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Read Memphis Dramaturgy by Sabrina Khan

Read Plogger Dalia Wolfson's Review

 

By Mariana Quinn-Makwaia 12th Grade, Stuyvesant High School

Memphis is intriguing, catchy and full of soul. While singing in her brother’s Blues club in Memphis, Tennessee in 1950, aspiring African American singer Felicia Farrell (Montego Glover), meets and falls for Huey Calhoun (Chad Kimball), a white local DJ. Memphis focuses on the relationship between Felicia and Huey as they battle with Southern ideals, romance, pride, and dreams.

Glover’s voice gives me chills; she is power- ful and inspiring. Kimball crafts a layered and lovable Huey; he is comedic, but also shows deep vulnerability. Memphis has hilarious one-liners, yet still takes a critical look at the important issue of race. I recommend this show to everyone!

Mariana had a chance to talk with the dynamic duo about their roles.

Mariana: How long have you been working on Memphis?

Montego: We’ve been working on Memphis for six years.

Chad: There are five of us who are still doing the show that were in the original production.

Montego: This story is new and we’ve worked so hard, so getting an opportu-nity to share all of the hard work we’ve put into it is really exciting.

Chad:It’s just a dream come true to be on Broadway. I can’t even explain how surreal and magical it is every single night.

Montego: This story takes place at a very real time in our nation’s history. It’s wonderful to be able to impart a part of our history in a way that is new and exciting.

Mariana: Why should teenagers see Memphis?

Chad:It’s a great American story that hasn’t been told in this way.

Montego: Memphis is about that place where you start to really understand the world and being a teenager is also that coming-of-age time. Being young is full of energy and excitement and this play has it in spades. There’s something to grab here. A teenager can come into the theatre and experience the world in a way that they don’t know it — learn something, but be completely pulled into the world of the play and be entertained at the same time.

Mariana: Chad, your character Huey is utterly endearing and steals the hearts of the audience. What is your favorite part of playing him?

Chad:He’s not your average leading man. He has a lot of quirks, and sometimes you can get annoyed at him. People can identify with him because they see a lot of themselves in him. He’s just incredibly accessible to the audience.

Mariana: Are there similarities between you and Huey?

Chad: Oh, yeah. We have the same drive. The same go-get-it type of attitude. After all this time, he is a part of me.

Mariana: Montego, you gave me chills when you sang “Colored Women.” How do you do that?

Montego: That song, the play, and the character of Felicia Farrell are all very personal to me. Felicia and I have a lot in common: we’re both young African American women, we’re both from Tennessee, so her world is very familiar to me. As long as I — as an actress, as a human being — am fully invested in what that means to me, I have all of the ammunition I need to sing it.

Mariana: How did you initially get involved in theatre?

Montego: I attended a fantastic school where theatre was part of the curriculum. I responded to plays and acting and the excavation of human relationships and of the world so strongly, that before I knew it, I was studying acting full-time.

Chad: My high school had a really great drama program. I got bitten by the acting bug and from there it just kind of snowballed.

Mariana: Do you have any advice for aspiring actors?

Chad: Keep at it. I pounded the pavement like the best of them, and if you keep doing it, you’ll see the fruits of your labor.

Montego: If you want to be an actor, go to school, find a college program that specializes in what you want to do, read everything you can get your hands on, and stick with it.

Read Plogger Amy Leon's interview with Kevin Mambo of Fela!

Read Plogger Chris Ramirez interview with Jon Michael Hill (Franco) about his role in Superior Donuts and what it’s like to be an actor.