By: Josie Davis

(Buy Tickets Now) Click here to read the KIRO story and see the video interview with Deborah. In 2004 Deborah Senn broke headlines in a campaign for Attorney General against Rob McKenna. Though Senn led in the polls throughout the race, her opposition ran last minute television ads later deemed to be illegal. Senn tells all in this exposé of Washington politics.

Providing legal representation for over 28 years, and formerly serving as Washington State Insurance Commissioner, Deborah currently runs her private practice, Deborah Senn Law, in Seattle, WA and provides international insurance and legal consulting. This week LiveWire sat down with the “best Insurance Commissioner in the country” to discuss her upcoming one woman show, Until the Last Dog Dies.

LiveWire: How do you feel about your transition from elected official/politician to writer/ performer? What is the significance of these roles for you?

Deborah Senn (DS): I know of an ex-insurance commissioner who was selling jet-skis in Hawaii so by comparison I am pretty fortunate. Some have said politics is performance art so the distance between art and politics may not be too far.

LiveWire: Tell us about your decision to create Until the Last Dog Dies.

DS: At a post-campaign party, my young staff decided that the campaign was so unbelievable, it should become a book or a movie. When I asked who would play the roles, my staff person said she, of course, would be portrayed by Julia Roberts. I said “and moi?” Oh, she gushed, Tyne Daley should portray you, Commissioner Senn. My self-image shattered (Tyne is brilliant but old and well developed), I decided to attempt to write a solo show about the campaign and portray myself.

LiveWire: Let’s be brief: why now, why CHAC?

DS: It’s a hot election year and tales of politics, I hope, are interesting. I am thrilled to be performing at CHAC, the coolest place on Capitol Hill and a serious contributor to this community.

LiveWire: How do you see the show evolving after this?

DS: I just hope people like it.

LiveWire: Tell us a little bit about the people who’ve supported and inspired you in the past few years.

DS: I have written several plays, and I have met some incredible people in the theatre scene in Seattle who have inspired me, taught me and supported me. People like Elizabeth Heffron, Marcus Walker, Jean-Michele Gregory, Mike Daisey, Matt Smith and more.

LiveWire: There’s been a lot of conversation about preservation and cultural development on the Hill. How might your character and the show reflect, or respond to, these current events?

DS: One of the reasons I am so enthusiastic about performing at CHAC is the wonderful community it serves. I have marched in eight Pride parades, many of my friends and supporters live on the Hill. This is the place I dreamed about for my show.

LiveWire: What’s been the biggest learning experience for you in creating this show?

DS: I love the writing process. I hang out in coffee shops. My first draft put me to sleep—it sounded like a legal brief. I had to wring legal writing 101 out of me. But do not worry, it was a hundred drafts ago. So, learning how to write dialogue, making the dramatic experience real and compelling has been amazing. And, writing a play and then seeing it put on its feet is such a satisfying creative experience.

LiveWire: Anything else you’d like to share with us?

DS: Wow, this could be as scary as being interviewed by the Seattle Times editorial Board. I expect to be held to the highest artistic standards, but no tomatoes please.

LiveWire: Thanks for sharing your experience! We’ll see you on the stage…