Cuauhtemoc's Celebrity Interviews

2006-09-23T12:17:00.000-07:00

LINDA EDER – One Night Only

Songstress Linda Eder will be visiting San Diego for a concert at the Civic Theatre on September 9. She’s got some of the best pipes around and with a new CD By Myself, the Songs of Judy Garland in New York City, coming out, she’s bound to put her spell on the gay community. She’s comfortable walking alongside the footsteps of Judy Garland and other iconic entertainers. I spoke to Linda at her parent’s home in Minnesota recently and this is what she had to say.

GLT: Are you intentionally cultivating a gay following or did that just happen naturally?

Linda Eder (LE): That question, for me, is almost impossible to answer. If I should be compared to other singers who draw a large gay following—iconic figures like Streisand and Judy Garland—I think it’s because we share a more dramatic style of singing. The emotional content is deeper and transcends itself to the feelings that many have experienced within the GBLT community.

Cuauhtémoc Q. Kish (CQK): You made an appearance last year at Humphrey’s Concerts By the Bay and this year you’ll be moving into the Civic Theatre. Has your fan base expanded in San Diego?

LE: I prefer a concert venue of about 1,200; however, I’ve played very intimate spaces in New York City as well as Carnegie Hall. I was asked to perform at the Civic Theatre and accepted their gracious invitation and hope that my San Diego fans will fill that space.

CQK: You’re visiting with your parents in Minnesota right now. Is this your personal retreat from the music business?

LE: Yes; one of them, the other being my home in New York, about an hour north of Manhattan. I haven’t had the opportunity to visit my family in the summer for many years. We usually visit during the holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s especially exciting for my six-year-old son, Jake.

CQK: Your new album is called By Myself. Does the title spring from your new status as a new single mom, after your recent divorce?

LE: Yes.

CQK: With seven albums recorded to date what have you learned about your audience?

LE: I’ve learned that if you are true to yourself, you will find people who will appreciate your artistry. The musical choices that I’ve made have mostly been mine. By Myself was actually suggested by my recording company, but the next one out will feature pop songs of my choosing. I like “driving my own bus” so to speak.

CQK: You have a tremendous range and an ability to sustain notes for eight bars or longer? Does this ability come naturally?

LE: I’ve never studied music. I went right out of high school into night clubs with an assist from a choir teacher. Perhaps it’s the long distance running that helps with my breathing and singing technique.

CQK: You got your big break as a contestant on “Star Search” where you reigned for 13 weeks and subsequently landed a lead role in the musical “Jekyll & Hyde.” Do you have any plans to return to musical theatre?

LE: Doing a musical 7 or 8 times a week is a big time commitment. It’s also hard on the voice. I’ve just read a musical that’s in development, so we shall see...

CQK: Is fame important to you?

LE: Fame has never been what it is about for me. It’s the desire to work; to sing and entertain an audience, large or small.

CQK: I’ve heard that you’ve taken your love for animals (horses) right into an Animal Planet special?

LE: I’m doing a 2-hour special for Animal Planet called “Trail Mix” in which I ride alongside a celebrity while on horseback and we engage in a conversation.

CQK: In last year’s show at Humphrey’s I noticed that you seem to command respect from your audience. They are not inclined to chat or use their cell phones while you entertain, nor walk up and down the aisles looking for pizza slices. How does that happen?

LE: I think the individuals that attend my concerts are interested in finding the groove to the songs I sing. They are interested in the style and the craft of singing; they want to get all the nuances.

CQK: What do you bring to your concerts that other entertainers don’t?

LE: Height (Linda laughs easily as she is 5’ 10”). I think I bring a certain realism to my concerts. It’s not over the top; not too big.

CQK: What’s your fondest memory in the music business?

LE: I think it’s the collective time with my musical family.

CQK: Describe any obstacles in your success.

LE: It’s a mix of my half-laziness and my perfectionism.

CQK: What’s your biggest challenge in your life right now?

LE: Finding enough time to do it all, especially spending time with my child.

CQK: What’s your biggest indulgence?

LE: My boyfriend.

CQK: Robert Frost summed up life in three words: it goes on. How would you sum up your life to date?

LE: Life is a place where we find love, something to do, and have something to look forward to.

CQK: Any message to your GBLT fans?

LE: I just want to thank them for their tremendous support. The gay audience is very special to me.

I’m certain that Linda Eder will not be all by herself when she performs at the Civic Theatre on September 9th and even though that theatre is expansive Linda promises to give you an intimate concert of hits past and present.

2006-09-23T12:12:00.000-07:00

TONY MORAN

Tony Moran may just be the “NUMERO UNO” DJ in the country today. He continues to spin the sounds on the world party circuit with a passion that still burns within his body and soul. And that isn’t bad for this 40-year old Latin heartthrob who started mixing and singing sounds as part of a two-man hit machine called The Latin Rascals (with Albert Cabrera) in 1981 .

You might say he has it all: money, a knock-out, ab-tight body, and a multi-tasked profession (DJ, singer, songwriter, and record producer). Throw in a newly purchased multi-million dollar apartment in SoHo (NYC), a Miami residence and a Fire Island get-a-way. Sounds like the perfect domestic partner to me; or does it? I’ll let you make that determination for yourself after listening to what he had to say.

I spoke to Tony at the LA airport—between gigs--after having just wrapped up another recording session. Poor Tony; it’s just work, work, work.

Cuauhtemoc Q. Kish (CQK): In a recent interview you said that the music you play is a reflection of who you are. As a way of finding out who Tony Moran is, I’m going to ask you to describe yourself in five words; Go!

Tony Moran (TM): One who loves people and music.

Tony Moran has proven that he not only has the staying power to remain in a tough business, but he prides himself as having worked with some of the best and hottest entertainers in the music industry. Let me drop some names that might impress: Gloria Estefan, Celine Dion, Janet Jackson, Patti Labelle and George Michael. His latest release is called Tour de Beats and includes “Waiting for Allegria” (rejoice) as well as Deborah Cox’s “Easy as Life.”

CQK: That five-word description works for me. Tony, of all of the celebrities you’ve had the pleasure of working with, who did you most respect as a musician?

TM: It’s hard to single out any one entertainer; however, I had an incredible experience with the late, great Luther Vandross that will stay in my mind forever. He was the consummate entertainer.

CQK: When it comes right down to it, what’s more important: the music or the material possessions you have collected over the years?

TM: The music, without a doubt.

CQK: Can you spell success for Tony Moran?

TM: Continuing what I am doing; DJ-ing and producing music.

CQK: Is there an age when you might find yourself too old to be spinning songs as a DJ?

TM: I’ll DJ until the public (my fans) tell me to stop.

Tony’s latest album “Tour de Beats,” is a Brazilian/Babylon mix and recently described by one reviewer as ‘tribalistically divalicious.’ Tony claims to be a follower except when he’s assigned the arduous task as a hunky DJ leader or producer. He is obviously helping both the gay and straight community express themselves with musical celebration and there isn’t anything wrong with sending out upbeat, positive energy into the world.

CQK: Speaking of age, you look marvelously guapo in those publicity pictures on your Website. Do you feel as good as you look and is it the moving to the grooves that keeps you in such fine shape?

TM: I’m on the go constantly; that’s probably how I manage to keep in shape. I don’t have any special diet, but I pack up my I pod and head to the gym whenever possible.

CQK: You recently commented about the Black Party by saying that “it propels you into decadence.” What does that mean exactly?

TM: Simply that the music I played for that event allowed those in attendance to set their minds free, casting aside their inhibitions while out there on the dance floor.

CQK: Isn’t that what they call the circuit’s trance music?

TM: Exactly; it’s where you loose yourself to the music.

CQK: Do you feel you are personally responsible for all that touching, hugging, and even groping that goes on down there on the dance floor and do you get a sensual thrill from that communal arousal?

TM: Yes and yes.

CQK: You seem light, bubbly effervescent and high energy; does Tony Moran have a dark side?

TM: Only with good chocolate.

CQK: For those who have to know, are you single?

TM: I’ve had three longer term relationships. I’ve been with my current lover, Beau, for about six years now and I haven’t made it easy for any of them, what with my crazy schedule and all.

It’s obvious that Tony Moran loves his work. Aside from the most obvious dividends (personal satisfaction) Tony has felt the professional satisfaction of having been nominated (twice) for a Grammy in addition to being paid very well for spinning and mixing music. In his own words he recently “tore up New York’s Roxy” and no doubt he’ll be returning to other cities like Atlanta, Montreal, and even Rio on his never ending DJ-ing circuit where he will gladly help those on the dance floor raise their libido in a communal, aroused beat to his music.

Tony advises that when you find yourself at a creative crossroad, choose the road where life will provide you a fine balance between your professional and personal life. And even though he feels that the music he plays is a reflection of himself, he knows that he is simply the catalyst to all the sweating and grinding on the dance floor that results in having a great time.

Tony Moran has come a long way from the ghettos of New York (Irish/Columbian heritage) where he was brought up in Public Housing. He’s that middle child in a family of five siblings that has made his musical mark in the world. I’m going to assume that many of you have already downloaded his music on your constantly changing Ipod repertoire of music but I might caution you to leave a little space for more of Tony Moran’s music because he ‘ain’t done yet.’

2006-09-23T12:07:00.000-07:00

INTERVIEW - MICHAEL HEMMINGSON

Michael Hemmingson just turned 40. He’s published 40 books; that’s one per year, so it was a very good thing that he started penning his thoughts at a very young age. He and his stable of alter egos have achieved that ambitious publishing goal together with a mixed bag of genres that include anything from erotica to crime noir to academia. His next challenge and goal: to write five studio movies and five TV shows by the age of 50. He’s been a director, writer and producer of various theatrical works and now he’s ready to tackle...H-O-L-L-Y-W-O-O-D. Let’s here it from Michael in an interview I conducted at my residence over the Labor Day weekend.

Cuauhtémoc Q. Kish (CQK): You’re a native San Diegan?

Michael Hemmingson (MG): Born and raised; Spring Valley. My family includes my mother, father and brother.

CQK: Can you recall your first writing experience?

MH: I wrote a Star Wars novel—in pencil—at the age of 10.

CQK: That’s impressive; you must have entered college at 12?

MH: I never went to college. I went directly into the exciting world of part-time employment: pizza delivery, TOYS-R-US, et al. I even had a rock band for awhile.

CQK: When did you start to make your living as a writer?

MH: In the last 10 years. I report on crime and music (bands) for the Reader.

CQK: You seem to be extremely prolific; where do you get your inspiration?

MH: It just comes to me. I’m a multi-tasker; I like working on several projects at one and the same time.

CQK: You seem very disciplined as a writer.

MH: I am usually; however, I’ve developed a writer’s block this summer. It must be from the heat. So I’m viewing and studying several seasons of TV shows to see what other successful writers have done. It’s the best teacher.

CQK: Do you have representation?

MH: I have an agent for books but I believe a manager is the person who may open the doors for me as a TV writer.

CQK: You’ve recently applied for several fellowships at studios like ABC/Disney. How might this assist your career?

MH: A fellowship will open a door and provide you with about $50,000 a year in salary. It also gives you access to the studio lot and a mentor.

CQK: How many writers are usually assigned the task of writing a weekly show?

MH: Somewhere in the neighborhood of five to ten writers.

CQK: What can a writer assigned to a show expect to earn?

MH: From three to five thousand weekly, along with a script bonus.

CQK: I take it your goal is to be a writer for a successful weekly program?

MH: My goal is to have my production company on the studio and network lot. That gives you the best advantage for someone to green light your ideas. The studios buy about 100 potential programs for development of pilots where they might spend about $50,000 each, filming with non-equity actors to keep it all within budget.

CQK: Have you had any additional success with any of your novels, such as selling them for movie rights?

MH: One of my novels, The Dress, has had some interest along those lines.

CQK: You wrote End of the Line, a horror movie, with Brandon Riker and another called Scalpers, with Liv Kellgren. Have these collaborative efforts been successful?

MH: To some extent. With Liv, I asked her to look closely at the female voice more than anything else.

CQK: You have submitted a few ideas for Reality Shows?

MH: It’s usually a one-page concept idea. I have several making the rounds.

CQK: You have managed to get some interest in a script called Watermelon.

MH: It should be shot in the first part of next year. As an independent the budget should be restricted to about $150,000.

CQK: Do you feel that your future is in Los Aneles?

MH: Yes; I plan to move there in the spring of 2007.

CQK: Do you have any films presently making the rounds of Hollywood?

MH: Several: Mom Vs. the Evil Bank Robbers (family action), The Next Wedding and How to Win a Diamond Ring (both Romantic comedies). One has been optioned.

CQK: You’ve written a few specs; what’s their value?

MH: You write specs like the one I did for My Name is Earl so that interested parties can get an idea of your writing style.

CQK: What’s the secret of getting your product produced?

MH: Getting it into the hands of the right person; networking, like the Beverly Hills Film Festival. That’s why I enter a lot of competitions, so that I can connect with individuals who may open a door or two.

CQK: As somebody with 40 books under their belt, you are obviously financially secure, right?

MH: There is some royalty money coming in, but a good many of these books are out of print. At this moment I’m waiting for a couple of checks so I can pay this month’s rent.

CQK: Was your childhood ambition to be a writer?

MH: I wanted to be an astronaut.

CQK: Describe yourself in three words.

MH: Ambitious, devious and loyal.

CQK: Describe the state of LA cinema.

MH: Fear of losing money.

CQK: Who are some of the people who have influenced your career in a positive way?

MH: Harlan Ellison and Robert Heinlein.

CQK: Describe any obstacles to your success.

MH: The uncertainty of my talent.

CQK: Where’s your retreat?

MH: Borrego Springs.

CQK: What’s the biggest challenge in your life right now?

MH: Love.

CQK: What’s a perfect day for Michael Hemmingson?

MH: When I don’t wake up with too bad a hangover.

CQK: What’s your biggest indulgence?

MH: Spending money.

CQK: What motivates you?

MH: Fear of failure.

CQK: What does the word accomplishment mean to you?

MH: Being satisfied and proud of my writing, and being paid.

CQK: What’s your most cherished quality?

MH: Loyalty.

CQK: If you could be any famous person, who would that be?

MH: Paris Hilton.

CQK: If you were to give any advice to other writers, what would it be?

MH: Don’t do it! Having said that I believe that writers are born and they must write.

2006-09-23T11:58:00.000-07:00

Mapplethorpe: The Opening (Brian Quirk)

Gay actor/playwright Brian Quirk cordially invites the community of San Diego to be his very special guest at his show called Mapplethorpe: The Opening currently playing at the Sixth@Penn Theatre in Hillcrest. It’s a solo piece and Brian has indeed challenged himself by writing over forty characters for this production. The play was inspired by Robert Mapplethorpe’s first photo “art” show. Quirk tells us that you may feel like a retro 70s visitor rubbing shoulders with the likes of Diana Vreeland, Andy Warhol, Patti Smith and others. It’s a walk back into time before the Sheriffs in Cincinnati began ordering the closure of art exhibits.

The subject of Quirk’s play, Robert Mapplethorpe, was most famous for his black and white nude portraits that many deemed offensive or shocking, but were applauded for their balance and perfection. He was born on November 4, 1946 in New York City and died 43 years later of Aids. Mapplethorpe studied at the Pratt Institute. He began taking Polaroids of himself; then moved on to pictures of friends, many discovered in the S&M underground. His oeuvre was filled with photographs of the unexpected, pictures he felt an obligation to take and share with the world.

I spoke to Brian between rehearsals for the show, still sounding chipper in spite of the fact that he had picked up his sound man at Lindberg Field flying in from a New York at one in the morning.

Cuauhtemoc Q. Kish: How did you get the inspiration for your one-man show, Mapplethorpe: The Opening?

Brian Quirk (BQ): I was browsing inside the Strand Book Store in New York and was struck by the images in this astounding book of photographs by Robert Mapplethorpe. His many provocative art portraits jumped out at me; they not only titillated and aroused, but made me more curious about the individuals within the many captivating images. I wanted to get inside their heads; I wanted to feel where they were coming from.

CQK: How long have these images remained with you and how long have you been developing this project?

BQ: I completed the first draft in 1992 after working on the play for about nine months.

CQK: Sounds like it was the birth of your first artistic child; was it an easy birth?

BQ: It has taken over a decade to get it to the place where it is now and I’m happy to say that the “long labor” appears to be worth the effort.

CQK: With Mapplethorpe’s reputation still fairly vivid and alive, do you expect your audience to be inspired or assaulted with the work?

BQ: There is no doubt that members of community, both gay and straight, could be repulsed by some of the images depicted in his art. With that being said, however, his body of work “as an artist” still speaks the loudest. His photography is a bit of genius and should be available to the world community.

CQK: Many of Mapplethorpe’s pictures show an S&M world without restraint. Will your play depict this same kind of imagery?

BQ: I initially started with a sort of picture exercise for approximately 60 characters. I walked through a process of trying to recreate the exact physical moment when these same individuals visited Mapplethorpe’s first show. I tried to visualize the lighting, the people sharing space in that same room; all of the factors that would lend themselves to the recreation of the moment when that photograph was taken. This recreation of a moment in time is what I hope the play will depict.

CQK: So it’s like a walk down 1970’s Memory Lane so to speak?

BQ: Yes; the only thing that I orchestrated was a chronological order for these visitors.

Brian worked on the piece through the years with his mentor, John Sticks, a brilliant director who died of a massive heart attack recently. Sticks had planned on being here in San Diego for the opening at the Sixth@Penn Theatre and it’s obvious that Brian misses his mentor tremendously. Sticks’ many suggestions on the project pushed Brian to the successful completion of Mapplethorpe and Stick’s magic remains very much a part of this project.

CQK: You’ve had the pleasure of working with the late, great John Sticks.

BQ: John Sticks, a very discreet gay gentleman and director, is still speaking to me. Even though he’s not physically here with me in San Diego, his presence is clearly felt.
I call him my Zen Master of playwriting. He’s provided me with such positive and insightful direction on this play I could never offer him enough thanks. Luckily at the time he died he had already gifted me with enough guidance and encouragement that I was able to complete this work on my own. I know that John would be so proud of our collaborative effort.

CQK: How did you first meet John Sticks?

BQ: John and I first worked with one another while he directed me in a play called “Clicks.” It was at a festival of one-acts and I played the part of a gay individual who kills a ‘gay basher.’ From this collaborative effort our friendship developed and grew over the years. He was a great friend and mentor and I miss him terribly.

CQK: You’ve done this show in Provincetown and a few other places. How did your audience embrace the play and has it changed as a result of that journey?

BQ: I’ve performed the show in New York at the Women’s Project in September and after that in Provincetown and the audiences have been very encouraging. I’ve tweaked it a bit since those performances, but nothing major.

CQK: The grumbling echoes of censorship can still be felt when they closed his show in Washington D.C. and other areas many years ago. Have you experienced any negative response from the pubic to date?

CQK: You need to realize that the show will not display Robert Mapplethorpe’s shocking photographs, however, one theatre which shall remain nameless, after reading the script, refused to allow us the opportunity to even present the show. Although some may have a visceral response to the play, I don’t think it’s offensive at all.

CQK: Do you have anything else on the back burner, as a writer?

BQ: I am currently putting together another play called “Crash.” It’s about obsession.

CQK: Speaking of writing, you seemed to have arrived in San Diego through a personal as well as professional connection with Athol Fugard, the playwright?

BQ: I was acting in Fugard’s “Hello and Good-bye” in New York and while performing it at the Rattlestick Playwright’s Theatre, unbeknownst to me, he saw the production and was very complimentary about my performance. I eventually sought guidance from him as well and he referred me to Dale Morris of the Sixth@Penn Theatre while funding for the production was made possible through Marianne MacDonald, a professor and author at UCSD.

Brian Quirk knows that it is the connection we have with special people in our lives that leads us to wonderment and discovery. Just like his connection to stellar individuals like John Sticks and Athol Fugard, Robert Mapplethorpe influenced countless individuals in his life, many who will be depicted in Quirk’s show, Mapplethorpe: The Opening.

Quirk has come a long way from his birthplace in Midland, Michigan some 38 years ago.
His love of acting brought him to New York in 1984, where he got his BSA degree in Theatre. He’s been an actor for those many years and you may have seen this good-looking thespian in “A Little Night Music,” the Turnip Festival, or on soap operas like the Guiding Light, As The World Turns, or All My Children. With the help of Lance Horn, who will do the sound for the show; with the help of his mentor John Sticks, the director, and with his own brand of talent, Mapplethorpe promises to be a show worth visiting, shocking or not.

(Mapplethorpe: The Opening plays at the Sixth@Penn Theatre thru February 23; call 619-688-9210 for ticket information (late night shows on Fridays and Saturdays available as well).

(PICS can be found through San Diego Theatre Scene (http://sdtheatrescene.com/ ); I’ve asked Dale Morris to provide you either a site for the PICS or to send them over to you immediately. If you can’t find them, his email is DMorris466@cox.net)

2006-09-23T11:52:00.000-07:00

MOMS IN AMERICA: J Marcus Newman

Moms in America is the current pride and joy of playwright J Marcus Newman. He’s producing and directing this show as an official LGBT 2006 Pride Month event.

This world premiere event will play from July 6 through July 30 at a new space at 2790 Lytton Street in Loma Portal (just around the corner from “The Hole”). Don’t be shy about asking for a SD Pride discount.

The play, which features a gay character, is about finding the means to fill an empty spot in your heart and soul. Son, Dad, and Pop meet head-on for a confrontation over a family burial. Each generational member of the family has a survival story to tell; think Cossacks, Woodstock and HIV. In the end, that dreaded love word pops up.

I visited J Marcus at this newly-found theatre space and chatted with him about his latest “coming-out party.” I’m not speaking about coming out in the gay sense. Marcus doesn’t have any problems being gay; he’s fully embraced that aspect of his life a long time ago. I’m talking about his re-emergence in the San Diego theatre scene, when many simply called him Nonnie.

Cuauhtémoc Q. Kish: Welcome back to the San Diego theatre scene! What were some of the circumstances that kept you in hiding for some seven odd years?

J Marcus Newman (JMN): To say it succinctly, it had less to do with burn out and more to do with full participation. I had been doing theatre non-stop (directing, acting, and producing) for a long time and it just reached a point where it wasn’t paying the bills, so I had to walk away from that life for awhile.

CQK: You’re reentering the theatre scene full throttle; as a playwright, director, and producer.

JMN: Yes; after having shopped Moms In America at the Mark Taper Forum and a number of New York venues I decided that I would produce it in San Diego. It seemed a perfect fit for San Diego Pride Month. And it doesn’t hurt that it has a full frontal nude scene as well.

CQK: Some in San Diego remember you as a director and actor called Nonnie Vishner; any comments?

JMN: Yes; it’s a long story. Let’s just say I changed my name to accommodate my new self.

CQK: You have the distinction of being part of the historical birth of Gay theatre in San Diego.

JMN: I was one of the actors in the very first gay theatre production of what is now Diversionary Theatre. Tom Vegh (founder) directed me, Devlin and others in a show called Lunch and Dessert at the West Coast Production Company.

CQK: You’ve had a bit of experience in directing new works in the San Diego theatre community as I understand it.

JMN: For a time I had directed all of the new works in the Streisand Festival of New Jewish plays and participated (as Director) with eight award-winning plays by young writers for Playwrights Project.

[J Marcus Newman, FKA Nonnie Vishner, has directed plays all over the San Diego theatre-scape: North Coast Rep (Isn’t It Romantic and The Sisters Rosenweig), La Jolla Stage Company (Picnic), and at the Coronado Playhouse (The Zoo Story) to name a few.

CQK: Apart from a new world premiere play, what do you bring to the San Diego Gay Community?

JMN: I believe—since I have been a successful director, actor, portrait photographer and administrator—I think I remain a positive role model in the gay community.

CQK: Tell me a little bit about the cast of Moms in America.

JMN: Jay Michael Fraley plays the son; he has acting experience in venues such as the Rude Guerrilla Theatre Company and South Coast Rep. Paul Halem (Dad) is a New York trained actor with numerous off-Broadway credits and Ed Eigner (Pop) is an actor and playwright.

CQK: I hear that your theatre training began in New York at a fairly young age.

JMN: I attended the High School of Music and Art (FAME) in New York and then studied at Syracuse University and Cal Arts where I received my MFA in theatre.

CQK: Is this your first experience as a writer of a play.

JMN: Yes, this is my first play, but I have another “in the works.” I’m back in the San Diego Theatre community and ready to act, direct, write and produce, as often as I am able.

J Marcus Newman has been involved in 35 theatre projects in San Diego. Coming back from his self-imposed temporary hiatus he hopes to log in many more successful shows, starting with the world premiere Moms In America. He’s revitalized and ready to go. J Marcus has rubbed shoulders with the likes of Craig Noel (founder of The Old Globe) and other luminaries in San Diego and I have the feeling that this second time around he’s back to stay and ready to rub a lot more shoulders. New blood and old blood mixes easily and adds to any theatrical project. I can only encourage the San Diego GLBT community to support J Marcus by attending Moms In America during Gay Pride Month. I have no doubt that this production will be successful.

After our conversation, on my way out of the theatre space, I looked at the stage-in-progress. The walls were painted lavender and the stage-floor rug boasted and sang a dark purple note. J Marcus excused himself to chat tech with stage manager and lighting designer, Becky Pierce. I thought at that moment that it doesn’t matter that he was formerly known as Nonnie; he’s still the same talented actor/director of years gone by; ready, able and willing to contribute to the gay community as well as the theatre community at large from now until whenever...

(Moms in America will play from July 6-30 at 2790 Lytton Street in Loma Portal, 8:00 pm Thursday thru Sat, 2:00 pm on Sunday. Reservations at 619-683-2256.)

2006-09-23T11:51:00.000-07:00

HIP HOP IS EVERYWHERE – Anthony Rodriguez

A young, spirited dancer by the name of Anthony Rodriguez will be making his debut as a choreographer in Eveoke Dance Theatre’s up and coming production called Hip Hop Is Everywhere, a dance/theatre performance.

Anthony, a 22 year old dancer and choreographer, is not aggressive nor is he shy. He seems to be content with his adopted dance family and shows a confidence in both dance and teaching well beyond his years. He’s a diminutive five-feet-five-inches tall and weighs in at approximately 110 pounds, soaking wet. Anthony is gay and comfortably proud of that fact. And since he lives in an accepting family (Eveoke) he is simply enjoying life, career, and everything dance has to offer.

I recently ventured out to Eveoke’s dance rehearsal studio on a hot, steamy afternoon. Before a practice session Anthony and I stretched our mental dancing muscles and this was the result:

Cuauhtemoc Q. Kish (CQK): You’re just about to see the results of your first major choreographed piece of work. What does that feel like?

Anthony Rodriguez (AR): Great; it’s a dream-come-true.

CQK: How did you accomplish this feat at such a young age?

AR: It all started a number of years ago (8th grade) when I participated in an after-school dance program at Wilson Middle School. I had won a dance scholarship and was asked to choose a place to study from a listing of dance companies in the area. I choose “Eveoke” and have studied with Gina Angelique and Yvonne Hernandez.

CQK: It seems like you have no regrets about that choice.

AR: No regrets at all. They have such a great intension (in their dance company) with where they want to go with their work. Their product is entertaining but it comes with a distinct, intentional social underpinning as well. It brings to the surface both a social and a political awareness and from that there is a spiritual growth that’s part of the overall package as well. It has allowed me to grow as a person, as an artist and as a spirit.

CQK: I understand that you are a dance teacher in your own right?

AR: Yes; I currently teach at Hoover High School. I love teaching youth and see myself doing that for years to come. Working with this age group provides me with a great energy source that the students gift me in a very natural and comfortable way.

CQK: Any advice that you want to give to young, gay individuals?

AR: As a mentor to kids I ask them to pay attention to detail and to make clear choices. I’m just the guide that hopefully will pull things out of them. They already have been blessed with the natural talent.

CQK: I’ve seen you do some quite competent dancing in a recent production called Parting the Sea. I enjoyed the fairy tale atmosphere of that production which was underscored by a very adult, universal message about borders. Was that a favorite of yours?

AR: Although I really enjoyed that production my favorites would have to include Funkalosophy and Soul of a Young Girl; Dancing with Anne Frank. The messages in both productions, although the Anne Frank production was based on historical fact, are similar; attempting to free yourself from the mess you or the world has got you into.

CQK: Hip Hop Is Everywhere; does that mean that it’s not restricted to one neighborhood?

AR: Absolutely, it’s really quite universal. I started choreographing very short segments (1 minute) of hip hop as an intermission piece. I incorporated dances from Ireland, China and India. And it just grew from there.

CQK: What exactly does the word “hip-hop” mean to you?

AR: It’s where you find about the “ME” in yourself. Hip-hop is tribal in nature—in the sense that the tribe knows many of the moves—but that very definition is expanded by the individual expression of the singular dancer. I enjoy it because it connects me to people, to a different rhythm of life and I enjoy just feeling the flow.

CQK: Tell me something about the process that you and the other two choreographers used in developing this production.

AR: Although we had joint technical meetings, we all choreographed our own contributions individually. Gina Angelique is working from the angle of women in hip-hop and Yvonne is working from an angle about objects.

CQK: Tell us more about your segment, “Hip Hop Is in Men.”

AR: We use the music of Saul Williams, a brilliant hip-hop artist; I play a character he wrote called Black Stacey. We wear hoodies (hooded sweat shirts) as a metaphor for discovering who we are underneath all that exterior dressing. It’s a breaking free and it speaks from the heart of my own experience. It’s about two guys struggling to love one another; fighting, fearing and then accepting.

CQK: Did this dance help you to discover who you are?

AR: No; this place (Eveoke) did. They define family for me; nurturing, loving, accepting.

CQK: What do you want your audience to take away from Hip Hop Is Everywhere?

AR: I want them to leave with an open mind about hip-hop; I want them to feel the essence of the music and make that application to world music.

There is no doubt in my mind that we are going to see a lot more of San Diego’s Eveoke Dance Theatre and in particular, a lot more of the handsome and talented Anthony Rodriguez. He’s an individual who dances to his personal mission statement: “I dance to reflect the many possibilities that everyone must achieve the most in their lives.”

It goes without saying that I encourage everyone to catch Hip Hop Is Everywhere at the 10th Avenue Theatre downtown (07/21 – 8/13), but don’t stop with this show. While you’re savoring the taste of Hip Hop Is Everywhere, you can start thinking about Eveoke’s 11th annual Celebrate Dance Festival in Balboa Park, August 25, 26 & 27, 2006.

This event is open to the public and it works for all ages and it’s free. They have invited over 70 dance companies to participate in both indoor and outdoor performance spaces. The festival will host workshops as well and this united cultural force is bound to entertain thousands. There is no better way for families to get together to spend an arts and culture weekend together.

For additional information about Hip Hop Is Everywhere or the festival, visit http://www.eveoke.org/ or call them directly at 619-238-1153.

2006-09-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

INTERVIEW - JONATHAN DUNN RANKIN

I donned my nurse’s outfit to visit Jonathan Dunn Rankin at his home where he is recuperating from open-heart quadruple bypass surgery recently. We chatted up a storm about his life and career and plans for the future. I inspected his scars from his recent surgery and found him alert, mending nicely, and anxious to get back to the business of life.

Cuauhtémoc Q. Kish (CQK): When did you get the acting bug?

Jonathan Dunn-Rankin (JDR): It started when I was very young. My parents and brothers and I used to play the old-fashioned charades where you act out the syllables and words. My parents were very fond of theatre.

CQK: And from there...?

JDR: We were living in a little town called Surfside just north of Miami Beach. I remember my fifth grade class at North Beach Elementary was assigned the school assembly program for Halloween. Our teacher, Mrs. Elam, read us a few stories about ghosts and goblins and witches and then announced that we were each to write a play for the occasion and the class would pick the best one. Out of 25 kids there were 24 plays about ghosts and goblins and such. But I chose to write about a bunch of kids who got dressed up in costumes and went trick or treating. They were invited in by Mr. and Mrs. Apple and entertained with games and a fortune teller, a part I had written for myself. The class overwhelmingly picked my play to perform. But Mrs. Elam said, “Jonathan, don’t you think because you wrote the play someone else should play the fortune teller?” It was then that I made a decision. If you can’t act the part, there’s no fun in writing.

CQK: So you pursued and limited yourself to acting from that point?

JDR: I had the leads in my junior and senior class plays and was active in the Drama Club.

CQK: When did your broadcasting career begin?

JDR: We moved to Winter Park, just outside Orlando, in the middle of my junior year. And at Winter Park High School I formed the Radio Production Club which presented a program of high school news from the region every Saturday on station WHOO called High News at High Noon. The staff announcer assigned to the program said to me the first Saturday, “You have a good voice. How would you like to be the announcer?” And a broadcasting career was born.

CQK: How did you manage to get a paying job on radio at such a young age?

JDR: There was no pay for High News. But the program director on WDBO (“Way Down By Orlando”), who doubled as Uncle Walt on a kiddies show, heard me and hired me for weekend work. On Saturday mornings I played 45s and read commercials before the station joined the network for Let’s Pretend and Grand Central Station. I also did the station breaks between shows on the Sunday night lineup of Amos & Andy, Jack Benny, Fred Allen and Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy.

CQK: And after high school...?

JDR: I graduated in 1948 and received a scholarship to Columbia College in New York, my father’s alma mater. The big city was quite a heady experience for a boy from a small town in Florida. I volunteered for the campus radio station and tried out for a play by a Columbia graduate about Abelard and Heloise called The Edge of Doom. I was cast as Leotulph of Navarre, the young monk who read the damning heresy of Abelard at his trial. I couldn’t make sense of it and read it in a sing-song fashion while gazing with sheep’s eyes at my fellow monk and mentor, Alberich. It was just what the director wanted and drew gales of laughter. I was hooked. But my studies were affected and I dropped out after a year to work at various jobs. I moved into a one-room flat on 108th Street in a fifth floor walkup with a shared kitchen and bath. I was soon rescued by my mother’s sister and her husband, Aunt Lillian and Uncle Voorhis, who invited me to board at their home in Hackensack, New Jersey. I paid them a token $10 a week for room and board.

CQK: How long did you stay with Aunt Lillian and Uncle Voorhis?

JDR: About a year. I then returned to Central Florida to enroll as a freshman day student at Rollins College. My brother Derek was a student as well and was editor of the school’s weekly newspaper, The Sandspur. I became his proofreader and features editor while working weekends at various radio stations until I had worked at all of the stations in Orlando. I also got back into acting appearing in two plays, The Walrus and the Carpenter and The Warrior’s Husband, with Tony Perkins before he went on to Broadway and Hollywood. Another classmate was John Reardon who enjoyed success on Broadway and with the New York City Opera. Also at Rollins was Fred McFeely Rogers of Mr. Rogers fame.

CQK: Did you secure your degree at Rollins in theatre?

JDR: I dropped out of Rollins after my junior year to work full time at WHOO. I had a regular dinner hour show and was a vacation fill-in for morning drive, midday country music and afternoon jazz programs, quite an eclectic mix. When the woman who prepared the daily logs, listing all the commercials, promos and public service announcements, went on maternity leave, I took over her job as traffic director as well. But since I had lost my student deferment, I was soon drafted into “the new Army” and sent to Camp Gordon, Georgia, for basic training. I had dreams of working for Armed Forces Radio but at the end of basic training they told me I was going to become an MP. My face fell. Not the Military Police! The sergeant saw my dismay, scanned my record, noted that I had been a radio announcer and said, “Maybe something in the Signal Corps would be more your line.” While I was on leave I got orders to report for a 20-week course at Camp Gordon’s Teletype Maintenance School. I aced all the written tests and was declared outstanding graduate of the cycle. But there was one final test not counted in the scores, to actually fix four problems in teletype machines. I failed in all four! I was shipped to Fort Huachuca, Arizona, near the Mexican border. The town outside the base was called Fry because the place was so hot. It was later changed to Sierra Vista. Instead of working as a teletype repairman, I gladly accepted a TI&E (Troop Information and Education) position when it was offered to me.

CQK: Did you discover theatre in the town of Fry?

JDR: Actually on the post, yes. I played Waldo Lydecker in Laura and Carleton Fitzgerald in Light up the Sky with The Fort Huachuca Players until I received orders for Europe.

CQK: Where were you assigned in Europe?

JDR: Saran, France, outside of Orléans. By a strange twist of fate I ended up working another TI&E position in the small Signal Company until I left the service.

CQK: Any theatre participation in France?

JDR: Yes, this time with the Orin Players, where I played the same roles I had in Arizona. The Army offered an early release to attend college and I returned to Rollins for my final year in January 1956.

CQK: At Rollins College I assume you majored in Theatre?

JDR: Actually, no. I did manage to be cast as Prospero in The Tempest, Henry Higgins in Pygmalion, and the twin brothers Hugo and Frederic in Ring Round the Moon, however. The theatre majors were not very happy with that. It was only in my last term at Rollins that I actually enrolled in an acting class.

CQK: What happened after you graduated from Rollins?

JDR: I went back to Columbia, to the Graduate School of Journalism. This time I knew what I wanted to study: TV News. I was one of 72 students in the school on the way to securing a Masters. We were assigned news coverage like any professional in the field. I actually interned for a week at CBS in New York and observed every step in producing Douglas Edwards with the News.

CQK: And after you graduated from Columbia...?

JDR: I returned to Central Florida and applied and got turned down by the three local affiliates of NBC, ABC, and CBS. I secured a job with the Orlando Sentinel as a reporter on the coveted court house beat. A year later the ABC station, WLOF-TV, hired me as news director. Actually, I was the entire news department – cameraman, writer, editor, and newscaster on two nightly 15-minutes newscasts.

CQK: How long did you continue with this news program?

JDR: For two years. I placed an ad in Broadcasting Magazine and got a call from KYW in Cleveland. They flew me to Ohio, interviewed me and immediately offered me a job as night news editor. I stayed with them for about nine months.

CQK: Were you offered another job somewhere else?

JDR: No, I left due to some peculiar circumstances in which I ended up being the fall guy, but management wrote me a nice letter of recommendation and gave me a handsome severance package, so I had money in my pocket. I just hopped in my car and began driving across the USA visiting 63 newsrooms along the way, determined not to work where it snowed in the winter.

CQK: Eventually you ran out of gas?

JDR: Not exactly. I accepted a job in Phoenix as a newscaster/reporter for KTAR-TV and stayed for two and a half years.

CQK: Was San Diego the next stop on your career ladder?

JDR: Yes. In 1965 I was visiting San Diego over Easter weekend with friends and I walked right into a job at Channel 8.

CQK: How long did you stay with Channel 8?

JDR: I stayed with KFMB-TV for 13 years. I had volunteered to be the union shop steward during my tenure there which was good preparation for other positions with AFTRA, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, later on. I was let go at the end of 1977. Everyone assumed it was because of my activities as a militant union shop steward, which was illegal, but proving it was another matter. So, I took the 16 weeks of severance pay and went on unemployment for six months.

CQK: Was that the end of your broadcasting career?

JDR: More or less. After that I was invited to be a guest lecturer at San Diego State University and that led to teaching assignments at San Diego City College and Grossmont College as well. I did this for about six years.

CQK: Somehow you managed to find a third career with your participation with AFTRA, correct?

JDR: I had been the Acting Executive Director of the San Diego Local when I applied for and was hired as a National Representative of AFTRA, serving newsroom units at small stations in the west - Portland and Eugene, Oregon, Sacramento, Fresno, San Diego, and Honolulu. After 14 years with AFTRA National, I officially retired in 2000, although I have been called back every two years for the union’s biennial conventions. I’m on the schedule for 2007.

CQK: Where did theatre fit into your busy schedule during your participation with broadcasting and your many positions with AFTRA?

JDR: While I was with Channel 8, I performed in ten plays at The Old Globe Theatre when it was a community theatre, winning three Atlas Awards for outstanding performances in Long Day’s Journey into Night, The Balcony, and The Man in the Glass Booth with Leonard Nimoy. There were also roles in Incident at Vichy, Light up the Sky, The Unknown Soldier and His Wife, The Physicists, Sheep on the Runway, In the Matter of J. Robert Oppenheimer, and Under Milk Wood. Since I retired from AFTRA I have also performed with Lamb’s Players, North Coast Rep, and Diversionary Theatre, where I served on the board for six years and as president for five. I’m also on the boards of the Actors Alliance and Bravo San Diego.

CQK: Weren’t you involved with the local Emmy Awards?

JDR: As executive director of the Pacific Southwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for 22 years, I was actively involved in the annual production of the regional Emmy Awards until I retired from that post in 2002.

CQK: While you were with Channel 8 you also became involved with a group called The Scripteasers…

JDR: Yes. Jack Aaronson, a fellow actor in Incident at Vichy, introduced me to the group and I became intrigued with the challenge of finding the character in the lines and making it come to life in a cold reading without any prior rehearsal. And I’ve been doing that every other Friday now for 40 years.

CQK: What do you feel you bring to a role?

JDR: Believability.

CQK: Describe yourself in three words.

JDR: Aging would-be Shakespearean actor.

CQK: Are there any obstacles to your future successes?

JDR: Age which limits the roles I’m fit for.

CQK: Where’s your retreat?

JDR: My home.

CQK: What’s a perfect day for Jonathan Dunn Rankin?

JDR: Breakfast, a meeting, a rehearsal...

CQK: What’s your favorite theatrical word?

JDR: Bravo.

CQK: What’s your favorite theatrical work?

JDR: Pygmalion.

CQK: What’s your favorite quality?

JDR: Selfishness, in the sense of surrounding myself with the people I know and like as well as the things that I acquire which make my life richer.

CQK: If you somehow made the wrong turn and ended up facing the devil at the end of your life and career, what would you say to him?

JDR: You steered me wrong.

CQK: Robert Frost summed up everything he learned in life in three words: “It goes on...” How would you sum it up?

JDR: It’s worth living.

2006-09-23T07:35:00.000-07:00

INTERVIEW - Sylvia Combs M’Lafi Thompson

Sylvia Combs M’Lafi Thompson is an actor that has a very strong presence in San Diego Theatre. She has never shied away from taking on roles that challenge her and provide a platform for growth, as a person and as an actor. She’s passionate, she’s articulate and she’s one of the best actors in the San Diego Theatre Scene.

Cuauhtémoc Q. Kish (CQK): Is San Diego home for you?

Sylvia Combs M’Lafi Thompson (SMT): Home will always be Chicago, were I was born and raised. That’s were my roots are planted. Although I’ve been in San Diego for 20+ years I spent 11 years in Washington D.C.

M’Lafi remembers a time in Chicago while growing up where there was an appreciation of the arts; a time where they actually employed art and music teachers. She remembers a time where young students would be taken to the Art Museum and the Symphony as part of the elementary curriculum. How sad that those days have been relegated to the past.

CQK: Married?

SMT: I have never been married and have no plans for any conventional marriage in the future. I’m simply “married to life” and that’s the best spouse to have. As a single person I maintain a great sense of freedom: it’s the most challenging and the most joyous at one and the same time.

M’Lafi believes that marriage is for individuals whose life issues include procreation as a top priority. Although she greatly admires those who can be natural caretakers for the world’s children, she especially who admires those who adopt. For M’Lafi, her kids will be limited to the ones with wagging tails.

CQK: At what age were you bitten by the acting bug?

SMT: It happened precisely on my 11th birthday when my parents took me to a production of the King and I. When I walked out of that production, acting was in my blood forever. I was taken aback by everything: the lights, the makeup, the stage design, the acting; how people could make you feel something onstage and then, offstage...

CQK: Do you come from a theatrical family?

SMT: My father was born in the Bahamas and had a deep baritone voice; he was the singer. On my Mom’s side of the family were the musicians, particularly those members playing the piano. I even have the piano that was gifted to my Mom from her father.

M’Lafi has an older brother and a younger sister and they were brought up in an environment that was underscored by the Civil Rights movement and all the poetry of that period. The elegant words of that period in history sang out to her and to her family and it simply became a part of their household.

CQK: So you were gifted with a musical voice?

SMT: (She chuckles a bit before answering) I can follow a tune and I have been able to “pull it off” when various directors have assigned me the task of singing in a production, but I wouldn’t call myself a gifted singer. In my next life I want the pipes of Patti LaBelle.

CQK: When did you make a decision to come to San Diego?

SMT: My Mom moved here and the rest of us migrated back to her.

CQK: Do you recall your first acting job in San Diego?

SMT: I auditioned for a part in Agatha Christie’s The Mouse Trap for the Fiesta Dinner Theatre and was immediately cast. This happened on December 19, 1993.

CQK: Has the theatre community grown since that time?

SMT: Although San Diego remains a city that’s not very progressive and doesn’t “think outside the box” like some other major cities, the theatre community has grown by leaps and bounds.

M’Lafi’s earlier ambition was to be a writer/journalist. She thinks that there is a novel in her but M’Lafi proclaims that she’s simply not old enough to write it yet. M’Lafi has continued to write personal journals throughout her entire life (I’d love to get my hands on them!) and she may use these as an assist for that future novel. These journals include periods in her life when things were “heavy,” when she discovered a more spiritual side of herself, and the Civil Rights movement. Don’t worry; to protect the innocent along with the not-so-innocent, M’Lafi will advise in her Last Will and Testament that all her journals are to be burnt down to paper ashes. M’Lafi doesn’t dwell in the past. She believes that if you have one foot in the past and the other in the future, you are not doing anything in the now. She believes you need to be centered with the present.

CQK: You’ve managed to pay the rent with a job in the arts, while still having the flexibility to participate as an actor in San Diego.

SMT: I’ve been fortunate to have two careers in the arts; one in Arts Management and the other as an actor. I began my career in Arts Management in DC and I’ve continued that line of work in San Diego. I’m an advocate for the arts and am blessed to work for the Commission for Arts and Culture offering project, management and research tech support for forums and such. It provides me much needed structure in my life but allows me the flexibility to perform.

CQK: Who has been a big influence in your life?

SMT: Alvin Ailey, a man who has devoted his life to the arts. And...the city of Washington D. C. When I was living in DC there was a tremendous renaissance going on that was like an explosion. There was art all over the place. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. It was a time when...for a few dollars you could listen to artists like Roberta Flack and Herbie Hancock. It was a time when the DC Black Rep Theatre was providing great theatre to the public. It was a time when the National Endowment for the Arts was allowing artists to do the work they believed in. Oh, the good ol’ days—I hate to use it in the past tense—it puts a smile on my face. What’s missing now is a certain warmth and hospitality. After a weekend in this city their art experience showed on their faces; people were full.

CQK: What remains one of your fondest memories in the theatre?

SMT: A production that I participated in called Boesman and Lena. This Athol Fugard play had a tremendous impact on me. It offered me a beautiful, challenging role that was a cathartic experience and allowed me to work with a wonderful South African actor, M’Phela Makoba, who I haven’t been able to locate in recent years.

Sylvia was last seen at a reading of August Wilson’s Fences at Cygnet Theatre Company in August. Prior to that reading she was in Moxie Theatre’s production of Gibson Girls at Diversionary Theatre. M’Lafi returns to the REP shortly to begin rehearsals for Ms. Witherspoon. She was also seen in the REP’s last season in both Restless Spirits and Intimate Apparel. Thompson is a member of Actor’s Equity Association and last year received the San Diego Playbill 2005 “Billie Award” for her portrayal of Teiresias in Dr. Marianne McDonald’s adaptation of the Greek classic Antigone. Other credits include:
Dog Act (Moxie Theatre); A Raisin in the Sun, Before It Hits Home, Fences, Vagina Monologues, One Hundred Thousand Dollar Mulatto (Lyceum Theatre); Antigone (6th@Penn); Othello (San Diego Women’s Rep); A Streetcar Named Desire, Nuevo California (SD Rep); Going to St. Ives (La Jolla Playhouse) and Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (Old Globe).

CQK: Is there anyone out there you are dying to work with?

SMT: Before he died, I wanted to work with the great director, John Cassevettes. And I would love to work with Morgan Freeman Jr. who can do just about anything as an actor.

CQK: Is there a director that you particularly admire in this town?

SMT: I admire Delicia Turner Sonnenberg, most especially, for her bravery in choosing new works.

CQK: Where’s your retreat?

SMT: Inside myself.

CQK: What’s the biggest challenge in your life right now?

SMT: Time.

CQK: What’s a perfect day for M’Lafi?

SMT: Waking up and being able to listen to the sounds of birds chirping, a cup of Chamomile tea, fresh fruit, music, reading the New York Times, a breakfast tray in bed with my pajamas still on, windows open; listening to the wind chimes, with my furry creatures at my feet...and no phone.

CQK: What motivates you?

SMT: Waking up.

CQK: At the end of a day, what does the word accomplishment mean to you?

SMT: It’s the feeling of having done something for someone else and the hope I have done the very best I could do that day.

Sylvia has received the Los Angeles Dramalogue award for best actress for her roles in Boesman and Lena and Stories about the Old Days. Some film and PBS narration credits include A Day Without A Mexican, AIDS and Brown Women and Sweet Honey in the Rock. She has also appeared at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D. C., and the legendary Cotton Club in Harlem.

CQK: What’s your favorite theatrical word?

SMT: Encore.

CQK: If somehow you made the wrong turn and ended up facing the devil, what would you say to him?

SMT: Get thee behind me Satan; you have no power over me.

CQK: How would you sum up everything you’ve learned in life to date?

SMT: It just gets better.

CQK: What’s your most cherished quality?

SMT: My imagination.

CQK: What’s your most difficult challenge?

SMT: Learning how to put myself first.

CQK: What’s your biggest fear?

SMT: Dying before I’m very old.

Sylvia Combs M’Lafi Thompson is a passionate individual. She remains passionate about theatre. She remains passionate about South Africans having more choices so more will support San Diego. She remains passionate about the need for more than one black playwright per decade such as the late August Wilson. There are African American playwrights that need to be produced; more than just one that can be heralded as a great playwright during a limited period. Theatre, for M’Lafi, is an opportunity for all colors and races to learn about the human condition. It’s a way to discover herstory and history. M’Lafi feels lucky to be able to participate in San Diego Theatre. She just completed a successful two night reading of Pulitzer Prize winning August Wilson’s Fences at Cygnet Theatre and will be in rehearsals shortly for Ms. Witherspoon to open at the San Diego Repertory Theatre in October, but she also reminds us that to be enlightened by theatre is simply not enough. M’Lafi encourages—no; challenges—artists to register one new voter in the next election and assist one senior citizen to the poles. In this way, she says, we can and will make a difference.

2006-08-27T09:50:00.000-07:00

INTERVIEW: Ree & Maurice (Maury) Miller

Unsung heroes of the theatre are those who generally get the least amount of applause and attention for their untold contributions. These are the individuals who do much of the grunt work, who add invaluable magic touches to any production, all in an effort to wrap up the production nicely and tie on the ribbons, and offer it lovingly to the public. Some volunteers do mailings, while other don white coats and escort the audience to their assigned seats. Still others cook and feed a hungry cast. Although I personally applaud them all with a long-standing ovation, I have singled out a pair of volunteers who seem to be ubiquitous in the San Diego Theatre Community. If you haven’t met these two, it’s time for an introduction.

Cuauhtémoc Q. Kish (CQK): Ree, I’d like you to describe your dapper husband, Maury, in three words and then I’ll ask Maury to describe his capable wife in three succinct words as well.

Ree Miller (RM): Maury is kind, brilliant and warm.

Maurice Miller (MM): I would describe Ree as consistent, determined and empathetic.

CQK: That sounds like a great combination to me.

[Ree and Maury seem to have done well with the upbringing of their three children (or was it simply accidental?). Maury was quite happy to announce that none were currently residing within State and/or Federal prison walls. Their two sons reside in Minneapolis; one is a Professor at the University of Minneapolis while the other is a computer consultant for a large banking company. Their daughter lives in Portland and works as a school nurse as well as being licensed in Chinese Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture.]

CQK: I’ve heard that both of you have a previous connection to the medical profession; is that a well-founded rumor?

MM: I retired as a MD (General Practice).

RM: And I worked as a medical assistant in his office.

CQK: So it was love at first sight in a sterile medical environment?

RM: Not exactly.

[While Maury was assigned overseas to the Merchant Marines during the War, Ree was stateside in the Navy; reenlisting, discharging and transferring the troops. Ree later, at her mother’s dogged insistence, pursued a teaching degree and she’s credentialed to instruct those impossible tykes at grade school and middle school levels. She makes no bones about the fact that she was never overly fond of that profession; preferring less confrontational positions such as the audio-visual coordinator job that she held for a time. On another note, Maury started medical school at the ripe age of 32 after giving up his share of the family scrap metal business, much as you might imagine, at the strong and constant encouragement his devoted and determined wife, Ree. He attended Indiana University and the University of Illinois.]

CQK: When did Cupid’s arrow strike?

RM: On a blind date at the beach in Michigan City, Indiana.

MM: After a four month engagement we tied the knot.

CQK: So you were born and raised in Indiana?

RM: I was born in New Haven, Connecticut.

MM: I was born in Michigan City, Indiana; it’s on the tip of Lake Michigan.

[If you’ve ever been to a theatre opening in San Diego, chances are you were handed a program by the delightful, diminutive Maury, who has a strange, uncanny resemblance to the late, macabre Alfred Hitchcock, except Maury carries a bright, constant twinkle in his eyes, or directed to your seat by the always-welcoming, hug-gifting Ree. They seem to be everywhere; willing, able, and ready to make things run smoothly and efficiently, (box office, computer data entry, or ushering) in any professional theatre in town. Without people like Ree and Maury, your theatre experience would be less.]

CQK: How long have you been in San Diego and when did you get hooked on theatre?

RM: We’ve been in San Diego since 1985.

MM: Some 21 years.

RM: My love for theatre goes back to New Haven, where for seventy-five cents I could get a second balcony seat at the Shubert Theatre.

MM: We went to Chicago all the time to attend theatre productions when we lived in Michigan City.

RM: It never mattered what the weather was like: rain, snow, hail; we drove the 60 miles because we both loved theatre.

CQK: I haven’t seen you at Community Theatre events; why is that?

RM: We attend student productions at venues like UCSD and City College...

MM: ...but there just isn’t any time to attend Community Theatre productions.

RM: Our theatre plate is quite full.

MM: We’re actually overloaded.

[Ree and Maury are on “volunteer usher teams” at the Old Globe Theatre. In addition, they sign up in the “book” at the San Diego Rep and are “partner-volunteers” at La Jolla Playhouse.]

RM: And you have to realize that we love to visit the cinema...

MM: ...and music performances at the San Diego Chamber Orchestra and San Diego Early Music Society.

CQK: Would it be safe to say that there are more than a few theatres in San Diego that count on the Millers to be there on opening night?

RM: We do opening nights for Cygnet, New Village Arts, Moxie and Diversionary.

MM: And we are invited to the opening at North Coast Rep since we do “Will-Call” and other volunteer work for them.

[Perhaps these two are addicted to theatre (correction; good theatre); Ree boldly admits to having seen Intimate Apparel at the Rep and My Fair Lady at Cygnet three times. Now, in my book that’s a bit more than just liking theatre. That’s more akin to a love affair.]

CQK: All this activity seems to suggest that there isn’t much activity in the Miller kitchen. Is that a fair assumption?

RM: I don’t cook much since I’m principally a vegan.

MM: I’m the omnivore in the family, so I’ve been assigned to cook for myself.

CQK: Although you are not critics, you probably see just as much as most of the reviewers in town. What have been some of your recent favorites?

RM: We love Eveoke productions.

MM: The recent Halpern & Johnson (starring Robert Grossman and Jonathan McMurtry) production at North Coast Rep comes to mind.

RM & MM: And the Miser at La Jolla Playhouse.

CQK: Are there many instances where you haven’t enjoyed the experience?

RM: If we don’t particularly like the show, we generally enjoy the actor’s performance.

MM: And there are some actors we truly enjoy...

RM: ...like Ron Choularton and Rosina Reynolds...and others.

MM: It’s rare that we would ever walk out of a production.

RM: I tend to enjoy productions that are not depressing.

MM: The most important aspect of a production is one that rings true.

CQK: With so much time spent volunteering in San Diego Theatres, is there time for other fun activities?

RM: I like to travel. I’ll be going to Paris in June with my daughter.

MM: I find traveling not quite worth the effort at this time in my life. I start most days by working a crossword puzzle.

[The Millers will soon be celebrating their 57th Anniversary, having tied the knot in 1949 when both were mere babes of 26. Ree’s the early riser in the family, getting up and ready to take on sewing and knitting classes, discussion groups, etc. This allows Mario to sleep late so he can stay up later and catch Turner classics and history shows until 3AM.]

CQK: Was there ever a time when you were on stage?

RM: I acted very briefly in a few plays in college.

MM: My only experience was as a crew member for our high school production of Our Town.

CQK: What does the word accomplishment mean to you?

RM: Getting a free night to do whatever I want.

MM: I think that word has been relegated to the past. My accomplishments of father, husband and physician are finished and chronicled. I look towards the accomplishments of others.

CQK: If you made a wrong turn at the end of your life and suddenly came head-to-head with the devil, what would you say to her?

RM: You’ve got the wrong person.

MM. Get lost!

Individuals like Ree and Maurice are invaluable living and breathing assets to the theatre community. Without them, our theatre experience would be less. I applaud them and offer them my personal thanks and offer them a communal thanks from the community at large. You, two of the many unsung heroes in the community, are both loved and appreciated by so many. May you forever be with us.

2006-08-16T07:17:00.000-07:00

INTERVIEW – DOUGLAS LAY

Douglas Lay is an actor who has returned to his San Diego homeland after many years working abroad. At 6 feet 5 inches this classically-trained actor doesn’t have to stretch to get roles. His hairline has migrated from his prominent upper forehead to those southern forests of follicles that sit closer to ear-line. His striking wisps of hair and physicality give him a strong advantage for certain character roles. At forty he’s entered the birth of his prime and he’s ready to act, direct and teach.

Cuauhtémoc Q. Kish (CQK): Word has it that you are a San Diego native?

Douglas Lay (DL): I was born and bred in San Diego, along with my other four siblings, including my older twin brother (by one and a half hours). My twin and I share Halloween as our birthday. Two out of the four still live in San Diego as does my father.

CQK: It was sad to hear that your mother recently passed.

DL: Yes; she died in my arms six weeks ago. Hers was the most exceptional spiritual experience in my life. She was my best friend and my biggest fan, having missed only two of my productions over the years.

CQK: After living abroad for many years—out of a suitcase—what brought you back?

DL: After living 16 years out of a very worn suitcase the death of my grandmother brought me back to San Diego where most of my immediate family still reside. I realized how important family is and that I was ready and willing to nest.

CQK: You are a product of the San Diego school system.

DL: I went to school at Del Mar Shores and then Bishops High School. Immediately after graduation I started acting in the Oregon Shakespearean Festival and eventually secured a B. A. from Oregon State University. Having won an acting award (four years running!) from the University allowed me to work exclusively at the Festival and play some 26 roles.

CQK: I assume you’ve auditioned for the Old Globe Theatre and their summer Shakespearean Festival?

DL: I seem to keep missing the cut.

CQK: Apart from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival you’ve also participated in many other touring “Shakespearean” shows.

DL: Yes; through Montana, Utah, and Idaho. I’m met amazing people along the way, many who have very little exposure to theatre, much less Shakespeare. In that respect, we always tried to make theatre more accessible to them. One production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream resembled the cast of “Dynasty.” Touring has allowed me to visit 36 states and has given me a greater appreciation for my own country.

CQK: You’ve worked outside the States for many years.

DL: I did extensive acting and touring in Europe: France, Germany and the United Kingdom.

CQK: What’s your preference: acting, directing, or teaching?

DL: Acting.

CQK: When did you get the acting bug?

DL: It hit hard at the age of 13 when I started doing Junior Theatre. Acting became for me an absolute passion, something I had to do.

CQK: How do you find time to take on film and theatre roles, as well as directing and teaching assignments?

DL: I accept assignments based upon my desire to do them. Although I’m an Equity actor money is always a secondary consideration over the role or directing assignment.

CQK: What’s your preference: film or theatre?

DL: They are two different animals. A film role is always one where you are encouraged to “hurry up and wait.” Then you do two minutes worth of work that may soon be lost to the cutting room floor. In the theatre it’s a bit different, with every night allowing you to move forward to discover your character’s consistent arc and happily discover it in sequence as well.

CQK: Congratulations on your latest success at the Sixth@Penn (Iphigenia). You’ve received glowing reviews from everyone.

DL: Thank you. Marianne McDonald is a brilliant mentor and premier translator. And Leigh Scarritt’s contribution added many levels to the chorus.

CQK: What’s your latest film project?

DL: It’s a film that Juan Carlo Luis wrote especially for me. In this one I play a Kentucky hick who visits Tijuana in a botched drug smuggling effort.

CQK: What classes are you currently offering the acting community?

DL: I’m in the process of putting together a class that will assist actors with the process of the audition. I’m a firm believer in having six monologues ready at any time, along with an updated resume and headshot.

CQK: Will you be working another project with Doctor Marianne McDonald?

DL: Yes; next up is Oristia. I’m currently lining up a dream cast. Then I’ll be directing Medea and Anna in the Tropics.

CQK: Name some of the productions that you were involved with in Europe.

DL: Hello Dolly, Into the Woods, Little Show of Horrors and Twelfth Night.

CQK: Any production you are dying to do?

DL: I’ve advised my agent that I will accept any audition from “Noise From Within” if it’s ever offered; I respect their work so much.

CQK: What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from acting?

DL: To be honest about yourself and not to date anyone in the business.

CQK: Describe yourself in three words.

DL: I’m passionate, kind and bookish.

CQK: What do you bring to San Diego Theatre?

DL: An extensive classical background.

CQK: What was your childhood ambition?

DL: To be a priest; and after that, an actor.

CQK: Who are the people who have influenced your career in a positive way?

DL: Mom and actors like Paxton White and Carol Burnette.

CQK: What do you see as possible obstacles to your success?

DL: Myself and being in San Diego.

CQK: What’s a perfect day for you?

DL: A rainy day; a book, my cat, a fire in the hearth, a show, and friends.

CQK: What’s your biggest indulgence?

DL: Reading.

CQK: At the end of the day, what does the word accomplishment mean to you?

DL: Being satisfied with a job well done; being satisfied with my performance.

CQK: What’s your favorite theatrical word?
DL: Tactic: how you get motivated by a script; how it is illuminated.

CQK: What’s your favorite theatrical work?

DL: Midsummer Night’s Dream.

CQK: If you made the wrong turn and ended up facing the devil at the end of your life and career, what would you say to her?

DL: I think I’ve worked with you a few times.

CQK: Robert Frost summed up everything he learned in life with three words: “it goes on.” Can you sum it up for us as succinctly as Frost?

DL: I can do it but in five words: love is all there is.”

2006-08-13T09:11:00.000-07:00

INTERVIEW – JONATHAN MCMURTRY

Jonathan McMurtry is one of San Diego’s most respected actors. At one point during the interview Jonathan’s head fell to a certain level, tilted sideways, and then raised itself upwards in an almost comically painful way as he spoke about other writers who almost insist upon using the word “beloved” as part of his nomenclature. Half of me felt that he’s quite complemented by the employment of such a description; the other half of me is totally convinced he wants to run as far away from such a description as possible. For purposes of this interview I shall simply call him distinguished, rare, one-of-a-kind, thoughtful, a quasi intellectual, humble, and a gentleman. Above all, he’s an individual who easily generates kindly love to and from his listeners, both on and off the stage.

Cuauhtémoc Q. Kish (CQK): I hear you were born in a trunk?

Jonathan McMurtry (JM): You might say that. I was born in Detroit, Michigan from show biz parents. They were dancers: Dad was a hoofer with a top hat and my mother became a choreographer. You might say they were “just passing through” the town when she had to make a quick visit to the Women’s Hospital. Marlo Thomas was born in that same hospital on that same day when I took my first breath.

[Jonathan lost his mother last year at the age of 87 while his father passed some 13 years ago.]

CQK: Is that why you have remained at the Old Globe for such a long time (45 years)?

JM: That very well could be the reason. I never liked traveling. We were always moving from one city to the next, while I went from one school to another. I hated that. As an adult, I once had the opportunity to travel in a show called Pajama Tops. We hit every major city in the United States and even played on Broadway at the Winter Gardens. It gave me an opportunity to find out what a “traveling show” was all about. After awhile I felt...just like a puppet.

“This above all: to thine own self be true.”

CQK: When did you meet Craig Noel?

JM: I met Craig Noel in Milwaukee where he was directing a show at the Fred Miller Theatre. He offered me a scholarship for $50 a week. This program was the predecessor for our current MFA program at the Globe. Our first three shows were Richard III, Merchant of Venice, and Twelfth Night. The actors did nine performances a week with matinees on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. It was really quite an exhaustive process, changing the sets constantly, and it eventually became too expensive.

[The Old Globe Theatre presented its first Shakespeare Festival in 1949 as a joint venture with San Diego State University. Jack O’Brien directed his first production, A Comedy of Errors in 1969.]

CQK: Was acting your childhood ambition?

JM: No; as a matter of fact I studied at the American Art Institute and became a commercial artist; even working at Disney Studios for awhile.

[Jonathan has been in over 170 productions since 1961. He’s received over 30 Dramalogue Awards, a Shiley Lifetime Achievement Patte Award, and an LA Drama Critics Award for the title role in Uncle Vanya.]

CQK: How did you transition from commercial artist to commercial actor?

JM: I was working in LA at the City College in the scene painting department when a professor took a liking to me and introduced me to Shakespeare. I found I liked it. I entered a contest (competitors included students from any of the colleges in the United States) that resulted in my getting a one year scholarship to the London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. After winning the West Coast finals and winning the semi-finals I tied for first place. After I finished my first year at RADA they gifted me with another year’s scholarship and I ended up a graduate of the Royal Academy.

“The course of true love never did run smooth.”

CQK: Are there many differences in studying acting in Britain as opposed to studying acting in the United States?

JM: You have to understand that in Britain Shakespeare is a part of their very culture, instilled through their entire school curriculum. It’s mandatory training. And it is steeped in technique of the text. In the US a small one per cent of the actors have an opportunity to do Shakespeare and most opportunities come with the eight or nine festivals offered during the year, mostly in the summer months. In England, on the other hand, Shakespeare is available everywhere.

CQK: So you’re saying that you don’t have to be British to be a great Shakespearean actor?

JM: Not at all. Actually, one of my professors told me that the American language is as close to the sound of the Elizabethan language as you will find.

CQK: You are now a part of the MFA program at the Globe. Can you tell us something about your contribution?

JM: The MFA program is one of the best in the entire country. You have to realize that the two-year program is limited to just 14 actors. I teach them about structure. I just finished a session with them awhile ago, teaching them about the sonnets. In the program they are taught a variety of things such as dance, yoga and fighting techniques. They are required to understudy all of the parts in the Festival as well.

CQK: What do you find is your biggest challenge with these students?

JM: To unlearn what they’ve learned academically. And to instill in them the fact that art is larger than the individual; you become humble to it. I want them to learn to relish the language. Most come to the class thinking about the character’s journey and I know they’ll get lost if they stay with that thought. This is the last thing they should be thinking about. Shakespeare’s genius is based upon jangled contradictions thru which an argument develops and without that understanding there can be no journey. When you find the argument the character will come out. And they need to pay attention to the verbs he employs as well as the irony within the text. As Hamlet says: Suit the action to the word, the word to the action.”

[Jonathan takes on a very few private students and teaches a Master Class at Point Loma for actors and a few professors.]

CQK: Have you ever tried your hand at directing?

JM: I did try that...once. It was many years ago, with a production of Coriolanus. I found I was actually giving them line readings to do, every one of them. I finally realized that I simply wanted to act all the parts myself.

CQK: When did you realize that lovely Balboa Park would be your principal location for employment?
“That it should come to this!”

JM: After I had worked here for three summer seasons and “Uncle Craig Noel” asked me to stay on. He was a huge influence on my decision to remain here at the Globe. I was one of eight original associate artists at the Globe, which included other individuals like Katherine McGrath, Victor Buono, Eric Christmas and Peggy Kelner.

CQK: Obviously the pay was enough to support your lifestyle in San Diego in those early years.

JM: Not exactly; I did other jobs to support myself. I worked for a florist for a time, delivering flowers to mortuaries and even took on extra work delivering cadavers.

[Jonathan took his good old time and married for the first time at the age of 49. He and his wife, Terri, are quite proud of their 13-year old daughter, Coral, who they self taught and who speaks perfect French.]

CQK: Who was responsible for casting your latest role in Trying and did you audition for that role?

JM: At this stage of my career I seldom have to audition for any role; perhaps I’d have to audition for a Broadway show. Jack O’Brien was responsible for casting me in Trying; he asked me to do it after he saw a production of it on the East coast.

CQK: You manage to act in both television as well as cinema between stage events.

JM: I’ve had several recurring parts on shows such as Cheers and Wings and came very close to getting a few lead parts, but in the end circumstances prevented that from happening. One of the worst expressions an actor wants to hear from his agent is: “They want to go another way.”

CQK: Is money a major factor in choosing which role to accept?

JM: Money matters little to me when I’m considering a role, especially since I’ve started receiving my SAG and Equity retirement benefits.

CQK: Tell us about your career highlights if you will.

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts.”

JM: One would have to be my latest: Joanna McClelland Glass’ Trying, Uncle Vanya (LA Critics Circle Award), and playing the part of Iago (Othello) with Paul Winfield. The later became an almost spiritual experience. It was a reward I didn’t expect; it was a surprise, an apotheosis.

CQK: What do you think about the current crop of newer directors handling Shakespeare?

JM: Most directors today are not speech-oriented. If you remember there were no directors in Shakespeare’s day. In his time actors relied upon one another more. It was as if Shakespeare himself was directing through his writing. Afterwards, there was the actor-manager and now, today, theatre has evolved to the extent where directors maintain much of the control of the playwright’s work.

CQK: Are you saying that playwright’s are not writing like Shakespeare?

JM: I think that’s correct. There are some exceptions, like Tony Kushner. His Angels in America contains many of the elements that are found in the works of Shakespeare. But for the most part, that kind of theatre is gone. We seem to have arrived at a place where many lack a certain courage and a certain boldness to write about the heroic actions as he did. He didn’t take sides; Shakespeare makes little judgment but he does recognize that other human beings exist.

[Jonathan McMurtry has participated in the following productions: Macbeth, The Winter’s Tale, Henry IV, Henry V, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, King Lear, Waiting for Godot, The Seagull, There’s One in Every Marriage, A Life in the Theatre, Uncle Vanya, American Buffalo, and Bus Stop, to name but a few.]

CQK: You are in a film with Annette Bening that will be released soon called Running With Scissors. How was that experience?

JM: Annette Bening rolled out the red carpet for me on the first day of the set for Running With Scissors. She greeted me warmly and announced that she was a fan of mine. That was so lovely.

CQK: Could you describe yourself in three Shakespearean words?

JM: Courageous, humble, and generous.

CQK: That seems to fit nicely. Is it possible to describe the state of San Diego theatre today for us?
“For you and I are past our dancing days.”

JM: In a word, it’s great. I’ve been around a long time and I have observed—especially with some of the newer smaller theatres like Cygnet, Diversionary and the like—that actors are indeed able to work on their craft. I am impressed that no one theatre seems to be competing against the other.

CQK: What’s a perfect day for you?

JM: Reading a good book, cooking (Jonathan’s a gourmet cook!), and spending time with my family.

CQK: At the end of the day what does the word accomplishment mean to you?

JM: It means reliving the experience in a larger sense. I always ask myself if anything was learned or if I did anything wrong.

CQK: What’s your favorite theatrical work?

JM: Anthony and Cleopatra. I love the decadence of it; a hero that was. And I love the language of that play.

CQK: What’s your favorite theatrical word?

JM: I will tell you that my least favorite word is “amazing.” It’s just so overly used.

CQK: Jonathan, if you somehow made the wrong turn and ended up facing the devil at the end of your life and career, what would you say to him?

JM: What did I do wrong?

CQK: Any parting words to your audience?

JM: Just...be yourself.

I thought it only fitting to end with words by William Shakespeare that some up how I feel—and many others--about Jonathan McMurtry:

“What a piece of work is man! How noble in reason, how infinite in faculty.”

2006-08-03T15:32:00.000-07:00

INTERVIEW: GLENN PARIS (Actor/Director)

Glenn Paris came to San Diego and immediately began working at the San Diego Rep. He brought with him good, comfortable baggage that included talent as an actor and as a director. He’s fond of San Diego and as a result, we may be able to tap into this equity contract artist for quite some time and that’s a very good thing indeed. Here’s what he has to say:

Cuauhtémoc Q. Kish (CQK): At what age did you begin your acting/directing career?

Glenn Paris (GP): I began my acting career at the age of twelve (Richard III) and directing at the age of 15.

CQK: Tell me a little more about your directing debut if you will.

GP: I started a children’s theatre company called the “Minnisingers” when I was a teenager living in Hanover, New Hampshire. The concept was “kids-performing-for-kids” with our first production being Winnie the Pooh.

CQK: Are you from the East Coast?

GP: Actually I was born in Honolulu. Since my father was a career officer we moved around a bit (Boston, D.C., Oklahoma).

CQK: You have received both a BA and MFA in theatre, is that correct?

GP: I received a BA (Theatre) from Antioch College in Ohio and an MFA (Directing) from CMU (Carnegie Mellon University).

CQK: You were invited to join the staff at San Diego Rep initially as a fund raiser; how did you get experience in this field?

GP: I had received several internships at Antioch: Assistant Stage Manager of Seattle Rep and with some fund raising organizations in Massachusetts and LA including the Campaign for Economic Democracy (think Jane Fonda and Tom Hayden). My real training ground as a fundraiser/manager was with the New York Botanical Garden in NYC.

CQK: After securing your first degree did you head for the Big Apple to seek fame and fortune?

GP: Yes; I tried my hand at both acting and directing and secured my Union stripes. I worked in a few stage shows, wrote some, and mostly waited tables. After a few years I got accepted to CMU (Carnegie Mellon University) and where I trained with gifted individuals like Mel Shapiro.

[Some of Glenn’s directing credits include the following: Krapp’s Last Tape & Not I (New World Stage); Adam Baum and the Jew Movie (6th@Penn); The Last American Convertible (Carnegie Mellon Showcase of New Plays); After All (HB Playwrights);
The Bald Soprano (The Roundabout) and Rites (The Image Theatre).]

CQK: I understand that you worked with Paula Vogel.

GP: When I graduated CMU, the school gave me a fellowship to LA Theatre Center and I worked with Paula there on a production called And Baby Makes Seven.

CQK: Did you return to New York after your studies at CMU?

GP: Yes; I returned to New York and worked with Uta Hagen at the theatre next door to HB Studio, both of which were founded by her late husband (Herbert Bergoff).

CQK: What hat did you wear at this theatre with Ms. Hagen?

GP: As HP Playwrights Foundation’s first artistic director after Herbert, I wore about 7 different hats and it allowed me to work with many major theatre artists for a number of years. Uta Hagen remains—as you can imagine—one of my most profound mentors.

CQK: After Uta, where did you go?

GP: I co-founded a theatre company with another actor called Native Coasts and we developed a multi-media piece called Recovering the Dark, a play that delves into the topics of recovered memory and false memory.

CQK: And did you stay with Native Coasts for an extended time.

GP: After working with my own theatre company for awhile I found much needed employment as a fundraiser. I was soon recognized for my fundraising abilities and was elevated to executive positions. The experience in New York as a steward of fundraising assisted me in securing my job with the San Diego REP.

CQK: And the rest is history, right?

GP: The administrative experience at the Rep allowed me to connect with the San Diego Theatre community. I am excited with my new partnership with Claudio Raygoza and we have many plans for our new downtown theatre space, “New World Stage.”

CQK: What’s the biggest challenge in your life right now?

GP: Reconciling my multiple identities; becoming a stronger artist and a better person.

CQK: Are there any obstacles in achieving success as an artist, especially as a director?

[Glenn has received several awards for his work in the theatre including the Carnegie Mellon University West Coast Drama Clan Award: Distinguished achievement in Directing (overall work). He’s a member of AEA, AFTRA and SAG.)

GP: Those obstacles might include a misunderstanding of what actually defines success. Along the way there is that constant fear of failure and a fear of resistance to your point of view. One desires collaborators who will embrace building a team, all the way, from beginning to end, not in and out. Trust and intimacy are critical to the process of making a play. It’s a great challenge to achieve these qualities. Uta taught me to go as high as I can as an artist, and as a director/producer to be ready to make something beautiful with only human beings as my resource.

CQK: What do you bring to San Diego Theatre?

GP: A distinct point of view.

CQK: What’s one of your fondest memories in the theatre to date?

GP: My audition at the age of 12 for Richard III at the University of Oklahoma. Another very fond memory is the response to my direction of Hurly Burlyburly when Mel Shapiro told me the results I achieved were a tremendous advance. It meant a lot coming from someone with his pedigree.

CQK: At the end of your day what does the word “accomplishment” mean to you?

GP: Change.

CQK: What’s your favorite “theatrical” word?

GP: Dazzling.

CQK: If you somehow made the wrong turn and ended up facing the devil at the end of your life and career, what would you say to her (I try to alternate pronouns to achieve balance and fairness)?

GP: I went with my instincts.

*****

And my instincts tell me that Glenn Paris is going to be a very positive influence on the San Diego Theatre Scene. Both he and Claudio Raygoza have a number of great projects planned for The New World Stage Theatre (an adaptation of The Sea Gull, a one-woman piece called Request Concert, and a production of Hurly Burly). With talented individuals like Glenn Paris we can only expand our theatrical plate and eat richly.

2006-07-01T09:18:00.000-07:00

INTERVIEW – MARTY BURNETT

Cuauhtémoc Q. Kish (CQK): When did you get to San Diego?

Marty Burnett (MB): I came to San Diego in 1979 from Omaha, Nebraska in my trusty Buick Opal.

CQK: I take it you were invited to participate in set design somewhere in the city?

MB: No; I had a brother living in the area and I just packed up the Opal and headed west. I snagged a job in sales and started auditioning for some smaller parts in the area. It was through Bill Bruce and Tim McOrry (Coronado Playhouse) that I was offered a staff technical job in set construction. They gave me a shot at it because I seemed to have a knack for tech design and construction.

CQK: You’re self-trained; that’s pretty impressive.

MB: I never took any formal classes but I watched and mentored with Professor James Baker (Grossmont College), who was an excellent craftsman. We actually formed a business to design and build sets called “Props and Drops.” We had business in Las Vegas, Chicago and other places.

CQK: Is that business still operating in San Diego?

MB: No, unfortunately James died a few years after we formed the business of a heart attack at the shop at the age of 58 and when he passed I gave up the business. It was overwhelming for the two of us, let alone trying to run it solo.

CQK: When did you begin your career at North Coast Rep?

MB: In 1992 John Brian Davis, who was a costume designer, introduced me to Olive Blakistone and I designed a Chekhov show with Rosina Reynolds for them.

CQK: While working at the North Coast Rep did the Blakistones, Shawn Murray or David Ellenstein leave the tech design up to you?

MB: Yes; pretty much so. The producers and directors all shared their unique vision of the show with me but that was the extent of it.

[Our thoughts wondered at times during the interview to some of the great individuals we have lost recently in the local San Diego theatre community. One of those was John Christopher Guth (December 30, 1965 – June 9, 2006). Marty made a comment that many in the local theatre never become wealthy as a result of their participation in theatre, but the work is fulfilling, exciting and something you continue to love.]

CQK: It sounds like “family” to Marty Burnett is the theatre?

MB: Although I have a brother who lives here and although I enjoy his family, I also think of family as the North Coast Rep’s Theatre School where I participate occasionally as an actor/mentor. It is truly amazing to see these kids progress from as early as eight and then accept a scholarship to some of the finest schools in the nation. Some of these kids are brilliant. I get great joy watching their artistic growth through the years.

CQK: How many shows do you design per season?

MB: When I started I did about seven shows. Now—with off-nights and the theatre school one-acts—it’s about 12 now.

CQK: This sounds like an impossible job for one man.

MB: Although I do much of the work myself, I get support from volunteers like Irving Applebaum who just passed away recently. He was putting in 40-hour weeks and logged in thousands of hours. We have some of the best volunteers of any theatre in San Diego.

CQK: How many Irving Applebaums does it take to get the set ready for use?

MB: The actual set design and building process is done by me, but I call out for help at various stages like the half dozen volunteers or so needed when we strike a set.

CQK: Is your process pretty much the same with every show?

MB: Yes; there’s the initial design, followed by the model and then I add color.

CQK: How often do you read the script prior to the execution of the design?

MB: Once.

CQK: Are you guided by the Board or the Artistic Director?

MB: I’m mostly guided by the budget. The Board has little or no say in the set design
while the director may ask for specifics like a muted feeling or the like. David Ellenstein asks that any design not call attention to itself.

CQK: Does your current contract restrict you from working other tech gigs?

MB: No; I’ve stipulated that when there is time available that I will have the ability to accept assignments from other theatres, such as the Avo.

CQK: Speaking of the Avo I recently caught a production in which Marty Burnett was caught “acting” on one of his set designs. Can you tell us something about that?

[Marty Burnett studied journalism in college with a theatre minor. He can boast being directed by none other than Edward Albee in a production of The Death of Bessie Smith. The play may have been forgotten by their audience, but Marty will never forget that “horrible” experience with one of our best living playwrights.]

MB: Sandra Ellis Troy told me that I was the mailman in On Golden Pond and I should do the part. So I did.

CQK: Name a few of your proudest moments in regards to set design.

MB: Tally’s Folley, Long Days Journey into the Night and Noises Off, although I’ve liked them all. One of the most challenging was No Way to Treat a Lady. And one that I liked but was not universally embraced by the critics was Terra Nova.

[MARTY’S PLEA: Marty implores the San Diego theatre community to consider a centralized unit for set design and props. He thinks a collaborative would greatly benefit the smaller theatres, minimizing costs and maximizing the available “ready to use” props.]

CQK: How would you describe Marty Burnett in three words?

MB: Funny, solitary and sexy.

CQK: What do you bring to San Diego theatre?

MB: Attention to detail.

CQK: What was your childhood ambition?

MB: To be a doctor; then I hit the wall and things changed.

[Marty has six brothers, three of whom are doctors while one is a lawyer; he is the only sibling involved in theatre.]

CQK: Tell us one of your fondest memories with the theatre community?

MB: Running to the Colorado River and enjoying the sun and the water with individuals like John Guth.

CQK: Any plays you are especially anxious to design?

MB: Shakespeare.

CQK: What’s a perfect day for you?

MB: A non-fat latte and a fresh muffin; a read-thru of the New York Times, and watching nature; birds, the ocean, the sky; sitting on a hilltop...

CQK: At the end of the day, what does the word accomplishment mean to you?

MB: Bringing a smile to someone’s face.

CQK: What’s your favorite theatrical word?

MB: Blocking.

CQK: And if you made a wrong turn and ended up facing the devil at the end of your life and career, what would you say to him?

MB: Can I have a front row?

Marty is a solitary man but open to the idea of sharing his life with another special person. But at this moment, he’s completely fulfilled with his job, a job that gives him great satisfaction. And we are so very fortunate that he’s content to share his huge talent with the San Diego Theatre Scene. Let’s enjoy this ride together and allow Marty to continue to bring a smile to our faces.

2006-06-18T07:07:00.000-07:00

INTERVIEW – D. J. Sullivan

(EXTRA, EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT IT: D. J. Sullivan’s students (Brian Stokes and Christian Hoff) appear on the Tony Awards Show 2006 and one (Christian/Best Featured Actor in a Musical) snags a big award for his part in Jersey Boys. Oh, what a night!)

D. J. Sullivan is one of San Diego’s living legends. In 2006, this actor/director/teacher will celebrate 50 years in the business. Many in the San Diego theatre community and elsewhere call her Mom. She remains passionate about theatre, passionate about family, and passionate about life.

“Mom” Sullivan graciously invited me to her residence for the interview and in a comfy part of the house that was once the patio and is now the kitchen, DJ served coffee and freshly baked muffins as we walked down several paths of her life that she’s taken without regret and without much fear. Her life philosophy may be a mantra that she recites to many of her actors: “just do it!”

Cuauhtémoc Q. Kish (CQK): Congratulations on your latest Sullivan Player’s production, Laughter on the 23rd Floor currently playing at the Swedenborgian Church. Would you mind sharing with us your process in getting script to the stage?

D. J. Sullivan (DJS): It takes about 18 rehearsals on the average. I read each script about fifty times and I break down each script into what I call units. Each unit is a change of subject. I mark them for the actors so we can get a better handle on the character’s motivation.

CQK: You are challenging your actors to look to the sub-text in discovering and then defining their role, correct?

DJS: Yes; the sub-text is where an actor finds out what is really going on, what is motivating his character. And much of that is what’s not being said by the playwright.

CQK: It appears that writing out subtext is a necessary ingredient that helps you to define your assigned role not only as an actor but also as director.

DJS: Absolutely. I remember fondly—in the early 70’s—when Craig Noel was directing me in an anti-war piece called Trial of the Catonsville Nine. Since he was aware of my process he asked me to rewrite my subtext for the part I was playing because he knew instinctively that I could find the heart and soul of the character if the written subtext was correctly identified.

CQK: Apart from teaching San Diego Junior Theatre for a mere 17 years and adults for a mere 29 years, you have always found the time to participate as an actor in your own right as well.

DJS: Yes, although I started off as a singer in the early years of youth. I loved opera and I had a very low contralto voice. I was quite successful in winning vocal contests as an adolescent. But the (acting) bug hit me after I got a lead role in the Senior play...as a freshman. It was then that I discovered my life-long passion.

CQK: It’s my understanding that you actually raised three kids—on your own—with acting gigs actually paying the mortgage and utilities.

DJS: Before my husband died of lung cancer I made a decision to get acting jobs (commercials, TV, and movies) in Los Angeles. That’s where the money was. Since I never wanted to live in LA I drove up for interviews and acting jobs whenever necessary, sometimes as often as 3 to 5 visits per week. I shared an apartment with Lee Murphy who lived there.

CQK: Traveling to LA with such frequency must not have been an idyllic picnic.

DJS: Not at all. As a matter of fact I remember when I was working on the television show Eight is Enough and had gotten involved in the middle of a five-car crash. When I had gotten to the set I started saying my lines backwards due to the head injury I suffered.

CQK: Were you aware that you were doing this?

DJS: Not at all. The director thought it was a joke, however, when he asked me to say the lines for the third time and I kept reciting the lines backwards, he finally brought it to my attention and I knew there was definitely something wrong.

CQK: How did you handle the transition from working strictly in San Diego to LA?

DJS: Mary Crosby had been finding me commercial and industrial work in San Diego, but at some point she encouraged me to seek work in Los Angeles because that’s where the money was. She suggested that I take a course in voice and commercial with Mel Blanc. It was a phenomenal class offering a different director every hour. At that point I got an agent and the rest is written in our family history books.

CQK: The San Diego community lost Mary Crosby a few years ago; who’s your current manager?

DJS: Artist Management; Nanci Washburn.

CQK: Are you still able to handle the daily round trip to LA?

DJS: I had to give LA up about three years ago due to health considerations?

CQK: What was your very first job in Los Angeles?

DJS: It was a Smithsonian Special called The Curse of the Hope Diamond. It was based on a true story and it had major stars coming in from everywhere to play various parts; actors with pedigree like Joan Plowright. I think I was the only unknown.

CQK: Were you pre-cast or did you have to audition for the part?

DJS: I had to audition and every time you audition in that city it’s all a crap shot. For this particular audition I arrived about an hour early as is my custom and Delbert Mann (producer of the stage and movie version of Marty, among many others) told me immediately that I was wrong for the part. He said they were looking for a tall, thin, Swedish-looking actor. I asked him if I could read for the part anyways having driven all the way from San Diego and he reluctantly allowed me to read for the part. As luck would have it, three days later, Mann offered me the part.

CQK: It just goes to show that talent wins out.

DJS: Actually, I indebted to Delbert Mann’s wife for this acting opportunity. It seems that Delbert had a dream about me after my audition and he was telling his wife about the dream and she said that if this actor was actually in your dream, she was destined to have the part. That’s how I got my very first job in Los Angeles; through a dream.

CQK: How long did you work in Los Angeles?

DJS: Twenty-eight years.

CQK: You had some luck with commercials as well as films.

DJS: Luck does play a part. I remember that there was some luck involved in a Yamaha commercial that I got a while back. It was a Joe Sedelmaier commercial; he was one of the top directors in the business at the time. You have to realize that they generally herd (Yes, like in cattle) about 700 potential actors for most roles in commercials. I remember being somewhat disappointed as that they hadn’t even asked me to read; they just snapped a quick picture and you were on your way. Almost out the door they asked me if I could ride a motor cycle. I actually had to hop on and show them I could actually drive it. I maneuvered it in a few circles and was on my way again. That afternoon I got involved in another smash-up on the freeway and totaled my car. I called my agent—this was long before cell phones—and explained my circumstances and she advised me that I had gotten a call back for the Yamaha commercial. Since it was a national commercial my agent actually picked me up in the pouring rain and drove me to the call-back location, some three hours late. I got the job; my first national Settlemeyer commercial. It even won a Cleo Award.

CQK: You’ve worked on Eight is Enough with some regularity. What were some of the other shows where you had a recurring role?

DJS: Baretta. I worked with Robert Blake, who was the worst person I ever had the pleasure of working with. Since he was 5’ 3” tall, Universal wouldn’t hire any woman over 5’ 1”, except in a few unique circumstances.

CQK: How about a favorite experience?

DJS: Murder She Wrote with Angela Landsbury. I played her best friend when she donned her red wig and played the English cousin. We spent most of our acting time holed up in a pub.

CQK: You’ve been very busy with your participation in SAG.

DJS: I was on the national SAG board for an extended period of time. Among other duties, part of my responsibility at the time was to nominate an individual for the annual SAG award. I pushed for various actors like Bette Davis and Sydney Potier to get the award for years. When Sydney finally won he kissed my hand in thanks and I thought I had died and gone to heaven.

CQK: You’ve been instrumental in many an actor’s success.

DJS: It’s so comforting to turn on the TV and see so many students that have participated in my classes over the years. Brian Stokes Mitchell was a student of mine among many others.

CQK: How do you get your students?

DJS: Word of mouth.

CQK: What classes do you offer?

DJS: I offer film classes in the summer and in the fall I offer a serious theme theatre class. And in January/February I teach subtext with Michael Shurtleff’s guideposts.

CQK: Tell us something about Michael Shurtleff.

DJS: He was the author of “Audition” and remains my mentor and teacher. He was also David Merrick’s casting director. As a result of seeing him on a Dick Cavett Show I wrote him a 9-page letter that elicited a response from the author some ten months later. When he came to LA for health reasons and offered a class I auditioned and got accepted. As a result of his class I embraced many of his suggestions found in his book and audition philosophy and they remain a part of the classes that I continue to offer.

CQK: Do you instinctively know when one of your students will soar above the others?

DJS: Yes; there is a certain X-factor that is readily apparent to me; you feel their future stardom.

CQK: Those students would include individuals like Christian Hoff and Brian Stokes.

DJS: Yes; they seem to live, eat and sleep it.

CQK: How did you make the leap from your love of singing to your love of theatre?

[DJ has appeared in numerous TV shows: Pt. Pleasant, Without A Trace, Cover Me, Pensacola, Renegade, Murder She Wrote, Dallas, Baretta, Starsky & Hutch, Eight is Enough, and General Hospital. Movies: In the Deep Woods, Happy Hour, Raise the Titanic, Caught in Time, Going Ape, Look What’s Happened to Rosemary’s Baby and all four of the Killer Tomato movies. Reading: Collision With A Stranger.]

DJS: I never really loved singing; that was foisted upon my by my father. I was encouraged to audition for a part in the Senior class play when I was a freshman. I did it in large part to develop my stage presence as a singer. Well, I snagged the lead--which had never happened before—and things were never the same afterwards.

CQK: Why was that?

DJS: Well, I think part of it was that I never had to perform as a solo again. I had the support of an entire cast. As a singer I had always felt so alone.

CQK: Have you ever experienced any great disappointments in not getting a role?

DJS: I was invited for the final callbacks for a show called Divorce Judge with Robert Blake. NBC got a bit nervous after reportage of a “family problem” and cancelled their option for the show.

CQK: Tell me something about your family.

DJS: My daughter, Rene, the oldest, just got married for the second time in our theatre. She taught drama for 14 years in high school and she’s now preparing for a job as a librarian. Tim is the middle child with a brand new baby. And my youngest, Annie, has three kids and runs a nursery school.

CQK: Could you describe yourself in three words?

DJS: Love, Mom, passion.

[In case any of you are wondering, “DJ Sullivan” is her legal name, just as “Cuauhtémoc Quetzalcoatl Kish” is my legal name. DJ changed her name when she discovered that publishers were more inclined to publish male writers. After the name change—guess what?—she published several children’s plays. And no, I am not going to tell you what DJ stood for. I’ll take that secret to my grave unless the money is real darn good.]

CQK: Sounds like a perfect description to me. What’s the future hold for DJ Sullivan?

DJS: There’s a new project I’m involved in called “Agatha and Tillie.” It’s about two old ladies who don’t have enough money to pay the bills so they start a life robbery. It hasn’t been sold yet, but is winning over the comedy competitions in many festivals. One of my former students, Mickey Harrison, wrote and produced it. We’ve filmed two episodes already and there are several more that have been written.

CQK: Is there something out there that you are biting at the bit to do?

DJS: There’s a one-woman show I’d like to do about Mrs. Lincoln and there’s a book project that I’d like to complete about sub-text one day.

CQK: What’s a perfect day for you?

DJS: I start every day with a poem and I try to read a play each and every day. And, of course, I read the NY Times reviews.

CQK: What advice, if any, would you offer younger individuals thinking about a career in theatre and/or cinema?

DJS: Face your fear; face it and then just do it!

CQK: What’s your greatest accomplishment?

DJS: Just being alive.

[DJ celebrated a recent anniversary on June 13th of this year. It marked her 16th year without cancer after the doctors removed her entire lung, all three lobes. DJ gives credit to dear friends Dori and Robert Salerno for saving her life during this crisis.)

CQK: What’s your favorite theatrical word?

DJS: Curtain up or down.

CQK: If you ran into the devil at the end of your life what would you say to him?

DJS: You should have come to the play.

CQK: Do you have any parting words for the San Diego Theatre community?

DJS: Just love what you do and do it well and don’t ever stop learning.

2006-05-16T22:36:00.000-07:00

INTERVIEW – Seema Sueko

Seema Sueka visited me recently at my home in North Park. As it turned out it was my first “casual” interview conducted on the living room rug. It must have something to do with how comfortable she makes you feel. And within minutes of chatting she made the startling announcement that my dog Yatzachi had just French-kissed her (She’s had all her shots so not to worry). That seemed to break the fast-melting ice even more. Seema is not in the least bothered by aggressively French-kissing dogs, nor the daunting task of pushing her current agenda, the bulk of her energy and time invested in the promotion and development of the Mo’olelo Performing Arts Company.

Cuauhtémoc Q. Kish (CQK): How did you arrive on San Diego soil?

Seema Sueko (SS): I was born in Pakistan (father’s side is Pakistani; mother’s side is Japanese) and 10 months later the family moved to Hawaii. I actually grew up in Hawaii and moved from there to attend college in Tacoma, Washington. After graduation from the University of Peugeot Sound I attended grad school at the University of Chicago. From there I lived in Seattle (Chorus Line) for a short time; then New York City, and finally to San Diego.

CQK: How much time did you spent in New York and how was that experience?

SS: I spent a half year there (2002) before my husband got a job opportunity in San Diego. There are lots of wonderful opportunities in New York for an actor. If you work hard, you’ll find both work and an agent within a short time.

[Mo’olelo’s 2006 Season: The Adoption Project: TRIAD, Since Africa and My Home.]

CQK: You founded Mo’olelo after you relocated to San Diego?

SS: Actually, the Company was founded in 2000 in Hawaii with Kim (Palma) as a non-profit corporation. We had been involved in various projects that pulled us away from Mo’olelo but after I arrived in San Diego both of us started putting more attentions into the Company.

CQK: You’ve been extremely busy making Mo’olelo a vibrant, new contributor to the Theatre Community in San Diego. How is it different from other companies?

SS: I wanted the focus to be multi-cultural. In addition, I wanted to work with actors, writers, designers, and directors who may not be in a position to get main-stream opportunities.

[Mission Statement (abridged): Mo’olelo exists to uncover and research stories within different communities and bring them to life on stage, using all the artistic and technical elements of the performing arts. It exists to produce original stories by contemporary writers. It exists to educate youth in technical theatre and design. Mo’olelo is the Hawaiian word for story, legend, tale or narrative.]

CQK: What’s the most important aspect of recruiting for Mo’olelo?

SS: Individuals working within our organization should have a strong work ethic. They need to know that a lot of the work we do is not glamorous. A good match with Mo’olelo is an individual who can figure out how to get stuff done; look for the resources and seek the proper advice. They need to bring a vision and be courageous.

CQK: How do you find the right people?

SS: Many of them come with good reputations; others, you don’t know until you actually work with them.

CQK: One of your successful productions with Mo’olelo was Remains. Are you currently developing other writing projects?

SS: I’m involved in a project that has been commissioned by Mixed Blood in Minneapolis as a co-writer. Velina Hasu Houston (challenged with writing the first scene) and four other playwrights will write as a tag-team, each writing a scene and then passing it onto the next writer. It will be reviewed by the Dramatist’s Association and a dramaturge. It’s carries a bi-racial theme and it is hoped that we will have a workshop in 2007.

CQK: Remains has been produced outside of San Diego; how did that happen?

SS: Saint Mary’s University in Minnesota chose to produce this play after reviewing a couple hundred scripts written by female writers about the Palestine/Israeli conflict.

CQK: How do you balance your priorities between your acting career and your responsibility to Mo’olelo?

SS: It’s a symbiotic relationship at best. I must say that—at this point—I would put Mo’olelo ahead of my individual acting pursuits. I’ve turned down a few acting jobs, but if I was offered a role in which I would grow from I would certainly consider it. It has to be the right role at the right time.

CQK: You worked in a show called Within the Silence about the internment of the Japanese during WWII. Can you tell us something about the experience?

SS: The show was produced through Living Voices out of Chicago. They develop one-person shows from a historical, informational and educational perspective.

CQK: I went to a recent reading (The Squirrel Wife) sponsored by Mo’olelo and written by Kimber Lee. What’s the status of that project and how did you meet her?

SS: Kimber Lee and I met as actors at the Indiana Rep. She’s based in Seattle (Dramaturge for Empty Space Theatre) and we just kept in touch, exchanging some of our material, and that lead to Mo’olelo’s commissioning her for The Adoption Project: TRIAD. We both think theatre is less about us and more about creating opportunities.

CQK: What is your next project for Mo’olelo?

SS: Mia McCullough’s Since Africa is scheduled for the fall. It is the story of Alter, a boy from Sudan, and two volunteers who try to acclimate him to life in urban America (Chicago). It’s about the complexities of refugee resettlement. At times you’re suffering the loss of home and family and ritual (loss of culture); you’re still grieving.

CQK: Can you tell us something about the educational component that is working in conjunction with Since Africa?

SS: The educational component includes working with students in a community building and trust building project. It’s an interaction that will expose them to how theatre is made from beginning to end. The project is partnered with the International Rescue Mission and the after school program in place at Crawford High School that includes refugees from Somalia, Vietnam, Mexico and Sudan, among others.

CQK: Tell us a little more about The Adoption Project.

SS: It was inspired from interviews with members of the adoption community. It includes music, humor, and different styles. We got great feedback from the recent reading, but it’s still a work-in-progress.

ABOUT SEEMA:

[Theatre Roles: Intelligent Life of Jenny Chow (Yale Rep & The Old Globe Theatre), A Chorus Line ((The 5th Avenue Theatre), West Side Story (Village Theatre, Seattle), Remains, A Piece of My Heart, The Phoenician Women (Synapse Prod/NYC), One Thousand Cranes (Indiana Rep), China Doll (NW Asian American Theatre), The Crime of the Century (Circle Theatre), Pentecost (Theatre Building/Chicago), Waiting Room (Stage Left/Chicago), Five Women Wearing the Same Dress (Circle Theatre/Chicago) & more.]

CQK: Describe yourself in three words?

SS: Collaborative, driven and focused.

CQK: What do you bring to San Diego that no one else does?

SS: Union work for local actors; paying health insurance to those same actors. I have a commitment to pay all actors and create theatre that is not limited to a passive theatrical experience.

CQK: You get full houses for all of your productions; what’s the secret?

SS: I work hard at community theatre building that might benefit generations to come.

CQK: Was your childhood ambition to be an actor?

SS: My first experience as an actor was at the age of 12, but I had other ambitions (Seema has a grad degree in International Relations) to work in Middle East politics.

CQK: How does Seema unwind away from the theatre?

SS: I walk my dog, Sara; she’s an Australian Cattle dog mix.

CQK: At the end of the day what does the word accomplishment mean to you?

SS: It just reminds me that I have a lot to do; that my plate is full.

CQK: What’s your favorite theatrical word?

SS: I have two words for you: relationship and ensemble.

CQK: Any recent theatrical experiences?

SS: I enjoy just about anything that Rick Seers (Director) does. He has a great eye and focuses on relationships. He honors what the playwright has written and I’m looking forward to seeing his latest effort, Trying, at the Cassius Carter.

San Diego is truly blessed to have Seema Sueko and Mo’olelo Performing Arts Company in our own backyard. If we treat them neighborly, they may stay forever. Already Seema has proved to be more than just a neighbor; she’s to be considered family.

2006-05-06T07:15:00.000-07:00

INTERVIEW: Al Germani

I visited Al Germani at his business office (private practice/psychiatry) recently and allowed him to sit comfortably in his leather chair and be the patient for a change. I encouraged and allowed him an opportunity to let it all out in an almost stream-of-consciousness fashion. After our brief session I have advised Al that he needs long-term care and recommended that he continue with theatre as a way to free himself from the dark daemons living within and to continue to infuse the San Diego arts community with rewarding, challenging, gut-wrenching theatre. Who knows, he may even follow my advice? Here’s some of what he had to say:

Cuauhtémoc Q. Kish (CQK): Would you be kind enough to gift your audience with a few pieces of the Al Germani picture puzzle: work, family, passions?

Al Germani (AG): I’m single, I’m in my fifth decade on this planet; I have a special person in my life at the moment; no kids; and I have a private psychiatric practice for long-term patients.

CQK: I understand that you and I were born in Western Pennsylvania?

AG: I was born in New Castle, Pennsylvania (Cuauhtemoc was born in Tarentum, Pennsylvania).

CQK: Is it true that you carry a degree in psychology as well as one in the arts?

AG: I have degrees in Psychiatric Social Work and Mental Health and I finished work for a Masters in Performing Arts. I got a scholarship to Rutgers (New Jersey) and completed my B.A. in mostly freezing weather with about 5,000 other male students. After way too much rain and cold weather I came out to L. A. From L. A. I came to San Diego and enrolled in USCD. I had several friends who were involved in dance and after attending a few events together I got hooked on some of the avant-garde dance troops from Europe. Apart from the artistic side of it, that exposure convinced me that it would also be a great way to stay in shape since I had been an athlete all my life.

CQK: A number of years ago you developed and taught a dance class for jocks; correct?

AG: In the 80’s I taught a “dance for athlete’s class” at SDSU. It received a lot of press at the time and it was a good way for the athletes to score high on their grades. I’ve got to tell you that I worked them extremely hard; they earned their grades.

CQK: The combination of dance and psychiatry appears to suggest interesting-to-strange bedfellows?

AG: The combination of the physical, mental health and the artistic proved to be a great combination. So much so that I just worked dance into my personal curriculum and got another degree.

CQK: And from there...?

AG: I worked with Scott Fetcher at Sledgehammer Theatre and became the resident choreographer for a time. I also connected with performance artists at Sushi through my friendship with Vicki Wolf and others.

CQK: You were on two separate paths (artistic and mental health) that somehow connected naturally as you progressed with both.

AG: Yes; it’s interesting how my path to private practice exposed me to some of the artistic mindscapes I would encounter in both dance and theatre, such as alcohol, drug, and child abuse; rape victims, working with prisoners, and other abused individuals. This eclectic background has direct application to many of the shows that Lynx has produced to date.

[Lynx Performance Theatre’s Mission Statement: “...dedicated to the creative, authentic investigation and presentation of the human condition. Our goal is to produce award winning plays in an exciting, provocative, progressive theatre format that incorporates psychological credibility and emotional realism.]

CQK: How do you actually pick as season of shows for Lynx?

AG: I look for actual characters in plays in which I have worked psychotherapeutically at every stage of their lives. In Jesus Hopped the A Train, for example, I worked with individuals just like the roles created by (Stephen Adly) Guirgis.

CQK: You sound like you would make the perfect playwright.

AG: I’m not quite ready to write a play yet but I have any number of ideas. I think I would tap into the style of (Sam) Shepard and Guirgis, whose cryptically written works allow for three or four meanings within a line of dialog. Buried Child can be analyzed for hours in that vein.

CQK: It appears that your Dance Company has morphed into a Theatre Company; would that be a correct assumption?

AG: Yes: our productions at Sushi lent themselves to theatre. There was dance, but they were combined with a nice mix of vocal recitation as well. In addition I have worked with Stage 7, SDSU and was a staff member of Grossmont College. My former Dance Company is now what is called Lynx Performance Theatre. You have to understand that dancing is a tough gig; it’s a hard thing to do. It requires tremendous physicality and as soon as you walk on a stage you are already abstracting.

[Lynx Performance Theatre Accolades: 2004 & 2005 KPBS Patte Award Winner;
2004 San Diego Magazine for Best of the Year List for both Jesus Hopped the A Train and In Arabia We’d All Be Kings.]
CQK: You’re not afraid of visiting and then further exploring the unconscious in your works?

[The Premiere of Crave by Sarah Kane and directed by Al Germani is May 5 at 9PM. Visit theatre@lynxperformance.com for more information.]

AG: I enjoy artists like Sarah Kane and Sam Shepard. They both work cryptically in the sense that they offer multiple meanings within their text and their style lends itself towards a tapping into their own unconscious and free associating with their ideas.

CQK: How would you describe Sarah Kane’s work?

AG: Her earlier stuff was shock theatre (raping/killing/etc.). But there is brilliance in her work as she taps into the primal side of herself. At moments you can tell she was actually living that drama. In Crave, she moved from shock theatre to what Balanchine calls the beauty in anger. There is a beautiful esthetic in her poetry, even though it’s fractured.

[Sarah Kane is a playwright known for the emotional power of her plays as well as her suicide and the posthumous production of her last play, 4.48 Psychosis. She pushed naturalistic boundaries in plays such as Blasted, Phaedra’s Love, Cleansed and Crave. It’s no wonder Al Germani is intrigued by this writer since she touches upon themes of violation, loneliness, and mental collapse in her plays. Crave is about one individual with four distinct voices describing loss, desire, and love.]

CQK: How did the actors feel about their journey in the rehearsal process?

AG: They discovered the wonderful and the deadly within this piece; the joyous and the tragic. We tried to honor her poetry and while much is flying wildly about, we looked to the content for the profound within. It’s much like a work of art in that there is a distant beauty followed by the ugliness of reality that is another form of artistic beauty. I tried to have each actor discover the essence of the context of each of their assigned character’s lines.

CQK: As a director you have said that part of your success is measured with your definition of the “Trifecta.” Can you explain that concept?

AG: The concept of the “Trifecta” is broken down into three parts. The first part is the “Ah” feeling that I want the audience to feel (Is the presentation compelling enough?). The second part is that I want the audience to walk out of the theatre talking about the play and exploring the substance. And the third part is that over time I hope that they are touched by the play on a deeper level that can be explored again and again in the future.

CQK: In other words, you want the audience to be surprised and learn from the expected?

AG: The answer is something like the experience of Noh Theatre. That concept suggests that really great art brings an audience to a level of emotion that they weren’t expecting, about your visit to the theatre being experiential.

CQK: You seem to have a world view of dramatic presentation?

AG: I believe that a director is responsible for releasing the excellence within the structure of a play; finding that freedom within the text that he is presenting.

CQK: You have a mantra or saying that is known to your actors; can you recite it for us?

AG: Fuck good; only great matters.

CQK: It is said that you are very exact with the direction you gift your actors, even going to the point of scoring a text.

AG: I feel that each character has a different rhythm all its own and I will convey that rhythm to an actor if they can’t find it themselves.

CQK: What aspects of your directing style contribute to its success?

AG: Anything from improvisation to fever runs to actual physicality between actors; all in an effort to find the character and the play’s emotion; anything that will bring out the beauty and the beast while honoring the words of the text. I assist what I call a healthy deconstruction of the play; that deep essence that is beyond the words.

CQK: Describe yourself in three words.

AG: Excited, Passionate and artistic.

CQK: Al Germani has been known to say that theatre “is all about the work;” true or false?

AG: True: I like to find a place where the artistry is bringing something to the audience; that it is going to touch people. I don’t do “cutting edge” theatre for the sake of doing cutting edge theatre. For me it’s how you get there. Like Beckett said, that naturalistic place that you’re trying to reach is on the edge of animalism. It’s how you create art.

CQK: Name a few of your influences in theatre.

AG: A Dance-Theatre Performance Group called “Contraband.” They believe in bringing the audience to a new level called the Universal. Motzart called it “Being With God.” Another influence has been a Group called La La La Human Steps, an avant-garde group from Montreal headed by Edward Loche. And many others like Beckett, Peter Brook...

CQK: How do you unwind?

AG: It’s sometimes difficult in delineating between work and play. Even in my private practice it’s a mix because my practice is so rewarding. I can unwind by playing golf or seeing La La Human Steps in LA.

[If you’re looking for a great long-term shrink you might want to visit with Al Germani on a professional basis and you can start by visiting his website: http://www.psychotherapyfortheartist.com.]

CQK: What does accomplishment mean to you?

AG: Looking for the extended, long-term depth in relationships and taking a project to a level of quality where there is growth.

Al Germani is a man who loves talking about life (and theatre). His essence seems to be destined to unearth the beautiful chaos in our world and he has been successful on that level with Lynx Performance Theatre to date. We can only wish him continued success in San Diego. I say, rattle us, Al!

2006-04-26T14:02:00.000-07:00

INTERVIEW: Jim Chovick

I recently chatted with the oftentimes intense looking, brooding Jim Chovick at his comfortable yellow cottage-residence nestled in the Normal Heights area of town. It’s a home that rings on a musically-happy note as you approach the door and clang the bell. Lulu and Ollie (Don’t they know I’m a dog person?), Jim’s adorable feline kids, brazenly demanded my attentions during our interview. But Jim and I meandered through some twists and turns in his life to give you a glimpse into the quiet but busy life of this “in-demand” San Diego character actor.

Cuauhtémoc Q. Kish (CQK): I always start with a challenging ice breaker; would you describe yourself in three words; revisions are acceptable?

[There must be a bit more reverence given to an interviewee with such pedigree initials as “JC.”]

Jim Chovick (JC): Kind, indulgent and happy.

CQK: What do you bring to San Diego Theatre that’s unique and all Chovick-ian?

JC: I bring food to the many Green Rooms where I am acting.

CQK: Admittedly then, you are a great cook?

JC: I’m usually cooking up the “recipe of the week” and I truly enjoy giving great dinner parties and it goes without saying, most come with a theme.

CQK: Was your childhood ambition to be an actor?

JC: My childhood ambition was NOT to be a child; I yearned for adulthood.

CQK: We both have reached a lovely adulthood. Now that you have arrived in some adult, theatrical glory, what parts are you coveting?

JC: Nothing in particular; luckily, the parts just come to me. In the immediate future I will have roles in Amadeus, Copenhagen, Festival of Christmas, and Desire Under the Elms.

CQK: Sounds to me like you are not about to loose your Equity card.

JC: I am not a card-carrying Equity member, although I carry a SAG card. I find it lovely when I am paid equity wages from a few companies in San Diego, but I wanted to be able to accept employment in any theatre company in San Diego, non-Equity included.

CQK: It seems to me that you are one of the most employed actors in San Diego; do you have a day job or are you a full-time actor?

JC: I went to school at San Diego State and majored in English and got a degree from UCLA. But I was never extremely ambitious (You could have fooled us!). I always thought that if you wanted acting as a career you have to treat it as such and in the early days I thought it a field that was entirely too competitive.

CQK: So when did your illustrious San Diego theatre career begin?

JC: It started in 1990. After a rather long hiatus from acting successfully in high school and college productions, I took a course at Mesa College in musical theatre (Art & Yvonne Noel). You must know that I can’t really sing, but it taught one how to put a show together. As part of this two semester course we presented our show to various Nursing Homes and such in the area. And it was during this time that I was diagnosed with cancer of the throat.

CQK: That obviously interrupted your theatrical ambitions for a time I take it.

JC: I had to curtain my work in theatre for about a year and a half during the time that I was taking radiation treatments. I suffered the loss of a lot of weight during this period but I am glad to announce that I am cured.

CQK: Did the treatment affect your voice at all?

JC: Not really; it killed some ability to produce saliva and during some productions where I’ve had extended time on the stage the throat gets a bit dry, but luckily that’s the extent of it.

CQK: After your cancer was cured, was there a specific invitation that brought you back into active participation with the theatre community of San Diego?

JC: I had an audition with a Christian Theatre (CCT); I got a part in Guys and Dolls and I guess they liked what they saw as I was offered parts for their entire season that included The Wizard of Oz, Carousel and Hello Dolly.

CQK: So your exposure with CCT propelled you into professional theatre?

JC: Not exactly; someone encouraged me to audition for the All City Auditions through Actors Alliance and suddenly I was getting all kinds of calls to do shows, mostly as part of the Fritz Blitz. I guess they didn’t have a lot of old men in their male actor cadre, so I was suddenly in demand. I believe I was in seven productions that year.

CQK: A kind of Chovick-Blitz?

JC: You could say that. K. B. Mercer had seen me in the Fritz Blitz and invited me to participate in an Ionesco play called The Picture that would be playing in an art gallery. Darla Cash was involved as an actor and the production was well attended.

CQK: And from that you obviously received even more acting invitations?

JC: Yes; individuals like Greg Gunther from La Jolla Playhouse began calling and I was cast in a show with Priscilla Allen in Cabaret (They both won Dramalogue Awards.) I did the show later under the direction of Sean Murray at North Coast Rep with Linda Libby. After that I was invited to audition at Lamb’s Players for a show and after singing the scales (Jim keeps reminding me that he can’t sing and I just don’t believe him). I was then cast in four other shows for that season. I had thought that I would perform in Community Theatre, never even thinking that I might get paid for my participation.

[After living in New York City, Jim moved to San Diego with his partner, John, in September of 1979. Jim, a spry 60-year old baby boomer who participates in water aerobics at the Mission Valley “Y,” works at the San Diego Country Club. John has recently retired and is House Manager for Cygnet Theatre Company.]

CQK: Do you have a day job?

JC: I became a waiter in New York and I used to work at the Embarcadero Room, but I took a job at the San Diego Country Club because I get off at one in the afternoon which affords me time to take a nap, participate in a rehearsal, and do a show.

CQK: You never worked as an actor in New York?

JC: No.

CQK: How did you manage to get yourself to the Big Apple?

JC: I became very unhappy working in Marketing Research for Columbia Pictures and just dropped out for a time. I hitch-hiked across the country to New York and that’s where I met John.

CQK: What’s your best and worst audition experience in San Diego?

JC: The worst has got to be an audition for a Reading of one of Edward Albee’s plays. It was for an On-Book-On-Stage production and I just wasn’t prepared. One of my best was for an All-Cities Audition for Angles in America (the role of Roy Cohn).

CQK: Is there a professional theatre in San Diego where you haven’t worked?

JC: No; but some were limited to a Reading (Diversionary).

[Jim’s career includes: The Old Globe’s The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (Old Max); Lamb’s Players’ The Winslow Boy (Arthur Winslow), 1776 (James Wilson), A Man for All Seasons (Cranmer), & several Christmas productions; La Jolla Playhouse’s Our Town, Cygnet Theatre’s The Invention of Love (AEH), Cat On A Hot Tin Roof (Big Daddy); North Coast Rep’s Cabaret (Herr Shultz), Travesties (Lenin); The Fritz’s Rhinoceros (Jean) & multiple appearances in the Fritz Blitz; SD Rep’s Restless Spirits (Winchester); New Village Arts’ Orphans (Harold); Sledgehammer Theatre’s Sweet Charity (Herman) & When the World Was Green (Old Man) and many more!]

CQK: You work for the love of it.

JC: Yes; and the money is helpful.

CQK: Let’s talk SAG for a moment.

JC: I received a call from Sarah Altman one day with an invitation for a part in a TV series (first episode) called The Invisible Man. I was to play the part of the Senator. This was my first role in a film and I had no idea how to act; I just observed and responded to the text and have been invited back on numerous occasions as a result.

CQK: What criteria do you establish for accepting a role?

JC: I need to know the director (his reputation). I need to know that the project is in capable hands.

CQK: Any favorites?

JC: Sean Murray is a genius; Rosina Reynolds is remarkable. I would also include the Lamb’s Player’s triumvirate of Kerry Meads and Bob and Debbie Smyth.

CQK: As a close friend of Rosina, would the personal ever interfere with the professional (as director)?

JC: With Rosina it’s all about the work; nothing is personal. She works with actors to maximize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. And she doesn’t suffer fools.
I think she’s a goddess.

CQK: Two of the finest performances that I’ve seen you in recently were Duck Variations at the Actor’s Alliance Festival and Sledgehammer’s When the World Was Green. Can you comment on these experiences?

JC: Working with Kirsten Brandt on her first and last Sledgehammer productions was an interesting coincidence; both wonderful experiences. (Pause.) I fondly remember my experience with the late Jack Banning in Duck Variations. It was a lovely process and we (Robert Dahey as director, Jack and myself) fought a lot during this lovely process to create good drama. We used to rehearse in the Park next to the lawn bowling area where we pretended it was a lake. Jack was very passionate. I cherish a wooden duck that he gave me to commemorate our experience.

[Jim has carried home a few awards in his career to include Dramalogue, San Diego Critic’s Circle, Patte, Billie and Robbie.]

CQK: How does “JC” unwind?

JC: I enjoy gardening and I participate in water aerobics.

CQK: At the end of the day, what does the word accomplishment mean to you?

JC: A good night’s sleep.

CQK: What’s your favorite “theatre” word?

JC: Rehearsal; working thru a rehearsal.

CQK: If you somehow made a wrong turn and ended up facing the devil at the end of your illustrious life and career, what would you say to him?

JC: I have lived up to all of your expectations.

Jim Chovick is an actor that has a tremendous instrument; his voice is mesmerizing, comforting and professional. It’s a voice that adapts from one character to another with the greatest ease (at least from the audience’s perspective). Perhaps that comes with age; perhaps it comes with experience; perhaps it’s simply because he’s so damn talented.

2006-04-26T14:01:00.000-07:00

INTERVIEW: Richard Baird

I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Richard Baird, Artistic Director of Poor Players, prior to his departure to Ashland, Oregon where he will show his stuff at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) and no doubt, make us proud. Richard has been assigned roles in The Winters Tale, Cyrano de Bergerac and The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Traveling about the city, making last minute preparations, I chatted in person and via cell and this is what he had to say.

Cuauhtémoc Q. Kish (CQK): You are leaving San Diego and the Poor Players; what will you miss the most?

Richard Baird (RB): My family, and by extension I mean my parents and siblings and all of those fabulous members of the Poor Players.
CK: Your immediate family actually participated in the Poor Players organization, correct?

RB: My mom designed many of the costumes, my brother designed the Website, and my father did the programs.

CQK: What are some of the most memorable moments with Poor Players?

RB: I think I would have to say my participation in Henry IV, Part 1 as well as the many cast parties following the shows like Much Ado About Nothing.

CQK: What’s the difference between directing yourself and being directed by someone else?

RB: I took the role of actor/manager out of necessity. It allowed me to shape and form the characters as I saw them. You have to realize that Poor Players lacked the resources of both time and money. We put most of the shows together with 3-hour rehearsals nightly in a mere four weeks. I am anxious to begin my experience at Ashland as an actor. I want to learn from others and to have someone tell me when to reign in my acting and let me know when it’s too much.

CQK: Is there life for Poor Players without Richard Baird?

RB: I hope so. The Company is planning to produce Hedda Gabler at Westminster Church in 2006. Julie Clemons will contribute as well as Marcus Overton, who will offer assistance as well as direct a piece. And Nick (Kennedy) and I will be advising the Company. I’d personally like to produce Rose Rage (Henry VI compilation) in the future with Poor Players.

CQK: Any regrets?

RB: When you have a company that moves around a lot it’s more difficult to fill the house. It hurt when we lost our contract with the Adams Avenue Studio of the Arts. But even from our first show, Titus Andronicus, we brought them in mostly by word of mouth and our growing professional reputation.

CQK: Tell us something about your new job in Ashland.

RB: Well, it is one of the oldest and largest professional non-profit theatres in the nation (founded in 1935). Their season runs eight and a half months with eleven productions in three theatres. They have a budget of approximately $25 million. Their attendance is in the range of about 360,000. They offer about 60 equity contracts and I’m planning on getting my card through them. It’s said that 80% of the actors remain there an average of eight years.

CQK: Congratulations on getting hired in this Tony Award –winning Shakespearean Festival; you will do well.

[Poor Players was founded in September 2001 with their first production, Titus Andronicus. In the past four plus years they certainly followed their credo: to provide “living resonant narratives” that allow the text to speak.]

2006-04-26T13:51:00.000-07:00

INTERVIEW: Ruff Yeager

The Spotlight’s on Ruff Yeager

Ruff Yeager is a man about town. He’s an actor, playwright, musician, and gay Dad.
He has a solid commitment to theatre, so much so that he recently got brave enough to say a fond farewell to his long-time employer. Currently he’s nothing less than a theatrical acrobat, flying about San Diego without any financial or artistic safety net. He’s got a new show debuting at the Adams Avenue Studio of the Arts called Cool As We Fly.

I was lucky enough to catch up to Ruff this week with a telephonic conversation that had the sounds of his kids coming and going in the background.

Cuauhtémoc Q. Kish (CQK): You’ve been a part of Sledgehammer Theatre for quite some time. Can you speak to us about that relationship?

Ruff Yeager (RY): I’ve been an ensemble member of Sledgehammer since 2000. All of the members have a commitment to this theatre and artistic contributors like myself help define the vision at the “Sledge,” along with artistic director, Kirsten Brandt.

CQK: Sledgehammer Theatre offers guest spots during their season. Will your upcoming show be premiered at the Sledge?

RY: No, it’s going to be performed at the Robert Korbett’s Avenue Adams Studio of the Arts. However, Sledgehammer Theatre does offer space to other disciplines. This year Kirsten has offered the open space to Sushi Performing Arts until the City builds them the space they lost with the opening of the new ball park. I’ll be performing in this production and following that up with a role in A Dream Play opening October 16 as part of Sledgehammer’s current season.

CQK: You’re a musician as well. What projects are you currently involved with that lend themselves to musicality?

RY: I am currently composing the score for Bright Shiny Objects which is written by one of the other ensemble players, David Tierney. This one will be directed by Kirsten Brandt as well and I’ll even be playing the piano on stage.

CQK: Sounds like the relationship you have with Kirsten and Sledgehammer is a wonderful opportunity to hone all of your artistic talents. How did you find the time to write Cool As We Fly?

RY: I’ve been a writer all my life. I’ve had a few successes in San Diego that you may have heard about. In 2000 Friends of Dorothy was produced at Diversionary theatre. I had a 1998 production of it in Provincetown, but I expanded it from a two-actor play to 10-actor show and it enjoyed a nice run. In 2001 I did a Christmas show called Sounds in the Key of Winter at what is now the 6th@Penn Theatre.

It is clear to understand why Ruff Yeager had to quit his managerial retail position with Robinsons-May. Corporate America robs artists, young and old, of the necessary creative juices until they have nothing left to offer their public. In addition to creative juices Ruff has been with his partner for 14 years and between the two of them they have nine kids and some grandkids. His 20-year old son currently lives with Dad while the other kids come and go. Ruff says he’s a family oriented kind of guy.

CQK: Where did you get the idea for your current production, Cool As We Fly?

RY: It’s auto-biographical to some extent while the time period is about 1984. It deals with issues of strangers in hospital rooms. There’s a gay character, Troy, who’s there as a result of an attempted suicide. In addition to Troy, there are two female characters, Wendy and Kim, one dying of breast cancer and another who has just lost a child.

CQK: How would you categorize the genre?

RY: I would say it’s a supernatural mystery about strangers who somehow find that they are interrelated. A deaf, 9-year old girl, using American Sign Language, connects the lives of three individuals on an intimate, emotional and spiritual journey. She’s an interpreter of dreams in a somewhat supernatural landscape.

Ruff is no stranger to the stage, nor is he a fledgling playwright. He won an award for best new play at the Fritz Blitz for Losing Mother. He’s called upon to direct when available, as he did for Diversionary’s production of Bent and Sledgehammer’s very well received recent production of SIC. He’s currently involved in the Playwright’s Project where he teaches playwrighting at high schools. The mission is to improve the student’s literary skills. They even conduct a playwriting competition each January for those 17 and under which is showcased at the Old Globe Theatre.

When all is said and done, Ruff and his partner do more to raise the rainbow flag than most. By communicating openly with their family and community they are showing the world that gay men can be models of parenthood as well as gay models in the community.

2006-04-26T13:46:00.000-07:00

INTERVIEW: Richard Wright

The secret is out; Douglas Wright’s play, “I Am My Own Wife” continues to be embraced by the theatre world at large. Doug nabbed the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2004 and won a Tony for Best Play as well. The play recently left its home at Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre for a run around the globe, stopping off here in San Diego at the La Jolla Playhouse as part of its 2005 Season.
Playhouse Artistic Director, Des McAnuff, like an encouraging father figure, accepted Douglas Wright’s play in development a few years back as a project for the Page to Stage new play development program. Des is now beaming like a proud papa at its success.
“IAMOW” is all about a struggling transvestite by the name of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, living under the 20th Century’s two most conformist regimes, the Nazis and the Communists. Trapped in a male body, she changed pronouns to become a “she” in her early years. A heroine in her own right, she became a collector that seems to underscore the historical journey through her life and those regimes. Born in 1928 as Lothar Berfelde, she lived to tell her tale—or most of it—before she passed in April of 2002.
Wright, after amassing a mere 500 pages of transcript with Charlotte, gifted her story to the world through his dynamic award-winning play. Currently, as the Tony award winning actor for IAMOW, Jefferson Mays takes on some 35 characters in a tour de force performance that you can’t pass up.
I spoke to Doug from Los Angeles recently and our chit-chat is memorialized below.

Cuauhtémoc Q. Kish (CQK): Do you think IAMOW has, in some small way, changed the political landscape of this nation?

DOUGLAS WRIGHT (DW): I urgently wish I could say yes. Theatre is that adventurous, albeit rarefied form of communication that seems to preach to the already converted. I will tell you that Laura Bush attended IAMOW in Washington, D.C. and she stood with those offering up a standing ovation. My hope is that something of the evening will be shared through pillow talk to President Bush.

I commended Douglas on his very proud moment at the 2004 Tony Awards where he publicly acknowledged his husband, David Clement. Any opportunity to demonstrate to the world that gays can lead productive, wholesome lives should never be lost.

CQK: Does David play an active part in your creative life?

DW: David is very supportive of my work. I was afraid that settling down with someone and nesting would remove some of the creativity within my soul, but he has allowed me to be less tortured and focused. At times, he acts as my creative muse.

CQK: You dedicated IAMOW to your four wives; is David included amongst the four?

DW: The dedication was made before David had walked into my life. The four wives dedication includes: Moises Kaufman, Jeffrey Mays, Jeffrey Schneider (translator), and John Marks (Reporter). David will have a future dedication all his own.

CQK: You’ve won a zillion awards to date; how do you handle celebrity?

DW: I find that celebrity has provided me with an unwary heightened scrutiny of my work. Some of it is welcome, but the pressure to produce at that level can be daunting.

CQK: Do you find it just a little bit ironic that you have a gay playwright and a gay director working collaboratively with IAMOW, but the straight member of the collaboration, actor Jefferson Mays, gets to wear the panty hose and pearls?

DW: Yes, we’ve gotten a lot of laugh mileage out of that. We’ve actually asked Jefferson’s wife to join us on tour as the Assistant Director, as she is an actress in her own right and a former President of Actor’s Equity in Australia.

CQK: Would you consider Charlotte a one-woman Stonewall?

DW: Yes; in her own unobtrusive, quiet way she was a gay hero and survivor. But unlike Stonewall’s fireworks, she did it in her own graceful way.

CQK: Did you fight the truth in coming to grips with Charlotte’s story and were you ever tempted to create a fiction to protect her?

DW: I felt that battle for ten years. I broke through that writer’s block when I realized she just didn’t fit into the mold of the cardboard hero.

CQK: Do you find that, as a playwright, you can somehow change the politics of being exclusive, to one that is inclusive?

DW: I hope so… It’s a shame that arts funding has been cut so drastically because it is a conduit for understanding. It’s a way for individuals to slip into the skin of others.

CQK: Charlotte was the subject of a 1992 documentary by Rosa von Praunheim; did it influence your playwriting?

DW: It was useful as research for IAMOW only, most especially because it was sub-titled.

CQK: Along the same lines, did you find Charlotte’s autobiography useful in regards to the truth about her participation with the Nazis?

DW: I had to give up on the reading of that book as it was written in a German style that was impossible for me to absorb.

CQK: It has been said that Jefferson Mays’ portrayal of Charlotte has phrasing that is almost musical; was that intentional on your part as the playwright?

DW: I am, in fact, tone deaf. However, her recorded conversations were innately poetic, with almost a rhythmic cadence and Jefferson embraced her style as an actor.

CQK: Do you see anyone else in the role of Charlotte besides Jefferson?

DW: Yes. I’ve seen a recent benefit performance with another actor as well as one by a Swedish film star that were remarkable. I have some control over who plays the part, however, less control when it is being done by Regional Theatre.

CQK: Do you have any plans for the over 500 pages of transcripts that you have as a result of your many conversations with Charlotte?

DW: I may assign them over to historical biographers who can evaluate her story and find her place in history.

CQK: Charlotte died in 2002. Were you invited to her funeral?

DW: It was a private, family affair. Charlotte was buried before the family made the announcement to the media. Her family didn’t approve of her life. I attended a memorial service that was open to the public.

CQK: You have said that IAMOW is like a “questioning device” for the audience; what did you mean by that?

DW: History is illusive. As playwright I am the presenter of facts and want the audience to make their own decisions about Charlotte.

CQK: Has Jefferson’s portrayal of Charlotte changed over time?

DW: In many ways his portrayal has deepened. He distills her essence so beautifully that most audiences, like the one recently in Krakow, Poland, leave the theatre with great fondness and even love for Charlotte.

CQK: What’s the primary reason you write?

DW: It’s more remunerative than a suicide note.

CQK: Keeping that last comment in mind, how do you feel about your earlier works such as “Stonewater Rapture,” “Interrogating the Nude,” “Unwrap Your Candy,” and your musical called “Buzzsaw Berkeley?”

DW: Earlier I wrote out of a sense of amorphous rage, anger and bitterness. I think there’s been a shift in my work to temper those elements.

CQK: Do you require applause from your hometown in Texas?

DW: I have a supportive family. My parents are elderly and they laughed with glee when I told them I had won the Pulitzer. IAMOW opens soon at the Dallas Theatre Center and I hope they all come out to support the show.

CQK: What’s the next project open for close scrutiny by your adoring pubic?

DW: Grey Gardens; it’s a musical based upon a mid-70s documentary and explores the life of Jackie Kennedy’s Aunt and cousin, who with 52 cats, turn their backs on high society.

CQK: How was your experience with La Jolla Playhouse and with Artistic Director Des McAnuff?

DW: Fantastic; Des is an angel.

Douglas Wright was visiting Los Angeles in regards to a screenplay and then he’s off to Germany for the opening of “Unwrap Your Candy,” an evening of four short plays he penned about four disparate, semi-sane, totally self absorbed creatures. He may stop off in San Diego during the run of IAMOW, but he’ll miss opening night.

I’m anxious to visit with Charlotte on opening night at La Jolla Theatre and would encourage everyone to pay homage to yet another gay, accomplished author who, I’m certain, will find his place as one of America’s greatest playwrights.

2006-04-23T09:35:00.000-07:00

INTERVIEW: Mary Anderson

I recently sat down and chatted with Mary Anderson about her life with her husband of 29 years, Keith, inside the new Coronado Theatre space. Although Keith is the actor in the family, Mary has enjoyed her moments in the spotlight as well. Not that Keith has been a slouch as a breadwinner, but Mary has been that consistent wife and companion who has maintained consistent employment as a teacher and librarian, besides wearing any number of other hats in the theatre.

Cuauhtémoc Q. Kish (CQK): Do you and your husband ever feel that’s it’s time to relax and enjoy the spoils of a heart-felt life together?

Mary Anderson (MA): The truth is we have cut back for health reasons, but we’d be bored to tears if we couldn’t work in the theatre. We both still need that pulse, that tension, that excitement that comes with working theatre; be it actor, director, or technician.

CQK: My understanding is that Keith has been the consistent active actor in the family. Is that correct?

MA: Keith has been acting since his twenties; I’ve been an actor, but I’m just as happy working as a technician. I love designing costumes and I believe it’s better for a couple not have to deal with casting the spouse or face divorce court. Until very recently Keith held his Equity, SAG and AFTRA cards. I, on the other hand, have never been an Equity actor, but have college and community theatre acting experiences.

[Keith A. Anderson has been a professional actor, director and producer for over 35 years. Prior to announcing his retirement a few years ago he played in over 200 productions. Since retirement he’s kept a leisurely pace with community theatre, directing 23 productions at the Coronado Playhouse (Wait Until Dark, The Merchant of Venice, Picnic, The Fantasticks, Macbeth, The Mousetrap, The Tempest, and Hamlet, to name a few.) He was Artistic Director of the Southwest Ensemble Theatre in Phoenix for three years and Drama Director for the City of Phoenix for seven years. While working in Los Angeles, he was Associate Director of Hollywood Actor’s Theatre and was involved in TV and film. He directed the world premiere in 1973 of William Inge’s The Last Pad. His book, An Essay on the Meaning of Hamlet: A Director’s Approach was published in 1979.]

CQK: When did Cupid aim his arrow towards you two?

MA: We met in 1977; it was my first marriage and the second for Keith. His previous wife was an actor as well.

CQK: Keith is not only known for his acting chops; he’s also a well respected director; correct?

[Coronado Playhouse offers up The Odd Couple as its latest production, opening April 21st and running thru May 28th. There are few theatre patrons who don’t know Neil Simon’s story of Oscar and Felix bunking together after their wives have tossed them out on the street. Surprisingly enough,
this one is directed by Keith A. Anderson. Call the box office for reservations at 619-435-4856. The Playhouse sits at the North end of the City of Coronado’s Community Center at 1835 Strand Way, Coronado.)

MA: Yes; and as I’ve said before, Keith has recently lightened up his directorial load a bit. He’s down to about three shows per year as opposed to his previous load of six to eight shows per year and that’s made with a Doctor’s recommendation. We’ve participated at Coronado Playhouse since 1997.

CQK: I understand he’s had his own production Company, so he’s well acquainted with the business side of theatre.

MA: Keith had a production Company by the name of QAM; one of his partners was Tom Quilles, who died several years ago. It was a professional company that brought shows to Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Santa Barbara. Some of those productions included Tartuffe, The Fantastics, A Flea in Her Ear and That Championship Season. Their seasons were quite diverse and occasionally offered original work as well.

CQK: Do you recall an original work that they produced?

MA: Yes; a play called Yankee Clipper, written by Tim Kelly.

CQK: I’m not familiar with this playwright.

MA: Tim Kelly died about ten years ago but his works practically fill up the entire Pioneer Play Catalog. He’s the most produced playwright in the United States, although most of his work was written for High School and Community Theatre. He had a major hit with an adaptation of Mash.

CQK: Are you and Keith citizens of Coronado?

MA: We are only honorary citizens of Coronado. We live in San Diego, near Imperial Beach. We’ve lived in the San Diego area since 1983.

CQK: As an actor, where has Keith performed in San Diego?

MA: He’s performed at the San Diego Rep, Fiesta Dinner Theatre, Gaslamp Theatre, and North Coast Rep. He’s also directed at Fiesta and North Coast.

CQK: Was Keith one of those actors who were driven towards the stage from a very young age?

MA: No. As a matter of fact he started out as a pre-med student at the University of Chicago; he wanted to be a psychiatrist. After a fainting spell at the sight of blood, he decided a change of careers was in order. He did inherit his love for the theatre from his mother who was an actress. Even though the University of Chicago didn’t have a drama department he ventured into a theatre in town, got cast in Pal Joey, and soon after that he earned his Equity card in a production of Under Milkwood.

CQK: It must have been difficult traveling from one place to the next as an actor?

MA: Keith got tired of moving around. He eventually got a Theatre degree from ASU (Arizona State University) and that’s where he founded SET (Southwest Ensemble Theatre), a professional Rep Company. He frequently worked with Nick Nolte during this time.

CQK: What do you recall about Nolte from those times?

MA: He was a serious but insecure actor. And I do remember that he once turned down the part of Superman. Keith actually went to school with Nick Nolte and hired him to work in his acting company for several years before Keith and I met.

CQK: What was it that pulled you from what seemed to have been an idyllic life in Arizona?

MA: Keith was offered directing jobs in LA after the SET Board of Directors made a terrible mistake in the direction of the theatre. They moved it from its intimate space (200) to a much larger space (800) and the theatre didn’t survive after that move. It was premature and Keith argued against such a move.

CQK: Let’ talk about you for a moment.

MA: I’m currently a media librarian with Bonita Vista High. I have a lot of energy and can’t sleep more than four hours a day. Both Keith and I suffer from a boredom factor; we like to be busy and involved.

CQK: What brought you two to San Diego?

MA: We both moved on speculation of employment.

CQK: Did you have difficulty in finding employment?

MA: Keith holds a BA and an MA in Theatre and I received a degree in Theatre as well, along with a teaching credential. I taught in Iowa for a time. Although the first jobs promised didn’t materialize we both discovered employment.

[The Coronado Playhouse is the oldest community theatre in San Diego. It was first organized in 1946 as the Coronado Players and performed in a high school auditorium. In 1950 they purchased a permanent building and the first production produced was The Curse of an Aching Heart. After having produced over 200 productions, it’s still very much in business. In 1997 they started a tradition of free Shakespearean productions under the direction of Keith A. Anderson.}

CQK: Let’s change the subject for a moment and talk about the Coronado Playhouse.

MA: It’s sixty years young. The original theatre site was donated for use as a theatre and it held a 50 year lease that was up in 1996. The Playhouse had to move due to the renovations with the Glorietta Bay Project as the space was torn down. We are the primary tenant and carry a lease for ten years with options to renew. The one thing about the Coronado Playhouse is that it has always operated in the black.

CQK: That’s remarkable; what’s their secret?

MA: Great patrons, city and county grants, and fundraising.

CQK: How is the season determined?

MA: We usually have a mystery like Agatha Christie’s Mousetrap, a musical, a Shakespearean production, and something with kid-appeal. We stick to classic comedies that continually draw in audiences; nothing too avant-garde.

CQK: Coronado Playhouse is unique in that it has cabaret seating.

MA: Yes; we made the decision to continue with the cabaret seating when we moved from the pavilion on the Coronado bayfront back to Glorietta Bay in our state-of-the-art complex that we are sitting in at the moment. It has a capacity of 100 and we have a liquor license.

CQK: What have been some of your best moments with your participation at the Coronado Playhouse?

MA: Recognition from ACT (Alliance of Community Theatres); a special community service award. We have also been recognized by the City Counsel for shows such as the Tempest.

CQK: Have there been any worst moments?

MA: I can think of a few. One happened during the run of Wait Until Dark. Band music from a nearby party in the building played loud enough to almost drown out the intimacy of the mystery, but that problem seems to be addressed. The other bad moment happened with our outdoor staging
of Hamlet during a dramatic soliloquy. A private boat party burst into song: Happy Birthday.

CQK: Does Coronado Playhouse ever consider new works for production?

MA: Yes, but it doesn’t happen often. In the last 10 years we have produced three original shows: Kiss and Wish Them Good Bye by Mark Sickman, Leigh Scarritt’s Angels Amongst Us, and When Angels Appear by Carla Campbell. We decided to stick with well-known pieces during our transition period as were asking our audience to follow us across the island to a tent and now back to the Strand.

CQK: How would you describe the theatrical offerings here at Coronado Playhouse?

MA: Family appropriate.

CQK: In summary is there anything you want to leave us with today.

MA: Working here at the Coronado Playhouse has been a labor of love. Both Keith and I have made an active decision to volunteer. We looked for the right people and we found them and made it our home.

2006-04-23T09:33:00.000-07:00

INTERVIEW: Priscilla Allen

I fought light sprinkles on a recent Saturday morning to visit with the incomparable Priscilla Allen at her lovely La Jolla residence where I competed for her attentions against her two quite loveable cats, Arnold and Brenda (Priscilla had just lost Champ, her 19 year old English Springer-Spaniel, Arnold’s best buddy). Ms. Allen was sporting a new darker shade of red hair, and wore comfortable black-striped slacks and tennies for our relaxed meeting. Not only did we commiserate about plumbing improvements required in older houses, we traversed in circuitous fashion this working actor’s past and present.

Cuauhtémoc Q. Kish (CQK): Describe yourself in three words please.

Priscilla Allen (PA): Humorous, loving and creative.

CQK: I understand that you are a single, available lady; is that correct?

PA: I’ve been a widow since 1977; my husband, Dennis, was killed on duty while working as a San Diego Policeman. That left me with three kids, ages 7, 9 and 13 to raise by myself. And, yes, I have always wanted to find someone else to share my life. One does get lonely on occasion, even though I have my family (three daughters) along with my constantly changing theatre family.

CQK: It must have been difficult and a shock to suddenly have to raise three children on your own?

PA: Initially it was difficult. I secured a teaching credential and taught for many years to support my family. Luckily, since I was an only child, I inherited some family properties that assisted my financial plight so that I remain comfortable at the present time.

[Priscilla, after securing her teaching credential, was offered employment in 1980 at San Diego’s SCPA (School of Creative and Performing Arts) where she taught for most of her career. She was the Drama Teacher charged with creating courses for the school as well as being a director for the school. She then spent the last few years teaching at Point Loma High School where she found the students more eager to learn.]

CQK: From what you’re saying you sound like a native San Diegan?

PA: Almost; I was born in Buffalo, New York and we moved here when I was two. Otherwise, I most likely would not have been involved in theatre. My father moved here to help the war effort by seeking employment in what was CONVAIR.

CQK: I applaud them for helping the war effort which resulted in bringing you ultimately to San Diego. What do you bring to San Diego theatre; you never seem to be without work?

PA: I think it’s a sense of possibilities. I have never been limited by size or age. Luckily I have never been type-cast and I thank my colleagues for not being boxed in or labeled. I’ve played anything from gut-wrenching dramas to silly, frivolous plays and musicals; classical to contemporary pieces. And that’s not the case with so many other actors. Case in point is my daughter, Jennifer. She lives in New York and is known as a comedian who sings musical theatre. She is labeled and so they (casting directors) won’t see her for other projects.

[Priscilla just came back from a visit with daughter, Jennifer, in New York, who recently participated in a run of Carnival at the Paper Mill Playhouse. Jennifer recently was recently seen in Almost Heaven (John Denver’s music), Off-Broadway, and she is up for a part in a Broadway production of Mary Poppins, the musical.]

CQK: As an actress you seemed to have done it all. Have you ever had aspirations as a director?

PA: Although I educated and directed young children in theatrical productions and took a stab at directing adults, I finally came to realize that I just wanted to be an actor. I’m quite content being a team player. I think I made that decision around the time that Chuck Zito (former Artistic Director of Diversionary Theatre) invited me to direct a show for his first season. I announced that I was not interested in directing but would like to play the part in The Killing of Sister George. Chuck granted my wish by putting “Sister George” on the season’s roster.

CQK: When did you get the acting bug?

PA: My mother was somewhat of the catalyst being the entertainment chair for various clubs and such. I was the outrageous class clown, the crazy girl of my class. In High School (La Jolla High School) I would “act out” in Variety Shows, along with some of my other more motivated classmates like Raquel Welsh, who was determined to be an actor at almost any cost.

CQK: Who have been some of those individuals who have influenced your careen in a positive way?

PA: Doug Jacobs (San Diego Rep founder) has been instrumental in my career. He’s offered me many parts at the Rep including Romulous Linney’s Holy Ghosts and Suddenly Las Summer. Craig Noel is another good influence when I worked at the Old Globe Theatre. Another influence was Ole Kittleson. He directed me in a show at SDSU (San Diego State University) in the days when we were students. We recently did a show a Schroeder’s Cabaret.

CQK: Have you ever experienced a role that you just couldn’t get right or that you disliked?

PA: I have played a few roles when it just became “work.” I remember a role that I played in Animal Nation at the Rep where I played a cow. Although I wasn’t all that fond of the role I never let the audience know that fact.

CQK: What were some of your most cherished roles?

PA: Holy Ghost, Heathen Valley, Red Noses and Beauty Queen of Leenane.

CQK: Are there still parts that you are dying to play?

PA: I’ve always wanted to play the lead in Come Back Little Sheba (Are you listening producers?). And I would love to play in Leonard Bernstein’s Candide as well as the nurse in Romeo and Juliet.

CQK: You’ve recently played at Schroeder’s Cabaret with Ole Kittleson; how did you two meet?

PA: Ole directed me in my first musical as a Freshman at SDSU in On the Town. We will be playing together at Schroeder’s on May 19th and 20th.

CQK: I understand that you were one of the founding members of the San Diego Actors Alliance?

PA: I went to the very first meeting of the San Diego Alliance Co-Op as it was called in those days. The idea was to have an organization that would empower the actor and help the actor to find and generate work. In traditional Co-Op fashion we all volunteered to work: cleaning the office, folding programs, etc.

CQK: You are still a strong supporter of the Actors Alliance of San Diego?

PA: I think it’s one of the best things for actors in San Diego. After reading about 35 one-act plays I invited a dear actor/friend of mine (Bill Dunham) to participate in this year’s Festival with a play written by Tennessee Williams called I Can’t Imagine Tomorrow. It’s a great opportunity to do something you might never have an opportunity to do.

CQK: Is there any advice you would give to those actors waiting in the wings for their opportunity to shine?

PA: Over the years when I noticed a student of mine with “fire in his eyes” I would cautiously encourage them into an acting career. I could see that nothing else would ever satisfy them but a career as an actor. I would steer others into the technical side if I thought there talents belonged elsewhere.

CQK: I would be remiss if I didn’t allow you to tell the story of the exploding head.

PA: Yes; my job on Total Recall. I was working with Bill Dunham in the Rep’s Heathen Valley. He had an LA agent that he invited to the show and afterwards that same agent wanted to speak to me about work. I was evasive, not quite expounding upon my day job as a teacher and so she eventually called me up—right in the middle of class mind you—and I went to LA for an interview and eventually got selected over two other finalists: a Women’s Wrestling Champion (Matilda the Hun) and a Drag Queen. Well, the rest is history.

CQK: You’ve also had some experience working in television as well.

PA: I did find some employment working on Happy Days and could have opted for a career in Hollywood but my family came first and I settled on secure employment and an environment more conducive to raising three girls. I don’t regret it.

CQK: Would you like to share some of your fondest memories.

PA: There are so many. I think some of my fondest memories were with Starlight because my entire family has performed at that venue. I look back and remember a few summers that I played Queen Elizabeth, the pre-show (Dancing on the Green) before the Shakespearean Festival shows began. It was divine fun. I was in my young 20’s and every night I put on a costume with extensive make-up. But just before putting on the make-up I went out and retrieved my horse from the stable and parked that horse right outside my dressing room until it was time to make my entrance, side-saddle. I would announce the evening play, dance with the courtiers, and then play a small part in the Shakespearean productions.

CQK: What’s your favorite theatrical word?

PA: Commitment, meaning...to give all you’ve got.

CQK: At the end of the day what does accomplishment mean to you?

PA: That I have challenged myself, often to do something new. I try and do that each and every day.

CQK: If you took a detour and at the end of your days met up with the devil, what would you say to him/her?

PA: Oh...perhaps...Big Daddy, you’ve been on the borders of my life but you never got me...all the way.

CQK: Any last words for your faithful and adoring public audience?

PA: I am concerned somewhat about the viability of San Diego theatre; so many companies have lost their theatrical homes recently. There’s been a loss of some of those individuals as well and that is worrisome. We need to nurture our actors and one of the best things going is the Actors Alliance.

CQK: Thank you, Pricilla, and may you continue to grace our many stages in San Diego.

2006-04-23T09:32:00.000-07:00

INTERVIEW: Leigh Scarritt

Leigh Scarritt has played the vamp on numerous, recent stage occasions to the delight of San Diego audiences. In her latest gig at the 6th@Penn Theatre she plays the part of an overly attractive, married woman with all the right parts, Mrs. Prentice, a nymphomaniac who simply can’t seem ever to get enough. Talking with Leigh at her newly acquired North Park Craftsman residence, I dug a little bit into this complicated, diverse, driven individual in an attempt to discover just what’s under all those deliciously fabulous wigs she adorns herself with.

Cuauhtémoc Q. Kish (CQK): Could you describe yourself in three words?

Leigh Scarritt (LS): Nurturer, commanding and hardworking.

[Leigh Scarritt carries a FKA (formerly known as): Sharon Leigh. Her stage name is from her birth middle name Leigh, from her father’s Leighson. Her last name is her maternal grandmother’s maiden name.)

CQK: Somehow that doesn’t sound like the definition of a sexy, sultry, glamorous persona.

LS: You have to remember that the (actor’s) exterior is all artistry; my personal interior is quite different.

CQK: Do you have a reputation of being a vamp?

LS: I guess that all started in those Bob Mackie days when I was an ingénue.

CQK: Tell us more.

LS: Bob Mackie elicited the vamp inside me. I was the model for his petite line of clothing. I literally wore a thong and heels while he and his designer entourage draped me in fabric and muslin for fittings. I, newly draped with his latest creation, often accompanied him (and long-time partner, Ray) to openings. At that time it was better for him to be seen escorting a lovely gal than his handsome life partner. From Mackie mannequin and publicity escort I was offered a part in his show Movie Star which played at the Westwood Playhouse.

CQK: You are not exactly Middle America, are you?

LS: No, but I did try that word (Middle America) on for a brief time. I actually purchased a home in Tierra Santa and lived there for awhile but it simply didn’t work out. I ended up just walking around and pissing people off. It seemed to be more than a scheduling conflict with them. I work late and get home even later and my first cup of coffee, before a jog around the stucco complexes, was 9AM. I suppose moving there had something to do with wanting to replicate my wonderful childhood for my daughter, Tiffany.

CQK: When did you get the acting bug?

LS: At the age of four I began touring with the Sound of Music. This was not something that my mother wanted; it was something I wanted. And this was long before they mandated caring attentions to child actors (supervision/tutoring, etc.) who were “on the road.” You have to realize that Mom was not a stage mother at all. I was literally caught singing in a Cathedral where my mother was the organist. On that day there just happened to be an individual within earshot, scouting locations. By pure coincidence I was “discovered.”

CQK: You are a very sexy lady and I dare say that no one would disagree with that statement; man, woman, nor beast. Does that interfere with getting some truly coveted roles?

LS: Yes; absolutely. There is a certain “theatrical” perception out there that I have to play these trashy, drug addicted, alcoholic characters (I love them!) that are quite the opposite of a mother/housewife persona, but I’m a Mom and I like to think a very good mother at that. That other theatrical individual is who I am as a performer, nothing more. I once coveted a part that wasn’t the vamp in a particular Starlight production and Brian Wells told me something quite interesting. He said if he didn’t cast me as a vamp then he would have to find someone even vampier to play my part and that might be quite difficult. I instantly understood what he was saying. On the other hand, being able to play the part of a vamp has greatly assisted my marketability.

CQK: Do you have a desperate need to be heard as an actor?

LS: There is a need for many actors to be heard, seen and validated. That’s not why I do a role. If we are creating for ourselves I think we become misguided. I need to have a connection with “them,” the audience.

CQK: How do you prepare for a role?

LS: I drive to the theatre. My life is so full I find that I have to segment my life to maximize the time I have available. I prepare for a role before I get to rehearsal and once there, I look for a director to help me find the glimmers that are different and unique with my character. I rely upon the director to take me somewhere that I haven’t been before.

CQK: What does Leigh Scarritt bring to San Diego audiences that others don’t?

LS: I think that my production company for young actors (at Culture Shock in Old Town) is my legacy to the community of San Diego. They (currently 57 young actors) do miraculous work and we are placing these kids with the best (recently placing a young actor in a role opposite Sandra Bullock). My intention with these talented kids is to be able to meet the artist, encourage the gift and ignite whatever is there.

[Leigh Scarritt has played in the all star cast of the critically acclaimed San Diego Premiere of the musical Trolls. She received an Aubrey nomination for her work in the Rep’s production of Working which was directed by Sam Woodhouse. Brian Wells directed her at Starlight in both Evita and Into The Woods. Leigh played Shy in a regional production of Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and Val in A Chorus Line (for years!). She was directed by the incomparable Wayne Tibbets in Reunion, which she choreographed as well. She recently directed You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown at the La Jolla Stage Company, while other directing credits include Bye Bye Birdie, M.A.S.H., Pump Boys and Dinettes and Angles Amongst Us. This gal can do it all!]

CQK: What part does family play in your life?

LS: My parents and I have a wonderful relationship, one that I very much wanted for my daughter. My husband—absent from my life since I was pregnant with Tiffany--reconnected with my daughter through a telephone conversation recently. I was so proud of her; she’s more gracious and patient than I will ever be. I have defined family and shared that definition with her through my experiences with various individuals who have had some influence upon my life, like Don Wortman, who was murdered during a downtown production with Kitt Goldman. Although not paternal per se, Don embraced who he was and didn’t make apologies for that. Another influence was David Heikella who I worked with in Babes in Arms. Even though David lived an extreme lifestyle he preserved my innocence. Initially I had no idea that his partner, Clark, was more than just a friend. These two individuals helped me to extend the definition of family and their participation in my life has allowed Tiffany to define family (for herself) as well. Tiff and I have learned to connect with people in their own truth. When she called up her Dad recently she didn’t scream out at him and ask him why he was absent from her life. She simply asked him a question: “Do you know where I’ve been?” In this same conversation he defined himself as ‘Troy” but she corrected him by saying: “No, you’re my Dad.” Their newfound relationship was something akin to finding an old buried treasure in the backyard. The contents were still perfectly intact; they just needed to be pulled out, fluffed and polished up a bit, and re-delegated into the “active” category. I think it’s a new, beautiful beginning (continuation) for both of them.

CQK: How do you feel about Troy?

LS: I have the best of him with Tiffany; she’s been the reason I get up in the morning.

CQK: You have been the mother and father for Tiffany.

LS: I am the head of my household, I own my own home, I’m financially successful and I make all of the decisions. I don’t think I could facilitate a man’s life. I like living and doing what I want to be.

[Leigh Scarritt is a popular individual as attested by the barrage of rings from her cell phone during our interview; none of which she picked up I might add. Gayle Feldman, former director of Diversionary Theatre and friend, happened to stop by and the interview became a party. I found out that Gayle is not only Leigh’s realtor but a friend and collaborative writing partner (along with Tiffany). They are currently penning a play for a hopeful future production called The Lesbian and a Straight Girl. Gayle and Leigh worked in a past production called The Dyke and the Porn Star in which they had a prolonged stage kiss. She says of Gayle that she calls upon herself to better her person and elevate herself and others to a more spiritual plane.]

CQK: You’re a writer as well as an actor, teacher, choreographer, composer and director. When did you begin writing and composing?

LS: I started writing songs in High School for a competition; I just wanted to win. I had some early influences in that department since my Mom is a concert pianist. Throughout the years I have had some difficulty in finding the right songs and the right stories. They may be out there but I thought I’d find them faster if I wrote them myself. At one time in my life I suffered two tumors on my vocal chords and I had a sudden fear that I wouldn’t be able to watch my daughter grow up. I wrote a song called “You Will Always Be My Child.” And from that song a show was developed and produced.

CQK: How do you work as a director?

LS: I direct as I’d like to be directed. Like Brian Wells who hired me for Evita (Eva Peron), I strive to be a director who respects the actor’s talent, but is a good shaper of that raw talent; one who will illicit great work from her actors. I want my director to lift my performance, not simply allow me to “remain pleased with my own mediocrity.”

[Mini Review of What The Butler Saw: Joe Orton’s farcical romp came to life at the 6th@Penn Theatre in early March and has been accepting hoots, guffaws, and titters since the opening. Part of that reason is Leigh Scarritt; she is a gas as a simple, delightful, nymphomaniac, but she does her part in such grand style. Her la, la la’s reach lovely crescendos (must be from her classically opera-trained voice), her eyes talk loudly with exclamation points, and her fingers have a language all their own. She easily hits her high-note thrills and then easily (or so it seems) plummets to the floor with an bawdy baritone retort. The cast’s pacing is amazing, exhilarating, and exhausting and Director Peter Cirino gets much of the credit for the success of the show. Leigh takes on her husband Douglas Lay (Dr. Prentice) with gusto, listens to Dr. Rance (Brian Salmon/lovely exploding ego), kisses up to the young Philip Kruse/great butt (Nicolas Beckett), and scurries with Tess McIntyre/nicely packaged (Geraldine Barcaly) and Fred Harlow (Sergeant Match). It’s a bagful of gags: exchanging clothes, roles, mindsets and more. Doors open and close with perfect timing, while Scarritt’s legs (they should be insured for millions!) move a mile a minute in heels and never miss a step. The cast remains in sync for the entire two hours and that’s a whole lot of theatrical sweat. Bravo to the entire cast!]

CQK: Changing the subject, let’s talk about the thousands of beaus that Leigh Scaritt must have in her life.

LS: This is my experience with dating: a boy comes up to me and asks me to dinner and I respond that Monday is not available due to a reading and Tuesday is not possible due to a writing commitment, and Wednesday is out of the question because I have to rehearse and Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sundays are booked at the Theatre. I don’t seem to have time for a special somebody today; perhaps in the future. I don’t party and I don’t go clubbing and I drop after working a full day into a fast sleep of seven or eight hours.

CQK: Do you have any secrets you can share with your adoring public on maintaining that perfectly petite body of yours?

LS: I eat what I am hungry for, when I am hungry for it. It is that simple and that complicated. Oh, (as an afterthought) I also run through the neighborhood, including the nearby tennis club, to see my Dad play tennis every morning.

CQK: At the end of your day what does “accomplishment” mean to you?

LS: It means that I have been satiated by the evolution of the day and that I’m complete.

CQK: What’s your favorite “theatrical” word?

LS: Curtain.

CQK: If you made the wrong turn and ended up facing the devil at the end of your life’s journey, what would you say to him/her?

LS: You’re welcome.

CQK: What’s up next after What The Butler Saw?

LS: Pulp with Moxie Theatre.

Leigh Scarritt is a warm, giving, professional. She’s hot, at times sizzling, but all that exterior gloss is kept well within a family perspective. Leigh concluded our interview with a beautiful post script. She said that she not only thanks the audience at the end of a show, but also thanks her fellow artists for playing their roles, as these things—at the end of the day—bring her great joy.

In my final turn here in this interview, I want to thank Leigh for allowing me and the San Diego community into her life.

2006-04-23T09:24:00.000-07:00

INTERVIEW: Rebecca Johannsen

You can’t write about Rebecca Johannsen without writing about Stone Soup Theatre Company. Rebecca Johannsen is the Artistic Director of Stone Soup and a founding manager (2001). We chatted recently about the Company and their next production, Ellen McLaughlin’s Tongue of a Bird.

In “A Message from the Artistic Director” (See Website) Rebecca has written the following: “Stone Soup Theatre began as a commitment by young graduates of SDSU’s theatre program to continue to practice the edgy, controversial work we were allowed to practice at the university...It began as a commitment by women artists to find a home for their craft and to promote women’s issues and women’s roles in the theatre.”

Cuauhtémoc Q. Kish (CQK): Would it be accurate to say that your original intention (Mission Statement) has segued into something different from that original intention?

Rebecca Johannsen (RJ): Yes; the change began with our first production, Death and the Maiden, which was in pre-production during the September 11th attacks. From that time our focus changed to include an open dialogue with our audience; to minimize apathy towards social issues such as race, terrorism, sexuality and sanity.

CQK: How does your next production fit into that new mission statement?

RJ: Tongue of a Bird speaks to the issues of forgiveness and redemption for those left behind.

[Tongue of a Bird concerns a search and rescue pilot hired by a distraught mother to search for a missing 12-year old girl, who has been kidnapped. Although finding the girls grows faint, Maxine (pilot) continues to search for her, all-the-while rekindling her own heart and a reflection back towards memories of her own mother.]

CQK: After reading the play I feel that the underlying subject matter is both suicide and depression; would you agree?

RJ: All three of the plays Stone Soup has chosen for this season concern suicide to some degree. Tongue of a Bird focuses upon forgiveness and redemption; 4.48 Psychosis explores the mind of a depressed woman; Miss Julie explores depression faced by new roles provided to women in the late 19th century.

CQK: It looks as if your commitment to women artists is quite true in your first season at the 10th Avenue Theatre, downtown (Eveoke Space).

RJ: Yes; there are five roles for females and our director for this production will be Esther Emery, who recently directed Limonade Tous les Jours for Moxie Theatre.

CQK: Who’s in the cast?

RJ: Esther has assembled a brilliant cast ranging in age from 12 to 70. They include: Julie Sachs (Maxine), Robin Christ (Evie), Wendy Wadell (Dessa), June Gottleib (Zofia) and Abbey Howe (Charlotte).

CQK: How did Tongue of a Bird find its way into your current season?

RJ: I had originally asked Esther to direct 4.48 Psychosis, but she asked if I would consider Tongue of a Bird. After reading the script we felt it a perfect fit for Stone Soup and Emery and the season.

CQK: Although you are involved in this first production as the Artistic Director, your participation on the next two projects is more hands-on, correct?

RJ: I’ll be directing 4.48 Psychosis and starring in Miss Julie.

CQK: Will this be your first Company turn as director?

RJ: Yes; but I will have lots of support.

[Rebecca holds an MA from SDSU and is working towards her Ph.D. in Theatre through the UC system. She teaches “Development of Drama” at UC (Irvine) and theatre classes at Mira Costa College. Her doctorate thesis will tackle some of the issues in Stone Soup’s current season such as suicide.]

CQK: The second production of your season, 4.48 Psychosis, is not an easy read; do you have any particular ideas about staging this very powerful Sarah Kane drama?

RJ: It will be quite challenging in that Kane has left the piece open for interpretation, so it will take a tremendous effort to shape the piece dramatically. I will be pulling apart this play to discover the underlying issues within. I have some very strong ideas about the play, but it still remains a daunting challenge.

CQK: How do you work as a director?

RJ: I begin with table work; we discuss the play and the playwright’s intention and go from there. In the case of 4.48, since there is no driving action so I will be doing a lot of improvisation to find the right staging for her beautiful script.

CQK: Sarah Kane, the playwright, committed suicide after writing 4.48, correct?

RJ: Yes, before it was ever produced.

CQK: Changing the subject a bit, how did you find your new home?

RJ: Eveoke was looking for others who would share their new downtown space and it seemed to meet our needs at just the right time. They (Eveoke) are attempting to bring together several companies for a theatre collective that will have a time share concept.

CQK: What size audience can you accommodate in your new space?

RJ: From 100 to 120 seats.

CQK: What kind of an audience will fill those seats?

RJ: We are working with a marketing firm that hopes to target a younger audience who are more interested in non-traditional productions.

[As we came to the conclusion of our interview I asked Rebecca to tell me something about herself and this is what she had to say:]

RJ: I was born in San Diego and I’m happy to have the support of my family that lives here as well. I’ve produced five plays and I’ve worked in marketing (La Jolla Playhouse & a film company). I’m into my second year of working towards my Ph.D. and have funding for another three years.

I’m sure that San Diego audiences are hungry to eat up Stone Soup’s newest season. It promises to be quite dramatic, edgy, provocative and an opportunity to dialogue about serious issues not only facing women, but facing all of us. We wish them a pot of soup that will continue feeding a hungry demanding San Diego audience.

2006-04-23T09:20:00.000-07:00

INTERVIEW: Brandon Walker & Rachael Van Wormer

Like star-crossed lovers our paths initially failed to cross. We missed one another at our first trysting place (The Living Room Coffee Shop in Hillcrest), but alas; we realigned our paths and by the early afternoon of February 12th we sat down in the quieter comfort of my North Park residence where I begged questions from two of San Diego’s brightest young actors, Brandon Walker and Rachael Van Wormer.

[The Warm Up]
Cuauhtémoc Q. Kish (CQK): Brandon; Rachel; where are you two from?

Brandon Walker (BW) & Rachel Van Wormer (RVW); [Almost simultaneously]:
We were both born and raised in San Diego.

CQK: You’re young enough that I can comfortably ask both of you how old you are and when you graduated from high school, right?

RVW: I’m 21 and graduated from Hilltop High in 2002.

BW: 23; graduated from Patrick Henry in 2000.

[Simmer]
CQK: What’s going on in your theatrical life currently?

RVW: We both have roles in New Village Arts production of Playboy of the Western World; Susan Brody and Shawn Keogh respectively.

BW: I’m also acting with the Old Globe Education@the San Diego Museum of Art project, Androcles and the Lion. It’s a touring show for students, visiting many schools in the San Diego area. We visit up to two schools per day.

CQK: It seems like everywhere we look we see Brandon and Rachael working on one or more of our San Diego theatre stages. Did it “just happen” or did you work hard to get on those stages.

BW & RVW: We worked very hard to get there.

CQK: What was your initial springboard into theatre?

RVW: I was produced by the Young Playwrights Project.

CQK: So, Rachael, you’re a writer?

RVW: No, but I wrote a play called Funny in High School. I don’t consider myself a writer now--at this point in my life--but maybe down the road.

CQK: What was that experience like, with the Playwrights Project?

RVW: I had no idea what the theatre community was like in San Diego. After they selected my play I worked with Deborah Salzer and Delicia Turner-Sonnenberg. I’ve never seen a show from that perspective before so it was quite enlightening. One of my three actors included Jason Connors. My script changed a lot as a result of the process.
It was highly educational.

BW: I started with Poor Players with Richard Baird and later, Nick Kennedy. The Company was initially called Upstart Crow and our effort was to produce Shakespeare that didn’t suck; initially with plays like Othello and Julius Caesar.

CQK: What’s the status of Poor Players at this point?

BW: I left in May but I understand that their next project will be to produce Hedda Gabler.

[Cooking]
CQK: Why did you leave that Company?

BW: I needed a break; I had been doing Shakespeare with Poor Players for years and was looking for a different challenge.

CQK: How would you describe your experiences working with the likes of Sean Murray and Francis Gerke and Delicia Turner Sonnenberg?

RVW: My experience working with Sean was compounded because I was working in Curse of the Starving Class at the same time. Sean seemed to focus in on the whole rather than the specific separate parts. Gerke works a script line by line, a kind of reverse process (for many actors) if you will.

BW: Then you do “improvisations” followed by blocking (about the third week). By that time you have already lived the situations and you don’t need to invest time and effort to discover them.

RVW: There is a strong focus on the physical action (i.e. slamming the refrigerator door, etc.). It’s very methodical; going thru a series of movements without the text. But it’s all somehow clarified down the road.

CQK: Brandon, your experience with Moxie Theatre Company; was it very different?

BW: It was quite different. Delicia has a totally different style. Even at the “read through” we had an audience as well as one at the first three rehearsals (friends of the cast as well as board members, etc.). We got Dog Act up in such a short time; performance at step one.

CQK: Any heroes and/or muses?

BW: Francis Gerke and Matt Scott. Being able to work with both of them was awesome.

CQK: Where do you see yourself in five years?

RVW: I’m pursuing a degree in Literature and I’d like to follow that with an MFA in Theatre. Theatre will be a prominent part of my life, as much as I can make it. I may go to Chicago or Seattle or New York. I think it’s important to work as an Equity actor if you’re in this for the long haul.

BW: I don’t see myself in five years; I don’t think in those terms. I’d like to study Sociology, not for any degree, just to educate myself. I don’t believe in going to school to study acting. I think it’s better just to act for a professional director rather than go to school to be directed.

CQK: Has Actor’s Alliance played any role in your development?

BW: Contacts such as Erin Cronican have been extremely helpful for me in determining how to market myself, finding out how far I need to go.

CQK: Will you two be together in five years?

BW & RVW: (Laughter).

CQK: Brendan, when did you get the acting bug?

BW: Fifth grade. I was in Seminar, similar to the GATE (gifted/talented) program.
You basically sit in a classroom and enjoy a seminar; talking, discussing, etc. They (teachers) are not into busy work as such. I participated in this program thru the 11th grade. In the 4th grade I found myself cast in a school play and ended up vomiting and urinating all over the stage; a real case of stage fright to say the very least. The following year—due to a case of pneumonia—I opted against the completion of a book report (for lack of time) for another opportunity in a play. I jumped into Shakespeare at this point.

CQK: Do you still get stage fright?

BW: I don’t get stage fright in that way; I feel it now due to the pressure I put on myself to carry a role.

CQK: Are you anxious to tackle any roles at this point?

RVW: Frankie in Member of the Wedding; another stab at Juliette; many roles from authors like Edward Albee and Tennessee Williams.

BW: Hamlet, Edgar in King Lear, Brutus...Dennis in This is Our Youth.

CQK: Do you think it’s easier to transition from playing Shakespeare to playing modern roles?

BW: Yes.

CQK: Would you like to work with a Shakespearean Company like the Old Globe or others of that ilk?

BW: I’d prefer to work with New Village Arts or Shakespeare Santa Cruz.

CQK: That sounds perfect to me.

Brandon and Rachael carry a lovely heart with them, both on and off stage. They drove away, anxious to enjoy a real treat; a full day off, heading to Balboa Park to unwind from their non-stop schedule. Young people can do that. Their days and nights are full, both holding down part time jobs at Arts Tix, while rehearsing and/or acting on a stage in the San Diego area. They are true poor players in the sense that they have no permanent place to call home; they have discovered that house sitting affords them temporary, affordable lodging when it’s offered to them (If you need a housesitter, feel free to contact them through my email address and I’ll patch you through). By the time you read this, their day in the park will be relegated to the past, and they will once again be busy on a theatre in or near San Diego. We wish them nothing less than to “break a leg.”

2006-04-23T09:10:00.000-07:00

INTERVIEW: Esther Emery

I chatted with the hard-working Esther Emery recently about her current project: director of Chuck Mee’s Limonade Tous les Jours for Moxie Theatre, temporarily housed at the Diversionary Theatre space. She’s still glowing after her recent Patte Award for directing Chrysalis Rapechild in association with Sledgehammer Theatre.

Cuauhtémoc Q. Kish (CQK): What attracted you to Limonade Tous les Jours?

Esther Emery (EE): I had provided Moxie several scripts that I wanted to do, but they asked me to take on Mee’s Limonade Tous les Jours and I’m so glad they did.

CQK: How would you characterize the way the playwright sets up the dialog between the two characters, Ya Ya and Andrew?

EE: You simply have to let go and trust Mee (the playwright). The dialog is set up without punctuation but it has a rhythm all its own. Ya Ya, the female character, speaks as a French woman. There is also very little stage direction.

Charles Mee speaks from his Wed site when he says: “My own work begins with the belief that human beings are...social creatures...that we are the product not just of psychology, but also of history and of culture... I try in my work to get past traditional forms of psychological realism, to bring into the frame of the plays material from history, philosophy, insanity, inattention, distractedness, judicial theory, sudden violent passion, lyricism, The National Enquirer, nostalgia, longing, aspiration, literary criticism, anguish, confusion, inability.”

CQK: It seems like Mee bypasses the traditional in his plays?

EE: Yes; his structure is quite loose and you can’t assume that his play structure will even continue from one scene to another. As he says, his plays are broken, jagged and filled with sharp edges.

CQK: Is Limonade Tous les Jours autobiographical?

EE: Charles Mee is an older man married to a younger Japanese woman, so it would appear to have a biographical twist to it.

CQK: He’s also crippled (polio) and encourages directors not to limit casting to conventional physical types as well.

EE: Correct. He is a playwright that is well versed in other playwrights and has a sound knowledge of history and psychology, that is quite apparent in this text.

Esther Emery is a director, choreographer and stage manager. She’s directed local stories like Ruff Yeager’s Cool as We Fly, assisted Kirsten Brandt on several projects, and stage managed under the likes of Darko Tresnak and Jack O’Brien. She sits on the Fritz Theatre Board of Directors and her husband is Nick Fouch, who has worked the technical side for various theatres in San Diego.

CQK: Will Nick be working with you on this project?

EE: Yes; he’s our tech director. But I must tell you that Jo Anne (Glover) and I went to Paris to do some filming that will be another (video projection/back drop) element of the show.

CQK: Jo Anne will play Ya Ya and D. W. Jacobs will play Andrew. Arme Chan will play the third character of the waiter. Are they a good match?

EE: I can only tell you that we had an extraordinary reading of the play yesterday and both are very much up to the task. Both Jo Anne and Doug bring an element of restraint to their characters that works so well in Mee’s play.

CQK: The Media Release describes the play as a study of love as two wounded souls meet in a Paris Café. Do you have anything else to add?

EE: Limonade is a love letter to love. It’s a tour of the heart. It’s a meditation on loss and love.

CQK: How long have you been living in San Diego and where were you born?

EE: I’ve been in San Diego for about five years and I got the theatre bug when I was about 16. My dad sent me away from home for a short time and I apprenticed at a theatre. I was hooked, although I struggled through a few years of higher education attempting to be a doctor.

CQK: You have said that you are a lover of language and that you love to find different places of humanity; can you elaborate?

EE: I’m drawn to poetic language. I have a personal affinity to certain types of language; non-linear, beyond what you ordinarily would encounter. I like to “follow my bliss” and if I don’t like it I don’t do it.

CQK: Aside from this exciting project what other projects have you been involved in or will be involved in?

EE: I recently worked with Chita Rivera on her show and I can tell you that she is the genuine article; she displays such fine integrity and natural grace. I’ll be working with Rich Seer in Trying at the Cassius Carter and A Tongue of a Bird at the Eveoke Dance Theatre.

CQK: I wish you well on Limonade and in your future projects. If you had to pick between your painting, choreography, stage managing, and directing, which would it be?

EE: I look at my job as stage manager as inhaling and directing as exhaling. All four of the disciplines that you mentioned help me to encounter myself and allow me to be an artist.

It’s obvious that Esther Emery will continue to entertain us with her vision of art for some time to come and that’s a very good thing for San Diego. This artist is going places and we shall follow her like a wagging tail on a dog.