It Takes a Village to perform OUR LADY OF KIBEHO

by moxielicious

Taylor Mumin, Kimberly King and John Brooks in OUR LADY OF KIBEHO – Photo by Daren Scott

MOXIE’s production of OUR LADY of KIBEHO boasts an impressively large cast of 16. Katori Hall’s play is inspired by the true events that happened in Kibeho, Rwanda starting in 1981 when three young Rwandan women claimed to be having visions of the Virgin Mary. The play explores the girls experiences and  reactions of the people both inside and outside of their school while allowing the audience to make up their own mind about the truth surrounding the incredible events. MOXIE’s production of the play has an incredible team of actors who portray the villagers but also help make the special effects happen from behind the scenes  (but we can’t give more than that away.) Without these incredible actors, the world of Kibeho would seem much smaller and the audience would laugh and gasp a whole lot less. Meet the Village.

How did you get started in theatre?

Imahni King: When I saw a production of “Beauty and the Beast” at San Diego Junior Theater, I immediately fell in love with the stage. Since then, I’ve always been a performer.

Kimmy King: I got started in theater informally through my amateur live music career. Through the 80’s and 90’s to play in JKGhetto, Development of Souls and Tribe of Judah, so I spent a lot of time on stage developing a comfort ability with audiences. Then, when my children began enjoying participation in school theater presentations and junior theater, I took on the role of theater mom-a lot of backstage work. I fell in love with theater from backstage; watching the whole production become whole from the green room and the costume loft was a delightful courtship. I took a position as a music director for the Visual and Performing Arts program in the school district where I teach sixth grade, and found that it came with quite a bit of directorial responsibility, so I started an MA program in theater arts at SDSU!

John Brooks: When I was in Jr High, I played in the school’s orchestra and we put on an annual joint production with the drama department.  “Peter Pan” was the first and I recalling watching the actors during rehearsal, wishing I was up on stage.

Taylor Mumin: I did my first show in fifth grade (Little Red Riding Hood) and I fell in love with performing. I took a break during middle school because my school didn’t have a program, but once high school began I dove right back in and haven’t stopped since then.

Durwood Murray: I got started in theatre in Junior High School.  I needed to pick a second elective class after Home Ec (because, food), and was clueless.  I asked my mom her opinion.  She suggested Speech and Drama-she just had a feeling I’d be good at it.  In my first play I played a character that had a girlfriend.  At age 12, that hooked me for life.

Imahni Murillo-King as Emmanuel, one of the villagers of Kibeho – Photo by Daren Scott

What have you been in recently that people in San Diego may have seen you in?

Imahni King: “Ragtime” at the Speckles Theater. Critics and and people from all around California came down to see the production.

John Brooks: Absolutely nothing!  I returned to music, after retiring from government service.

Taylor Mumin: Our Lady of Kibeho is my first show in San Diego, but I have done a few shows with Act 1 Theater Arts in Temecula. (RENT, Little Shop of Horrors and All Shook Up The Musical).

Durwood Murray: Recently in San Diego, I’ve appeared in A Civil War Christmas with Diversionary Theatre as well as To Kill a Mockingbird with New Village Arts Theatre.

Did you know about this event that happened in Kibeho before you read the play?

Imahni King: I had no idea that this event happened. Believe or not, I had actually not been so thoroughly educated on the genocide before I heard about the audition.

Kimmy King: I hadn’t heard about Kibeho before this show, but I’ve done a bit of youtube research on it lately-fascinating!

John Brooks: No, I was not aware of the events at Kibeho. Fascinating story, however!

Taylor Mumin: Not at all. I was familiar with the genocide, but these preceding events that we see in the play I was not familiar with at all.

Durwood Murray:  I had a vague familiarity with these events, but doing this show has been an incredible learning experience.  There was so much to take in.

Tyrah Hunter, Vimel Sephus &            Durwood Murray – Photo by Daren Scott

What do you think will be most challenging in working on this play?

Imahni King: I think that the most challenging part of being in this production is going to be staying in character while keeping a believeable Rwandan accent

Kimmy King: The Rwandan accent work seems like it will be challenging.

John Brooks: Keeping it together and complementing the others work will be my greatest challenge.

Taylor Mumin: The most challenging thing will probably be making sure that all the small moments that drive the show stay strong throughout the run. There are so many big moments that keeping the smaller ones strong and powerful could possibly be a challenge.

Durwood Murray:  The most challenging aspect of working on this play has been the dialect work.  I studied dialects in college as a theatre major, but nothing even close to the Rwandan accent.  A lot of the words have such an unnatural feeling in my mouth.

What do you hope audiences will take away after having seen it?

Imahni King: The full knowledge of this event. I want them to be far more educated about the event than I was previously.

Kimmy King: After seeing the show, I hope people will take away a heightened sense of awareness and respect for the beliefs of others that are not necessarily understood or controlled. I hope that awareness engenders a desire to know more about the peoples of the world and a realization of how small our world is.

John Brooks: The take away for me in reading the script was: listen to your inner voice and do not dismiss that which you do not understand.  I hope that audiences will feel the same way after experiencing this Moxie production.

Taylor Mumin: I hope the audience walks away wanting to look into these events and further their knowledge of what happened in Rwanda. It’s a powerful and devastating series of events and I hope that our show sparks a desire in our audiences to learn more about what happened.

Durwood Murray: I hope that after seeing this show the audience finds a way to hold on to their beliefs, but also find a way to question them, allow themselves to see other and opposing perspectives.

You can see the villagers in OUR LADY OF KIBEHO playing through May, 29, 2016 at MOXIE Theatre. Tickets available at http://www.moxietheatre.com or call 858-598-7620 for tickets

Courageous – An Interview with Actress Cashae Monya

by moxielicious

MOXIE is thrilled about our upcoming production OUR LADY OF KIBEHO by Katori Hall which is inspired by astounding true events that happened in Kibeho, Rwanda in the early 1980s. Three young women claimed to be having visions of the Virgin Mary, who delivered a message to them which they were asked to give to the President of Rwanda and the Pope. That message eerily foretold the coming of something dangerous and violent in Rwanda. In 1994, just ten years later, the Rwandan Genocide unfolded and over 800,000 people were murdered. In 2001, the Catholic Church officially approved the apparitions in Kibeho as a miracle.

The first to see the visions was a young woman named Alphonsine Mumureke, who is portrayed in MOXIE’s production by San Diego favorite, Cashae Monya, who takes a minute here on the MOXIE Blog to tell us about her process getting ready for OUR LADY OF KIBEHO.

How did you get started in theatre?  

I did my first play, Romeo and Juliet, when I was 14 years old and I haven’t found anything since that has made me feel as happy and full of purpose. 

 

MOXIE audiences will recognize you from our productions of Trouble in Mind, Crumbs from the Table of Joy and The Bluest Eye (co-produced with Mo’olelo Performing Arts Company) What have you been in recently that people in San Diego may have also seen you in?

I was last seen in the La Jolla Playhouse’s “DNA Series” in a concert reading of “Miss You Like Hell” and “To The Quick”. 

 

Did you know about this event that happened in Kibeho before you read the play?

I was unaware of the events that occurred in Kibeho before reading the play. I had never heard of the genocide either. 

 

What do you think will be most challenging in working on this play?

I think the most challenging aspect of working on telling this remarkable story will be physicalizing the ways in which the girls witness the Virgin Mary in a way that doesn’t seem gimmicky. I do not want to cheapen the gravity of what these women experienced by looking like something out of a bad horror film about demonic possession. 

 

What do you hope audiences will take away after having seen it?

I hope the audience leaves the theatre knowing that a person’s value is not determined by monetary posessions, social capital or level of education but rather his/her ability to remain courageous and faithful in the mist of doubt and hardship.

See Cashae Monya and the rest of the cast of OUR LADY OF KIBEHO May 1-29 at MOXIE Theatre. Tickets available at www.moxietheatre.com or call 858-598-7620

MOXIE Theatre is located at 6663 El Cajon Blvd. Suite N San Diego, CA 92115.

Defining Who She Is – An Interview with Jyl Kaneshiro

by moxielicious

Making a debut at a theatre company is the beginning of an exciting relationship. We’re thrilled to be opening a new door with actress Jyl Kaneshiro, who plays the challenging role of Merrell in MOXIE’s production BROWNSVILLE SONG (B-SIDE FOR TRAY) playing through Feb 28, 2016. “Kaneshiro is excellent in the difficult part of Devine’s mother Merrell…Her hesitant push-pull with Devine and Tray presents a moving portrait of a woman who messed up and knows she can’t make it right.: SDGLN

Kaneshiro is working all over San Diego at places like the La Jolla Playhouse where she performs in their POP Tour production of Alice Chan or Inner Mission Productions where she starred in the critically acclaimed production Precious Little. Here she gives us incite into her character and process for BROWNSVILLE.

How would you say your are alike or different from your character, Merrell? 

One thing I am very different from Merrell is in a way that I truly envy, that being her ability to stand and define who she is. Who creates her family and what those who don’t accept that can do. It’s a fierce character trait when one can redefine and stand up to those who are supposed to be the definitive of kin for those who are yours absolutely in your heart and soul, your people.

 

“Jyl Kaneshiro is excellent in the difficult part of Devine’s mother Merrell (an English teacher before she lost her job due to addiction), who comes back into their lives in order to tutor Tray on that pesky essay.”-SDGLN

 

Photo by Daren Scott

Has this role challenged you in any way?

Merrell is an incredibly challenging character to portray in several ways. Emotions, as an actor, are an easy card to call. One adjective that is incredibly difficult to play while trying to convey all the underlying emotions is stoic. And the character of Merrell is of one who has fallen into the pits of despair and is now trying to claw her way out to fight for what she comes to realize is the primary aspect in her life, her daughter. She tries to retain her passiveness so as not to show vulnerability.

 

What would you say is the most moving part of this play?

 

One of the things I really appreciate about this play is the individuality of it. His death is not jus another one. I love the focus on what we as a society lost, who this boy could have been. We are each a story separately and yet we are weaved together subtextually, because…humanity. The humanization of it, not the statistic. Also, I love the breakdown of defenses when we each realize how fragile life is.

 

What would you like the audience to take away from this production?

I would like people to reexamine the possibility of forgiveness. If there is something unsettled within their life, just to think for a moment because each moment is just that a fleeting period of time that we will not get back.

Don’t miss Jyl’ s performance in BROWNSVILLE SONG (B-SIDE FOR TRAY). Purchase Tickets Now or call 858-598-7620

This is just the beginning – an interview with Actress of the Year Sylvia M’ Lafi Thompson

by moxielicious

2015 was a busy year for Sylvia M’ Lafi Thompson and a fruitful one. This past Monday night, Thompson’s cast mates in BROWNSVILLE SONG  (B-SIDE FOR TRAY) which is running through Feb 28, 2106,  leapt to their feet as she was awarded Actor of the Year at the San Diego Critic’s Circle Awards. We’re not in the least surprised. If you see her performance in this production, you’ll know why. Thompson made time to share some insight into her process and her character.

How are you alike or different from you character Lena in BROWNSVILLE SONG?

Lena and I are very much alike from the stand point of keeping children safe and giving them a strong foundation to guide them. I come from an era where the neighbors watched out for everyone’s children when the parents were at work. If you did something wrong they would let them know. Everybody in our neighborhood knew everybody else…when Lena says to Junior. .”I remember the day you were born” I can relate. How sad it is that it is not like that anymore.

Has this role challenged you in any way?

Every role challenges me because my commitment is to the language of the playwright…….their story, not mine and the vision of the director. I am always amazed that Delicia Turner Sonnenburg is not already on Broadway. She should be. Her third eye is unmatched. A true blessing for San Diego.

This piece of incredible artistry. Kimber Lee has written the play in real time prose…the way people speak….it has been a challenge sometimes to memorize in the “hip hop generation era” but, a pleasant challenge for sure.

What would you say is the most moving part of this play?

WOW. Impossible to say. Every night when I am not in a scene and have changed clothes I am peeking out to see the other scenes because I love this play so much and the cast and designers who have worked so hard to breathe life into this story. I am NEVER BORED . OKAY…every time Zoe and Tez (Cortez L. Johnson) do the Brother/Sister scenes/dances I am RIGHT THERE peeking. Just amazing and heart happy to watch. What incredible music composition and choreography.

What would you like the audience to take away from this play?

I think that our losses, our loves, our most priceless relationships, live on in a song…a story…a memory…a conversation and that senseless loss can not shut us down. Everyday God gives us”This is not the end ..it is the beginning “

BROWNSVILLE SONG (B-SIDE FOR TRAY) is playing at MOXIE Theatre through Feb 28, 2016. Tickets are $30 and groups of 15+ are $15. Buy Tickets Now or call 858-598-7620

A Thankful Message from Delicia

by moxielicious

We, at MOXIE, have learned that gratitude is our single greatest tool to survive as a non-profit. As theatre artists, we have so much to be grateful for, like you dear fans and supporters of MOXIE. On this day of thankfulness, we’re happy to share the thoughts of our fearless leader, Artistic Director Delicia Turner Sonnenberg about what makes her thankful to be an artist and a MOXIE.

What makes you thankful to be an artist in your local community?

D: I am thankful for the overwhelming generosity and support I feel from the entire San Diego Theatre community – board members, audience members, staff at both our organization and others, artists, big theatres, small theatres. It’s amazing to be a part of a community that feels genuinely supportive of each other.

What makes you thankful to be an artist at MOXIE?

D: I am thankful to work in a place and make theatre with people I respect, where I get to be my whole self – artist, administrator, wife, mother, mentor, student, loving or cranky. I am especially thankful that MOXIE provides my son and daughter an example of what it means to love your work. I tell them that while talent an intelligence can be used as a weapon, they can choose to use it to positively impact the world. But seeing is believing and having them grow up around MOXIE provides an example that no “talk” can capture.

 What make you thankful to be a theatre artist in general?

D: I am thankful that I love my work. I am thankful for the opportunity to touch and be touched by people’s humanity.

 

 

A Guy You Want Next to You When the S%#T Hits the Fan – Interview with ORANGE JULIUS’ Steve Froehlich

by moxielicious

Steve Froehlich as Ol’ Boy. Photo by Daren Scott

In our final installation of interviews with cast members of ORANGE JULIUS, we’re thrilled to be talking with the actor who plays the dynamic role of Ol’ Boy, Steve Froehlich. This world premiere closes Sunday October 18, 2015 so don’t wait to get tickets!

You play a really fascinating character that’s different from the other characters in ORANGE JULIUS. Can you tell us about him?

My character’s name is Ol’ Boy. He is an Army Soldier in Vietnam, created out of the main character Nut’s imagination as she explores in dream-like sequences what it would be like to be present with her father Julius when he was fighting in Vietnam.  Basically all of my scenes are exploring this dynamic with Nut and Julius: she’s trying to be manly, I’m extreme craziness and Julius is full of fear. It’s a unique dynamic. Nut has a wonderful line where she states her “father made me watch Platoon, Full Metal Jacket and Apocalypse Now every single year Veterans’ Day when they all played on television,” and Ol’ Boy is an amalgamation of the most gonzo caricatures of those films. Ol’ Boy has seen the worst of it and has learned how to use those experiences to keep him—and everyone else around him—alive.  With his temper he can snap at any moment, but he is the type of guy you want next to you when the shit hits the fan.  Oh yeah, and this is an understatement, but he swears A LOT!  Every time he enters from backstage he’s swearing immediately, and sometimes it seems as if every other word spewing out of his mouth is an expletive. He is a tornado when he comes on stage.

How are you alike and different from him?

Just like Ol’ Boy, I am: Athletic, Committed, Focused, Funny, Intense, Loud and Loyal.

The famous acting teacher Uta Hagen taught (impressed upon her by Harold Clurman) that you must know yourself fully so you can bring all of yourself—or what is required of you—to that character.  So in this role I rely a lot on my natural physicality to bring Ol’ Boy to life.

Unlike Ol’ Boy, I am not: Extremely fearless, nor do I have an uncontrollable explosive temper.

When I was younger I swore profusely, having to do with always playing competitive team sports, but I worked hard after college when I entered the professional world to tone down that behavior.  Although, last week at coffee a friend of mine asked, “Why are you swearing so much? I’ve never heard you talk that way.” I guess Ol’ Boy has rubbed off on me a little bit; at least temporarily.  Thanks for writing this Basil! Haha

As a child we moved around every three years or so because of my father’s career in the U.S. Coast Guard, but that was the closest I came to the military. So, no matter how much I can prepare being a soldier, I’ve never been there.  During the “actor” talkback one Sunday after the show, multiple audience members expressed how they served during Vietnam, and they all had different and personal experiences to share.  I just hope that I could bring truth and believability to Ol’ Boy and not let those patrons down.  Thank you to everyone that has served our country! God Bless you and your families.

What research or preparation did you do to get into character?

When Casting Director Jennifer Berry called me about auditioning for the role, she specifically told me to think Robert Duvall during the napalm beach scene in “Apocalypse Now.”  I’ve seen all the movies mentioned in the script and knew immediately what they wanted. And it felt beyond great when Basil Kreimendahl (the writer) told me that my audition was exactly how Ol’ Boy was imagined when he was being written. That took me by surprise!

My senior year in high school I took a military history class and we watched “Full Metal Jacket.” That was my first exposure to understanding the Vietnam Conflict. For the next few years, when I wasn’t reading a textbook in high school or in college, I was reading a book on Vietnam, the Korean War and World War II.  I really enjoyed learning about those periods in history, so when I was offered this role, I had a lot of useful information floating around in my head to draw from in creating the back-story of Ol’ Boy. Plus, my father served 30+ years in the military, and so did his father, so growing up I was a military brat and I liked learning about the military and war.

One of my first acting teachers implored upon his students to watch a movie or TV show everyday as a way to learn, and for the past three years I daily watch just as much as I read.  War movies and documentaries are a genre I routinely consume, so I had a lot to draw from visually when bringing Ol’ Boy to life: both the drill sergeant’s barking orders and the 1000-yard stare quote from “Full Metal Jacket;” Tom Sizemore getting shot at and standing fully upright in “Saving Private Ryan.” Creating the physicality of Ol’ Boy and how he moves in the jungle guided my approach.

What moves you most in the script?

What excited me more than anything in the script was that this is a World Premiere and I get to originate the role of Ol’ Boy.  I wasn’t informed of this fact until after I was hired for the role.  This is a first for me.  Another first, which is a by-product of a doing a World Premiere, is that I get to work with the writer during the rehearsal period. Both of these firsts created a superb atmosphere for creating a character.

But in reference to the script, the Vietnam-era is something I’ve studied copiously so any script relating to that timeframe is always of interest to me.

From Ol’ Boy’s perspective, the camaraderie that’s required to stay alive in the Vietnam scenes is parallel to the relationships we all need in order to overcome the challenges and obstacles that real life brings.

Overall, the topic of family and relationships is poignant, especially trying to remember those that have passed on good terms and having to recreate those memories in our mind so we never forget them.  The mother France chastises her daughter Crimp for the way Crimp remembers her father: “sometimes, I think you must’ve grown up in a different house.” Crimp remembered her father in a sweet way, even if it wasn’t necessarily true from the mother’s perspective.  But sometimes that’s okay.

My mom grew up outside of Chicago and came from a huge family.  So, every winter/holiday season, I would see all of my aunts/uncles/cousins and I always cherished those times. We’d sometimes have up to 25 people all staying for a week in my grandmother’s tiny house! After both of those grandparents passed away when I was about 14, since then the family has never gotten together like that again; so I have to hold onto “my” memories to keep that wonderfully warm time alive. Therefore, someday when I have a family of my own, we can do it the same way.

Catch Froehlich and the rest of the cast of ORANGE JULIUS before they close this Sunday October 18th at 2pm. Tickets available at http://www.moxietheatre.com or call 858-598-7620

Searching for an Act of Selflessness -Interview with ORANGE JULIUS’ Rae K. Hendersen

by moxielicious

The World Premiere of ORANGE JULIUS is closing this Sunday, October 18, 2015.  Rae K. Hendersen, who plays the central character “Nut”, has received rave reviews for what the critics are calling a breakout performance.

“She offers a performance star worthy and commanding. She takes us places most fear to tread.” -Examiner.com

“…  a breakout showcase for the outsize talents of its star, Rae K. Hendersen.” -San Diego Union-Tribune

“At the center of it all is Rae K. Hendersen, intense, authoritative, casual and completely in command…”-Times of San Diego

We caught up with Hendersen to talk about  what the ORANGE JULIUS process has been like.

Will you tell us a little bit about your character, Nut?

Nut comes from practical, working-class people, but is a poet at heart.  They narrate the play through memories, fantasies, and moments that hover between the two.  During the length of the show, Nut is trying to discover where the missed connection was between their father and them, where things may have gone wrong, where opportunities passed unfulfilled.  They are searching for and working toward a final moment of connection, of some great act of selflessness for Julius before he goes. I think Nut is a very old soul, but lost in the way that young adults often are.  They are the sort of person you’d like to sit down in a dive bar and have a beer with – a storyteller, an empathizer, someone sweet and tough and a little broken.

How are you similar to and different from Nut?

Like Nut, I am good at seeing things with clarity when looking back at them – but terrible at understanding events and relationships in the moment.  I think Nut is very self-critical, but also shows themself grace in their faults and mistakes, which I identify with.

Nut is also the first time I’ve ever gotten to play a queer character, which has really meant a lot to me.  I feel so fortunate that this is such a beautiful show, and that this character’s queerness is like mine – a part of their identity, an influence in their relationships, but not a constant struggle or problem to be overcome.  Nut is neither a LGBT hero nor a victim – they are a character that I think everyone can relate to, never presented as an “other”.  I so appreciate that aspect of Basil’s script and Will’s direction.  I also am just really enjoying not having to “femme it up”, as it were, like I almost always have to do for shows.  It’s comfortable and pleasant.

What research or preparation will you be doing to get into character?

I’ve read up a lot on Agent Orange – both its use during Vietnam as well as its legacy.  The continuing political battle over the very real, human consequences is astounding and terrifying.

What do you expect to be the biggest challenge for you as an actor in working on this production?

Prior to this show, I had only ever done one other non-musical (I played Antigone in a college production).  Every show in my professional career has been a musical, so this has been a very different experience for me.  I was very very nervous coming in to the rehearsal process – I was worried that I wouldn’t know how to do it, that I would be unprepared for a very different style of theatre art – but it has been an absolutely wonderful and comfortable experience.  Doing a play is a completely different animal than a musical, and (based on this experience) is easier in some ways and tougher in others.

One thing I was not expecting was the challenge of being patient with people as they try to figure out how to talk about gender in the context of and around this play.  That has been very very interesting, and not something that had really crossed my mind during the rehearsals.  I had literally never thought about how audiences or critics were going to feel about and talk about Nut’s gender presentation until after the preview performances, which now seems like rather late in the game.

What moves you most in the script?

Every time Nut says “I didn’t ask” it breaks my heart a little.

I also love it every time Jeffrey tells me a story.

Catch Hendersen, along with the rest of the outstanding ORANGE JULIUS cast before the production closes Sunday Oct 18th at 2pm. Tickets at http://www.moxietheatre.com/orangejulius or call 858-598-7620

Bringing the Laughter – Interview with ORANGE JULIUS’ Wendy Maples

by moxielicious

Rae K. Hendersen, Wendy Maples and Dana Case in ORANGE JULIUS. Photo by Daren Scott

The critically acclaimed World Premiere of ORANGE JULIUS, MOXIE’s first production of Season 11, is playing now through October 18, 2015.   Actress Wendy Maples plays the role of Crimp. We took a moment to catch up with Maples to talk about her character.

Will you tell us a little about your character, Crimp?

I’m playing Crimp, Nut’s older sister. She’s a middle child, kind of lost in the fold of the family.

How are you alike/different from her?

I’m definitely not a middle kid- I’m the youngest of three, so I’ve always been some kind of performer. But as the middle kid, Crimp has lots of moments that give us permission to laugh and I connect to that a lot.

What research or preparation will you be doing to get into character?

I’ve been thinking a lot about families and the roles that we play within them. Like who’s a caregiver, who needs attention, who’s misunderstood, who’s absent- every family has them. And when crisis happens, how do we react as those people or step out of those roles? Family is a powerful beast.

What do you expect to be the biggest challenge for you as an actor in working on this production?

My biggest challenge in any production is just being an actor! But this ensemble has been so comfortable and challenging from day one- I’m just really thrilled to be sharing creative space with these people and learning from them.

What moves you the most in the script?

So much. Basil’s words are lovely and time is fluid and Jeffrey goes fishing. All the things.

Catch Wendy Maples and the rest of the OUTSTANDING cast of ORANGE JULIUS at MOXIE through October 18, 2015. Tickets at 858-598-7620 or visit http://www.moxietheatre.com/orangejulius

Love Sought and Realized – Interview with ORANGE JULIUS’ Dana Case

by moxielicious

Jeffrey Jones and Dana Case in ORANGE JULIUS – Photo by Daren Scott

“Dana Case broke my heart as France, Nut’s mom.  She was painfully honest…”-SDJewishworld.com

ORANGE JULIUS, MOXIE’s first production of Season 11 which plays through October 18, 2015,  is a rich and layered look inside a family filled with love and struggling with loss. Actress Dana Case plays the role of France, the mother of the family. We took a moment to catch up with Case to talk about her character.

Tell us about “France”

France is a wife and mother in a working class family. I imagine that she graduated from High School and has always held a job. She goes about her business, and does what needs to be done. She has very little free time. At times during the play, France is taking care of her bedridden mother-in-law, as well as her bedridden husband. Sickness and death are a constant in her life. She admits to not knowing how to have fun.

How are you alike/different from her?

Alike: I am a wife, a mother and a daughter/daughter-in-law. I am dealing with aging parents with dementia and physical challenges.
Different: I do know how to have fun.

What research and preparation did you do to get into character?

Looked into the Vietnam War, Agent Orange, gender identity.

What do you expect to be the biggest challenge for you as an actor in working on this production?

If I tell you that, then you’ll be looking for it in my performance! So, I’m pleading the Fifth.

What moves you the most in the script?

The universality of the story. The human voice. The poetry. The love sought and realized.

Catch Dana Case and the rest of the OUTSTANDING cast of ORANGE JULIUS at MOXIE through October 18, 2015. Tickets at 858-598-7620 or visit http://www.moxietheatre.com/orangejulius

Getting Grizzly – Devlin of ETERNALLY BAD

by moxielicious

We’re asking the cast 7 questions about ETERNALLY BAD. Serious or silly, here are ETERNALLY BAD cast member, Devlin’s answers.

Who is your favorite character in the show?

Grizzly Woman

What’s the strangest thing you learned in your research for the show?

How violent these gals were.

If we had stayed a matriarchal culture, what do you think would be the biggest difference in our society?

We would care more about our actions and the people around us.

If you were going to sleep with any character in the show… who would you choose?

Poa

You change character a lot, what’s your most challenging transformation?

Amaterasu

Has it been hard to keep a straight face on rehearsal?

Sometimes!! 

Ladies,  what has it meant to you to spend time reclaiming some bad girl legends?

Rejuvenated!

See Devlin and the rest of the cast as they “get bad” in ETERNALLY BAD at MOXIE Jul 10 – Aug 2, 2015. Tickets available at http://www.moxietheatre.com/eternallybad