BROOKLYN LAUNDRY’s Cecily Strong Just Wants Her Clothes Back

The first time I have ever been excited about laundry! John Patrick Shanley's latest work Brooklyn Laundry follows three sisters and a man who run a laundry in Brooklyn, and the sometimes savage tricks life plays on them. Tragic and funny at times, this story will remind you what is important in life... and the sorrow and joy of fully embracing adulthood. One of those three sisters is played by Saturday Night Live Alum Cecily Strong, who we had the opportunity to sit down with and discuss all things laundry, loss, and family. Our conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.  

Theatrely: First, can you just tell us a little bit about the show, in your own words? 

Cecily Strong: Well, my words are... I feel embarrassed to share my words when John Patrick Shanley's standing right over there. It is a show about real people in real circumstances and being able to get what you want. Life throwing curveballs and not quite knowing how to work with that but there still being a chance for a story and for love and for a happy ending, just maybe not in the way you may have imagined. 

Regarding the character that you play, what similarities do you have with her? Maybe something you learned from her or you're beginning to learn?

Yes, well, she and I are both the baby of the family. And I think personally I've felt a little down in the dumps the past couple of years dealing with sickness in my family and loss. Getting to go through this sort of catharsis life going on and that there is a story beyond this. And you may feel like you're losing opportunities but you're not. New opportunities opened up and it's given me a little bit of optimism from a kind of a pessimistic place, but it's something I can believe in. 

We have a cast of all stars here. What is it like getting to work with them everyday. 

It's exciting. It's so great seeing what they bring and being surprised, or being moved, or being made to laugh. We have been saying it feels like we have known each other for so long, even though we really just started. I can’t wait to see what it's like when we get deeper into the run. 

Many of us know you from Saturday Night Live. What is the difference between doing something like SNL where you have only have week to really prepare the show, whereas here you have a longer rehearsal period?

I mean, the speed and sort of expediency and immediacy is still there definitely but it's nice really getting the time to figure this out. You know, I love SNL, I love sketch comedy but we weren't performing John Patrick Shanley so it's nice to feel like I get some time to work on it. We also get to have him [Shanley] walking us through this which is incredible.  All of my theatre school friends are so jealous.

And just finally, one more quick question. What is a laundry experience you maybe had where maybe something went wrong? 

Oh, I've sent out my laundry twice in one month and had all my clothes shrunk and then I just started not getting my clothes back. I didn't want to bother them and be rude, but then I found out they had a fire so I was just like “You know, maybe I'm not going to go to a laundromat for a while. I think I have bad luck”. It's like Curb Your Enthusiasm, am I allowed to complain that you guys had a fire? That sucks. But I do want my clothes. 

Brooklyn Laundry is now in performance with Manhattan Theatre Club. For tickets and more information, visit here.