American comedian, writer, matchmaker, and fitness instructor Olivia Raine Atwood is set to debut her critically acclaimed new show, “Faking It,” at the Edinburgh Fringe. The show, inspired by her experience as an undercover patient in the New York City hospital system during 2020, promises to be an emotional rollercoaster. “It’s like a rollercoaster at Six Flags, where you feel upside down and backwards, shocking the system, but also very fun,” Olivia describes.
Known as a “riot” by Time Out New York and compared to a “modern-day Lucy and Ethel” in her comedic duo with Maggie Seymour, Olivia has developed a praised comedic dynamic from a rare bond. “We met in an improv class pretending to be monkeys, and the chemistry was instant,” she says. The partnership continues to impress audiences, bringing a unique and authentic energy to the stage.
Beyond comedy, Olivia is the founder of the award-winning matchmaking company Liv’s Love Pool, which started as a joke on Instagram during the pandemic and transformed into a real business with over 5000 clients. “Matchmaking is like acting for me. I’m trying to understand what makes a person tick, just as I do when I’m cast in a play,” Olivia explains. Her ability to balance multiple facets of her career is a testament to her versatility and dedication, whether on stage, uniting couples, or motivating students in her fitness classes.
Olivia, your new critically acclaimed all-female show is about to debut at the Edinburgh Fringe. What can the audience expect from this performance?
My show, Faking It, is about my time as an undercover patient in the NYC hospital system…in 2020. It’s kind of like a rollercoaster ride, but not like the ones at Disney World, where everything works perfectly and there’s light music and pretty paintings on the wall while you wait. My show is like a rollercoaster at Six Flags. I don’t even know if you have Six Flags in the UK. If you don’t, consider yourself lucky. Those rides are one sleepy teenage operator away from exploding or leaving amusement park patrons upside down at 6,000 feet. That’s how my show feels. Upside down, backwards, shocking to the system. But also…very fun.
You’re described as a “riot” by Time Out New York, and your comedic duo is likened to “modern-day Lucy and Ethel”. How do you and your comedy partner develop such praised comedic dynamics?
Maggie Seymour, my comedy partner, and I have a rare bond. We met in an Improv class where we had to pretend to be monkeys and the rest was history. The rest of the class sort of stopped and just watched Maggie and I crawl around on all fours, yammering away as chimpanzees. From there it’s been non-stop chemistry.
Your matchmaking company won the 10k Rookie of the Year award at the IKON Start-Up Awards. How did the idea of creating a matchmaking company come about, and how do you see the intersection between your work as a matchmaker and your other artistic pursuits?
The whole company was basically an accident! It was COVID times, I was bored, and I decided to start playing matchmaker over Instagram as a joke. 5000 plus clients later, Liv’s Love Pool became a very real business! We have several engagements and couples still thriving. Matchmaking feels like acting to me, in many ways. I’m trying to put myself in someone else’s shoes, and try to figure out what makes them tick. It’s the same thing you do when you get cast in a play.
You made your off-Broadway debut in July 2023 with Liv, LIVE at the SoHo Playhouse and returned to SoHo with Underprepared & Overhydrated. What were the biggest challenges and rewards of these theatrical experiences?
I loooove SoHo Playhouse! Everyone there is amazing, from the Front of House staff to the tech people to the bar tenders to the big wigs running the show. The biggest challenge last summer was certainly that my show jumpsuit SHRUNK in the dryer, and before one of my shows I realized my outfit looked like a wrinkly little diaper, so I had to pivot. Thankfully I found another jumpsuit to wear on stage again that is the appropriate length. The thing I love the most about performing is getting to see people in person. Theater is an opportunity to show up, and it delights me to get to bring people together.
Besides acting, writing, and matchmaking, you’re also a fitness instructor. How do you balance these different facets of your career, and how do they complement each other?
Let me tell you, when I graduated college I had no idea what I was doing. One day, after trying to trap a fly in my apartment for like six hours and realizing I had nothing better to do than trap-and-release insects, I walked to SoulCycle and the rest is history. Turns out, exercise actually makes you feel kinda good. Do you guys know about this endorphin thing? Those guys are actually pretty powerful. I had no idea. Now I’m hooked. Teaching fitness goes hand in hand with my other passions, because nothing gets you fired up or ready to tap into creative juices like yelling at people to hold a plank at 6am.
With so many activities and projects ongoing, how do you handle the pressure and stress of maintaining such a busy schedule? What are your strategies for staying focused and productive?
I am a list master. I have so many lists. I check boxes. I highlight. I underscore. The best way to handle stress is to just get it done. Also, don’t check your phone or email first thing in the morning. That’s a way to simply spike your cortisol through the roof. I say this to you as someone who always checks their phone first thing in the morning. I’m working on it.
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