showing up and going, "Heeeey...wait a minute?"
A. I don't think there's anything I mention that the person involved doesn't already know. Also, I got permission from anyone that I have used letters from. I would honestly love for the people I'm writing about to come and see what I'm doing, because at the end of the day it's not really about them. The letters, as much as they seem to be about other people and situations, are really often self-reflective.
Q. How do you feel about telling your parents or past partners the feelings you were having that they didn't know about? Are you expecting or hoping for any apologies or changes in some of your relationships?
A. I honest didn't really consider how they would react. I certainly am not looking for anything near an apology. Perhaps, at most, a better understanding of where I was at the time. The beautiful thing about this project is that while things are recent and still lingering, there's also so much that is water under the bridge. I get to reminisce and rejuvenate.
Q. So then what do you want the audience to feel?
A. Solidarity. I want people to leave the theatre knowing they're not alone in this. Knowing that though they might not have the same story as me, we all have something going on. In talking about my experiences, I often hear how strongly people can relate to them. That's why I wrote this piece. To remind myself that I'm not alone.
