Me Too” has always existed and sharing stories about that is difficult. A recent positive story includes the privilege I just had of meeting the attorney Gloria Allred, who speaks truth to power.
As part of my series about “individuals and organizations making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Catherine Filloux.
Catherine Filloux is an award-winning French Algerian American playwright and librettist, who has been writing about human rights for decades. Her plays and operas have been produced nationally and internationally. Her new epistolary play THIRD PERSON, about a 15-year-old boy; his poet/teacher mother; and the CEO of a defense company, is currently being developed for its upcoming premiere in Fall 2025 at CultureHub in New York City.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
When I was very young, I used to listen to my paternal grandfather who lived in Guéret, France, and fought in both World War I and World War II. As he smoked a cigarette, he described to me trench warfare in World War I; he would play cards with German soldiers during designated truces and then leave the trenches to fight; then in World War II he described how bombs became prevalent; he showed me a photograph of him and his friends and said, “I’m the only one who survived.” I could tell he felt so badly, and I would hold his hand.
My father grew up in the zone of France occupied by the Nazis, his brother was part of the Resistance, and my grandparents took in a Jewish boy during the war. The story that brought me to my specific career path is that wars cannot be for naught, and justice against genocide will prevail, for our children. That’s the story my grandfather taught me. I don’t have children myself, but I believe that all children are our children.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
I am not a company or an organization but a free-lance playwright and librettist who leads through my play and opera productions in the U.S. and around the world, and through speaking engagements, mentoring, and developing grassroots community networks. One day I was on a beach near New York City where I live, and I saw a small plastic green dive rocket washed up along the shore. It said in very small print: “Danger do not throw this underwater it could cause harm.” I felt terrible for some reason at the harm it might unknowingly cause. With the abandoned waterlogged dive rocket on my desk, I wrote the toy into a play called TURNING YOUR BODY INTO A COMPASS, about children and deportation. For the role of the little boy, Mateo, in the production I was lucky to meet the young actor Felipe Salinas who was cast by the casting agent Susan Rybin. Felipe did a beautiful job playing the role of Mateo in my play and I was lucky to meet his parents. Time passed and a playwright Corliss Parker asked me to help her cast a reading of one of her plays. I tried to find Felipe who was now about 15. When I saw him again for the reading, I gave him the green dive rocket which I kept on my desk. I was keeping it for him. I decided to write a play for him! In my new play THIRD PERSON, Felipe will play the role of Octavio Groff, who is a 15-year-old student at a private school, on the track team. His mother in the play, Diane, is a poet, and English teacher at the same school. One of the themes is war. We will have our first reading on April 6th directed by Elena Araoz; THIRD PERSON will premiere in Fall 2025 at CultureHub. By working with Felipe’s generation this play speaks to certain realities we are facing in 2025. And for THIRD PERSON I have created a new model, easily produceable in a variety of places, from venues reaching underserved audiences to mainstream theaters. Because it is epistolary the three characters read the story’s letters, and the actors require a minimal rehearsal process. The play’s use of a low budget and green resources focuses on the artists’ salaries and the venues’ basic needs: three microphones, a table, lights up and down. The run time is short with no intermission. Theater is a live form of art, it is different each time it is performed, it does not exist on screens and asks a community to come together in real life. THIRD PERSON and the story that led to its creation are a testament to theater and its power. This story involves actors, directors, writers, producers, audience members, casting agents, press, publicists, social media, educators and peacebuilders.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that? On my own, with no suggestion from anyone, I decided to graduate from high school a year early and get my French Baccalaureate in Philosophy in Toulon, France. I left my family and ended up receiving the Baccalaureate with honors; as a teenager, when I realized how hard this exam was going to be, and how lonely I was, I wrote a letter to my parents telling them my plan wasn’t going to work, and I needed to come home. I carried the letter in my coat pocket for a long time and I never mailed it. What seemed like a terrible mistake shaped my life; I carry the philosophy of Albert Camus in my work up until today, which you will see in my new play THIRD PERSON. The Baccalaureate exam was funny because it was so extremely stark: each day you went into a room with pen and paper for unplanned test questions and you wrote for four hours on each question without stopping. The results would determine if you passed. The system is not for the faint of heart, but also what is funny is that my grandparents, rural farmers, were the first to become schoolteachers — so I was back in that system. I learned the lesson of my ancestors that we come from the land to learn.
Can you describe how you or your organization is making a significant social impact?
Here are some descriptions of how I have made a significant social impact.
“Catherine Filloux is a leading light in the richest sense. There’s darkness out there in the world, and she carries discernment and courage forward in text and action, inspiring reflection that urges action, and hope that orients progressive change. There’s darkness in here — in the heart’s disordered appetites — and she has the moxy and the patience to discover light’s prime in the midst of a soul’s confusion. Genocide, injustice — unkindness — are subjects; love, graceful poetics, and a deeply collaborative practice are her healing address. This is a highfalutin look at her mercies. But her humor, her romantic dancing, and her esthetic and corporeal hospitality are as ready and as bold. A leading light, and we follow, because it’s time.”
―Erik Ehn, former head of playwriting at Brown University, and former dean of theater at CalArts, award-winning playwright
“Catherine Filloux is a brilliant playwright and advocate for the theater who is not afraid to address complex issues of social justice, inequality, and political violence. She understands in her bones the power of theater to bring together people from communities at odds with each other, and her work, on stage and off, bridges differences linguistic, political, and social. It is always a good idea to pay attention to what she is attending to. For there lies the future of humankind, bright or dark as it may be.”
―Christopher Merrill, director, Iowa’s International Writing Program, and author
“We made the impossible possible in a conflict zone, we also highlighted the role of the arts in human rights issues in the region, faced fear by going to conflict and post-conflict zones, showing solidarity, meeting, talking, and working with people most in need of help in their homeland while being forgotten by the international community. In addition to all that was important to local women and the participants particularly young female, it showed how to make the arts a platform to raise women’s issues, and finally support the continuity of ArtRole’s collaboration work with the United States.”
―Adalet R. Garmiany, artist and survivor from Iraqi Kurdistan, founder of arts organization ArtRole
“The works of playwright Catherine Filloux radiate truth and integrity, two pillars of great art. Yes, she is a champion for social justice and human rights, but without truth and integrity this would be meaningless. Bringing her heart and soul to reveal the human condition — this is what I admire most about the theater of Catherine Filloux.”
―Ralph Samuelson, former director, Asian Cultural Council
“There is truth and beauty in the realness of her characters, in the realness of their situations and we look into their hearts, and we see their fragility and come to admire their strength and resilience.”
―Carlyle Brown, playwright, performer, the artistic director and founder of Carlyle Brown & Company
“I have been engaged in human rights work since the early 1990s and I, like other Cambodians of my generation, survived the Khmer Rouge Killing Fields as a child. While art is essential, art for a greater purpose is even more critical. Catherine Filloux represents that rare breed of artists. She is endowed with great talents, but she uses her talents for the benefit of the world. While she is naturally gifted with words, she goes out of her way to fortify her work with the intensity of a serious scholar and the heart of a passionate activist. The end result is a body of work that informs and provokes the mind, affirms our humanity, and binds us all on a quest to improve our communities and our world.”
―Chivy Sok, international human rights advocate and children’s rights activist
“Catherine Filloux illuminates the humanity of the warriors who combat the world’s atrocities in ways that stick with us for years, impacting the way we think about how we intersect with each one of them. She is truly changing the world — one play at a time.”
―Christine Toy Johnson, award-winning actor, playwright, director, and advocate for inclusion
“Catherine Filloux’s remarkable artistry and advocacy is well-known to me, in performance, reading and discussion. It is reflective of her thirty years of engagement in communities devastated by outbreaks of incomprehensible violence. In my view, Catherine is motivated by an underlying mission to resurrect and to grapple with the profound, provocative and disturbing questions entangled in the roots of human rights and social justice.”
―Roberta Levitow, senior program associate/international with Sundance Institute Theatre Program; co-founder of Theatre Without Borders and co-initiator of Acting Together at the Peacebuilding and the Arts Program, Brandeis University
“Catherine Filloux finds the spark of humanity in people caught in the most wretched circumstances and transforms their stories into art. Her plays transport us to Cambodia or Bosnia where we in the audience become witnesses. Our hearts are full with anguish and with admiration for the characters as well as their author. She is not only an accomplished and award-winning playwright but a rare voice that transcends her craft and speaks to what ills us today.”
―Elizabeth Becker, award-winning Senior Foreign Editor for National Public Radio, and a New York Times correspondent
“When I watch one of her plays, I’m drawn in to look where I otherwise might not look, compelled not to look away until I understand an issue more deeply than before. The experience changes me. Catherine shows us how hope rises over despair — she goes to where there’s darkness, then brings her innate light, her hope, her ability to see the power in people to come forward in their power to bring change and healing.”
―Eileen Lawrence, co-founder of Alexander Street Press, now ProQuest, Vice President of Sales, and Chief Inspiration Officer at Coherent Digital
“In a world besieged by authoritarian leadership, freedom of speech and all civil liberties are in jeopardy. Theatre artists have emerged as essential change agents, working selflessly in areas of conflict, often at personal risk, to introduce hope and strategic plans of action for emotional and creative survival. Unique among them is the award-winning playwright, and social activist Catherine Filloux, who for more than thirty years has made this her personal mission. Catherine’s creativity as artist, playwright and librettist has been an unrelenting presence in challenging areas of conflict across the globe and she maintains essential connections with the artists and civic leaders as she uncovers new areas of distress and need. Catherine exemplifies the invaluable role that artists play, arming her creative colleagues with the tools and the courage to persevere.”
―Joan D. Firesteone, former executive director of The Moth and co-director, LPTW Gilder-Coigney International Theatre Award Program
“Catherine Filloux’s plays continually illuminate fascinating characters who are challenged to be courageous in the face of political, social, and personal challenges. Her themes portray the unyielding adventurous spirit attempting to come to terms with the intricacies of personal and political struggles. Filloux is fascinated by global political issues, her plays woven with the threads of political and social commentary and ethical dilemmas. Her characters reflect the unending human dilemma: how to commit to political/ethical beliefs as these beliefs challenge our personal relationships. Through Catherine’s characters we confront each individual’s task to try and come to terms with the particular historical context of the society they inhabit. Complexity is presented without compromise.
The political is personal in her narratives, and this intermingling creates stories that resonate with humor, empathy, and compelling awareness. On multiple levels. Her ability to intertwine these aspects without losing the individual humanity of her characters is nothing short of particularly distinctive and compelling to watch unfold on the stage. Her plays intellectually challenge with humor and are emotionally fulfilled. Catherine Filloux’s work demonstrates her masterful commitment to exploring the depths of the human experience.”
―Cassandra Medley, playwright
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
I was invited to Northern Iraq by artist and leader Adalet Garmiany from ArtRole to participate in a women’s art symposium with women artists primarily from the Middle East. It was life-changing, and based on this experience Adalet produced my play “Beauty Inside”. When I was in Iraq this second time working on this production of “Beauty Inside” which Adalet organized with well-known theater artist Gaziza Omer and many other extraordinary collaborators, I think I impacted Adalet, his team, and audiences with my play about violence against women. I think I helped further the cause of empowering women and fighting against violence.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
My work aims to challenge the broken global justice system, broken because it has failed to secure the most basic human rights for women. Human rights organizations and international law rarely consider the gender divide. They don’t acknowledge that the abusive dictators and leaders of the world — often, in genocidal regimes — are men. Even the U.S., the world’s so-called leading democracy, refuses to legislate that men and women deserve equal rights. My new play THIRD PERSON addresses the reality that young people are lied to, for one, about war.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
To lead is to listen to others and to create a live conversation; that is why theater is so important. To lead is to always strive not to reinvent the wheel; to find communities working for the same goals. To advocate for sustainability, to do no harm, to create new models that are green. To work for justice.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
1 . Women are discriminated against. (The stories and examples include being taught not to say that out loud, sometimes for protection.)
2 . “Me Too” has always existed and sharing stories about that is difficult. A recent positive story includes the privilege I just had of meeting the attorney Gloria Allred, who speaks truth to power.
3 . Discrimination and injustice require a warrior spirit to face them. Running is a good way to train for that.
4 . My volunteer work has been at the core of leadership for me for decades. Volunteerism is precious.
5 . When you stay up at night thinking about how you can fulfill your vision, you are not alone.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
As I already said: My work aims to challenge the broken global justice system, broken because it has failed to secure the most basic human rights for women. Human rights organizations and international law rarely consider the gender divide. They don’t acknowledge that the abusive dictators and leaders of the world — often, in genocidal regimes — are men. Even the U.S., the world’s so-called leading democracy, refuses to legislate that men and women deserve equal rights.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
The gift of the human soul, which will solve everything is love. This gift if you allow it to penetrate, what a worthwhile experiment it is, an experiment that will deliver, not easy at first, but love grows exponentially. Catherine Filloux
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
Bryan Stevenson.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/catherinefillouxwriter/
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
Social Impact Heroes: Why & How Playwright Catherine Filloux Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.