Victoria Lewis is a theater professor at the University of Redlands. Before joining a panel discussion on community art programs, she talked in the Zócalo green room about documentary theater, George Reeves as Superman, and her worst haircut ever.
What’s the strangest haircut you’ve had?
I was around 9, and I’d just gotten glasses. My mother cut my hair, and she kept trying to straighten my bangs. Eventually I ended up with bangs that were only half an inch long.
Some of your research focuses on “documentary theater.” What is documentary theater?
It’s theater based on fact, or real events. There’s a broad range of how that can take shape. The play I’m working on now is a verbatim performance of the congressional hearings on the Americans with Disabilities Act.
What do you tell a cast right before a performance?
I probably say, “Have fun.” I say, “Tell the story. It’s for the audience.”
You got a doctorate in theater at UCLA. Where did you like to study on campus?
There’s a big research library on campus. To me, it’s like heaven.
What’s your favorite thing to cook?
I’m going to make a coconut cake to celebrate “Interdependence Day.” But I have an Italian origin.
If you could have one exotic pet, which animal would you choose?
I’d like to have a perfectly behaving little dog.
What’s the most dangerous thing you’ve done recently?
For me, the scariest thing is to put out new projects. But I’m a complete coward physically. I backed my new car into my garage recently because I thought it would go forward.
What’s your favorite pizza topping?
Anchovies and mushrooms.
What’s in your dream garden?
Gardenias. I was raised with them.