Other Mother's Day

A popular animated film version of Coraline was released in February. How has that impacted your production?One of the good things about it was that it got people interested in Coraline if they weren't already. But we're so different from the film that it's hard to compare us. The film is so beautifully realized in its animated format, but we stick closer to the original story than the film, and we have an actress in her 50s playing Coraline. I find that people are relieved that we haven't tried to reproduce the film.

Were you at all influenced by Teri Hatcher's vocal performance as Other Mother? By the time Stephin and I saw the film, we'd already done three workshops, plus readings, so we were well into developing the piece. I'd well established my approach to the role before seeing the film, so it didn't influence us in any way.

Could your Other Mother kick Teri's Other Mother's ass? [ Laughs ] No. I wouldn't want any part of that.

Helmed by out director Leigh Silverman and featuring music by out singer-songwriter Stephin Merritt of the Magnetic Fields, MCC Theatre's production of Coraline opened June 1 and runs through July 5 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre .