By Darlene Donloe
Kacie Rogers and DeJuan Christopher, two powerful actors in the entertainment game today, are set to star in Angelica Chéri’s poignant love story, ‘Berta, Berta,’ opening at the Echo Theater Company in Atwater Village July 19 through August 25.
Andi Chapman directs the West Coast premiere of ‘Berta, Berta,’ described as a unique love story.
Set in 1920s Mississippi, Leroy (Christopher) has committed an unforgivable crime and is ready to accept his punishment: incarceration at notorious Parchman Farm. He has just one final wish before he’s caught – a chance to make amends with his long-lost love, Berta (Rogers).
Kacie Rogers and DeJuan Christopher in 'Berta, Berta'
Photo by Makela Yepez Photography
Their reunion swells from a quarrelsome conjuring of the past to an impassioned plot to escape their impending fate. The play is inspired by the prison chain gang song “Berta, Berta.”
The song was incorporated by August Wilson in his play, The Piano Lesson. Chéri first came across it while watching a production and found herself haunted by it.
“What’s so striking about ‘Berta, Berta’ is that people from all over have sung this for decades and have no idea who the man is who originated this song or who the woman is who is the subject of this song,” Chéri explained in an interview. “Every man who sang this song had his own Berta. He had the same longing, disenfranchisement, and captivity. Where did this song come from? I had to write an origin story.”
The buoyant and spirited song adds to the play’s musical and emotive landscape.
Parchman Farm remains an infamous prison in Mississippi that the Innocence Project calls “a prison modeled after a slave plantation.”
Parchman was “the site of some of the most remarkable music in American history… Singing through the turmoil was not just common but routine at Parchman, whether inmates were musicians or not.”
"'Berta, Berta' is a beautifully written, simple love story set against the backdrop of Jim Crow,” said Chapman. “It’s poetry – a book coming to life. Love can pierce through anything.”
Bringing the story to life are Rogers and Christopher, who were eager to tackle the dialogue.
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| Kacie Rogers |
I recently caught up with Kacie Rogers (KR) and DeJuan Christopher (DC), both of whom have warm and vibrant personalities, to talk about their upcoming performances in ‘Berta, Berta.’
DD: The song 'Berta, Berta' is intoxicating. How does the music tie in with the show?
KR: The show is the story that inspires ‘Berta, Berta’. The love story of history, and the context of why those words are those words. It’s a beautiful, chilling, haunting thing. Angelica has done a wonderful job.
DC: We know it is an infamous song. These men were out there with picks working from sunup to sundown. He got through by singing about his woman, Berta. Poetic literature, that’s what Angelica put on that page.
DD: Why should people see this show?
KR: I don’t like to be prescriptive about what they can take away. So much you can mine from it—a reflection of how you’re spending your time on earth. There are so many deep, resonant things in the play.
DC: I think folks should see a part of themselves they don't normally see. It’s so unapologetic. It’s about being an adult in the world. You’re born looking like your parents, you die looking like your decisions. It’s an oasis and an internal look at who we are and who we can become, and how love can play in that.
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| DeJuan Christopher |
DD: Did you learn something about yourself while developing the character and rehearsing?
DC: Yes, I’ve learned through the show about time. I’m more connected to grandparents and great-grandparents. I was fortunate to know some of my great-grandparents. I’m essentially playing my great-grandfather’s father in this play. If this is what life was like for them, then – wow. Sometimes I’m moved to tears.
KR: Berta will be teaching me until closing night. The major takeaway is that hope is always worth it. It’s boundless. We see Berta fighting against these seemingly hopeless situations. I’m inspired by that, especially now. The news is so bad. We’re in a terrible place.
DD: Why did you want to be part of this show? What criteria does a show need for you to be interested?
KR: We got to do a staged reading in 2021. I had to do this. If I read it and I know her, I have to do it. I hear her voice. I know how she walks. Then I want to do it. This one was very loud. We don't get to see Black couples loving each other and being beautifully layered.
DC: If it ain’t on the page, it ain’t on the stage. If I don't have goosebumps, I put it down. As a Black man, it’s important to see a Black man loving a Black woman. We were in bondage together and got out together. It's a badge of honor to do this work. I do my best every day. I want to show up and be the best of myself. I want to honor all the ancestors.
DD: How do you both go about developing your characters?
KR: It depends. My process changes for every role I’m doing. I read it a lot before we got started. Andi provided us with music. I’m taking notes from what the playwright has given me on the page. You have a decent amount of table work. We really got into conversations. Then we took the baton, DeJuan and I, and created a shared history.
DC: Similar for me. I read the script to see if I have those goosebumps. Then I reread it and write down how I feel. I read it a third time to identify the repetitive elements positively. Does he smile? How does he sit? How is he dressed? Then I became an investigative reporter. What is my objective? Who am I? Why do I have to get that objective? Then I built the skeleton of the character.
DD: Can you describe the emotional highs and challenges of performing in this play?
KR: Emotionally volatile in an incredible way. We’re challenged in this play. It challenges us to be human.
DC: It’s an emotional rollercoaster. Angelica - She writes it as a layered cake. It’s not easy, but it’s rewarding. It’s our job as artists to tell the truth about life. It’s a duty. This is set in the 20s. We are giving voice to the voiceless.
DD: Talk about working with Angelica and your director, Andi Chapman.
KR: Angelica and Andi are the best. This is my second show with Andi. I love working with her. She and I work similarly. It's a safe place for me to explore. Her vision is clear, but it’s malleable. I can play. It’s collaborative. She’ll tell you if you’re going in the wrong direction. Angelica is so smart and kind and generous. I’m honored to feel trusted by her. She’s been an encouraging resource for us. She provides clarity. I’m inspired.
DC: Everything Kacie said. Angelica is so kind. She’s a giving person. She is transparent. She allows us to be free. Andi is one of the most gifted, well-rounded people you will ever meet. She knows the craft. She’s an actress, director, and professor, and I’m a historian. To know her pedigree – she came under Lloyd Richards, the first Black theater director on Broadway. It’s an honor. We’re in good hands.
DD: How do you prepare to go on stage on opening night?
KR: I don’t treat my pre-show any differently than any other night. I pray before every performance. He (Christopher) and I breathe together.
DC: I do what I do every day. I go to the gym, eat something nutritious and healthy. Then I meditate, and then it’s time to get ready!
DD: What did you expect from showbiz, and what did you get?
KR: I still expect to be a superstar. I’ve been acting since I was a kid. I have worked fairly consistently. I would like not to have a day job. The thing that surprised me, though, was that I thought I would be an actor. It has allowed me to be a writer. I am a producer. I have a theater company. It forced me to expand myself. Another gift I have is creating opportunities for other people.
DC: I also expected to be a superstar. It’s the truth, though. I left school, and the professor said, ‘What are you going to do? I said, ‘I’m going to LA to be a superstar. Back at the ranch….. I expected to be in the South of France. I’m glad it didn't turn out that way for me. To be able to audition and be told ‘no’ a thousand times before I get that ‘yes’. It prepares me. I also have family. Plus, meeting someone like Kacie.
The creative team for ‘Berta, Berta’ includes scenic designer Amanda Knehans, lighting designer Andrew Schmedake, sound designer Jeff Gardner, and costume designer Wendell C. Carmichael.
The production stage manager is Bianca Rickheim. Chris Fields, Kelly Beech, Marie Bland, and Joy DeMichelle produce for the Echo Theater Company.
‘Berta, Berta,’ Echo Theater Company in Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Ave., Los Angeles, 8 p.m., Fridays, Saturdays, and Mondays, with Sunday matinees at 4 p.m., $38.
(free parking in the Atwater Xing lot one block south of the theater)
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