Conversion Therapy: Katreeva Phillips, New Renaissance Woman
In this story:
Of course, everyone is familiar with the concept of a New Woman, one who exemplifies modern feminine virtues, such as strength, resilience, confidence, and self-determination. Everyone is equally familiar with the concept of the Renaissance Man, a masculine obsessive whose hyperactive cortex compels him to excel in an array of diverse fields, such as, perhaps, visual art, the sciences, mathematics, linguistics, literature, etc. But there are few people I know who can legitimately claim both labels as theirs—a vibrant woman who possesses in abundance and quite naturally all those characteristics their younger counterparts aspire to and who equally excels in a vast panoply of disparate professional and creative fields. One of these is my friend, Katreeva Phillips (I call her Kat, for short), whom I interviewed last Tuesday on behalf of KillerFrogs, partly to find out what the dear lady is up to in her creative endeavors, and partly to persuade her to add Horned Frog fan to her list of variegated enthusiasms.
Hello Kat!
Hello.
Name your talents, if you don’t mind.
Screenwriting, director. I started off in theater as an actress, moved on to stage management and direction. Started off in the film industry as a professional editor for a couple of studios. And have been writing and directing my own films for the past few years.
You also sing.
I was an opera singer for three years with the Fort Worth opera.
And you currently work as a lighting designer?
Yes, I currently work for Tulips in Fort Worth, Ridglea Theater in Fort Worth, and Granada Theater. And Inside Image.
So let’s run down all the things: opera singer, screenwriter, editor, director, actress—what am I forgetting? Lighting designer. Is there anything else?
I smoke cigarettes really well.
And you drink.
And I drink even better.
Cheers. We have that in common. So tell us about what you're most passionate about right now. All the talents that you have, what are you devoting your time to?
I am transitioning back full-time into being in the film industry. Projects-wise it is my short film Wednesday’s Child, which was originally a feature, and I appreciated all your advice during its pre-production. I think you’re number one on special thanks right now.
I love it. Do continue.
So the feature’s been in the works for the last two years, it’s on its twelfth draft. About nine weeks ago, I got a call from my director of photography who said we needed to condense Wednesday’s Child into a short film. We got a grant from a film festival to make this short film in Shreveport. We filmed July 27th through 29th and I’ve been editing since then.
And your goal is ultimately to make a full-length feature.
Yes, that is the reason we decided to condense the feature to the short film. So we can show it to donors and sponsors and say “Hey, this is what we can do.” We spent the money, we’re devoted, invest in us to see what we can do with the feature.
Why should people care about the film? What about the film has resonance?
As the director, as a storyteller since I was eight months old playing Jesus in my parents’ Jesus play—I played baby Jesus—and I’ve been a storyteller and performer since then, I have stories to tell about my life and I think my life can be wonderfully relevant to a lot of other people. This story is very personal to me and my family. It has to do with trauma and it has to do with what we have to do being women, particularly when it comes to pregnancy and abuse. I think a lot of people will be able to relate to it. Even though it’s a thriller/horror film there will be a lot of strange comfort a lot of people can relate to, even though it is intended to be shocking and scary.
It is a horror film?
I would call it a thriller. I’m not just trying to scare people. I’m trying to make them relate and find comfort in their trauma.
So this is a sports interview. Of the six great talents that we discussed, you did not name a single athletic gift.
No.
Are you a good athlete?
I was in elementary school. I was a very, very fast runner. I got picked for the kickball team.
You got picked for the kickball team. I got picked every time in Red Rover. Wonderful. Do you like sports?
I love baseball. One of my first beanie babies I called Pudge Rodriguez.
What do you like about baseball?
I like the intensity, I like the fact that it’s a mental game. I like the slow burn. A lot of the horror movies I like watching are slow burns.
So you like watching baseball because it’s like horror—
It’s horrific. It’s torture. I think I might be a bit of masochist.
Okay. Cool. So TCU. Have you ever been to a TCU game?
Yes. I dated a former student from there. He took me to a football game.
Did you like it?
No.
No.
No. I know the ends and outs. I learned the rules well enough to try to enjoy it and even with my understanding and extensive efforts at understanding the game play I still think it’s the most boring sport I’ve ever witnessed.
Okay. But you don’t have anything against TCU; it’s just the sport.
It’s the sport. I dated a football coach for a couple years and I still . . . I went to every game and did not care for it at all.
But baseball’s good?
I like baseball.
Would you ever go to a TCU baseball game?
Absolutely.
And have fun?
Yes. Or basketball. I love basketball.
What do you love about basketball?
That it’s constant. It’s constant back and forth.
So you’d say that baseball is like a horror film and basketball is like an action film.
Yes.
Or a porn film, maybe?
Maybe it is porn. Even though basketball players are not my type whatsoever. The game play is like porn. Back and forth, in and out, in and out, in and out.
Your parents might be reading this, you realize?
They know enough about me.
Okay. So you’re interested in going to a TCU baseball game. Do you follow the Horned Frogs at all? Do you care how they perform?
I don’t follow university sports at all. I follow the Rangers and the Mavericks. That’s basically it.
Do you have any opinions about TCU, as being outside of TCU?
Some of the women I met when I was in opera and musical theater from TCU have been the sweetest and most exciting people I’ve ever met in my life.
Could you name some of them?
Alison Whitehurst. She is Off-Broadway right now and she’s just killing it. And she is one of the sweetest, most talented people I’ve ever met in my life.
Anyone else?
He’s a man, but Travis Woods is one of my best friends. He went to TCU. Very talented filmmaker, one of the most genuine people I’ve ever met in my life.
Tyler Brown’s not bad.
Who the ---- is that?
Good question. He doesn’t know either.
I was just in the bathroom, thinking, “just be yourself in the interview.” I don’t know what the ---- that means.
There you have it, Katreeva Phillips, ladies and gentlemen. So you are interested in possibly becoming a TCU fan?
Sure, yeah.
So maybe go to some baseball games?
I’d love to go to a baseball game. Because I went to Texas Wesleyan and the only thing they had to their name concerning sports was baseball. So I’d like to see how they compare to Texas Wesleyan—which I’ve heard they’re way, way better, TCU is.
In that case I’ll ask the Fearless Leader Ryann Zeller and Barry Lewis whether we can possibly find a ticket. Thank you very much, dear.
Thank you.
Anyone who would like to contribute to Kat's film can contact her at katreeva.phillips@gmail.com
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