I had the chance to ask the lovely Terra Mackintosh a few questions this week about her role in the play and her experiences in the world at large. In SOMEWHERE SAFER, Terra plays photographer Annabella Leeds, a portrait photographer with a wartime past.
LF: I know you share some characteristics in real life with your character Annabella. Tell me a little bit about your experiences as a photographer and how they have come to bear on your work.
TM: To begin, I would not really consider myself a photographer (though I appreciate the compliment!), I just happened to find myself in cool places with a camera. That said, my experiences photographing my travels has definitely fed into my work on this piece. Similar to Annabella, I am drawn more towards portrait photography. Unlike her, I have never been in an area of conflict or witnessed an act of terror, though I do have a couple photos in my collection that hit me in my gut when I see them. Because when you take someone’s photograph, you capture their vulnerability, or strength, or fear, or joy, and you are bound to them. Annabella’s photographs carry a lot of weight for her. They are in her bones, relentlessly reminding her of her responsibility to the world. It is a difficult thing, to be blessed with a talent like hers. I do not envy her.
LF: In some ways, Annabella is also very different to you. Talk a little bit about your research. What have you discovered?
TM: I did quite a bit of research for this role because Annabella has a lot of emotional scars that I wanted to portray with respect. She has been witness to some horrific events at her young age, and she returns from the war a very different person than when she left. I had to start by understanding war and the life of a photojournalist. I am a very visual person, so I looked at photographs and watched a lot of documentaries. The most fascinating discovery I made was in the eyes of those who have lived through war. Before the war, they were bright, clear, and full of life. Afterwards, they were empty, tired, dark, and broken. I based a lot of my development of Annabella around this concept, allowing what her eyes have seen at different points in her life to affect the way she moves through the world.
I also discovered the stunning work of Stacy Pearsall, Tim Hetherington, and many other photojournalists. I revere them, the work they do/did, their incredible passion, and their commitment to exposing the truth. If you have a moment, look through Michael Kamber’s Photojournalists on War; The Untold Stories from Iraq. As civilians, there is so much we never see, so much that is censored by the government. I always considered myself to be well-informed on the conflicts, but through my preparation for this role, I found that I was very, very wrong.
LF: Tell me about a travel experience that has profoundly affected you. What do you feel like you have learned about the world that you wouldn't otherwise have learned?
TM: This story is not unique to me (Bono tells of a similar experience in his TED talk), but it is one that haunts me nonetheless. My family and I were in the southern region of Ethiopia, driving about eight hours that day to get to our next lodging, when we stopped to stretch. There was a very small village across the road, and in a matter of seconds every inhabitant of the village came running towards us. I was soon surrounded, the women and children fascinated by my light skin and blond hair. A woman was holding her small son nearby, and he began to reach for me. She came over and placed him in my arms. As I held him, I could feel fluid in his lungs with each labored breath he took. I am not a doctor, but I was fairly certain that if whatever this was went untreated, it could lead to serious problems for him. I just held him a little tighter, feeling helpless and overwhelmed by the need of this region.
It was time for us to get on the road, so I handed the child back to his mother and walked to the car. As I turned around to say goodbye, the woman was standing next to me, offering me her son. She was trying to put him back into my arms, motioning for me to take him with me, pleading as I looked her in the eyes and said I was so sorry, I couldn't take him. I climbed in, close the door, and she continued to hold him out to me. I watched her as we pulled away, in our comfortable car on our way to the next exotic destination, and I fell apart.
There is a heaviness to bearing witness and it can be completely debilitating, but we have a responsibility to look. Annabella uses her camera to tell these stories, and I use my words. Sometimes I question myself, and the questions posed by Hal in the play are very real for me as well. Is what I do enough? Am I just "burning through fucking time?" I don't know. I don't think any of us know. All we can do is move forward and not forget where we have been.
LF: What drew you to the story of Somewhere Safer?
TM: To be frank, it is a smart play written by a woman, with female characters of strong conviction and passion (who have more to talk about than men and clothes). This is, unfortunately, a rarity and therefore an opportunity I couldn't pass up.
When I read the breakdown, I obviously felt drawn to Annabella, but I was also struck by the overall themes of the piece. It addresses issues that should be having a direct effect on our decision-making as a country, yet are often overlooked. Lauren does a fantastic job of examining all sides of the argument, giving equal and unbiased weight to each. It is through this that the play is able to provoke discussion of what our responsibilities are as a citizen of the United States and of the world.
one of Terra's photographs from her travels
Somewhere Safer opens at the 2013 NY International Fringe Festival on August 11th. For tickets, please visit fringenyc.org. 
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