Deadline at the Fringe are interviewing performers across the month, putting 20 questions to them off the cuff.
Joseph Pinzon is the founder of Short Round Productions and is bringing his hit show ‘Filament’ to the Edinburgh Fringe for the first time. Bursting onto the scene with passion, emotion and talent, ‘Filament’ combines amazing circus skills with inspiration from your favourite 80’s teen movies for a fresh take on acrobatic theatre.
- First impressions of our fair city and, why are you here?
Edinburgh is straight up magical. No wonder Harry Potter was written here. I’m the producer, director, and writer of Filament, playing at the Circus Hub by Underbelly.
- Does your time here bring on joy or dread?
It’s the first time bringing the show here, so a healthy combination of both.
- How did you travel to the capital, and are you alone or with friends?
I flew in here with my cast and crew. There are 13 of us total, so you can imagine my reaction to the previous question.
- Where will you visit on your day off and why?
I don’t know her.
- What Scottish delicacies do you enjoy and, do any of them fill you with fear?
Bangers and mash, no contest. It’s hearty and has a hardcore name. I’m weary of haggis, but only because it has such a bad reputation in popular media. It’s probably amazing.
- Which watering hole will you most likely be stopping at?
Whichever one is nice to me (all of them).
- Which other act would you be most likely to recommend to a friend?
“Tilda Swinton Answers an Ad on Craigslist.” Tom Lenk is HILARIOUS! I went to college with him, and it’s fantastic to see what he comes up with. He also has a show called “Tom Lenk is Trash,” which is all about being Insta famous. Go see him!
- Plug your show in three words.
Crazy. Sexy. Cool.
- Are you a newcomer or a veteran?
Veteran attendee, newcomer artist. I’m prepared and totally not at the same time.
- What do you love most about the festival?
Just the fact that there’s an outlet for artists to present their work on such an exposed market is phenomenal. Sure, it’s a hustle-and-a-half to get there, but what isn’t?
- What do you hate most about the festival?
Not enough sleep. Never enough sleep.
- What is your biggest fear before going on stage?
I’m not going on stage this time, so phew. But usually, it’s having the seam of my pants explode right at the crotch. It happens more often than I care for (yay splits).
- Quote yourself. What’s the best thing you’ve ever said?
“You never know who’s in the audience and whose life might change tonight because of this.” Yeah, huge to live up to, but it’s happened. I wouldn’t be doing circus if I hadn’t seen it as a kid.
- What does success and failure mean to you?
You can’t have one without the other. It’s so important to know what failure feels like and to learn from it. Imagine if you just won all the time. You’d be a douchebag.
- What is your worst habit?
Worrying. It’s pointless.
- Most embarrassing moment?
See answer number 12.
- Where is your favourite place in the world and why?
Disney’s California Adventure. As a native Southern Californian, it’s not uncommon to have an Annual Pass, which allows regular park access. You can knock the capitalism and totalitarianism all you want; it’s hella fun there. I enjoy DCA more because it’s more expansive and there’s alcohol.
- Who would you choose to be if you were not you?
Meryl Streep seems to have it going pretty well.
- What is your greatest ambition?
To fall in love.
- How can we bring world peace?
Reinforce the Golden Rule. Or convince people to stop believing in self-serving idiots.
