I was so moved by Liberty Bradford Mitchell's show at The Electric Lodge in Venice California... I knew I had to interview her. She was gracious enough to find the time to answer my questions... I hope you enjoy my interview with this immensely talented Woman.

Please let me congratulate you on a wonderful performance. How long did it take you to write the dialogue for The Pornographer's Daughter?

I first started writing this piece in 1995 while in the playwriting program at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle. It’s had many incarnations over the years (stage play, screenplay, book proposal) but I’ve been actively developing it as a one-woman show for about a year and a half.

Was the recent four night run at The Electric Lodge your first live performances?

Yes!

How did you decide on The Electric Lodge to present The Pornographer's Daughter?

I wanted to keep this first workshop close to home and make it easy for my Venice peeps to turn out. I knew of The Electric Lodge having taken Mommy & Me music classes there. Various artist friends recommended the Lodge for my workshop as well. They were a delight to work with.

I was so very impressed by how well the play flowed with incorporating a video show and a live band. Was it your idea to incorporate it all together?

Yes. I’ve always been interested in creating this as a multi-media piece to enhance the documentary impact since it deals with real people and events.

Did you have any problems finding all the great videos that you incorporated in to the show?

The biggest find was recently acquiring the footage of the 8th Adult Video News Awards which featured my dad ripping up his acceptance speech and me go-go dancing behind Chi Chi LaRue. AVN were very gracious in sharing that video with me for the play.

The band that you used were called The Fluffers. They were great! Had you known them prior to the play?

No, The Fluffers were created specifically as the house band of The Pornographer’s Daughter. I had joked with Kevin Harding, the musical director, that the band’s role was to “fluff” the audience before and during the show. He came up with their inspired name! Kevin found fellow Nor Cal musicians Matt Eiseman (bass) and Kevin Swartz (drums) who both play in the Oakland thrash metal band, Burning Monk.

I was also impressed with how you utilized the time going from the late 1960's to present… Keeping the audience's attention and had them cheering you on. Had you worked on other projects before this?

While I’ve worked extensively on artistic projects over the years, essentially this is my debut as a playwright/performer. Since the Millenium, I’ve been focused on being a mom, working in the non-profit sector, teaching yoga, and occasionally blogging. But I’d always periodically return to this story when I had a fresh insight. It wouldn’t go completely away.

Kevin Harding acted as the Musical Director for The Pornographer’s Daughter. I was very impressed with his musical choices for each era? How did you meet Kevin?

Kevin and I met in the freshman dorms at USC back in ’88. It turned out we grew up in neighboring towns in the East Bay. We were roommates for a couple months living in college squalor. One night he came home drunk and tried to hit on me, for which I promptly slapped him in the face and said, “Kevin, don’t be ridiculous,” after which we maintained our platonic friendship and over time developed a creative partnership. Even back then, Kevin could riff on ANYTHING. The guy’s great at parties.

Has Kevin worked as the Musical Director on other projects?

Yes – though this is the first time we’ve been in the same state let alone the same room doing so! He did the music for an early staged reading of “The P.D.” as well as the music for my thesis play, a show about the history of Women in Rock in which I played Debbie Harry and Courtney Love.

You also do some great dance moves. Did you know all the dances prior or did you have to learn them for the play?

Ha! No, those were definitely improvised. I didn’t plan on my boogie-ing being part of the show, but when I started getting my groove on listening to the band during tech rehearsal everyone insisted the dancing stay as part of the transitions.

Skye Borgman directed the play. How did you two join forces?

Skye and I met at Cornish College of the Arts. She’s one of the most amazing women I’ve ever known and has been a long time supporter of this piece. Though Skye was pegged to be the video director, for simplicity (at least for me!) I coerced her into directing the entire show. Her beautiful cinematography can be seen at: www.topknotfilms.com

I was very impressed with how well you executed the lines... Was it hard learning all that dialogue or is some it ad lib?

I’m of course familiar with the stories that make up the play, but the challenging part was learning which cuts we were making right up to performance and even after opening night. The show was really ready for an audience to bring it to life. There was some improv each night – that’s basically where I live on stage – but I’m not afraid of fucking up because that’s usually when the most hilarious things happen. That’s the fun of live theatre!

I also enjoyed your references to the pop culture of the era with Little House On The Prairie and The Brady Bunch... I was waiting for you to belt into "The Facts Of Life" theme song. Were they shows you liked to watch?

Yes, big time. I was a latch-key kid so The Brady’s were like my after school babysitters. And I relied on “Little House” as a moral compass while growing up in the wild ‘70s in the Bay Area.

You not only are a good dancer but you have some great pipes... You nailed "Like A Virgin"… Have you ever been in a band?

I haven’t ever been in a band, but I started singing in musical theatre when I was a kid and studied voice at school and generally sing all the time. Both my kids are musical as well. And I love to kill it at karaoke! Who knows where my collaboration with The Fluffers may go.

You also have great hook lines.. My favorite being "Remember you’re a Bradford." Did you hear that a lot growing up?

Yes. In contrast to my hippie-porn upbringing in the Bay Area, I spent summers back east with my maternal grandparents and extended WASP family. My grandmother would always admonish us with, “Remember you’re a Bradford,” when we’d head out to the bars at night, ha!

Has anyone who worked at Mitchell Brothers or starred in any of the films come to see the play?

Not yet, though it was attended by friends who work in the porn industry.

What did you think of the movie Rated X?

Oy vey is about all I can say.

Were you ever contacted by the writers of the movie or by Emilio Estevez?

No. It is a fascinating fact that one can be portrayed as a character on screen without ever being consulted.

Do feel that doing this play is a form of therapy for you?

It has of course been an incredible artistic outlet and helpful in my coming to terms with my father’s murder and my unorthodox family life. But my true recovery has been with psych professionals and group therapy.

I met your sister at The Electric Lodge. She is a lovely person what does she do now?

She owns one of the premier equestrian boarding and training facilities in Nor Cal. Recently she’s created a charitable organization that provides Equestrian Facilitated Therapy (EFT), which treats conditions ranging from spina bifida to emotional trauma. www.leapsandboundseft.org

I also loved your thoughts on how attitudes have changed regarding the porn industry… But your antidotes on parenting were priceless. Not preachy just concerned... Am I right?

Yes. As a 21st century parent there are a lot of fear factors out there that are easy to get sucked into. I hope to use the example of my childhood experience to encourage parents to talk frankly to their kids about healthy sex, puberty and porn. There is a difference between pornos being shot on a set in the Valley and the vast amount of content that is actually videos of women or children who’ve been trafficked into prostitution being filmed with their tricks. With the access to information and dis-information on the Internet its important these topics have a context – so when a sex trafficker tries to coerce your child or one of their friends, or they see something disturbing, they are comfortable telling as adult about it.

Tell us about living in Seattle?

I moved to Seattle the summer of 1991 after my dad died. I fell in love with that city within my first hour there. It turned out to be about 2 months before the release of “Nevermind” and Nirvana’s takeover of the world. It was an incredible time to live there.

Do you have any Internet addresses you would like to share with our readers?

My website is having a revamp, though you can find me on Facebook at The Pornographer’s Daughter, or on Twitter @libertythepd

Describe yourself in three words Liberty?

Loyal, Loving, Loopy

What is in the future for you and The Pornographer's Daughter?

I’m working with Skye and Kevin (as well as a new director, Michael T. Weiss) to polish the script to bring it up to San Francisco later this year, and after that, New York. I’m also working with a separate team developing the story as a television series.

Michael T. Weiss is so talented... I loved him in Matthew Bright's film "Freeway" and my good pal Jonathan Gries was his co-star on "The Pretender" ... It really is a small world... Do you have Any final words for Punk Globe readers?

Live life by The Fluffers creedo: ROCK HARD!

I would like to thank Liberty for taking the time to do this interview.. If you see that "The Pornographer's Daughter" is doing a run in your city... Run don't walk to purchase tickets... You will love it....