THE ELEPHANT PLAY Spotlight: Miranda Holliday

We’re thrilled to spotlight the creative team of The Elephant Play by Kelly O’Donnell with composer Miranda Holliday! Miranda most recently ADed God Splat and is one of the co-creators of the Portal Project. The questions are inspired by Kelly’s beautiful play—make sure to RSVP for the 6/27 and 6/28 readings in NYC!

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Do you have a favorite fact about elephants? If so, please share it.

Elephants communicate through a variety of vocalizations, including trumpet sounds, snorts, roars, and purrs, as well as vibrations they pick up through their feet. Have you ever heard a elephant purr!! I have!!! It’s so sweet!!!

Who is your favorite fictional pachyderm?

Barbar! I loved that show so much. Very peaceful. Kind of political—had me thinking about prime directive. This show for children but it’s very political. Barbar leaves the jungle, learns about the world, becomes king and then returns to his home town to improve their lives. He has push back in some episodes about modernization, but he tried to find the best balance between advancement and tradition.

Have you ever felt separated from your herd?

I was going into my second semester of senior year in undergrad when the pandemic sent us all home. We never returned. I never said goodbye to my mentors and friends. I never walked the stage with them. College was a safe haven for me, a place of diversity, acceptance and creativity. I feel we were elephants coming of age, never getting the chance to be blessed by our elders, advised by them one last time. I felt all my loved ones were being pushed in random directions never to be seen again. Some folks I really haven’t seen again. They are still apart of my herd.

How can people follow your work?

Follow me on IG and YouTube! @Mirandapholliday

Miranda Holliday (all) is a multidisciplinary theatre artist from Columbus, New Jersey, blending Afro-Latine heritage with playwriting, dramaturgy, vocal performance, and design. A graduate of Albright College and NYU Tisch, their work has been featured at Feinstein’s/54 Below, Joe’s Pub, Rattlestick Theater, and more. Honored with a Kennedy Center Award and Miranda Family Fellowship, Holliday’s work explores the intersections of culture, identity, and memory, celebrating both the past and future.