Tell us about yourself. 

My name is Carly de la Masa. I’m from Appleton, Wisconsin. That’s where I grew up. I am double majoring, so I’m doing Graphic Design and Communication Arts, and I am a senior.

What is That’s All There Is (TATI)?

It’s an experimental performance ensemble. We’re a group of nine writers and performers with three production/stage managers and perform in the style of Neo-futurism, meaning we adhere to the principles of truth and brevity. That is shown in our show format, where we perform 30 original plays in an hour. Everything we write and do on stage is real, or I like to say non-fictional, to make it easier to understand. I’m always going to be Carly on stage, if I call my mom on stage, I will literally do it there and then. Isaac, my co-captain and co-founder, and I like to describe the show as a live newspaper. We heavily incorporate comedy but we also include other diverse content themes through meaningful monologue, choreography, song, etc. We want to reflect our voices with emotions of current or past events. But the show is highly interactive because we break the fourth wall the entire time, so the audience is the most important factor. They determine the order of the show with a little paper menu. We perform the numbers we hear, so it is a different order and a different show each time.

What inspired you to begin an ensemble like this?

Isaac and I were in a Neo-futurist ensemble together in high school, and that was already a unique and fulfilling experience to be able to share our real voices on stage in a weird and crazy way like I had never done before. And coming into college, we joined the spring musical, and we joined a sketch comedy group together, and although we were able to perform, we didn’t feel like we were able to grow creatively. We didn’t think we’re pushing ourselves. I wanted to be able to bring something new to campus as well, but something that fostered a lot of growth and encouraged diverse artists to share their real voices.

How do you determine the themes and topics for each show?

We create our show through a pitch process where each Neo, what we call our writers and performers, will bring seven plays they wrote themselves. Then through a democratic voting process, we eventually find our 30 plays. There is no one theme or topic, it’s encouraged everyone writes about whatever they want. We consider the balance of the show and see how many comedic plays we have, or serious, or absurd, etc. We try to implement some meaning into our plays. We do at least lean toward comedy, and we sometimes frame serious topics in funny ways on purpose.

What has been your favorite show so far?

This is hard, but I’d say my favorite show has to be the nostalgia show, which was our second show ever. Spring freshman year, which is crazy, but it wasn’t about the writing, more the sentimental value to me because it was the first time I realized we were truly creating a community through TATI.

What do you hope your audience takes away from your performances?

First and foremost, I just hope they have fun. But further than that, I hope they can experience a show that understands them as people. I want them to find something in the show that resonates and leaves them with a new perspective or a new thought. This past show, we probably left a lot of people feeling existential, but really I just want them to experience something new and exciting, but there’s no expectations for the audience.

What’s the most rewarding part of being involved with TATI?

I’ll go back and say it’s the community. I love the people in the group we’ve had and changing members and adding new members each semester. But I also love everyone who’s been involved as dedicated audience members, and everyone I’ve been able to connect with from this org as well.

Why is comedy an effective way to address serious topics?

I would say comedy is a language that we can all understand in a way. Some of us have different tastes, but I’d say it’s usually pretty palatable if you do it right. But I think it’s just because it’s engaging and exciting, you’re able to get people to stick around and try to hear what you actually have to say.

What are your hopes for the future of TATI?

I hope TATI continues to be an art that creates the unexpected. We have fostered that environment, and it’s exciting, but I hope the people who are in it also continue to grow as artists, find their voice through writing and find a comfortable place for themselves, both on and off stage. I don’t think TATI needs to last forever, but I hope it’s always impactful for all people involved.

How can students get involved?

We are an audition group, so for artists who want to be a part of it, just look out for auditions and it really depends on where we need to fill gaps. We will likely have auditions in the very near future. Look out for our Instagram posts or physical posters around campus. But we’re always open for help with stage and production management, that’s something we are looking for right now. So in that case, you can reach out to us via DM on Instagram or you can email me.

What are your plans following graduation?

I feel like I’m with a lot of seniors in saying I do not have anything solid yet for my post-grad plans. I have aspirations and would love to stay in the theatre setting. I love directing, I love performing, and above all else I want to be in the theatre scene. So whatever that looks like for me, I’m honestly just going to play it by ear.