The first time I saw one of Kat Sandler’s plays was on a whim one weekend on a visit to Toronto; Bang Bang had its first preview at Factory Theatre and I nabbed myself a last minute seat. I was blown away by the verisimilitude of her dialogue and the issues which she was willing to tackle with that play. Ever since, I have been watching her career skyrocket and her plays get more and more intriguing. Sandler has written, and will be directing, Wildwoman at Soulpepper Theatre Company as part of their Her Words Festival. I was lucky enough to get to ask Sandler some questions about this play, her process, and what other fairy-tale treats might await!

1. Could you please introduce yourself and your role(s) with Wildwoman?

I’m Kat Sandler and I’m the writer and director of WILDWOMAN!

2. What’s the process like getting to direct your own work?

It’s amazing! I don’t think of writing and directing as two separate things, I like to think of it as shepherding an idea from inception to production – getting it out of my head, onto the page and into the minds and bodies of actors and under lights and into sound and onto a set for the audience. I love that I get to craft an experience for an audience (and myself) from start to finish. It also means I never really take off either hat. When I’m writing I try to help the directing process later by thinking through blocking/set/transitions/physical moments/stage pictures early on, and when I’m directing I can shift the script on the fly and work with the actors to really mold it to their voices and abilities, or add or cut text to stell a clearer, more entertaining story that fits our production.

3. “Beauty and the Beast” has been a life-long favourite of mine! What about the original take inspired you to write Wildwoman?

I was doing some mindless internet research and came across the story of Pedro Gonzalez, a real man who suffered from a condition called hypertrichosis (latin for “too much hair”). He was alive in the 16th century, at a time when giants, little people, and others who differed physically from the norm were viewed as curiosities to be traded and collected as status symbols between the wealthy. Pedro was believed to be a “wild man”, and originally presented as a gift to King Henry II. “Wild men”, or “woodwose”, were believed to be half-men, half-animal creatures, covered in hair who become ferocious at night, even stealing and eating children alive.

As an experiment, Pedro was given a latin name (Petrus Gonsalvus), an education and a position at court and then married off to Queen Catherine de Medici’s most beautiful lady-in-waiting to see what sort of furry children the union might produce. The couple bore seven children, who went on to be bought and traded by nobles like collectibles.

It’s said that this true story was the original inspiration for Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve’s original 1740 story Beauty and the Beast. So I would say I was inspired more by her inspiration than her story itself. And as I dug into Petrus’ story, I kept getting distracted by three fascinating women inhabiting it; Kitty, his courtier wife, Lady Diane de Poitiers, King Henry’s much-older mistress and Catherine de Medici, the Queen of France.

These women were all considered “wild” in very different ways, but all of them were fighting for power, legacy and their very lives in a time when a woman’s worth was measured entirely by her dowry, her wifely subservience and her ability to bear children, and I thought it would be interesting to write a piece that explored female villainy, wildness and what happens we let our real beast out.

4. Wildwoman is the first main stage offering of Soulpepper’s Her Words Festival. What are your thoughts on being asked to have your work included in this exciting venture?

Her Words is such an incredible initiative, and I feel completely honoured to be included in this lineup of heavy hitters! It’s amazing as a female artist to be asked to think bigger, bolder, and take risks, and I’ve felt so supported and buoyed by Weyni and all the other badass women at Soulepper and in the festival, like the amazing Sandra Caldwell, star and writer of The Guide to Being Fabulous. It’s wonderful to run into each other in the halls and be able to say – I’m terrified, you? Me too! And share in our excitement and fears. And I think it’s so interesting how different all our work is but also how similar – we’re all playing with stories and themes like identity, sex and power – top of mind issues for women in 2023.

5. Are there other fairy tales or folklore stories you’re looking to adapt one day?

YES! Obviously I’m obsessed with fairy tales, myths and legends – and I love coming at them from the point of view of the oft-neglected female villain or antihero (as Catherine de Medici is in WILDWOMAN), and trying to shift our notions around that. My play Yaga was about the legendary Eastern European witch who allegedly lived in a house on chicken feet in the woods and ate the bones of naughty children. I’m working with Bad Hats Theatre on a new musical that takes its inspiration from the Pied Piper of Hamelin. I also adore the ancient Greek myths – I’m working on another play, The Guest, that takes a run at the story of the Three Fates.

I want to thank Kat Sandler for taking the time to answer my questions; she’s such a powerhouse of Toronto theatre. Make sure you check out Wildwoman at Soulpepper! For more information and tickets, visit: https://www.soulpepper.ca/performances/wildwoman

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