>> CATHY: KEVIN KLING IS BACK HERE IN THE STUDIO WITH US, BUT THIS TIME HE'S HERE TO TALK ABOUT HIS UPCOMING PERFORMANCES AT THE OPEN EYE THEATRE THIS SEPTEMBER.

HERE WITH US NOW, KEVIN KLING.

GOOD TO SEE YOU.

THE ONE-PERSON SHOW IS CALLED UNRAVELED.

>> SHAKESPEARE SAYS THE WORDS LEAVE OF CARE.

BUT IT'S ABOUT -- IT TAKES PLACE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ODYSSEY AND THE GREEKS, AND THE FATES, IT WAS SAID YOUR FATE WAS DETERMINED BY THREE SISTERS.

THREE WOOFERS.

AND ONE SPUN THE THREAD, ONE MEASURED THE THREAD AND ONE CUT THE THREAD.

SO IT'S TAKING THAT METAPHOR AND USING IT AS A WAY TO UNRAVEL A PERSON'S LIFE AND SEE WHAT THOSE THREADS ARE.

>> Cathy: YOU GOT ME WORRIED.

I WAS THINKING UNRAVELED, IT WAS GOING TO BE SOMETHING SAD FOR YOU.

>> NO.

>> Eric: WAS IT EASY TO PICK A THREAD THROUGH THE WHOLE PERFORMANCE, WHERE STUFF RELATED TO EACH OTHER?

>> NO, IT WASN'T.

NO, IT'S BEEN A JOB.

IT'S BEEN REALLY EXCITING.

I MEAN, TO TAKE A THREAD IN YOUR LIFE AND FOLLOW IT AND WHO COMES THROUGH, HAT ARE THE INTERSECTIONS, WHO COMES THROUGH, WHAT THREADS ARE TIED TO YOUR OWN, WHEN DO YOU HANG BY A THREAD.

I MEAN, THERE'S ALL THESE DIFFERENT WAYS OF USING THAT METAPHOR.

BUT WE ALL HAVE THOSE THREADS AND WE ALL HAVE THOSE ATTERNS THAT THEY FORM.

THIS IS THE OTHER THING.

SO THAT'S SOME OF THE PLAY.

BUT IT'S MOSTLY FUNNY.

>> Cathy: GOOD.

>> YEAH.

>> Cathy: WHAT A ONE-PERSON PLAY MUST BE FAIRLY EASY TO DEAL WITH, ONE-PERSON PERFORMANCE MUST BE PRETTY EASY TO DEAL WITH.

>> YEAH.

TO DO IT?

>> Cathy: YEAH.

>> IT IS PRETTY EASY.

>> Cathy: DON'T YOU WORRY ABOUT IT?

IT'S -- YOU'RE ALL BY YOURSELF.

>> NO, IF YOU FORGET, NOBODY KNOWS ABOUT IT.

>> Eric: YOU HAVE A COLLEAGUE ON STAGE WITH YOU?

>> MY FRIEND, ROB WITMER, IS AN INCREDIBLE COMPOSER AND MUSICIAN.

HE'S REALLY THE HEART OF THE HE PIECE, REALLY THE REASON TO COME SEE THIS THING.

HE PLAYS THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE THING, UNDERSCORES, COMES IN WITH MUSIC AND HE'S ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT.

>> Eric: YOU DISCUSS YOUR MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT?

>> A LITTLE BIT AT THE END, YEAH, YEAH.

BECAUSE THAT'S DEFINITELY A THREAD.

>> Eric: YEAH.

>> THAT WAS A LIFE CHANGER, YEAH.

>> Cathy: I'M KIND OF CURIOUS ABOUT THE JOY AND THE CHALLENGES OF SPINNING STORIES.

YOU SEEM TO HAVE -- YOU'VE GOT THIS TREASURE TROVE OF STORIES.

IT'S JUST SO GREAT TO LISTEN TO YOU.

BUT ARE THERE CHALLENGES IN THE CREATION OF ALL THIS.

>> THERE ARE BECAUSE I THINK THAT STORIES ARE A CRAFT, YOU KNOW.

I MEAN, IT'S A REASON PLAYWRIGHT IS WRITTEN THE WAY IT IS.

IT ISN'T PLAY RIGHT, IT'S WRITTEN PLAYWRIGHT, AS IN A WHEEL WRIGHT, A A WHEEL GETS A WHEEL THROUGH, A PLAYWRIGHT IS TRYING TO GET THE STORY THROUGH.

PART OF THE CRAFT, I LOVE THAT PART ABOUT IT, JOHN BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGER SAID, STORIES BRING MEANING TO EXPERIENCE.

SO YOU WANT TO HAVE THAT MEANING IN THERE.

YOU WANT TO BRING SOMETHING, ESPECIALLY TO THIS DAY.

JOHN BURGER.

THAT'S WHAT THIS PLAY IS REALLY ABOUT, WHAT CAN I OFFER THIS UDIENCE ON THIS DAY?

AND, SO, IT'S REALLY -- A STORYTELLER IS REALLY BEHOLDEN TO THE MOMENT THEY LIVE.

>> Eric: HOW DO YOU PLACE IN PRIORITY BEING FROM MINNESOTA AND WRITING ABOUT MINNESOTA?

BECAUSE IT SEEMED LIKE IT'S -- WHAT YOU WOULD SAY -- A TARGET-RICH ENVIRONMENT.

>> OH.

>> Eric: MINNESOTA WOULD BE.

>> IT TOTALLY IS.

I UST -- I LOVE OUR -- I MEAN, MINNESOTA'S SENSE OF HUMOR.

LAST YEAR I DID A SHOW UP NORTH, AND A WOMAN COMES UP TO ME AFTER THE SHOW.

SHE'S CLEARLY SMILING.

SO I SAID, DID YOU ENJOY THE SHOW?

AND SHE SAID, SHE LIKED EVERYTHING EXCEPT THE FEELINGS.

AND I WAS, LIKE, MINNESOTA, I JUST LOVE YOU SO MUCH.

THAT'S OUR PEOPLE.

[ Laughter ] YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE... IT'S SO GREAT THE WAY WE TALK, THE WAY WE ARE, THE FOOD.

I TRAVEL THE WORLD... [ AUDIO DIFFICULTIES ] I TRAVEL THE WORLD TELLING STORIES ABOUT MINNESOTA.

OLE AND LENA JOKES GO OVER SO BIG IN IRELAND, YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE IT.

>> Cathy: WE WERE TALKING OFF AIR, CAN WE PEEL BACK THE LAYERS HERE, WE ALWAYS TALK OFF AIR, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE TIMES WE'RE IN.

YOU SAID, WE ARE IN EPIC TIMES.

AS A STORYTELLER, YOU DON'T KNOW HOW THIS IS GOING TO END.

>> HUM-UM.

>> Cathy: BUT AS A STORYTELLER, HOW DO YOU HELP THE REST OF US FIGURE OUT HOW WE SHOULD BE IN THIS TIME?

>> WELL, THERE'S A PANT THEEON OF STORIES THAT COME BEFORE US.

AND, SO, WE CAN TAKE A LOT OF THOSE STORIES, A LOT OF THOSE MYTHS, A LOT OF THOSE THINGS, I THINK THAT'S WHY THE ODYSSEY IS SO POPULAR RIGHT NOW IS BECAUSE HE GOES THROUGH A TRAUMATIC PERIOD, AND COMES OUT THROUGH THE OTHER SIDE.

AND, SO, WHAT KIND OF STORIES CAN WE BRING FROM THE PAST, FROM OUR LIVES THAT HELP US UNDERSTAND THIS MOMENT?

YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE SAY, TELL A STORY ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW, WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE THRESHOLD, WE'RE COMING THROUGH THE THRESHOLD.

BUT WE HAVE STORIES FROM THE PAST THAT CAN HELP US.

AND THE THING, TOO, ABOUT A STORY RIGHT NOW IS, WHEN I TELL A STORY ABOUT MY LIFE, IT DOESN'T CONTROL ME ANYMORE.

IT'S IN MY VERNACULAR, IT'S HOW I SEE THE WORLD, SO WHEN YOU'RE TELLING STORIES, YOU NOT ONLY TAKE CONTROL OF THE WORLD, BUT IT PRESENTS A FUTURE, AND IT GIVES YOU SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO.

BECAUSE THAT'S THE TRAJECTORY OF THE STORY.

>> Eric: YOU COME FROM A RICH HISTORY OF STORYTELLERS, BECAUSE I'M THINKING THAT STORYTELLING IS THE SECOND OLDEST PROFESSION.

[ Laughter ] >> YEAH, IT IS.

THAT'S WHAT YOU TELL ABOUT.

>> Cathy: EXACTLY.

OKAY.

WHERE AND WHEN FOR FOLKS WHO TO GET TICKETS AND SEE IT.

>> WHERE AND WHEN, OPEN EYE THEATRE, IT STARTS SEPTEMBER 10 AND RUNS THROUGH THE 20th.

THERE'S A MATINEE, WE JUST ADDED ON THE LAST WEEKEND, ON SATURDAY.

BECAUSE IT'S SELLING -- IT REALLY IS SELLING FAST.

>> Cathy: OH, GOOD.

>> AND IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY REALLY FUN.

>> Eric: CAN'T WAIT.

>> Cathy: MY DEAR, YOU ARE A MINNESOTA TREASURE.

>> OH, THANK YOU.

YOU ARE, TWO.

BOTH