There's A Lot Of 'Mindplay' Going On At The Geffen

Vinny DePonto

By Darlene Donloe

The phrase, a meeting of the minds, takes on a whole new meaning when you experience Mindplay, currently playing in the Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater at the Geffen Playhouse through December 18, 2022.

Mindplay is described as a love letter to the imperfect mind.

In the 80-minute event, Vinny DePonto, a Drama Desk Award–nominated theatermaker and mentalist, brilliantly leads the audience on a raucous romp through the back channels of their innermost thoughts exploring the fragmented and flawed nature of our memories, and asks the audience to question whether they can trust the voice inside their heads.

In Mindplay, directed by Andrew Neisler, the audience’s thoughts literally play a leading role in the show.

From the moment you enter the theater, it’s clear something different and exciting is about to happen.

Audience members are handed a small envelope and pencil and asked to write their first name, last initial, and one of their deepest thoughts or memory.

Audience members can be heard asking out loud – “What is this for? What are they going to do with this? What’s going to happen?”

Once they enter the intimate theater, the audience is met with a question written on a white curtain, “What’s On Your Mind?”  It’s clearly food for thought.

What takes place next is simply mind-blowing.

A white curtain opens and out walks a handsome, bearded DePonto nattily dressed with a sweet smile that, undoubtedly, knows much.

He starts by assuring the audience that the chord we see hanging from the back of his head does not give him any kind of advantage in what he’s about to do. It is solely a mic, he promises – patting his head. He also assures the crowd that he has not placed any plants throughout the audience.

He jokingly, or maybe not so jokingly asks that audience members not approach him after the show to ask, “What am I thinking.” He declares it doesn’t work that way. What he’s able to achieve squarely depends on the conditions which have carefully been arranged.

That bares out when an audience member he initially chooses to join him on stage is too embarrassed to come forward. Her partner then asks if he can take her place.  DePonto doesn’t agree with the change. He simply tells the audience member it’s OK if she doesn’t feel comfortable joining him onstage.

But those who decided to take the risk are stunned, overwhelmed, and appreciative after he reads their thoughts. 

After agreeing to allow DePonto to read their minds, participants, not fearing public scrutiny, divulge their innermost thoughts to a room full of strangers. The revelations run the gamut.

DePonto, who said he has studied the mind for years, knew that one woman was thinking about a friend who had passed. Another woman wondered whether she could make a living owning her own company. A man was wondering if it was too late to get his pilot’s license. One woman’s memory was spending time at a lake with her son.

It was all warm and fuzzy and fascinating.

Mentalist Vinny DePonto weaves personal stories with general information about the mind while playing mind games with the audience.

It’s both frightening and intriguing to watch DePonto show just how easily the mind can be manipulated. It leaves you scratching your head and asking the question, “How did he do that,? and How does he know that?”

Of course, DePonto isn’t the first to manipulate the mind. In fact, he points out how the public’s minds are manipulated on a daily basis. Enter social media. Enter algorithms that somehow convince us to click on things we wouldn’t otherwise consider. Somehow they convince us that we need, want, and can’t live without whatever it is. It’s mindboggling!!

The mind is incredible!

There’s a bunch more I’d like to tell you but I’ve been asked not to reveal too much.

So never mind!

Director Andrew Neisler

Mindplay is created and performed by Vinny DePonto, written by DePonto and Josh Koenigsberg, directed by Andrew Neisler, and produced with Eva Price.

Kudos to the production team which includes Sibyl Wickershelmer (scenic designer), Pablo Santiago (lighting designer), Everett Elton Bradman (sound designer), Audrey Lastar, and Saran Lindsley (costume design consultants), Enrico de la Vega (creative consultant), Amy Levinson (dramaturg) and Julie Ann Renfro (production stage manager).

On the DONLOE SCALE: D (don’t bother), O (oh, no), N (needs work), L (likable), O (oh, yeah), and E (excellent), Mindplay gets an E (excellent).

Running time: 80 minutes, no intermission.

The theater recommends arriving at least 15 minutes early as there will be no late seating for this production.

**Age Recommendation: 16+

All Geffen Playhouse productions are intended for an adult audience; children under 6 years of age will not be admitted.

Mindplay, Geffen Playhouse, Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater, 10886 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles; Monday - No performance, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday – Friday, 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday – Sunday, through December 18, 2022; $39-$129; 310 208-2028, www.geffenplayhouse.org.

 

 

 

Kevin Kenerly Stars in 'Clyde's' At The Mark Taper

 

Kevin Kenerly stars in 'Clyde's'

By Darlene Donloe 

When you look at Kevin Kenerly’s body of work, you realize he is doing exactly what he was destined to do.  

By the time he enrolled in college, things began to fall into place.  He was auditioning for roles, and as skill and talent would have it, he was booking acting gigs.  

Surprisingly, as he tells it, Kenerly never had any intention of being an actor.  

In fact, he was so fascinated with drawing as a kid, that he set his sights on being an artist.

“I used to draw all the time,” said Kenerly, a Detroit native and father of four. “I loved it. My parents encouraged it. It kept me out of trouble. At 12, I tore my leg up playing soccer and basketball. A doctor rebuilt my knee. I was going to go into prosthetics. I was then going to go in the art direction.  A drama teacher substitute was teaching at Central [High School]. She asked if I wanted to join her class. I asked her if it would get me out of the class I was in. She said, ‘yes.’ She got me out of class and even found me a school that had art and theater. I got a scholarship. That was Olivet College.”

As luck would have it, a friend of Kenerly’s told him about auditions for ‘Hamlet’ at the Hilberry Theatre and Underground. 

“I was also auditioning for the grant program at Hilberry,” said Kenerly. “The auditions were at Wayne State University. I auditioned and they offered me a full-ride scholarship.  It took me forever to graduate. I had to juggle classes because I would have to leave to go audition. I kept being asked why I wasn’t in class. I told them because I’m doing what you taught me. The rest is history.” 

And what a history it’s been. Ever since he left college, Kenerly said he has worked consistently at his craft. 

His Broadway credits include Clyde’s.

A member of the acting company at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland for more than 24 years, Kenerly’s favorite credits include “The Tempest,” “The Book of Will,” “Shakespeare in Love,” “The Liquid Plain,” “Henry IV part 1,” “Macbeth,” “Topdog/Underdog,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Romeo and Juliet,” and others. His regional credits are also extensive. His talents also include select audiobook credits for “Lovecraft Country,” “The Hard Thing About Hard Things,” “The Running Man,” and “The Talented Mr. Ripley.”

Up next for Kenerly is Clyde’s at The Mark Taper Forum. He plays a character named Montrellous, who was formerly incarcerated.  

This is Kenerly’s second go-round with the show. He was the understudy to Ron Cephas Jones, who played the role of Montrellous in the Broadway production. Kenerly did get a chance to take the stage in the role. 

Clyde’s is being brought to life by celebrated creative collaborators - two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage and director Kate Whoriskey. This show is presented as a co-production with the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. 

The show stars Tamberla Perry, Reza Salazar, Nedra Snipes, and Kenerly.

Perry plays the hot-tempered Clyde, whose eponymous truck stop café’s kitchen staff of formerly incarcerated people—Salazar as Rafael, Snipes as Letitia, Young as Jason, and Kenerly as Montrellous —all dream of creating the perfect sandwich. 

I recently caught up with Kevin Kenerly (KK) to discuss his career and his role in Clyde’s, which opens November 19 and runs at The Mark Taper Forum through December 18, 2022. 

DD: What does acting do for you? 

KK:  I love being able to share a stage with people to tell a story. We have all come together as an ensemble to share with an audience who came to see it. 

I don't know that anything happens to me when I’m on stage. I try to be mindful that I’m part of an ensemble. The bulk of being an actor is being able to listen, honor the story and move the action along. I try to stay in the moment and share the moment.  I can see and hear the audience. I’m mindful of the audience being there. I can’t cheat anyone. I’m really there thinking about how to best facilitate who is telling the story at the time.

DD:  What criteria go into your decision to audition for a particular show? 

KK:  I do my best to be in plays that have some type of heart. I like plays that lean toward the dramatic. They have to be character driven. I’m not a big musical person. They need to speak to a change. I want to see something change over the course of the action. A clear beginning and middle and a clear ending. A clear journey.  I want to see someone transformed.  

DD: Tell me about Clyde’s.

KK:  Clyde’s is a play about redemption. It’s about people not being bound by their past mistakes. They have the opportunity to grow beyond. It’s beautiful. Lynn [Nottage] wrote a beautiful Black male character. I got excited. He is a beautiful person. He leads from the heart. He is not controlled by his pain or ego.

DD:  Was everything there, or did you have to come up with your character’s backstory? 

KK: I did not have to come up with his backstory. He was a fully developed character. Ron Cephus Jones did the role on Broadway. I was his understudy. The role was fully developed when Ron did it on Broadway. 

DD: Tell me about your character – Montrellous, who was formerly incarcerated.

KK: He is very rooted in who he is. His surety about being able to rise above his circumstances is appealing. It’s also part of his weakness. It’s where his pain comes from as well. His ability to say, this is not who I am. He gets hurt when people can’t move past or rise above. It’s almost as if it's a personal affront that he can’t get the info across to you. 

DD:  The play has a lot to do with sandwiches. What is your personal favorite sandwich and why? 

KK:  There is an Italian place called All’Antico Vinaio in Florence and one in New York that serves my absolute favorite sandwich. It’s called The Boss (La Schiacciata Del Boss). It has truffle cream, pecorino toscano, prosciutto toscano and tomatoes on handmade focaccia. I first ate it in New York.  

DD:  What comes to mind when I say, Lynn Nottage?

KK: Brilliant. She is an absolutely brilliant storyteller. She sees an issue. She sees the humanity in people and their circumstances and can craft a story around that issue. She gives you a character you would not sympathize with but gives you the ability to enter their mental stage. Crumbs from the Table of Joy is my favorite play by her. She shows people as people. 

DD: Your director.  What was it like working with Kate Whoriskey? 

KK: I enjoy working with Kate. We have a good shorthand for doing the work. We have a very good working relationship.

DD: Do you like the rehearsal process?  

KK: I like to rehearse. I like to make sure we all understand the material and are on the same page. I want it to be something we collectively believe in. 

DD: Do you have to like a character in order to play them?

KK: No. It helps, but I don’t have to like the character. I played Romeo and still don’t like him. He’s such a fool.  He’s knuckleheaded. It’s fun to play and interesting to see. He’s such a baby. 

DD:  How did you go about developing your character? 

KK: There were things that Ron (Cephas Jones) put into this character that I love. I stole some of the best parts of Ron and kept that. I’m not 6’3”. I’m shorter and stockier. I made it what I understand to be this person who was incarcerated. Some of it came by playing the scene on stage. I took the best parts that I could. 

DD: Do you remember the moment you fell in love with theater?

KK: I think I fell in love when my parents took me to see The Wiz at the Fisher Theater (in Detroit). I was amazed that the witch melted. I always enjoyed watching plays as an observer.  

I liked being in a play called Pericles, Prince of Tyre at the Oregon Theatre. It was magic. I believed. To have someone so skilled at telling a story. 

DD: What is your favorite play that you were not starring in? 

KK: My favorite play is Titus Andronicus.  It’s about the language, the themes. It’s just bloody and violent and a lesson about vanity and ego. It just really moved me. 

DD: When you were first starting out - did you ever think you could make a living as an actor? 

KK: I didn’t know. All I knew was that when I left undergrad and went out for auditions – I worked. I went to Wayne State University for 2 1/2 years. I was working constantly. My other degree, I painted and sculpted. I didn't know how to make a living doing that. All I knew was that this is what I wanted to do.

DD: Have you had jobs other than acting? 

KK: No. 

Clyde’s, Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles; Tuesday through Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.; $35. For information, CenterTheatreGroup.org, Audience Services at (213) 628-2772 or in person at the Center Theatre Group Box Offices (at the Ahmanson Theatre). 

 

 

Merge Awards Celebrates 2022 Honorees In Star-Studded Ceremony

Photo Credit: Arnold Turner/Courtesy of The Merge Awards

(Los Angeles, CA) The embodiment of black excellence, the Merge Awards returned for its thirteenth year to honor industry icons in a star-studded ceremony. The highly anticipated event took place on Saturday, November 5th at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel; honoring Hollywood’s most elite entertainers, and professionals including; Suzanne de Passe, PJ Morton, Charles D. King and Stacey Walker King (MACRO), Israel Houghton, Romeo Miller, Adam Blackstone, James Dubose (FOX Soul), Morgan DeBaun (Founder of Blavity & Afrotech) and Angelica Nwandu (Founder, The Shade Room & The Same Room) & Stephanie Ike (Co-Founder of The Same Room).

“Fifteen years ago, we started the Merge Summit, to provide an opportunity for men and women of faith to learn from the entertainment industry’s top artists and executives as an effort to empower their dreams forward,” said Founder Dr. Holly Carter. “Our goal with The Merge Awards was to create a dynamic experience to celebrate and honor those who are making an impact in bridging the worlds of faith and entertainment – and today we have done just that. I am grateful to everyone who helped us create a memorable celebration to honor these amazing leaders, visionaries, and pioneers.”

Driven by a mission to celebrate, honor, and inspire the next generation of leaders in music, film, television, business, and ministry; the event, produced by Wright Productions, garnered attendance from Michael Ealy, Essence Atkins, AJ Johnson, Pastor Toure Roberts, Shelea Alex Isley, Devika Parikh, Golden Brooks and more.

The event celebrated over 9 individuals honoring their accomplishments over the past year across the fields of film, music, tech, social influence, legacy, and more.

2022 Honorees

Legacy Lifetime Achievement Award

Suzanne de Passe

Artist of The Year Award

PJ Morton

Trailblazer Award

Charles D. King & Stacey Walker King

Faith Music Award

Israel Houghton

The Merger Award

Romeo Miller

Musical Director of the Year Award

Adam Blackstone

R.O.S.E. Award

James DuBose

Digital Tech Award

Morgan DeBaun

Disrupter Award

Angelica Nwandu & Stephanie Ike

Driven by a mission to celebrate, honor, and bring together leaders in entertainment, arts, and faith together; The Merge Awards is the key annual signature event of the bi-annual Merge Summit.

Over the years, the Merge Awards has successfully gathered attendance from notable participants including; award-winning talent Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, Marla Gibbs, Mary Mary, Laurence Fishburne, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Regina King along with noted industry executives DeVon Franklin, Ava DuVernay, Will Packer and Kenya Barris, among many others.

Event sponsors included: ATT’s Dream in Black and United Airlines, who sponsored two roundtrip tickets for the Freedom of Spirit giveaway.

El Capitan Hosts Marvel Studios' 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" Fan Event

 

By Darlene Donloe 

Wakanda Forever!!! 

Four years after the original blockbuster, the sequel to Marvel’s Black Panther has arrived! 

The anticipation and excitement surrounding the opening of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” was palpable on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles on Thursday, Nov. 10, as an enthusiastic crowd of fans waited to view the long-awaited film.  

They were all there for a special event at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, which offered a double feature and two fan event screenings hosted by pop culture outlet Nerdist for Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”

The double feature, which started at 12 noon, included an exclusive mini poster, snap-back hat, collectible coin, event credential, Bashenga popcorn vessel, and 20 oz. bottled beverage – all for $85. 

There were two $60 fan event screenings at 7 p.m. and 11 p.m., each with their own exclusive items included with a ticket. Attendees at the 7 p.m. screening received an exclusive mini poster, Wakanda Forever collectible tin with popcorn, LE 1,000 stained glass pin, event credential, and bottled beverage. 

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever costumes on display
at El Capitan Theatre 

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever costumes on display
at El Capitan Theatre

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever costumes on display
at El Capitan Theatre

Guests were also able to view a display of costumes from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”

Attendees at the 11 p.m. screening received an exclusive mini poster, Wakanda Forever collectible tin with 64 oz. popcorn, Celebrate: Wakanda Coca-Cola® Can, event credential, and 20 oz. bottled beverage with their ticket. 

Chadwick Boseman as The Black Panther

Throughout the film, audience members were very vocal about their approval or surprise at the storyline. The film included several memorable scenes from the first film that had Boseman as King T’Challa aka The Black Panther. Some of the scenes were definite tear-jerkers. 

In the first film, hidden in plain sight, was the high-tech African kingdom of Wakanda. 

It’s where we saw King T’Challa defend his throne against a long-lost cousin, Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan). 

Wakanda has an indestructible vibranium that every nation would like to get its hands on, but can’t, or can they?

This time around we are introduced to Riri Williams, a young inventor whose technology is coveted by Western powers but hated by some people called water dwellers.

Letitia Wright plays Shuri in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

In Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira), and the Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba), fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. 

Director Ryan Coogler paid respect to Chadwick Boseman in several moving scenes – most of which were tear jerkers.  Boseman died of colon cancer in 2020.

Boseman’s presence in the franchise is sorely missed. 

But, as they say, Wakanda Forever! 

As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda. 

Tenoch Huerta as Namor

The franchise's second installment introduces Namor, a new villain played by Tenoch Huerta. The half-human Namor is the king of the hidden underwater nation, Talokan.

Winston Duke as M'Baku

Coogler manages to make even villains somewhat likable.  Mixed in with the impressive chase scenes is the humor that made the first film work so well. Most of the humor comes from Winston Duke’s M’Baku, the Jabari tribe leader.  

It’s hard to think of the characters or the film as a whole being as good as the original Black Panther, but, without blowing any smoke, the movie represents very well. 

Dominique Thorne literally enters the picture and joins the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Riri Williams, an M.I.T. prodigy also known as Ironheart.

At first, she’s unwilling, but eventually, she teams up with Shuri and the Dora Milaje general Okoye (Danai Gurira). 

Riri, who is a breath of fresh air and even has several comedic scenes, serves as an inspiration for young Black girls who have an interest in the STEM fields. 

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is everything you want in a Marvel blockbuster.  It does not disappoint!! 

The film also stars Angela Bassett, Martin Freeman, Florence Kasumba, Michaela Coel, Mabel Cadena, Isaach De Bankole, Danny Sapani, Dorothy Steel, Zainab Jah, Sope Aluko, Connie Chiume, Trevor Noah (Griot), Shawn Roberts, Zola Williams, Lake Bell, Anderson Cooper, Robert Schiff, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Alex Livanalli. 

Daily show times for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” starting November 11 are 11a.m., 3 p.m., 7 p.m., and 11:05 p.m. Show times are subject to change. 

Tickets are on sale now at www.elcapitantickets.com and https://www.fandango.com/el-capitan-theatre-aacon/theater-page. All seats are reserved. Tickets are $24 for adults and $20 for children and seniors. A Sensory Inclusive Screening is available on November 16 at 7 p.m. and an open caption screening is available on November 19 at 3 p.m. 

The El Capitan Theatre has taken enhanced health and safety measures for its guests and cast members. All guests must follow posted instructions while visiting. For health and safety information including theatre policies and procedures visit https://elcapitantheatre.com/safetyinformation/ 

All tickets for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” are on sale now at El Capitan in Hollywood. 

On the DONLOE SCALE: D (don’t bother), O (oh, no), N (needs work), L (likable), O (oh, yeah), and E (excellent), Black Panther: Wakanda Forever gets an E (excellent).

 

 

                                    

"Omar," An Opera and True Story About A Scholar Who Was Enslaved

Jamez McCorkle plays Omar

By Darlene Donloe

The majesty that is the opera Omar is visually, musically, and narratively stunning.  

In fact, there aren’t enough adjectives to describe the reverential and historic new opera from Grammy winner Rhiannon Giddens and film composer Michael Abels.

The Los Angeles Opera’s West Coast premiere is currently playing through November 13, 2022, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. 

If ever there was a theatrical WOW moment, it was with Omar. 

The opera narrates Omar Ibn Said’s 1831 autobiography. The show is splendidly stunning and worshipful. It pulls at your emotions while pleasuring and widening your senses with regal wardrobes, lighting, scenery, music, and powerful singing. 

The real Omar Ibn Said

The show begins in 1807 when a 37-year-old scholar living in West Africa is captured and forced aboard a ship bound for Charleston, South Carolina. Omar Ibn Said's life and Muslim faith are remembered and retold in this inspirational West Coast premiere inspired by his remarkable 1831 autobiography (the only known surviving American slavery narrative written in Arabic). 

Set in the shifting darkness of memory and imagination, Omar follows his compelling journey from a peaceful life in his homeland to enslavement in a violent, foreign world. Reflecting on his life journey, he's haunted by memories of his family and the people he encounters along the way. Through it all, he somehow remains true to himself and his faith, against all odds. 

The score—composed by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels—incorporates distinctive West African traditions with traditional opera instrumentation.

Tenor Jamez McCorkle makes his company debut in the title role, with bass-baritone Daniel Okulitch in a double role as two very different enslavers. Norman Garrett makes his company debut as Omar's brother, with Barry Banks as the auctioneer and Jacqueline Echols as Julie, an enslaved woman who gives Omar the key to a better life. 

The cast of Omar

The show opens with an eerie, enlarged image of Said on a curtain made to look as if he was looking into the audience’s soul. It’s as if he is somehow brought to life when he seemingly appears to make a gesture just before the curtain opens.

Before the curtain opens, Jamez McCorkle walks onstage in a t-shirt, shorts, and tennis shoes and begins to dress in traditional African garb. He then becomes Said, who is here to tell his own story by taking the audience along on his spiritual journey.  

The story is inspired by the actual writings Said left behind – to establish his own legacy. His story began in Futa Toro, Senegal. He spent 25 years studying Islam. In his writings, Said describes his capture by saying “a big Army came and took me.” He eventually arrived in Charleston, S.C. It was 1807. Said was just one of the 20-30% of Muslims who were brought to America and enslaved.

Omar escaped his brutal master and walked more than 200 miles to Fayetteville, N.C.  He was caught and thrown in jail.  He is bought by a man who is Christian and introduces Omar to Christianity. 

McCorkle as Omar

It is thought that Omar died in 1864 at the age of 93.  After the Emancipation Proclamation and before the end of the Civil War. He was never freed.  

But the story is, that through it all, he maintained his faith and his resolve was unwavering. 

The story of Omar is yet another chapter of the Black experience that somehow was hidden or forgotten - or lost inside mankind’s white-washed narrative.

Even though he was never physically freed, Omar’s story is still one of a different kind of inner freedom - one of humanity, peace, and resilience. 

Omar recovers Black history and begins to tell the full history of the nation’s multicultural history.

This is truly a must-see! 

Amanda Lynn Bottoms plays Omar's mother, Fatima

What an impressive cast led by Jamez McCorkle, who was exceptional in exposing Said’s internal struggle. His luscious tenor is both soothing and powerful.  

The entire cast is extraordinary. 

The costumes are exquisite and the scenery is eye-opening. Both feel like additional characters. The singing is emotional and unforgettable!

Kudos to conductor Kazem Abdullah, Director Kaneza Schaal, designer Christopher Myers, scenic designer Amy Rubin, co-costume designers April M. Hickman ad Micheline Russell-Brown, and lighting designer Pablo Santiago.

There are only two performances left. The first is 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 9. The show closes at 2 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 13. 

On the DONLOE SCALE: D (don’t bother), O (oh, no), N (needs work), L (likable), O (oh, yeah), and E (excellent), Omar gets an E (excellent).

Omar, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (135 N. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles CA; Wednesday, November 9, at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, November 13, 2022, at 2 p.m.; tickets begin at $15; 213.972.8001; for disability access, call 213. 972.0777 or email LAOpera@LAOpera.org; Masks are required indoors. 

 **photos by Cory Weaver

Veteran Actress Jacqueline Williams Takes On Classic Role In 'To Kill A Mockingbird'

Jacqueline Williams plays Calpurnia in
'To Kill A Mockingbird'

 

By Darlene Donloe

 

Jacqueline Williams knows her way around a stage.  

 

She’s been performing theatrically ever since she was a kid.

 

Her latest show is the classic, ‘To Kill A Mockingbird,’ currently playing at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre through November 27, 2022.  The show then moves to the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa from December 27 to January 8, 2023.

This production of ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ holds the record as the highest-grossing American play in Broadway history. 

 

A seasoned veteran actress with impressive television, film, and radio credits, Williams, who attended the Goodman School of Drama – renamed The Theatre School at DePaul University, is taking on the role of Calpurnia opposite Richard Thomas’ Atticus Finch.

 

She’s excited about the opportunity to present Calpurnia to audiences and relishes being able to play the role alongside the “extraordinary” Thomas.

 

‘To Kill A Mockingbird,’ Harper Lee’s enduring story of racial injustice and childhood innocence is set in Alabama in 1934 and centers on some of the most venerated characters in American literature.  It’s regarded as a masterpiece of American literature.

 

The book, published in 1960, tells the story of attorney Finch, a widower raising two young children, Scout and Jem. Finch is asked to defend a poor Black man accused of rape by a white woman and her abusive father. Aware that his family will be subjected to a lot of repercussions, Finch half-heartedly takes the case.

 

Academy Award^® winner Aaron Sorkin’s new play, directed by Tony^® winner Bartlett Sher, is inspired by the timeless novel of the same name by Lee.  

 

The residents of Maycomb, Alabama include small-town lawyer Atticus Finch (played by Richard Thomas), Atticus’s daughter Scout, her brother Jem, their housekeeper and caretaker, Calpurnia, their visiting friend Dill, Tom Robinson, and a mysterious neighbor, the reclusive Arthur “Boo” Radley.

 

Williams, a multi-award winner, has Broadway credits that include Horton Foote’s Pulitzer winner and Tony-nominated The Young Man From Atlanta (Clara) starring Rip Torn and Shirley Knight. Off-Broadway credits include the internationally acclaimed production of From the Mississippi Delta (Phelia/Woman Two, co-produced by Oprah Winfrey), The Talented Tenth (Tanya), and Mill Fire (Widow Three). Film and recurring TV credits include season two of “The Chi” (realtor Mrs. Harriet Brown), “Chicago Fire”/“Chicago PD”/“Chicago Med” (Sergeant Becerra), “Empire” (Warden Meyers), Heartlock (Captain Rosalyn), The Break-Up (Shondra), and The Lake House (Madvi Patel).

 

Up next for the Evanston, Illinois native is AMC’s “61st Street” (Nurse Florence), and Amazon’s “Paper Girls” (Dr. Donna Metcalf). 

Jacqueline Williams

 

I recently caught up with Williams, a single mother of one, to talk about her career and her latest role. She’s guarded in some of her responses, keeping close to the vest the trade secrets that have made her a powerhouse actress. Her conversation is, as it says in Colossians 4:6, gracious and seasoned with salt.

 

DD: How long have you been an actress?

 

JW: Most of my life. I started as a child. The first thing I did professionally was probably a musical called, The Runaways. In school I did ‘The Sound of Music,’ ‘Don't Bother Me I Can’t Cope,’ ‘Flowers for Algernon,’ and some others.

 

DD: When did you know you wanted to be an actress?

 

JW:  My family is from Mississippi. They were sharecroppers and cotton pickers.  I always knew it was a passion but did not have the light bulb go off until high school where it finally registered that it could be a career for me too and not just me watching others. There was no big event to that epiphany. It just finally clicked by the third year of high school.

 

DD: What does acting do for you?

 

JW: It fulfills me on so many levels. On one level it depends on what the piece is and the subject matter. Often I am fulfilled that way. In some way helping the cause - enlightening folks about something they didn't know about maybe a piece of history. It’s about bringing joy and laughter while teaching and informing.

 

DD: Were you familiar with ‘To Kill A Mockingbird' before taking on the role?

 

JW: Very familiar with it for most of my life. It’s one of my favorite books and favorite film. I’ve read the book multiple times.

 

DD: How do you bring your character to life?

 

JW: Dealing with a script by Aaron Sorkin, he is absolutely masterful. He has honored Harper Lee’s book and story. It’s fleshing out some of the characters and the arc of the characters. It makes this thing ring more powerful today. My character, Calpurnia’s relationship with Atticus is the central relationship in this live event, this live play – unlike the book and film.  You get a sense of their relationship and her relationship with the kids. They trust and sense confidence in each other. The honesty of their relationship. They are able to disagree. Being free enough to disagree. They are close enough for Calpurnia to school him on a number of things.  She has to let him know that in 1930s Alabama, even though he is aware of some things, there are other things he couldn't possibly know.

 

DD: What do you like about the story?

 

JW: It’s truthful to the time and there’s honesty in that truth of the time and that there is joy and pain and the promise, or the possibility, of something better.

 

DD: Describe your character - Calpurnia?

 

JW: She is the maid in the Finch household. She has been part of the family for many years. She and Atticus Finch are more like brother and sister in their closeness. She is, in some ways, a surrogate mother to his kids. She is wise, witty, frank, honest, and present.

 

DD: What do you like/dislike about her?

 

JW: There’s nothing I don’t like. I appreciate that she exists.

 

DD: How did you go about developing Calpurnia?

 

JW:  I don’t talk about my process too much. My process doesn't necessarily work for someone else.  I didn’t have to dig in any deep places. My family is from the south. I’m very familiar with the story.

 

DD: Talk about working with Richard Thomas.

 

JW: He is an extraordinary actor. People that don't follow theater may not be aware. You just couldn’t hope for a better - more giving scene partner. He is a joy to work with.  We hit off right from the start.

  

DD:  You are in a classic show. When you are acting in a classic – is the approach to the material different?

 

JW: It’s the same. I don’t know each of the 2700 people there that night. And the preconceived anything they are bringing with them. I’m not their mind reader. My job is to tell the story as truthfully and honestly as I can.

 

DD: Other than Calpurnia, what has been your favorite role – and why?

 

JW:  That is hard to answer. I’ve had wonderful blessings. Many roles are special to me for different reasons.

 

DD: Why should people see this show?

 

JW: We still need this show and this message. We have a lot of work we need to do. When they come, they will be reminded again about what little progress we have made. They will be surprised to see that there is a lot of laughter and joy in this piece. And there is some pain. When you leave, you should ask yourself, What can I do to make things better?

 

DD: You have done TV, film, radio, and theater. What is your preference and why?

 

JW:  Theater but I love working in all mediums. It helps keep things fresh for me. I don't get jaded in any of the mediums when I’m fluctuating between them.

 

DD: Anything you want people to know?

 

JW:  Yes, those who know the film, should know that we have Mary Badham traveling with us. She played Scout in the original film. She’s one of the sweetest people. She is playing the despicable neighbor, Miss Dubose.

 

‘To Kill A Mockingbird,’ The Hollywood Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, 8 p.m. Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sundays, through November 27, 2022, $39, 800 982-2787. 

 

Running time: 2 hours, 50 minutes, including intermission.

 

The show then moves to the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, 600 Town Center Drive from December 27 to January 8, 2023.