Frances Mercanti-Anthony is a Broadway actor who fell in love with a burly, bearded Maine man at age 40 and moved from the bustling suburbs of New Jersey to the rural coast of Maine. Her story, Frances Floats, is like a holiday romantic comedy but with much, much more profanity. After moving to a land of snow and lobsters, Frances promptly had two babies and got very fat. Frances Floats is her story of finding happiness in her forties and discovering that it has nothing to do with her dress size.
A special treat, as Frances Mercanti-Anthony speaks with the Corr Blimey crew ahead of their run
Would you mind giving us a brief insight into what your show/event/performance is?
My show is called Frances Floats, and I am Frances. Hi! I’m from the US, born and raised in New Jersey, lived in NYC for two decades, did a bunch of shows on, and off-broadway, and then I fell in love with a man from rural Maine at age 40. I moved my world from the noise and chaos of the city, to a tiny coastal town surrounded by farmland and forests. Then, I had two babies, 17 months apart, and I got very fat. After spending my teens, twenties, and thirties trying everything to be thin, I found myself suddenly fat, and happy. I wanted to share my experience growing up steeped in diet culture, and finally releasing all of that in middle age, and finding out that, surprise! None of it really mattered in the first place.
Tell us about the creative team and the process involved?
It’s me! I am the entire creative team. I wrote it, I staged readings, I took feedback, I did a million edits, I curated the 200 plus images that appear throughout the show, I blocked it, I chose my costume, and I performed it. I’m a one-woman band.
How does it feel coming to the Fringe?
Incredibly exciting! I never thought that this was even a possibility. I had such an overwhelming response from audiences when I performed the show in Maine that I wanted to broaden my reach and share my story with as many people as possible. The largest arts festival in the world seemed the ideal place to do that. Go big, or go home! I reached out to Ines, who is a friend of a friend of mine, who connected us. Ines said, “I have room for eight shows this year, and I have seven slots filled.” When she asked if I would be number eight, I didn’t hesitate. I leapt and figured I would find a way to pay for it later, much like my credit card debt.
With shows from all over the world at the Fringe, what sets yours apart?
I’m a late bloomer. Performing my own material was something that I always wanted to do, but I didn’t put pen to paper until my mid-forties. It’s never too late. Your life can change in a moment, and mine did exactly that. I went from being a 40 year-old woman, who I was convinced would die alone and childless, to having a loving husband and fantastic kids in three years. You know how people say, “Never give up.” Bullshit. I totally gave up, and life came along, and slapped me back into a reality that I never saw coming. My show is about throwing caution to the wind, and taking a chance on something extraordinary. Risking the pain, and reaping the reward.
Is there anything specific you’re hoping the audience will take away?
I want people to leave the theater with a feeling of hope. Where there is darkness there is light, and laughing at myself is how I keep the darkness at bay. I invite the crowd to laugh too. I welcome them into where my inner demons live, and by mocking them, I take away what gives them their power. I want people to feel like they got to know me a little, and they want to meet me for a cup of coffee.
Your Ideal audience is in attendance, who’s watching? Or more importantly – who isn’t…?
Trump supporters aren’t there. They won’t like me, and the feeling is mutual. Misogynists stay home in their man caves to compare deadlift stats with other Joe Rogan listeners. Bigots, homophobes, Nazis, white supremacists, all those worthless shit humans are nowhere to be found. Instead, the audience is filled with compassionate, empathetic people, who are endlessly curious about the world around us. People who are always seeking to learn, and grow each day. People who are guided by love, and people who fight to defend those who are marginalized, and persecuted. We are living in very scary times in the US, and our media is full of stories of men and women powered by greed, intolerance, self-interest, and fear. I want an audience of people who have open hearts and minds. People who came to laugh at me, and with me, and come away finding themselves in my story. I also want Rosie O’Donnell to come because she is performing in the same theater, and I think we would be buddies. I wouldn’t turn George Clooney away either.
It’s an intense month, so where you’re able, how do you plan to relax, and are there any other shows you intend to see or want to recommend?
Yes! I am so excited to see other shows! My college friend, turned posh London actress, Maria Teresa Creasey, is performing a show called Degenerate at The Pleasance, that I can’t wait to see. I got tickets to Michelle Woolf, and Miriam Margoyles, who I just love. I immediately bought a ticket to Solve-Along-A-Murder-She-Wrote, because I live in Maine, just like Jessica Fletcher, and don’t threaten me with a good time. My husband, and kids are going to see Amazing Bubble Man at Underbelly, which I am a little bit jealous of. I plan to sleep in September, and explore the city like a mad tourist, but I might sneak in some spa time. I’m a sucker for a bougie body treatment, and where I live, the closest thing to that, is the 30 second hand massage they give you at the only nail salon in a 20 mile radius. I want to do that Japanese scalp thing, with the fancy arched dealie that drips water onto your head, while you lay there, and think about Pedro Pascal.
In your ideal world, how can we improve the Fringe, performance, and the industry?
More affordable housing would be great! I mean, I get it. If I owned a place in Edinburgh, I would charge a small fortune, and hit the beach in Spain for a month too. But, sweet lord, is it a hefty price tag to play here! My coming to Edinburgh would have never been possible without my amazing producer Ines Wurth. Her decades of experience working at the Fringe got me booked into a fantastic venue, and my family housed in a lovely place right next to Hollyrood Park. But, a performer taking themselves to the Fringe, without that level of support backing them? That seems like a mighty difficult climb. I think it would be wonderful if this festival experience was more accessible for young artists just beginning their professional journeys. Maybe tent cities? Just a thought.
Frances Floats at Venue 140: Gilded Balloon at Appleton Tower
Runs: July 30th – August 25th
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