Artist profile: Carin Bratlie, director

October 1, 3:20 PMMinneapolis Theater ExaminerZach Curtis

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Carin Bratlie - Artistic Director - Theatre Pro Rata

How long have you been working in the Twin Cities?

I've been working here for 10 years, although the first couple were in a different theatrical field. I keep it a closely guarded secret, though, so no one asks me to do it again.

What are some of your shows we may have recently seen?

I most recently directed Bard Fiction at the Fringe. It was fun to play in a thrust space, I don't usually get to do that. Before that I directed The Life of Galileo, with my company, Theatre Pro Rata. That was a great beast; it gave us a lot to chew on.

Tell us a bit about your current show:

I'm about to open Marisol, with Pro Rata. It's about a young woman who's visited by her guardian angel in a dream. She says all the angels have gotten together and decided God isn't doing his job, so they're going to take over. Because of that, Marisol is on her own. So she's left trying to survive in this apocalyptic Wizard of Oz situation she's been thrown into.

What drew you to Marisol? 

It's a classic Pro Rata show in the sense that the first time I read it, I thought, how the hell could we possibly do this? Followed immediately by, we HAVE to do this! Rivera uses magic realism so effectively, and I wanted to tackle it. I also love how dense the script is. It's very poetic and symbolic, and yet at the same time immediate and engaging.

What is the most difficult aspect of this show for you as a director?

There are some crazy sequences in the stage directions that really read more like a movie script. Stuff that I really had no idea how we were going to do... I'd tell you but I don't want to ruin the surprise. Luckily I have a crack team of artists who are ridiculously creative and willing to try to find ways to make things float and melt and rain and appear and disappear. And there are some moments that I'm convinced will have a unanimous visceral reaction from the audience, they are so incredible.

How did you get involved in directing?

It's a really boring and totally normal story. I was an actor for a while, and then I took a directing class in college. It was like a light bulb went off. Something clicked and I was like, oh... I get it now... this is what I'm supposed to be doing. And then I just did it from then on.

What is it that excites you about Twin Cities theater?

There's such a delicious strata of styles, budgets, missions, and opportunities. It's the sign of a really vibrant community to have such an incredible range at our fingertips.

What's next for you after Marisol?

I have a Christmas show that I do every year. Right after that I'll start rehearsals for The Spanish Tragedy, by Thomas Kyd: Pro Rata's spring show. Talk about a show with some meat to chew on...

Marisol, by Jose Rivera and directed by Carin Bratlie, opens October 3rd and runs through the 18th.  Order tickets by calling 612-874-9321.

Theatre Pro Rata's website.