March 17,
2015- A Raisin in the Sun
Recap: Playing Ruth Younger.
Playing
Ruth Younger.
Was it
a challenge? Yes, of course it was! People sometimes think
that just because I have been performing for so long that it comes easy to me.
Well, here’s a bit of info: I never make anything easy for myself. I like to
dig deep into the characters that I play. It is one thing to “look” like the
character, but to feel and think like them takes time. Moving like them…even sitting
and laughing like them. Finding all of the nuisances that make them human is
the BEST PART.
Years ago when I was attached to Raisin, I was typically cast as Beneatha. So, naturally Ruth called
for a maturity and groundedness that I haven’t been able to portray as an
actress yet. Exploring what a “maternal”
instinct is. Emulating a pregnancy through
the entirety of a play not actually “knowing” what it is like to "be" pregnant
was so much fun! It made Ruth come alive in me. One of the things I am most
appreciative of is the fact that our director Marlon Hargrave and producer
Erica Pugh made it a necessity to bring real working elements to the stage. Elements
meaning an actual working stove and appliances. DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO
COOK LIVE IN FRONT OF OVER A THOUSAND PEOPLE!? I was so adamant not to burn
those damn eggs! LOL I am so serious, but it really helped me develop my skills
as a performer: staying in the moment yet maintaining a sense of safety on
stage. Working with an ensemble cast of about 10 people was surprisingly
peaceful. Of course, we all had our stints of frustrations; however, because we
started the rehearsal process back in October, we were able to build a rapport
and developed a natural chemistry amongst each other that read so well on
stage. I was telling some of the people who came to see the show: “whenever you
saw and heard laughter on stage, it was completely genuine. Very authentic
because we enjoyed working together.”
Channeling Ruth was quite enjoyable, I must say. Her strength wasn't as much of a challenge as discovering “her” levels of vulnerability. Often Ruth
is played somewhat submissive to her husband and acts as a mediator between
everyone in the house to maintain peace. However, Ruth is a dreamer herself. She
is hungry for life beyond what she has. Like the title infers, she is also a
raisin dried up. Her dreams of a life living independently with Walter Lee and
traveling the world were “deferred” as well. Ruth’s vulnerability is her love
for peace and order. She even contemplates sacrificing her new baby just so
that her family can have peace in their home. When portraying Ruth, I wanted to
make sure that her love for Walter was always known. She loves and respects her
husband.
Even though his “ideas” and “investments” has placed them in unlikely predicaments,
she still loves this man and most women playing her [Ruth] forget about the
love. Submitting and supporting are very dissimilar traits. I also enjoyed
finding the balances of anger and sadness. Not only was she upset with Walter
Lee…she was disappointed in his actions. Those are two VERY different emotions and I was able
to explore my range with Ruth. I even
found MY TEARS! (laughs)…. Lorraine Hansberry
was BRILLIANT, people! Brilliant!
Look out
for Part III!
Brit
“Looks can
be deceiving”
